Reviews
Customer photos and videos
Joseph D.
My CF Racer1 was put to the test last week in RAGBRAI, the annual ride across Iowa. The pedal assist ate up those Iowa hills and headwinds and gave me the edge to accomplish an epic ride. I used PAS 2 and 3 most of the time and only had to go to PAS 5 on a very long and steep hill coming into Boone, IA from the valley. The bike is so light that I rode it for training without any E boost. Despite the light weight, it is a very solid and well built bike.
Stephen Mader
Should have done this a year ago. At 76 the hills on my twice a week ride have been getting harder. I was not looking forward to my rides and the rest of my riders were waiting for me. The bike has rejuvenated my biking experience.
Cameron
Amazing bike for the money. A comparable build from many other brands would easily cost $3,000–4,000+. Assembly was straightforward right out of the box. I was torn between this and an analog gravel bike, but after putting 500 miles on it in the first month, I’m glad I went this route. Zero issues so far. Customer service was great. Chatting with a rep about mounts for like 30 minutes…and I hadn’t even purchased the bike yet. My world has opened up. I’ve ridden farther, explored places I never would have otherwise, and started saying going on adventures that used to feel out of reach. Extremely happy with the purchase.
Cameron
Amazing bike for the money. A comparable build from many other brands would easily cost $3,000–4,000+. Assembly was straightforward right out of the box. I was torn between this and an analog gravel bike, but after putting 500 miles on it in the first month, I’m glad I went this route. Zero issues so far. Customer service was great. Chatting with a rep about mounts for like 30 minutes…and I hadn’t even purchased the bike yet. My world has opened up. I’ve ridden farther, explored places I never would have otherwise, and started saying going on adventures that used to feel out of reach. Extremely happy with the purchase.
Cameron
Amazing bike for the money. A comparable build from many other brands would easily cost $3,000–4,000+. Assembly was straightforward right out of the box. I was torn between this and an analog gravel bike, but after putting 500 miles on it in the first month, I’m glad I went this route. Zero issues so far. Customer service was great. Chatting with a rep about mounts for like 30 minutes…and I hadn’t even purchased the bike yet. My world has opened up. I’ve ridden farther, explored places I never would have otherwise, and started saying going on adventures that used to feel out of reach. Extremely happy with the purchase.
James Mitchinso
Honestly I am blown away by how good the CF Racer is and how good value. It’s a lot of bike for the money and I had it shipped to BC Canada. It’s absolutely true that this is an e-bike for those that don’t want one, or at least think they don’t. I’ve just had my 63rd birthday and have been riding road bikes for at least 40 of them. Where I live is extremely hilly and I have been able to ride routes I haven’t been able to for a while, despite training in the winter. I didn’t want an e-bike until I rode my friends CF racer. Now I’m convinced. This will keep me on the road for more years to come. I can still work as hard as I want too and if I need it can use the e-assist to get home. Highly recommend this to anyone.
James Mitchinso
Honestly I am blown away by how good the CF Racer is and how good value. It’s a lot of bike for the money and I had it shipped to BC Canada. It’s absolutely true that this is an e-bike for those that don’t want one, or at least think they don’t. I’ve just had my 63rd birthday and have been riding road bikes for at least 40 of them. Where I live is extremely hilly and I have been able to ride routes I haven’t been able to for a while, despite training in the winter. I didn’t want an e-bike until I rode my friends CF racer. Now I’m convinced. This will keep me on the road for more years to come. I can still work as hard as I want too and if I need it can use the e-assist to get home. Highly recommend this to anyone.
Anonymous
Overall, this bike is genuinely fun to ride and seems like a solid buy. Unfortunately, only ~37 miles in, I've been dealing with issues that have taken a lot of the joy out of early ownership. I'll lead with what I see as the actual problem, the through axle component head is way too soft, it stripped after only being used three times (once for assembly; second/third to fix a flat). This is not because I was using the wrong tool or cranking on it. One to two more uses on that thing and I'll have to cut it out. I reached out to support and they told me I would have to buy a new one because it's considered wear and tear. $45 plus shipping. Fine I guess? I like the bike enough to hope this is a fluke and replace the part. However, the reason I had to even fix a flat is because of the endless circus of flats. The bike ships with tubeless tires and rims (huge benefit in theory), but for whatever reason I've had constant flats on both wheels, with the rear being the persistent and major offender. Right away flat rear tire after a day or two. It is fair to initially assume this is some sort of user error, which is what I thought as well. I thought perhaps the initial amount of sealant wasn't quite enough, it needs a topping off. No big deal. I pay tribute to the sealant gods by adding some more in, doing the spinning etc., letting it cure. However, problem not solved. So I go through the usual steps, soapy water, micro analyzing the bead to make sure it is set property, brief placement into a water to find where the leak is after the soapy water seems to indicate EVERYTHING is leaking. When I popped the bead to investigate, I found the tubeless tape was lifting, so I fully retaped and resealed both tires. The back tire isn't a nightmare to remove necessarily but it isn't exactly a two minute project either. The front improved significantly (but the through axle stripped) and may now be resolved. The rear, however, still cannot hold air overnight. After many many rounds of this I have thrown up my hands and taken it to a shop (a bit of a struggle because lots won't work on this bike), where they're trying to pinpoint what the issue is so I can just replace it. Following all this the second issue reared its head. The front through-axle head has stripped significantly. This is after using a proper torque wrench (not the included one, and not an electric one) just three times: once for initial assembly, and twice more to remove and reinstall the wheel while dealing with the tire problems above. CF Racer1 still feels like a solid purchase/bike overall. Though the axle has given me pause as to the longevity of other parts. And I am pretty frustrated at the slow bleed in costs when its a brand new bike.
Charlie C
Ordered my CF1 in April and got it in time for a 15 mile ride group ride. Assembly went perfectly. Since the bike is such a great bargain for what you get I already had plans to upgrade to electronic shifting. After the first ride it went back on the maintenance stand and I installed an SRAM Rival AXS e-tap with new SRAM etap levers. Also replaced tires with Good Year Zip slick which are more like a hybrid road/gravel tire which is more to my liking. First time with an e-road bike and first time wirh e shifting. Both are very enjoyable. Most of my riding is between PAS 0-2. With much of it at 0 or 1. Regardless of assist I still get a great workout. I even ran a same route twice using old bike and then new bike. I found my heart rate and other metrics were almost identical. The exception being that the CF gave me a faster time, obviously. I can't think of any recommendations at this point. Again getting alot for your money for what appears to be a high quality bike. Thanks Ride1Up!
Steve Lang
Amazing bike for the price…even in Canadian dollars!! I’m 68 and have been riding road bikes for the last 16 years. With the CF Racer, I can ride anywhere, road or trail, and not be killed by surprise hills! I now have the option of how hard I want my ride to be. It’s a much more comfortable ride than my traditional skinny tire road bike and rolls effortlessly!
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This is a cool bike. I liked it when it worked. But after 7 months, the battery started acting up. I contacted Ride1Up. They were helpful starting the warranty process, but then miraculously it started chraging again. I rode it for a few more months, then it stopped charging again. Got worse and worse and by the time I realized, it was completly dead and it was out of warranty. UGH. My bad for not just pressing the issue during the first year. If you notice any issues, just start the warranty process for your battery!!! Don’t get stuck buying a replacement charger (at $85) to see if that is the issue (it wasn’t) to get charged a $30 restocking fee and pay to return it . Also not sure why the replacement charger is so expensive. Who knows. Now i’m stuck buying the $185 replacement (not refundable) battery. Again my bad for waiting too long. If you see any issues with that battery not charging, get it replaced right away. Learn from my mistake. Other then that when it’s working its a great bike 🙂
I have the large model
1000 mile update:
My CFR1 has become my ride of choice for the last six months and I truly enjoy the solid built and quality ride on both pavement and gravel.
Since the Continental tires that came with it are not the best holding air pressure in tubeless mode, I decided to upgrade to a new set of 45mm Schwalbe low rolling resistance tires and the difference is amazing!
In combination with a lower limit power output (7 amps rather than the default 11), my battery range has increased at least by 50%. I can easily ride 60 miles (mostly flat) on level 2-3 and still have almost 20% battery left when I get back home.
But not everything is perfect on this wonderful bike. The SRAM Apex 1×12 drivetrain, which is pretty exposed to minor brushes along the trail, is pretty sensitive and quite tricky to be fine tuned. Unless you’re an experienced bike mechanic, which I’m not, even after watching hundred of YouTube videos trying to learn how to perform some basic adjustments on my bike 😉
All in all, I really love this bike which has enhanced my ability to discover some wonderful paths and trails in my area and beyond…
Oh! one more thing, I forgot to mention. I just turned 68 and this bike makes me feel I’m 28. LOL!
Size small which is a good fit for my height 5'9 and 180 lbs.
No problems with assembly. I only had to adjust the front pads a little bit. Current version of the bike is a little different from 2 year old video reviews out there. It’s fully tubeless, SRAM Apex groupset with 11-44 cassette, rear wheel has an easy disconnect for the electric cable.
I did 120 miles on the bike so far. It rides quite nice without pedal assist, about the same as my older non-electric cyclocross bike. I can cover at least 60 miles of real-world riding on a single charge. Most of the time PAS is off, level 1-2 for long and steady uphills, up to level 5 for very steep/rough inclines. At level 5 it can climb over 4x4s laid over steep gravel path on a trail I ride.
Solid bike, pretty lightweight and handles beautifully. The power was disconnected from the bike and was difficult to connect (actually had to go to a bike repair shop to get it connected), and jury’s out on the tubeless tires. Didn’t love having to put the sealant in. The double tap gear shift takes a little time to get used to but once you get it is great. Should have headlight and tailight built in and carbon water bottle cages should be included – which would add about $100 -$200 to the cost (for quality products), but well worth it. Overall it’s great value for an electric bike. Love that it came virtually fully assembled. Highly recommend this bike for any level of rider.
My dream bike! I want a decent workout, but also to get up even the steepest hills. CF Racer1 gives me enough of a boost to handle tough rides, but still feel that I’m doing the ride, not the bike. No range anxiety, because it rides well even with the motor off, and at 28 lbs, it’s only a tad heavier than my road bike.. Also, I can easily lift the bike in and out of my car. Most importantly, the bike is just fun to ride. Oh, BTW, I’m a 72-year-old grandma.
I’m 5’3” and have the small frame. It’s okay, but the option for a smaller size would be nice.
3:511
56
$2,195.00
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I’m not giving them 5 stars because they replaced the torque wrench for tightening the bicycle’s screws with a very poor quality one. Otherwise, the bicycle is beautiful and very well made. Congratulations!
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