Ride1Up Vorsa
Ride1Up's SUV-inspired do-everything bike. A 750W AKM hub with 95Nm, a selectable torque-or-cadence ride, a removable 720Wh Samsung pack and a 440 lb payload, in XR and ST frames with swappable tyres.
Make It Yours
Colour Options
Check availability →
Watch the Review
Full Video Review
Watch on YouTube →
From the Review
Out on the Road
Up Close
Detail Gallery
The Engineering
One Frame, Every Ride
750W AKM Hub
750W · 95 Nm · 48V
Strong, Quiet Pull
An AKM angled-gear rear hub puts down 95Nm — plenty for hills, cargo and a confident throttle launch.
Dual Sensing
An Intui-Drive torque sensor and an R1CBC cadence sensor are both on board — pick a natural, effort-matched feel or steady cadence power.
Class 1–3 Switchable
Ships as a 20mph Class 2 bike and unlocks to a 28mph Class 3 when you want it.
720Wh Samsung Battery
48V 15Ah · 50GB cells
Up To 60 Miles
A 720Wh Samsung 50GB pack in a lockable Reention housing covers 30–60 miles depending on how you ride.
Removable & Secure
Keyed, lockable and software-BMS protected — pull it to charge indoors or lock it to the frame.
Find My Built In
The colour display supports iOS Find My tracking and charges devices over USB-C.
Modular Chassis
XR & ST · swappable tyres
Hydraulic Discs
Star Union hydraulics with a 203mm rear rotor and motor cut-off haul it down loaded or empty.
100mm Coil Fork
A hydraulic-lockout coil fork soaks up broken pavement and kerbs.
Pick Your Tyres
Run 27.5×2.6in Schwalbe road-plus rubber or step up to 26×4in Kenda fat tyres on the FT.
Find Your Fit
Size & Fittings
Ride1Up Vorsa 27.5″ · XR / ST
Will It Fit You?
- Rider heightXR 5'5"–6'4" · ST 5'–5'11"
- Wheel size27.5-inch (26×4 on FT)
- Weight~65–72 lbs
- Max payload440 lbs
- FramesXR step-over · ST step-through
- ClassClass 1–3 switchable
Two frames and a wide 5'–6'4" fit range make the Vorsa one of the more universally-sizeable bikes here. The FT fat-tyre build rides bigger and heavier; the Lite is the lightest at ~61 lbs.
Plan Your Ride
Your Range, Not Mine
Brand range figures come from a light rider on flat ground in perfect weather. Set it up the way you actually ride and you get the window to plan a trip inside.
The Numbers
Full Specifications
Source: ride1up.com →⚡ E-System
🚦 Performance
🔧 Chassis & Brakes
✨ Features & Options
The Bike Cave Verdict
Ben's Take
“It is one of the easiest to operate, smoothest power, smoothest pedaling, most comfortable pedaling bikes I've been on in a long, long time. I mean, this would easily rival any of the Velotric or Aventon commuter bikes out there that are way more money, right? Easily, easily in the same ballpark.”
“440 pounds of capacity, 150 of that on the rear rack. That is unheard of unless you go into an actual cargo bike.”
“There's something to be said for having a completely legal e-bike that's just designed to get you outside, moving, pedaling, and enjoying a simple bike ride.”
👍 What I loved
- Torque and cadence sensors both fitted, switchable from the menu in a few clicks
- Held 16 mph up a 15% grade on throttle alone with no help from me
- 26 miles ridden with 44% still in the pack, and no power sag below half
- Hit exactly the 28 mph Ride1Up claims, with no exaggeration
- Rear rack welded to the frame, rated to 150 lb, with mounting points for a passenger seat and pegs
- Shimano Acera 8-speed arrived dialed straight out of the box
- Whisper quiet. I could not hear the motor at all until boost
- Plain English menu that lets you tune torque and amp output for every mode
👎 What to know
- 180mm rotor up front and 203mm at the back is the wrong way round
- Took ~22 ft to stop from 28 mph, just past the marker, with the rear skidding and the front never really grabbing
- Off-road mode needs a waiver signed and emailed back before Ride1Up sends the code
- Plastic pedals you will want to swap, though it does keep the price down
- Only 8 speeds of gearing for a Class-3 bike
- No turn signal kit, and charge time is not published
Kit it out
Accessories made for the Ride1Up Vorsa
All Ride1Up accessories (8 matched) →Ride1Up builds these for this bike. Fitment comes from Ride1Up's own product listings, not our guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is the Ride1Up Vorsa?
Ride1Up rates it at 28 mph in Class 3, and that is exactly what it did. Ben got there with a 5 foot 9, 195 lb rider on flat pavement, and the display briefly read 29 before the bike held a hard lock at 28. Throttle on its own taps out at 20 mph in Class 3, so the last 8 mph needs you to pedal. Class 1 and Class 2 both cap at 20 mph.
What range does it actually get?
Ride1Up claims 30 to 60 miles. Ben rode 26 miles, including hill climbs, acceleration runs and top speed tests, and still had 44% in the pack. That puts a realistic figure around 40 miles if you pedal in torque sensor mode. Power did not sag below half battery either, which is what the Samsung 21700 cells are there for. Ride on the throttle in boost and expect a lot less.
Should I use the torque sensor or the cadence sensor?
The Vorsa has both, and you switch between them in the display menu. Torque reads how hard you push the pedals and feels natural, and Ben reckons it roughly doubles your range. Cadence only needs the cranks turning, so you can ghost pedal to the top speed without putting any real effort in. Use torque if you want the distance, cadence if your knees would rather not.
Why is the front brake rotor smaller than the rear?
Good question, and Ben asked it on camera too. The Vorsa runs a 180mm rotor up front and a 203mm at the back, which is the opposite of how most bikes are set up, since the weight shifts forward under braking. In the stop test it took about 22 feet to stop from 28 mph, just past the 20 foot marker, with the rear locked and skidding while the front never really bit. A larger front rotor and the adapter to fit it runs about 40 to 50 dollars and is the first upgrade worth doing.
Which Vorsa build should I get?
There are three. The Lite starts at $1,345, the standard Vorsa at $1,445, and the FT fat tire that Ben reviewed at $1,345. Every build comes as an XR step-over for riders 5 foot 5 to 6 foot 4, or an ST step-through for 5 foot to 5 foot 11. Take the FT if you want sand, snow or loose gravel, because Ben got across a wet beach on throttle alone and says the narrower tires would not have managed it. Stick to the 27.5 inch builds if you are only riding roads and bike paths.
Is there a Ride1Up discount code?
No. Ride1Up prices direct and does not run creator discount codes, so there is nothing to enter at checkout. The link on this page goes straight to their site.
How do I unlock off-road mode?
You email Ride1Up for the waiver, sign it, send it back, and they give you the code that unlocks the display. Ben had not signed it at the time of filming, so the off-road numbers were not tested. His guess is somewhere around 30 to 32 mph, but that is a guess and not a measurement.