It’s a relatively new name in the e-bike game, but Peddle is looking to make an impact on the more affordable end of the price spectrum. How? Going all in on practicality. The Pedal Ride is the firm’s most mainstream model, and ships with all the gear needed to start traveling on two wheels.
The traditional styling should appeal to e-bike novices, while the frame-integrated battery doesn’t immediately indicate that you’re hustling under anything but your own steam. It doesn’t have the longest electric range, though – it features enough to earn it a place on our list best electric bike,
Design and Setup: In the Frame
The genius of Pedals is how user-friendly its bikes are. Along with the bike you get a multi-tool, emergency mini-pump, handlebar cover and BikeRegister security tag included in the box, as well as an extra power adapter. It’s handy to keep one at work and the other at home. They even throw in a cup holder, though we’ve never been chilled enough on our commutes to consider topping up on caffeine mid-ride.
Setup is just as quick, just needing a multi-tool to fit the handlebars. The wheels are both pre-fitted, as are the front and rear mudguards, pannier rack, bike computer, headlight and rear light. Even the pedals deflate straight out of the box, using clever folding mechanisms that help the bike take up less space when stored. The saddle has a quick release for tool-free adjustments, so there’s nothing more to do than strap on a helmet and ride.
The Ride has a traditional aluminum frame, with a chunkier diagonal down tube to accommodate its 360Wh battery. The flat handlebars indicate that this is a commuter bike rather than a machine built for peloton sprinting, and the multi-spoke wheels are no different from those you’d see on a regular bicycle. There’s some effort put into keeping the brake, gear shifter and bike computer cables neat, but the way they route from the handlebar to the wheels is a far cry from minimalism. Honbike’s Uni4,
Features and Battery: A Smart Screen
Instead of a basic LCD display, the Pedal Ride has a full-on bike computer mounted in the center of its handlebars. You turn it on and activate the headlights using the buttons below the screen, then adjust how much electric assist you’re getting and change display modes using the thumb controls next to the left brake. It would have been better to have all the controls in one place, but we’ll give it a pass since you won’t be turning your lights on and off as often as you’ll be swapping power modes.
The display’s viewing angles are good, and while it’s not super bright, it’s not overly glossy, so light reflection wasn’t a big deal. It also packs a lot of information into each screen: speed and assistance levels are obvious, but travel time, distance traveled and navigation directions (if you’ve set up a route via the smartphone companion app) are very welcome. Are. You can basically drop in a separate bicycle computer if you want to – although third-party support is limited.
You can manually export GPX files, but there’s no Strava integration. The Navi app is also an off-the-shelf offering that partners with many ebike brands, so you don’t get some of the more advanced functions found on ebikes with bespoke apps. It’s good at creating free routes using built-in maps, automatically records each new ride, and shows you your remaining battery life though.
Expect a typical range of 35 miles from the battery in a mix of pedal power modes. It was not far from our experience, but it was no doubt inferior; Most e-bikes we’ve tested at this price can get closer to 50 or 60 miles before needing to top up. You should still manage to average cycle travel in both directions, but not quite.
Having a fully integrated battery means no need to drag the whole bike home to charge. At 24kg it’s not a particularly svelte bike, and the power adapter is only 2m long, so you might not be able to hang it out of a window. A full charge takes five hours, so there’s an overnight run.
Ride and Performance: Comfort Cruiser
Start on the lowest with pedal assist and the ride feels like any regular bicycle, albeit on the heavier side. The road tires aren’t ideally suited for gravel tracks but cope fine on tarmac, and the disc brakes provide plenty of power regardless of weather conditions. The frame may lack suspension but the seat’s shock absorbers do an adequate job of smoothing out bumps and rough surfaces. It may look rather sporty, but the gel saddle is reasonably well padded.
Help out and the power comes on quickly but smoothly, so you don’t have to work hard to get up to speed even in the lower gears. Naturally the assisted speed is limited to 15.5mph here in the UK, and it tapers off rapidly when you stop pedaling. You might think that the combination of an electric motor and seven-speed gear would make it easy to keep up with fellow cyclists on a road bike, but that wasn’t the case for us. We moved along at about 20 mph without much extra effort, but more than that still required stronger legs than ours. Still, being able to drop gear for the ascent made a big difference; The motor has to do the extra work over single-speed rivals, but by the time you reach your destination, you can contribute a little more without breaking a sweat.
Maintenance will be largely in line with a conventional bicycle, except it uses a chain drive and an off-the-shelf Shimano gearset. This means most bike shops will be able to assist you, unlike some rivals who use more bespoke kit, but their relative lack of maintenance will arguably be more attractive to fairweather cyclists.
pedal ride verdict
When it comes to comfort and convenience, the Pedal Ride largely delivers. It’s a well-equipped e-bike with a box full of accessories to get you out the door, and looks the part without going down the sci-fi route rivals like the VanMoof and HoneBike. The tool-free adjustments and minimalist out-of-the-box fafe are also favorites from our side.
The assisted range is a weak point, though, and the seven-speed gearing won’t keep you in sync with a road bike (unless you have thighs of steel, anyway). The somewhat generic companion app is a bit clunky too. But we can appreciate the straightforward approach and lack of gimmicks. For commuting, it absolutely appeals.
Pedal Ride Technical Specifications
| Motor | 250 W |
| Battery | 36V, 360Wh |
| top speed (assisted) | 15.5 mph |
| range (assisted) | 35 miles |
| charge time | 5 hours |
| frame | aluminum |
| shifter | shimano altus 7-speed |
| brake | Disc |
| DIMENSIONS | 24 kgs |
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