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It’s not easy to find a good, portable and foldable e-bike. You usually only get two out of those three. But Ride1Up’s Portola e-bike gives its best shot at meeting all three, and it does a decent job at it for under $1,000. The Portola has everything you’d want in a portable and foldable e-bike, plus the potential to do more for an additional cost. But it has its limitations. At 59 lbs and only folding in half, it isn’t easily maneuverable for a single person unless they’re moderately strong.
Pros and cons of Ride1Up’s Portola
Table of Contents
Pros
Low price: starting at $995 is a good price for an e-bike of this quality.
Power: The 750w motor provides a powerful torque.
Comfort: The seat is well-padded, and the upright position makes it a comfortable ride.
Compact: The Portola measures 36 x 16 x 30 inches when folded, making it able to fit in most apartments or vehicle trunks.
Classes are adjustable: You can adjust the e-bike class for any of the three to fit your local laws.
Cons
Weight: For a foldable and portable bike, 59 pounds of awkward weight is difficult to maneuver.
Seat height: At 5’7″, I was already just two levels below the max seat adjustment to get a full leg extension, so tall riders might have a difficult time finding a proper height.
Display screen: The display screen does all the essentials, but it looks underwhelming.
Specs
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Classification: Class can be configured from Class 1 to Class 3
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Motor: 48V 750W Geared Hub Motor, 65nm torque
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Range: 20 to 40 miles with 10.4Ah battery
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Weight: 59 pounds
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Weight limit: 300 pounds
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Assist: Five adjustable levels, cadence-sensing
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Wheels: 20 x 3 inches cross-country tires
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Brakes: Dual piston hydraulic brakes, electric cut-off sensor, 180mm rotors
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Battery: 48V, 10.4Ah ($995) or 48V 13.4Ah ($1,095)
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Display: KD21C adjustable speed display
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Fork: 80mm suspension travel, hydraulic lockout, 110mm dropout
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Drivetrain: Shimano Altus 8-Speed
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Lights: Automatic LED front and brake lights
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Size: 66 x 44 x 18 inches (36 x 16 x 30 inches when folded)
Note: I received the 10.4ah battery version for my test ride.
A comfortable ride
The Portola came neatly packaged in an 85-pound box. The installation took me about 40 minutes to complete following the paper instructions in the box (which were not very clear). I later found the video below, which would’ve made my life much easier.
Once assembled, I was ready to take it outside. I am a 5’7″ and 162-pound guy, and I will admit I had some trouble getting it up and down the stairs while trying to hold the door open with this 59-pound e-bike (I’m also used to carrying road bikes up to my shoulder with a single arm). To get the seat adjusted to my height and get a full leg extension, the seat was already just two levels below reaching its maximum height adjustment level. If you’re a tall person, you might have to go beyond the labeled points in the seat (which is possible), but I can’t speak to how safe that would be.
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
Taking a ride on the Portola felt great. The seat is very comfortable; the suspension holds up; the tires are thick and feel like you can push it to some off-road (although it’s not advertised to do so), and the handling feels controlled up to a certain point. Once I was ready to push for the maximum speed, I started to have that eerie feeling of not being in control. The Portola can go up to 28mph, but I only briefly dared to get there, purely for journalistic integrity. At that speed with a 59-pound machine, a fall could be damaging to all parties. While I didn’t feel like the e-bike was going to fall apart, I knew if anything unexpected were to happen that would require me to react quickly, I would be screwed.
I did take up some hills around my neighborhood and was surprised at the speed it could go with throttle only and no pedaling. A moderate hill that I would estimate to be about five degrees gave the Portola no issues and was able to hit 17 miles per hour with no pedaling. For the most challenging hill in my neighborhood that I can’t do on my road bike—which is about eight degrees—I was able to hit 12 miles per hour with some slow acceleration. I was pleasantly surprised.
Keeping it compact
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
One of the main allures of the Portola is its ability to fold in half. It can neatly fit in most spaces comfortably without needing to prop it up on a wall or have to leave it in a basement—which is great news, given that it’s not particularly light. I am able to fit it behind my dining room table and would even dare to say it looks good there. It is not easy to completely get it compact, but it’s also not that hard; you get better with practice. It now takes me less than a minute wrestling with it to get it to its most compact state.
It fits in my Corolla’s trunk
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
By far, my favorite part about the Portola was finding out I could fit it on my 2011 Corolla’s trunk and bring it with me to visit my family for the holidays. I was able to fit other suitcases and bags in my trunk, even with the Portola there. It measures 36 x 16 x 30 inches when folded. Unless you’re a decently strong person, however, you’re going to need help to get this into your trunk and avoid damaging vital parts of the e-bike.
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
A cool little feature that made the handling process much easier was a strap that secures the two halves of the frame when folded in two. While this strap is a lifesaver, it also causes a bit of a headache. Unless you have the frames touching each other side by side, the strap will not reach around to lock in place.
The display does the minimum
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
I wasn’t impressed by the LCD display on the Portola. It does give you all the basic information you need to know, like a battery bar, your speed, an odometer, etc. However, it looks like the screen of a Nokia phone. I wish you could see the percentage of the battery instead of a five-bar battery symbol. I will say that it’s nice to be able to manually turn the LCD screen as well as the headlights on (they turn on automatically when it gets dark). The brake lights do turn on every time you hit the brakes, which it still does even if they’re already on after dark.
Credit: Daniel Oropeza
Added features
Every state has its own laws about what class e-bikes are allowed where. The Portola comes out of the box as a Class 2, but you can easily change it to any class setting by holding both the DOWN and POWER buttons for two seconds and choosing between C1, C2, and C3 classes. This is a nice detail that makes the Portola able to ride anywhere in the U.S.
The Portola also has a pedal assist to help give you that extra kick for an easier ride. The five levels are easily accessible on the display by clicking the “+” and “-” buttons. They feel smooth and reactive at the right times.
You can also upgrade your Portola to either have a second passenger by getting an extra rear seat or occupy that space with a basket.
Overall, the Portola is a great budget ride. Anyone looking for a foldable and portable bike without giving up on the essentials of a comfortable and powerful ride should consider this compact e-bike. Just make sure you’re strong enough to move 59 pounds of awkward weight around by yourself—unless you’re able to have someone help you with any maneuvering you might have to do. If you rather have power over the practicality of a foldable e-bike, consider Ride1Up’s Cafe Cruiser.