Retrospec Judd Rev 2 Electric Folding Bike Review: Affordable, Simple, Easy to Store

$1,100 at RetrospecCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyRating:

7/10

Open rating explainerInformationWIREDSimple display. Fun to ride. Maneuverable. Decent range.TIREDPretty heavy for a folding ebike. A little twitchy. Hard to lock up.

In a world where electric bikes are becoming more and more complex, with new bells and whistles, settings and features, add-ons and bonuses, the Retrospec Judd Rev 2 is a bike that offers refreshingly less. It's a single-speed folding bike that has a motor. Full stop.

Of course, there is a little bit more to it than that. But when you boil it down, that’s really all it is. The Judd Rev 2's simplicity has made it a welcome addition to my quiver of bikes, many of which came loaded with more options than I know what to do with.

One and Done

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

The whole of the Judd Rev 2 can be summarized by its operating unit. On the left side of the bike’s handlebar is a small cube that features three buttons (up, down, and power) and ten green LED lights. Five indicate which power level you’re using, and five indicate how much battery you have left.

That’s it. There are no multi-color LED screens that animate when you power the bike on, no directional compass, no readout telling you exactly how many watts your bike is making for you.

To be clear, none of those things are bad. In many cases, I love riding ebikes that offer me a range of information and telemetry. At the bare minimum, I do like knowing exactly how fast I’m going! But Retrospec did away with all of that. The company has made a bike that captures the vibe of being a 12-year-old kid and riding your bike more than anything I’ve ridden in some time.

Rather than futzing with buttons and focusing on data, I spent the hours I tested the Judd Rev 2 taking in the world around me and enjoying the wind in my hair. It’s a perfectly capable, easily storable, and fun-to-ride bike that I would happily use daily if I were an everyday commuter.

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

As a Class 2 bike, the Judd Rev 2’s 350-watt rear hub-based motor can give you up to 20 mph of assisted speed. You can select one of five settings, including a walk mode, at your left hand along with a thumb throttle at your right hand. The bike’s 160-mm rotors paired to Tektro mechanical brake levers offer plenty of stopping power.

Retrospec’s spec sheet notes that the Judd Rev 2 boasts a 42-mile range, which is pretty great for a relatively light, Class 2 bike. Mine was closer to 30 miles from full battery to flat. Granted, the area where I live is full of sizable rolling hills, and no ebike I’ve ever tested has come close to its stated range. But 30 miles of battery range in my town is more than enough to use the bike consistently for two to three days before needing to recharge.

The bike’s 36V/360-Wh lithium ion battery is certified to UL2271 and UL2849 safety standards for electric bicycles, which means the bike’s electrical systems are about as safe as it gets. The battery is also easily removable from the frame, meaning you can unlock it, unclip it, and charge it inside your home or office.

Heavy Weight

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

Now, no bike is perfect. Let’s step back a bit and talk about the fact that the Rev 2 weighs 60 pounds which, yes, is a lot for an analog bike. For an ebike, it’s pretty average. In a strange way, the fun I had riding the Judd Rev 2 made it feel lighter than many comparably hefty ebikes.

While I do love a 20-inch wheel, it feels incompatible with a commuter, especially if you’re commuting in a city. As most American cities are littered with potholes, the 20-inch wheels, wrapped in 2.1-inch-wide tires, feel just a bit inadequate. (This is partly a matter of personal preference, as editor Adrienne So's own ebike has 20-inch wheels.)

Don’t get me wrong! My ride never felt rough or uneasy—quite the opposite. The Judd Rev 2 offers a smooth ride. However, I live in a leafy college town with beautifully maintained greenways, tons of bike lanes (ahem … although we could always use more), and an abundance of relatively pothole-free streets. I would just love a wheel that's a little bit bigger, especially if I’m cruising through a city. All that said, it’s far easier to build a folding bike on a smaller wheel than on a larger one. Imagine trying to snap together a 29-er to stuff in your closet?

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

The Rev 2 has very narrow, 21-inch handlebars, which, combined with its 20-inch wheels, make the ridefeel a bit jumpy and somewhat twitchy. Of course, you could argue that a twitchy ridefeel is a good thing if you’re cruising busy city streets. And a narrow bar means more maneuverability through traffic. Still, the ride does suffer a little bit due to the narrow bars.

The basic form of the bike—that it lacks a triangle in the main part of its frame—limits options when it comes to securely locking the bike up. Of course, you can easily run a cable lock through the frame’s rear triangle. But, when meet with an overcrowded bike rack, you want as many options as possible to secure your ride.

But again, small wheels, narrow bars, and a frame that is built to fold (in large part thanks to lacking a main triangle) are all huge upsides when it comes to creating a bike that is portable, foldable, and storable. So take those limited knocks on the bike with a heavy grain of salt. All told, the Retrospec Judd Rev 2 is a bike that is fun, utilitarian, great to look at, and, above all, delightfully simple.

$1,100 at Retrospec