Ridstar MN26 1500W Step-Through Fat Tire E-Bike

The 30-second verdict

Six hundred dollars buys a 26 x 4.0 fat-tyre step-through with a carbon steel frame, a 48V 20Ah battery that works out to 960 Wh, a 1500W rear hub, a Shimano 7-speed drivetrain, dual disc brakes, adjustable front suspension, a suspension seatpost, a large front basket, a rear rack, bottle mounts, a colour LCD with a USB charging port, and a bell with LED head and brake lights. For the money that is a lot of utility bike, and it is the only machine Ridstar sells that is built around carrying things rather than looking like a small motorcycle. If you want a fat-tyre bike for the school run, the shops and a towpath at the weekend, this is the one in the range that fits.

Two things stop it being a straightforward recommendation. The motor is 1500W, which is double the federal ceiling and puts it outside every US class. And Ridstar cannot describe its own product, which is worth spelling out because it changes what you think you are ordering.

🔴 The name is wrong, and the picture is right

The listing is titled "MN26 1500W Unfoldable Fat Tire Mountain Ebike". The photograph on that listing is a step-through city bike with a front basket, a rear rack and a low, swooping top tube, and the frame is badged "Ridstar NS-1" rather than MN26.

When a photo and a title disagree, the usual assumption is that the photo is the mistake. Here it is the other way round, and Ridstar's own body copy proves it: "The MN-26 features a robust carbon steel frame with adjustable seat and handlebars, a step-through frame, a large capacity basket, rear rack, and bottle mounts." A step-through frame with a shopping basket is not a mountain bike, and the picture shows exactly what the description says.

So the bike that arrives is the bike in the photograph. What you should not do is buy this expecting the unfoldable fat mountain bike the title advertises, or expecting the frame to say MN26 on it. If either matters to you, email support@ridstar.net and get the model designation confirmed in writing before ordering.

Range: 960 Wh, and the arithmetic

The battery is 48V x 20Ah = 960 Wh, which is a large pack at this price and the same capacity Ridstar puts in bikes costing $200 more. A 26 x 4.0 fat-tyre bike carrying a basket and a rack uses roughly 22-32 Wh per mile in ordinary mixed riding.

960 Wh ÷ 25 Wh/mi ≈ 38 miles. The honest band runs from 960 ÷ 32 = 30 miles ridden hard on throttle to 960 ÷ 22 = 44 miles ridden gently with pedal assist. Ridstar advertises 60-70 miles, which would need 14-16 Wh per mile. Nothing on 4-inch tyres achieves that. Plan for 38 miles and you will be fine; plan for 65 and you will be walking.

The pack is removable and locks to the frame, and Ridstar states UL certification and a BMS on the battery specifically.

🔴 Legality: 1500W fits no US class

Federal law defines a low-speed electric bicycle as a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and a motor of less than 750 watts (16 CFR § 1512.2). The MN26 states 1500W rated with a 2000W peak. Statutes regulate the rated figure, and 1500W is double the ceiling. Oregon permits the highest output in the country at 1,000 watts and this bike still exceeds it, so there is no state where it qualifies as an electric bicycle.

That matters more on this bike than on the rest of the range, because a step-through with a basket is a machine you buy to ride on roads, in bike lanes and to the shops. A Q30 Pro bought for private trails raises the question rarely. This one raises it every day.

The speed side compounds it: Ridstar quotes "28+++ mph", and Class 3 caps assisted speed at 28 mph where states recognise it. Seven jurisdictions do not recognise Class 3 at all: DC, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. If you want a step-through fat bike you can ride legally in a bike lane, buy a 750W Class 2 machine instead, and check your state either way.

Ridstar also claims the bike climbs 30-40 degree slopes. A 30° slope is a 58% gradient and a 40° slope is 84%, both far beyond any road surface you will meet. Read it as marketing.

What $600 actually gets you

The specification is unusually complete for the price. Dual disc brakes, a Shimano 7-speed cassette, adjustable front suspension and a suspension seatpost, three riding modes, five assist levels, a colour LCD, a USB port for charging a phone off the main battery, a bell, an LED headlight and a brake light. The basket, rack and bottle mounts come fitted rather than sold as extras, which on a utility bike is most of the point.

The frame is carbon steel, not aluminium. Steel is tougher and cheaper and takes a knock better, and it is also heavier. Ridstar publishes no weight for this bike, and a 26-inch fat-tyre steel frame with a 960 Wh battery, a basket and a rack will not be light. If you need to carry it up steps regularly, this is the wrong bike; if it lives at ground level, the weight is mostly irrelevant.

Ridstar also publishes no payload rating for this model, which is an odd omission on a bike sold on its carrying capacity. Ask before you load it.

What is missing

Ridstar states UL certification for the battery. That points at UL 2271, the battery standard, and the listing does not claim UL 2849, which covers the complete e-bike electrical system and is the standard city ordinances actually reference. NYC Local Law 39 of 2023 effectively requires certification for indoor charging, California SB 1271 is operative from 1 January 2026, and Colorado HB 25-1197 has applied since 6 August 2025. Ask for the certificate number in writing if a building manager will need it.

The warranty is one year on motor, battery and charger, and non-defect returns cost $150 in freight plus a 10% cancellation fee, which on a $600 bike is $210 to change your mind.

Who should buy it

Buy the MN26 if you want a cheap, well-equipped step-through fat-tyre bike for errands and short commutes, you can live with 38 miles of range, and you understand that 1500W puts it outside the law in every state. Buy the H20 at the same $600 if you would rather have a folding frame than a basket. Buy a 750W Class 2 step-through from a mainstream brand if you want the same job done legally in a bike lane.