Priority
Priority Current Plus
The Priority Current Plus is a mid-drive belt-drive commuter with a class-leading 140Nm of torque, a 720Wh UL-certified battery, and a grease-free Gates carbon belt with an internally geared hub. It is the Reddit hive mind's favorite low-maintenance daily driver.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓The 140Nm mid-drive is one of the torquiest motors on any commuter at any price - it flattens steep hills that leave 750W hub-drive bikes wheezing, which is why hilly-city Redditors recommend it so consistently.
- ✓The Gates carbon belt plus internally geared hub means no chain lube, no derailleur adjustments, and no grease on your work pants - it is about as close to zero-maintenance as e-bikes get.
- ✓Unlike most premium mid-drives it actually has a thumb throttle, giving you Class 2 convenience in stop-and-go traffic on top of the torque-sensing pedal assist.
- ✓The 720Wh UL-certified battery is huge for the class and delivers a real 40-75 miles depending on assist, comfortably covering multi-day commuting between charges.
- ✓The 5-year frame warranty and 2-year component coverage is far more generous than the 1-year norm among direct-to-consumer rivals.
- ✓It ships with composite fenders and bright automatic 600-lumen lighting, so it is rain-and-dark ready without buying accessories.
- ✓You can shift the internal hub while stopped at a light, a genuine daily-riding convenience that derailleur bikes cannot match.
- ✓Owners on Reddit routinely describe multi-thousand-mile ownership with nothing but tire changes - the 1000-mile owner reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
Cons
- ✗At $3,299 it costs roughly twice as much as capable hub-drive commuters like the Ride1Up 700, and you feel that premium mostly in drivetrain refinement rather than speed.
- ✗Priority is a small NYC brand sold mostly online, so local service options are thinner than for Trek or Specialized dealer bikes.
- ✗There is no suspension fork, so rough pavement comes through the rigid aluminum frame more than on suspension-equipped rivals.
- ✗The 5-speed internal hub has a narrower gear range than a good derailleur setup, and strong riders can spin out before the 28 mph cap.
- ✗No rear rack is included, so commuters hauling panniers need to budget for the add-on.
- ✗At 55 lbs it is mid-pack heavy, and the weight is noticeable carrying it up stairs even if it rides light.
- ✗The display and app experience are basic compared to the slick ecosystems from Specialized or Aventon.
- ✗Demand spikes (like the periodic Costco deals Reddit tracks) can mean backorders and slow shipping windows.
Compare the Priority Current Plus
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