RiptideR1
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Cruising around on Riptide's $999 R1X electric skateboard
I've wanted a classic-sized electric skateboard for a while. A longboard, of course, is more stable and comfortable over long distances. But I'm interested in something that I can easily travel with and charge in a coffee shop without drawing too much attention. Boosted's Mini X is the obvious 'premium' choice, but I wanted to do some market research before dropping close to a grand online. Enter, then, the Riptide R1X -- a stylish shortboard with buckets of power and range. At CES 2019, I spent a good 30 minutes carving around the Engadget trailer on the rideable. My time with the board was short, but I came away thoroughly impressed.
Riptide's electric skateboard balances power and portability
Electric skateboards have been coming out of the woodwork lately, popping up in all shapes and sizes, with each new company trying to find a niche in the market. There have been examples of extremely tiny models accentuating portability and longboards with hyperextended ranges. It depends on what fits your use case, but I've been eyeing boards that match normal decks for scale, along with a belt-driven motor and a relatively affordable price. The newest entry to hit the crowdfunding scene is the Riptide R1, which dropped on Indiegogo today. So far, it's come closest to what I've been looking for on all fronts: size, price and power.
