Quote from: Smackums on March 10, 2022, 11:47:02 AMWe also have about 6-7 steps to get to our porch in our duplex so I'll be experimenting with the best way to get the bike up - maybe wheel it before folding, we'll see!

This same issue came up here in a recent thread - one thing you can consider to save the hassle of folding and the effort of carrying is to lay down a 2x8 board the full length of the stairs, then use the little-known "walking mode" of the controller to walk alongside the bike while you let it climb the board, like walking a horse.  You just leave the bike powered on, stay away from the throttle but grab the bars and press the down-PAS button on the control for 3 seconds - the bike will begin a strong and brisk walking speed that makes it easy to walk it up ramps, steep hills etc.  Let go of the button and the bike stops immediately.  I use this mode to walk my MiniST up a ramp onto and off the hitch-receiver rack plugged into the back of my SUV for the rare occasions I need to haul it elsewhere.

But it pulls briskly and strong, so make sure you practice walking mode on a flat surface first so you know what to expect!

Just a couple quick thoughts because I can't resist being chatty today - I have a one-year old (today, coincidentally) MiniST2:

- Putting size aside, the rack available or included with a Mini or the Expand5 is very strong and well-built; if the size works for you, you won't run into trouble loading it up and adding a basket, even the small one, aftermarket or homemade, increases the surface area.  Or you could always add a platform of some sort to the rack if you need a bigger flat surface regularly.  The biggest problem with a rack would probably be during installation; they have a reputation of being tough to align with all the bolt holes and they are extremely stiff (mine was one of those), but it's one and done and not a problem thereafter - just be aware you may need help, a ratcheting strap or something similar to pull it into alignment for stuffing in the bolts.  I think the rack factory had a welding jig slightly misaligned while they cranked out a billion racks, but a year later maybe this is no longer a problem.  I have the small basket on top of the rack, with bungee cords in a zipper bag that's carabiner'd to the basket, with a bungee net on top.

- If your primary use case is transportation, you WILL want fenders.  Even if it's not raining, you'll get skunk tracks thrown up your backside and possibly front side from even damp pavement, much less puddles.  As you said, form follows function, especially when it's transportation, not a bike show.

- For me, swapping in the proper seat and a good suspension post were required within a week of ownership (ended up with a Cloud 9 seat and Redshift post), but in any case these offer zero benefit to offset the lack of front suspension, where your hands, wrists and forearms will be absorbing the shocks.  My Mini's front forks aren't high-end stuff, but they work well and if I lock them out I can feel what I'd be feeling without the shocks.  You have to decide for yourself how much "bumpy" road is ok.  On sidewalks and newer roads, I'm fine without shocks, but I ride some beat-up roads and packed-dirt and gravel trails.  It's not so much the huge bumps and holes in the road as much as constant large vibrations that get painful after awhile without shocks.

Good luck choosing!  By the way, the current Mini StepThru 2 comes highly recommended by me and from what I can tell, many others here on the forum.

Quote from: Smackums on March 10, 2022, 10:54:30 AMAnd the bikes haven't even shipped yet but I'm already eyeing that 35a controller upgrade over at Bolton lol

Swapping in the new Bolton kit would technically void your warranty, FYI, but it should be fully reversible as long as you don't make permanent changes to the frame to mount it.  My warranty coincidentally expires today, but I've been waiting for warmer weather to work in the garage and ride the bike; wasn't too concerned about the warranty.

And speaking of which, should you need help - I've only needed to call them once for service help, about a squeak in the front end that I simply could not find, and was about to take it to my local shop for diagnosis but called Rad first looking for things to check and tell the shop.  The guy who answered the phone asked me a few questions about symptoms then told me to grab my hex-wrench kit and head into the garage, where he walked me through the entire diagnosis and simple fix while on the phone, including listening to the squeak from my end - it had nothing to do with any of the components I'd checked, it was a coolie-hat rubber seal dragging a bit on the brake rotor hub, fixed with a tiny finger-smear of oil.  Didn't even have to kick me over to a service tech; this guy answering the main phone line knew how to fix it and it was done in 5 minutes.  Impressive.

Even though perfectly content with my MiniST, I'd be curious to hear your comparison comments between the two models - not many of us have the opportunity to do that sort of in-depth evaluation side-by-side and if I'm overlooking an important difference, my touch of engineer-OCD definitely wants to know.   

Quote from: Smackums on March 10, 2022, 09:32:22 AM
Ok I made the plunge! Just ordered a Mini4 and Mini ST2 (for myself and gf). I spoke with an agent and she gave us some coupons to take the $ sting out of the knobby tires which we wanted to buy anyway, which she totally didn't have to do but she is awesome and so is this company! Also we got the rear racks as well (they have a promotion at the moment if you get 2 bikes the racks are free). So all in all we paid $3,185 total which is 2 bikes, 2 sets of extra knobby tires (separate from the ones already on the bikes), and 2 racks.

Congratulations!  I was going to mention ordering accessories at the same time to at least get free shipping, but didn't want to belabor the point in an already-long post.  Good deals for ya.

But on the subject of the two models - are you SURE about the Mini 4?  If you're thinking "girl's bike" or "Shriner bike" like I did at first when shopping - don't!  They are called "Minis" but they are not small bikes when you stand next to them.  The step-thru is far more convenient and not just for us older people trying to swing a leg over a rear basket full of stuff.  The frame design is extremely strong and well-designed - no worries about durability.  The controller is better protected on the ST, as are the wires - and I believe the stepover Mini 4 doesn't have water-bottle mounts.   You'll find a number of threads here about that very decision and I don't recall a single person saying the step-through isn't preferred after owning it - a couple regretted ordering the same as you, after trying the "wife bike."  And consider that both Minis are being replaced by just one Step-Thru model; that says a lot about the sales and popularity and perhaps even resale value later on.

If I were you, I'd take a moment to ponder this and perhaps an order change can be made easily - the Rad staff is noted for stellar customer service, and I can vouch for that personally.

Again, congrats and have fun in the sun!

Quote from: Eric7 on March 10, 2022, 08:54:06 AMI think the Expand 5 will be a great bike because of the price point.  And I suspect, of all of Rad's bikes, the Rad Mini and now the Expand 5 will have the most performance going uphill.  This is probably something they don't want to talk about. 

That is exactly correct.  The Minis have the same motor, battery and power (80 nm) as the bigger Rovers for instance, but the smaller wheel diameter means more torque at the road surface.  I think it was CitizenCycle (YouTube channel, with lots of very useful tech and review vids) who performed exactly this test with his various Rads on a grassy slope - measuring time and distance up the hill.  The Rover couldn't make it all the way up, the Mini scooted over the top.

That being said, I'm still slapping a Bolton 35A controller/display upgrade onto my MiniST2 as my warranty expires today, for better hill-climbing torque up the two most-monstrous hills in town; the upgrade is waiting in the garage for warmer weather to do the work.

Quote from: Smackums on March 10, 2022, 06:33:56 AM
I'm about to purchase 2 radminis, so it was surprising to see expand5 show up just as I was going to finalize the purchase forcing me to stop and re-evaluate. I actually prefer the 4" knobby Kenda tires, but I also want the fork suspension (plan to be more off-roady with it). Rad forces you to pick one or the other. So the obvious choice is to go with the radmini and just purchase the knobby tires as a separate purchase, which of course will cost more, but I can have the CST Big Boats are backups so they won't go to waste.

I am REALLY hoping for a Expand5 PLUS as others mentioned - give me the 4" knobbers, give me the suspension, the good display, combined with the new frame with a THICC connector in the middle - basically the best of both generations. There's gotta be someone in RAD who can tell me if I should just wait a few weeks or so because a PLUS model is coming... I don't want to have buyer's regret if I go with the original mini

I'd guess that a "plus" version of the Expand5 would just be a Mini with a rack, knobby tires and somewhat-different handlebar geometry.  The rack is worth $80, but you'll have to pay $99 to get the optional LCD display that's standard on the Minis (and probably also on the hypothetical Expand5 Plus).  We know now the next-gen "Mini" has the same battery and motor as the current model (including the ability to unlock and steal the battery and/or bike with a blank uncut key), which is a good thing for future parts availability. 

Your plan is a good one IMHO; get the MiniST2 and order some knobby tires and a rack.  But try the Big Boats first; I was surprised at how good they are.

Sorry if this stings a bit, but I can't resist mentioning that 2 Minis could have been bought for $1,150 each in October and November during a Rad promotion ($1,300 price at that time, less $300 discount for buying two bikes at the same time).  I tried telling everybody I know who was interested in mine after trying it, and I don't think anybody took advantage of that deal.  Broke my heart, LOL.   

Please Note: if you decide to buy any of the Rads, consider using Ryan's purchase link to get him a bit of revenue to operate this site, at no additional cost to you.

Quote from: Windward on March 10, 2022, 03:34:51 AM
To Jim's earlier point,an etsy seller is offering to sell extra keys that fit all rad power bike batteries.

www.etsy.com/listing/831758108

That's the right part, but a pretty-high price being asked.  Here's the key on eBay for less, with several other sellers as well:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/254723401907

I couldn't find it locally at the hardware store, so I went to eBay last year and got it for about US$8 delivered - here's the part you're looking for; it's a Honda motorcycle blank:  X84 or HD74

Quote from: Eric7 on March 09, 2022, 11:53:47 AM
1.  Does anyone have an opinion on whether the tires are an upgrade or downgrade?  I'll probably buy tires in 2023 but I am just wondering and taking notes.

2.  It seems the rear rack is tilted forward (lower in the front of the rack, higher in the back of the rack) compared to a Rad Mini Step Thru rack which I own and which is flat in my eyes.  It is just the picture?

3.  I don't know why, but a speedometer is very entertaining to me even when riding a regular non electric bike.  I'll miss that feature.

1.  For me, the tires would be a downgrade; they look like the wider knobby Kendas that Rad used to ship on the Minis, but when I ordered mine they'd switched over to the CST Big Boats and I was bummed.  Turns out, I'm perfectly happy with the CSTs - they ride quiet and handle much better than knobbies on pavement and packed-dirt trails, which is where I spend 95% of my time anyway.  So for me I'm glad Rad switched, but I'm sure grass, sand and mud riders would prefer the knobbies.

2.  Just a guess, but I would expect it to be the same rack as the Minis, mounted in the same location and should be level.  A non-level rack design is not a good design IMHO.  Maybe ask Ryan about it when he gets his review unit.

3.  You can use a speedo app on your phone with GPS; it'll be bigger numbers and more accurate, but it looks like the original Mini LCD display will be available as a $99 option according to the eBikeEscape writeup.  I'm with you; I couldn't stand one of those cheap-looking, uninformative LED displays.

Quote from: jerrygno on March 09, 2022, 07:03:40 PM
For the person who put the u lock over the battery, can you let us know what lock it is or its size? Its a great idea I want to try.

Hi, that would be me.

Here's a link to a post I wrote up last summer going into detail about it.  Note that this specific arrangement might only fit the MiniST2 due to frame geometry.  Let me know if you have any questions.

https://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=158.msg5317#msg5317

Cheers!

Quote from: Ryan on March 09, 2022, 09:01:24 AM
I have a RadExpand 5 on the way and will get the video out asap. Here is the forums affiliate link if you decide to purchase one (Thanks for the support!): https://bit.ly/3vWfGee

That's great to hear, Ryan.  I'd appreciate some closer attention to things that seem somewhat concealed on the new Rad webpage, such as a good look at the new MicroShift (never heard of that brand) shifter and the handlebar mount and arrangement - looks like a Radrunner bar at first glance.  They actually shot the "closeup" of the bar with the black version on a black background.  Looks like Batman's ebike; can't see a thing.

The Electrek and eBikeEscape articles seem to dance around the negatives compared to the MiniST, such as no more front suspension - they probably want to continue to get access and free review bikes so try to brush that off by talking about wider knobby tires and lower tire pressures to "soak up the bumps".  But that also makes the bike less power-efficient and not as nimble on pavement.  It's also a lot easier to dial in suspension preload and lockout than mess around with tire pressures on the road.

I can't fault Rad too much for having to strip down the new model to meet an inflationary price point, I suppose, but why not buff up the MiniST with the new handlebar mount, front suspension, now-optional LCD display and included rack as the Expand5 Plus or something for those who want the current feature set, similar to the Runner and Runner Plus models?  They might have handed Lectric an opportunity here.

Anyway, as always your insights and honest opinions are welcome.

Here's an article about it:  https://electrek.co/2022/03/09/rad-power-bikes-launches-new-low-cost-radexpand-5-electric-bike-replacing-radmini/

Micah's video in the article says this replaces both of the current Minis (regular and step-through).

At first glace, it looks like a slightly stripped-down Mini (no front suspension, different display, no more folding pedals, which seems odd for a folding bike) with fatter tires, included rear rack and different handlebar with more adjustment.  $1,299 vs $1,499 for the Mini.  Same motor and battery, which bodes well for continuing availability of both for spares and replacement parts.

With no suspension and a crappier display, IMHO they're making a mistake if they don't continue to offer the MiniST - maybe this is forced on them by increasing parts costs so the Mini would have gotten too expensive for the lineup?

When Rad was offering two Minis for $1,150 each with package discounting last Oct/Nov, that's starting to look like a phenomenal deal in hindsight - if you are thinking of getting a current Mini model, now might be the last chance.

The headline is a bit misleading - perhaps change to something like "Cyber Attack Cripples Rad's Product-Expediting Contractor" to be more accurate and forestall possible panics over Rad's systems being hit.

Other things that made a big difference in comfort for me came from geometry tweaks: seat height, seat angle on the post, seat fore/aft on the rails, handlebar height and angle - all these things shift your bones and butt and after a while I could tell what was helping, was surprised that 1/2" movements in seat position up/down fore/aft made a big difference as they changed my posture on the bike.  Sort of fiddly and time-consuming, but no extra costs!

Note that the Redshift is pretty pricey, but beautifully engineered and manufactured with no parts that will ever wear out and need replacing; the only hassle compared to other designs is that you have to remove the entire seatpost to adjust the spring tension at the very bottom.  However, for most people that's a one-and-done thing that's not necessary once you have it dialed in to fit you.  I found and added a smaller post clamp to the post itself, at my preferred seat height, so that when pulling it out to make spring changes I didn't have to waste time resetting the seat height - it just drops in and stops exactly where it was last time.

They do go on sale occasionally, both on the Redshift site and on Amazon; I got mine for about $45 less than retail price.  You can use camelcamelcamel.com to set up price monitoring on Amazon to get email alerts (that site has saved me thousands over the years), but the discount offers I've noticed last just a few days at most, so if you can wait it's a better deal but you have to jump on it quickly.  If you use the camels, you can call up the product's price history on Amazon going back years if the data is available; that's handy to see how current pricing looks relative to previous discounts.

Have fun!

Hope you enjoy your MiniST 2 and thanks for taking the time to write up your purchase process; I love mine (on the Olympic Peninsula) which I bought a year ago this coming Thursday.

One tip about your seat swapout (good idea, IMHO): unlike most motorcycles (I still have two in my garage), bike seats are like shoes - you might have to try a few to find the right one for you.  After 15-30 minutes, the factory seat was very painful, so I started down that road.  Five seats later, including two different Cloud 9s, I settled on the second C9 I tried.  Although all were well-made, my 30-minute tests revealed that a flatter, wider design was what I needed.

My point is that since you purchased from Amazon, they're pretty good about returns, so if you keep it in good condition, you can order another one to compare against, then return the one you don't prefer within 30 days.  I ended up giving the Bikeroo seat I tried to my sister; nothing wrong with it, nice seat, just didn't fit my geometry.  Returned the other C9 and a couple others.

Ten months later, I'm still on the seat-five Cloud 9 I decided was the keeper.  Also added a Redshift suspension post, a fantastic improvement to my ride as well.

Cheers!

Since you just sold a Mini, which has 7-speed gearing and is very close to the Runner's frame size and design - don't you already know the feel of a geared bike for your needs?  If you found yourself shifting your Mini frequently, then you probably already realize you need more than one gear for the riding you do in your area.

And downhill at around 25 mph or so, I'm peddling my Mini like crazy in 7th gear - that would be pointless with a single-speed bike.