Doesn't increasing the reported tire diameter lower the actual motor-assist maximum speed?  A larger diameter will cause the controller to think you're moving faster for a given RPM.  Conversely, inputting a lower diameter will make it want to spin the wheel faster to achieve a given speed.

Quote from: senorfrisk on July 29, 2021, 02:57:29 PM
I was wondering what extra tools do I need for assembly for Rad Mini 4?  I have allen wrenches...  Do I need a torque wrench or can I use just the allen wrench?  And is there anything else? 
I just ordered the Rad Mini today and I want to be prepared.  Rad website says it will ship August 6, fingers crossed.

I have a MiniST from back in March - did you get the new $200 discount?  Hope it's a lot of fun for you.

You can assemble it with the included tools, but I never touched them.  Better to have a set of quality metric hex and allen wrenches and a low-range torque wrench set is a good idea to properly tighten the smaller fasteners to spec without breaking them.  I spent a lot of time loosening/tightening the handlebar, seat and seatpost fasteners (I ditched the quick-release clamp and added a tamper-resistant Torx bolt to a regular clamp, to help protect my seat and suspension post from theft) to get those dialed in to fit me properly; it was really nice to be able to set the proper torque every time and not worry about it.

I bought this one and it's very nice quality for the price:  https://amzn.to/2XNlsQr  According to the Camels, this essentially never goes on sale, so it must be pretty popular with others as well.

Quote from: radgranddad on July 23, 2021, 01:13:11 PM
Couldn't you purchase a device like this to allow the use of a 2" rack? https://amzn.to/3vPExyu
I just bought two Rad Rover 6 Plus Step Throughs, so I'll be interested to see your final solution.

That's very interesting.  I did some searching there and elsewhere for exactly that sort of adapter and found nothing.  Don't need one, just curious to see if anybody was willing to sell such a thing with lawyers hovering everywhere.  Used judiciously, it would be a very useful thing to have, but somebody will eventually overload it doing something dumb.

That is a good deal; I love my MiniST and am surprised to see the sale after months of backlog.  If I was still on the fence, I'd jump all over these now at that price of $1,299.

Next wave of new models coming would be my guess for the reason why and I'll bet they won't be $1,499 anymore either after seeing the Rover 6 pricing.

Quote from: Rickyboy on July 29, 2021, 08:47:29 AMWell I appreciate the help and suggestions Jim, but I'm going to have to look for a cheaper torque wrench. That's a little to rich for me.....being a pensioner on a fixed income and all. ... and unfortunately the the pedal wrench is out of stock apparently. But I do appreciate your help and suggestions. Do you happen to know the size needed for the pedals? I'd just buy the "crowfoot" attachment that will fit onto whichever torque wrench I end up buying.  Thanks again !!!

You don't need to worry about the pedal torque; just tighten those suckers down hard.  An adjustable crescent  or an open-end wrench will work fine.  You'll need a low-range torque wrench now and then for handlebar bolts, accessories and other things that might break if overtightened, but can loosen up if not tightened down enough.  I couldn't find anything other than the one I linked to do those jobs properly, and it's very high quality for the price.  Have used it frequently, especially in the weeks after I got my bike, when I was constantly fiddling with handlebar and seatpost settings.  Maybe you could just borrow or rent one?

Quote from: Rickyboy on July 28, 2021, 01:02:07 PMI want to purchase a couple of things to be ready for assembly, like a small torque wrench. I have a couple of large ones I use to torque car tires etc but nothing small. I also am trying to find out what size the pedal nuts are that need to be torqued so I can purchase the "crowfoot" attachment for the torque wrench.... Any suggestions?   Well happy "radding".

This is a VERY nice small torque wrench set:  https://amzn.to/37BS69q  They make 3 different finishes; I think this is the easiest to read for older eyes.

And since you won't be messing with pedals very often, this will do fine and fits various sizes:  https://amzn.to/3iCRQwY
Have fun!

Try calling them directly; I have had very good experiences dealing with their CSRs, although you might have to wait a bit to get somebody to pick up your call.

As I recall Rad used to offer $200 off for a 2-bike purchase, but these days with supplier shortages, inflation and delayed deliveries I don't know if they still do - all the more reason to talk to them directly.

Quote from: ericwn on July 21, 2021, 04:35:14 AM
Looks like way better disc brakes and much nicer displays and buttons- some of the main interface elements.

I think the brake upgrade is the most-meaningful improvement, but can't hydraulic brakes can be retrofitted to the current models, with aftermarket parts, if desired?  It is a nicer-looking overall design, for sure.

The bigger control buttons and separating out the power and headlight functions may be an advantage, especially with full gloves in colder weather, but I don't see the point in having to use two displays to see what's currently available on a single display (except for the new clock functions) and the smaller one takes up a lot more handlebar space than the current remote.  EBR pointed out that the smaller display is dimmer than the large one, but waved that flaw away as he usually does and if I saw it correctly it now takes simultaneous pressing of two buttons to toggle between the lifetime odometer and trip odometer - that's not better at all IMHO.  Is there any level-with-horizon space even available for a phone or camera mount, or a functional headlight?

It also seems, if I have it right after watching a couple videos, that Rad has locked-down the controller to limit top motor speed to 20mph, whereas my Mini was tweaked to about 24mph (from 32 to 40km/hr) with a quick setting change shortly after I got it assembled.  And no improvement in the battery capacity at all strikes me as a significant missed opportunity.  Bolton, Himiway and others with more powerful bike designs and tweak-friendly interfaces may have a market opportunity here, especially if these changes spread to the other Rad models, but I'm still very happy with my MiniST and Rad's customer service so I'm content to watch from the sidelines as I'm always interested in business competition and development.

I think a simple thing to try is to carefully unplug and reconnect all the connectors you can find on the bike, with the battery switched off or removed.  Sounds like it might be a loose connection or possibly a failing connector, maybe.

Have you contacted Rad yet?  I've found their customer service to be extraordinary on the occasions I've talked and emailed with them, although the email backlog can take a few days to get a reply these days.

I just watched their intro video, even though I'm happy with my MiniST and have no interest in a giant Rover; was curious to see what's new and likely to appear on other models.

My conclusion is whether hydraulic brakes are worth another $300 to a potential buyer - are there any other real improvements to consider?  "Sleek" isn't worth $300, especially since there's no improvement in standard battery capacity, weight capacity or most other things.  I'm thinking they have optional higher-capacity batteries in the works, at a "slight" additional cost of course - the mount location seems to have allowed for much-thicker battery packs.  I was assuming the next product line refresh would include higher-capacity batteries standard, as competitors are pushing out 18-20Ah battery packs for longer range. 

And that USB dongle?  It's no longer built into the display and is an optional accessory at added cost?  Yeah, those won't be stolen or vandalized.  I'd bet those were cooked up by the design team when they switched displays and the Chinese supplier didn't include a USB outlet in their design; the dongle is a step backwards.  Happy to see they've apparently improved the display and added a clock/timer function and separate headlight button; looking forward to seeing if the power timeout/cutoff is now adjustable or able to be turned off - drives me nuts when my trip odometer is cleared during a 10-minute stop that drains almost no battery power, because I log my trip distances.  And I assume with the new battery design they've finally fixed the problem of one blank key being able to unlock and steal the battery from any current Rad model. 

It looks nice and I'm pretty sure will be well-liked by owners, but is it enough to compete with other brands in the same sector, especially now that it's $2,000?  We'll see.  I'm wondering if Rad had more in mind but with supply-chain problems, the China Virus and Potato Joe's inflation maybe more wasn't possible in the planned schedule and budget.

I expect slurping reviews from the usual suspects, but looking forward to Citizen Cycle's video and those from actual owners who shelled out their own money.  Yeah, I'm initially a bit skeptical and grumpy, but I've come from an environment where our products went obsolete every 9-12 months and we had to hustle and work hard to be competitive and best in our sector with constant improvements and better customer value.

Nice to see Rad moving forward, though.  Now, what did I miss that makes the new model exciting and desirable?

When you changed out the harness and controller, did you also replace the display and/or switch on the handlebar?  I seem to recall the Rad City might have the same separate switch/display as my Mini - a failure in one of those might kill it, but I'm not a Rad repair expert.

Failing that, perhaps the key switch in the battery has failed?  That would be pretty easy to test if you know another Rad owner; just swap in their battery for a couple minutes and see what happens.

Just tossing out ideas for what I'd check next.  You may already be at the point where Rad should either send out one of their service vans (if they have them where you are) or authorize a repair by an e-bike shop under warranty.  If you've gone to the trouble of already replacing the controller and wiring harness, I think you've done more than could be expected of an enduser unless they insist on doing the fix themselves.

If you're already carrying a phone, I'd recommend trying out the OsmAnd app, which is free to use with single-region updates.  They run 50% off sales for registration once or twice a month, which opens up unlimited regions with monthly updates and on sale it's only 10 bucks one time.  For cycling lunatics, there's a monthly subscription mode with all sorts of stuff, but I'm far more casual about my riding and don't need all that.

Takes a little getting used to, but it'll not only give you your mileage, but helps to find roads, trails and routes if you put it into Cycling mode and will store your rides to overlay on the map if you wish.  I like it a lot and for what it does it's pretty inexpensive.  Trying it for free may help you decide whether it's enough for your needs.

Yes, I think you'll want the 20" setting for your Rad Runner (I think if you cheat it with 16" you can actually get motor assist to higher speeds since it thinks it has to spin smaller wheels for the same speed, but I'm fine with boosting the limit to 40km/hr and leaving my RadMini at 20".)  Note that the Rad's odometer (which counts wheel rotations) differs a bit from OsmAnd, which uses GPS.

I absolutely love useful gadgets, but this seems like a solution in search of a problem.  More stuff to charge, more stuff to break or be stolen.  I have twin $15 Mirrycle mirrors that work fine; no batteries needed.

A deflopilator; of course, I should have recognized it.  I think my '71 Pinto had one of those.

A cable might do the trick; as long as you can restrain the battery from moving forward it's tough to steal, as you know.  I hope you can come back to this thread to update us on your solution(s); I'm curious to know.

Quote from: esotericist on July 11, 2021, 09:04:16 AM
yeah, i was actually eyeing one of those, and i think it's a great idea and i'll probably get one, but the major grocery store i'll be going to most often only has two places to chain up a bike:

• a tiny bike rack that isn't actually anchored to anything and weighs substantially less than the radwagon.
  
• and the cart return corral. it's actually pretty robust, something sensible to chain up with that's secure, but i wonder if someone returning a cart might set off the sensor. i could (and probably will) test it, but it seems a likely issue to me.
  

I think if you use a long U-lock or robust chain/cable to tie your ride to the rack or cart corral with a gap between it and the bike, you should be ok, as any vibrations in those from carts banging around shouldn't get transmitted to the bike frame to set off the alarm.  You might have to experiment with sensitivity settings, but it's inexpensive to try out the idea.  My guess (recovering mechanical engineer) is that unless your bike frame is touching the rack, it'll be fine.

I have a very long U-lock for a similar reason; I don't want the nice Rad paint job to get all banged up by rubbing and bumping against a rack.

Hey, as long as I've got you here - what in the h#$l is that spring thingie between the front fork and lower downtube that holds the battery?