Quote from: rutrowlb on August 13, 2021, 11:59:58 AM...The controller has no 22 option 20, 21 then jumps to 24 on the radmini 4,  any ideas...

Strange indeed!

My 2020 RadMini 4 was delivered in late June 2020 and has the following selection choices: 16 in, 18 in, 20 in, 22 in, 24 in, 26 in, 700C, 28 in

It came from the factory set to 22 inches and that has always worked for me. With the OEM 20 x 3.3" K-Rad tires, my Rad Display mileage usually agrees with my Garmin GPS units within 1 mile on a ~100 mile trip (somewhat dependent on how twisty the route is, but I don't think it has ever been more than ~2.5 miles different), close enough for me.

I'd contact Rad and ask them what's going on (if they even know), I'd love to hear their answer.

Wait to see what Rad says. They may offer to pay for adjustment by a local bike shop if it squeaked from the start (my Mini did too, the factory adjustment was abysmal).

Forget about the brake cables, the chance of that being you problem on a ~1 month old bike is probably <1%.

As to the stacks of washers on the brake mounts, that's fairly common on bikes with disk brakes. On close inspection you may find some of them are beveled, cone-shaped or cupped which allows the stack to be skewed at slight angles which will hold when tightened. This allows you to align your calipers/pads to sit flat against your disks, making up for production tolerance misalignments,  minimize noise and maximize stopping power/heat transfer, IF you adjust them properly using a bicycle brake adjusting "third hand " tool, or even rubber bands on the brake levers to hold them firmly applied, and wiggling the caliper too align the whole shebang while tightening the mounting bolts.

If you don't have a lot of experience working on bikes and have to rely on Rad provided tutorials, you could be at a disadvantage, as, though well meaning, some leave a lot to be desired. There are other tutorials on the web, the best for you may be the ones that makes the most sense.

Don't get discouraged though. I've done hundreds (at least) and although I can nail some on the first try, sometimes I have to redo a daemon possessed set multiple before I get it right.

What part of Virginia are you from? I spent 20+ years in Arlington, Alexandria and Richmond (a L-O-N-G time ago).

Here's another option:
  http://hexlox.com/collections/hexlox-compatible-extras/products/hexlox-security-bike-skewer?variant=31999565430889

I have some of these installed on other bikes but none of them are here where I am right now, so I couldn't measure. I've been debating doing the Mini as I never let it out of my sight for more than 10 seconds in questionable areas, or 10 minutes in the safest of environs.

Hexlox is extremely prompt in responding to emails so you might want to ask them if their REAR skewer replacement will handle a 151mm Length Over Dropouts. Their parts have rather generous threaded portions on one end to cover a range of dropout spacings and thickness, so much so that I remember having to cut off a bit the free threaded end when doing at least one installation to allow the (Hex)locking end nut to seat fully against a dropout.

Quote from: JimL on August 11, 2021, 10:12:42 PM
If you have access to a small drill press, you can drill the round nut for safety wire.  That is a pretty common requirement for various forms of motorcycle racing.

The other option would be a metric nylock nut, in place of the right side nut.  That would probably require a small spacer that will fit properly in the right lower fork leg.

Both suggestions might help BUT:

Safety wire is generally intended to retain hardware to some extent, not absolutely prevent the kind of slight(?) loosening that the OP has apparently  experienced.

Rads, like most other bicycles sold today, have safety organization (CPSC in the US) mandated front wheel ejection prevention devices/features/"lawyer lips" on the dropouts of their front forks.

On Rads, they take the form of pockets machined into the outside dropouts (with an open slot on one side) that the skewer/axle nut flanges fit into. If you open your skewer handle and/or even loosen the nut on the other side a bit, you still CAN'T pull the front wheel off the fork because something will hang on the "lips"/edges of those recessed pockets. The thinking was that any reasonably attentive person (and maybe even some idiots) should be able to detect a wobbling/clunking to wildly flopping about front wheel before it actually ejected from the fork.

Back in the (<'70s) good old days, you could open the handle on your QR skewers, pull a wheel out and put it back in without having to mess with the adjustment nut on the off side because the the dropouts were machined dead flat (truly Quick Release [AND reinstall]). When the lips were added we had to start readjusting the off side "nuts" EVERY time we removed/reinstalled a wheel. A lot of cyclist screamed bloody murder, complained about becoming a nanny state, filed/ground off the protrusions (guilty here, but not for the last ~40 years) and maybe even joined the sovereign citizen movement. Saner heads appear to have prevailed as it became obvious that in addition to creating a bit of frustration, lawyer lips have actually performed as intended and prevented many injuries and probably even deaths (kind of like some of those other pesky CPSC/NHTSA inspired things like seat belts and helmets).

Also, Rads design (like most others) allows the front wheel to be removed/reinstalled without using a tool. Adding a locknut of some sort to the non-release handle side would probably require the use of a wrench to remove/reinstall the QR skewer as most 5mmm locknuts (only 8mm across the flats) would be hard to keep from rotating  with fingers alone while releasing/readjusting, which might be a real problem for some people. The same might apply to the safety wire approach (I for one don't want to carry my "Jet Twisters" around on my bike). Then again, requiring a tool for removal may deter/slow down a snatch  and grab thief.

@Ryan you might want to consider merging this thread with the other cross-posted one at: http://www.radowners.com/index.php?topic=1242.0

I thought the front rack on my 2020 RadMini 4 looked kind of klunky, and wasn't likely to be improved much by a snazzy paint job. Then it dawned on me that the main thing that was bothering me was that big flat mounting plate that was covering up the pretty Rad head tube badge (I noted my MRI-Denver Dual Bottle Cage Holder has a cutout that allows it to show through).

I did a quick Finite Element Analysis (in my head, yeah) and concluded that removing some of the center of the plate would only decrease the overall strength and resultant carrying capacity of the rack by 1.2 ounces, while increasing the bikes top coasting speed on BIG hills by 0.29 MPH, but I got a headache while attempting to calculate the overall improvement in aerodynamic efficiency, so I just started making chips fly.

I'm happy with the result.

The head tube badges/decals on some Rad models are prettier than others, the one on the Minis reminds me of the more elegant ones used some of the classic bikes of yore. 

   

The torque of Rad planetary geared hub drive motor is applied directly to the wheel, it does not go through the gear train as it does on a mid-drive Ebike.

Quote from: Lantzco on August 11, 2021, 10:10:11 AM... when it breaks they can't hide...

But they often can't fix it in a timely manner either, if they have to get parts from the same type of place we do.

I met a guy a while ago who said he's been waiting for 3+ months to get his 1 week old, LBS purchased $4000+MAJOR branded Ebike fixed under warranty. He said they either can't or won't take the needed part off another in-stock bike or simply give him a replacement bike because he already registered his by S/N online! He would still prefer a working bike to a refund (the PERFECT customer), but I sensed his patience was wearing thin.

Perhaps some advertising copy writer buys into the new age, minimalist "less is more" mantra?

The front skewers on RadMini 4 are bicycle industry standard sizes (but not necessarily for front wheels) so there are alternatives out there.

Recent (at least) RadMini front forks/wheels are:
  135mm Distance/Length Over Locknuts
  150-151mm Distance/Length Over Dropouts (replacement skewers are USUALLY advertised/speced by this number, but not always, watch out!)
  5mm Front Wheel Hub Axel skewer thru-hole size

So, the rear skewer from a set like this set SHOULD fit:
  https://amzn.to/3msGGgy

BUT note the bad reviews (some mentioning the same problem you are trying to address) and complaints about the advertised sizes not being correct here:
  https://amzn.to/3xZZXIF

If using any other skewers,  the OD of the "nut" flanges may have to be turned/filed down a bit as the pockets for them on the Rad front fork dropouts are a bit restrictive, but that shouldn't be a big deal if you're handy.

You might want to further investigate why your bike is behaving differently than many others. I've got 3700+ miles on my 2020 RM4 and have never encountered the problem. I probably hadn't even checked my front skewer for over 2000 miles, just did, so tight it hurt to release it. I beat the stuffin' out of my Mini, usually get airborne once a week or so (yeah, I know, the trajectory of a Mini when catching air is kinda like that of an Acme anvil in a Roadrunner cartoon, often more painful than fun, but sometimes just happens) .

Dumb question, is your front skewer handle positioned correctly, angled up, in front of the LEFT fork tube as shown in the attached picture? If it's on the RIGHT side, and/or wrapped over the fork tube (more or less horizontal), it might have more of a tendency to loosen.

I did, on my 2020 RadMini 4, worked fine.

I have since returned the Thudbuster to the bike I borrowed it from and am using a Suntour SP12 NCX Suspension Seatpost like the one Rad sells, with a 'Cloud-9 Cruiser Select Airflow ES Softtouch Vinyl saddle'. The Suntour seatposts normally ship with a medium spring (for riders of 140-180lbs). but optional lighter or heavier springs can be ordered for lower or higher weights. The Suntour linkage seems to have a little more slop than my Thudbusters, but not annoyingly so when you're sitting on it, and things haven't gotten noticeably worse in 3700+ miles of use. Not sure what size your RadCity uses, but the  27.2 x 400mm Suntour post fit my Mini.

Used to be the #1 reported shipping damage problem on new Rads, varies slightly by model, haven't seen it mentioned so much here lately though. My Mini was creamed way worse than your City. It's not that hard to straighten the bracket in a vise if you don't want to wait for a new one.

Might be doable, but might be expensive if you have to pay someone to do it for you and you might end up with some handling and reliability issues that would detract from overall RR rideability/joy factor:

1) 16x front wheels with discs are readily available in sizes up to ~2.4" width, but the 3.0" width of the OEM RR might be a bit more
    difficult to match and  you'd  have to find something with a compatible length over locknuts (LOL) and axle size. You might also
    need a different caliper mounting adapter for your existing brakes to line up with the disc on the new wheel, or you may need
   different  brakes entirely.

2) On the rear, you MIGHT be able to find someone that could custom cut spokes and relace your rear hub motor to a new 16" rim BUT,
    the shortness of the new spokes would lead to what some might consider too extreme lacing angles/patterns, which might lead to
    excessive breakage and loosening problems. Some wheel builders may flat out refuse to put together such a combination, especially
    it they have to guarantee it.

3) The overall load carrying capacity of the RR with the new smaller wheels/tires may end up being LESS than the OEM Rad numbers.

4) Your kickstand would require modification, and might be more prone to dragging/snagging.

5) Your bottom bracket would be WAY lower, which may result in your pedals striking the pavement (more) if you have to  pedal when
     leaned over in a turn (or even over undulating ground). Could be VERY dangerous.

Good luck, I have dwarf legs and therefor have similar dreams and seem to always be slightly tippy/uncomfortable on most of my bikes.

The supplied wrench is kind of crappy and uncomfortable to use, but obviously can get the job done (if not just barely) since that's all a lot of people use. A real bicycle pedal wrench with a long, rounded, comfortable handle would be nice to have for anyone planning on doing any kind of routine bicycle maintenance/checking (used more than once of twice). 

The pedal spindles on most modern bikes with 3-piece cranksets have 15mm tightening flats. You could also probably get away with using a 19/32" wrench if you have one. The OEM folding pedals on my 2020 RadMini 4 certainly conform to that spec. I don't have any other Rad models here now to verify, but can't think of any logical reason for them differing.

Most of the "pro brand" pedal wrenches (Park, Pedro's etc.) are made thin for a reason. You may find that a lot of conventional open-end and crowfoot adapter wrenches are too thick to fit between a fully tightened pedal and a crank arm without scarring one or both (they may fit in the gap to start, but may actually get trapped before the pedal is fully tightened). 

I'll assume you understand the correct orientation off crowfoot adapters when using then with a torque wrench, or how to adjust torque values accordingly using a formula if using them "straight".

Rads also conform to industry standard pedal spindle thread sizes and thread handedness: Right pedals loosen by turning counter-clockwise (right handed threads, righty tighty, lefty loosey), Left pedals loosen clockwise (backwards of left handed threads).

Also, many pedals (Rad included)  have a 6mm hex socket on the pedal spindle end that threads into the crank arm so pedals can can be tightened/loosened that way (it's often packed with dirt), but putting enough torque on the pedal that way with most Allen wrenches (even "long handled" ones) would be a challenge without a "helper pipe/cheater bar" of some sort.

The behavior you describe is "diabolical/normal" for Rads, there is no setting option that can change it and owners have been complaining about it forever. It will be interesting to see if this issue has been addressed in the the new display on the Rad Rover 6.