Quote from: fin_rad on August 21, 2020, 12:54:27 AM
Here's the good old way to check the wheel size:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lkDnptjAq2o

Actually it's the good old way to check wheel circumference, which has to be divided by pi to get the wheel size number that Rad requires us to enter in their display/controller settings menu for proper speed/distance calculation.

Quote from: AzRadtrek on August 20, 2020, 08:13:25 PM
Thanks for the additional info. They controller was set at 24" when I received the bike two weeks ago. I changed it to 20" and will test it back at 24".

My 2020 RadMini 4 came from the factory set to 22 inches (the next closest choices were 20 and 24 inches) , and that is the correct/default setting because it is VERY close to the actual  measured diameter of the mounted/inflated tire.

Quote from: fin_rad on August 20, 2020, 08:27:30 AM...I got the 26" RadRhino but since the fat tires are so big, I have to choose 28" in the settings for the wheel size

That's because "26 inch" fat tires are NOT really 26 inches (outside) diameter, but most are closer to 29 inches actual OD unless heavily laden and/or underinflated (technically it's the laden contact patch radius that is important, but that's a bit difficult for most people to measure accurately).

The "20 inch" tires on a RadMini are close to 22 inches actual OD.

The later actual OD numbers are what need to be entered into the controller/display to allow speed/distance to be calculated accurately, assuming the people who programmed the firmware got the maths right.

Quote from: AzRadtrek on August 20, 2020, 08:21:36 AM
... Is there a method to calibrate it?   TIA Bob

No.

The difference you noted is within ~5%, which is probably within the design spec. The 2020 RadMini 4 uses different size tires than the previous Minis (20 x 3.3" vs 20 x 4.0"), yet the display compensation setting of 22" didn't change. The difference will also vary with rider weight and tire pressure.

My multiple Garmin stand alone handheld GPS units display similar differences, no big deal.

The Rad controller/display manufacturer could have allowed entering an inflated tire circumference within a cm, but they didn't, probably because most people wouldn't read the instructions or measure or enter it properly, so we're stuck with the inherent errors in their simplified approach.

Quote from: FortunatelyTheMilk on August 20, 2020, 07:45:34 AM
Can the Tuffy Liners be cut to length?

Yes (I emailed them and asked).

I used Mr Tuffy 3XL (tan) Fat Liners cut to 70 inches for my 2020 Rad Mini 4 KRad 20 x 3.3" tires (and I beveled the cuts and rounded the corners).

I've had many folders over the years and the latch on my RadMini 4 is the sloppiest I can remember. The frame cutout seems way bigger than it should be for the latch face (the thin sheet metal cup with the plastic insert) to bridge properly. The cup piece on mine was all bent up from dropping into the slot at an angle, and trying to align it to bridge the slot squarely before tightening the handle was a very fiddly process and it wouldn't always stay put. I ended up adding a relatively thick stainless "washer" under the cup to better bridge the slot and the latch tightening action/feel is now much more consistent.

I haven't isolated any worrisome noises to the joint itself on my Mini, but it's not unusual for folders to creak more than solid frame bikes, usually more so from their long steering stems than their folding joints though.   
 
   

Probably not practical on a RadWagon because you would lose your gears (multi-speed freewheel & derailleur).

Bikes with belt drives are almost always either single speeds or have internally geared rear hubs, which would have to go where your motor is now.

You could probably convert the rear of your Wagon to something like a 14-speed Rohloff IGH & Gates belt drive, and add a mid or front wheel motor drive for around $3000 if you have the time and skills. 

Walmart has the Bell 510 Tote Metal Handlebar Baskets in some stores for $16.96 (mostly black now, but there may still be a few gray ones floating around):

https://goto.walmart.com/c/2586673/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FBell-Tote-510-Metal-Handlebar-Basket-Black%2F116398447%3Fathcpid%3D116398447%26athpgid%3DathenaItemPage%26athcgid%3Dnull%26athznid%3DPWVUB%26athieid%3Dv0%26athstid%3DCS004%26athguid%3D3e39a577-007-17396580cfb28d%26athancid%3Dnull%26athena%3Dtrue

Although intended to be used on handlebars, their big loops allow them to drop over the oversize tubes on Rad rear racks nicely and although you don't need to use the included mounting hardware, a couple of zip ties to keep them from bouncing off/around would be a good idea on all but the smoothest short trips (but it sort of of defeats their super easy on-offedness).

They aren't very large,  just convenient for a few items. 

Looks like the same thing is available on Amazon for $25+:
https://amzn.to/33d7d8k

Nothing will ever take the place of my beloved milk crates though, particularly the double longs, but these complement them nicely. 

I was also confused by the multiple listings.

It would probably best to email them at ksmith@mri-denver.com or call them at 303-623-5551 and pose the question exacly as stated in your last line.

How about your battery state of charge?

With five bars showing on your display the bike will be pretty spiffy.

With only two bars showing, it will behave sort of like you describe.

You can see this in the Watt meter section of your display, the Wattage at a given speed and PAS setting will decrease as the state of charge declines.

When you get to the last bar, and it starts flashing, the PAS 5 setting that used to be able to pull 700+ indicated Watts can max out at less than 100 Watts indicated and the bike acts like a dog (a sick one at that).

   

My RadMini 4 has a 3-pin orange Higo type connector in the wire from the throttle, a few inches from the handlebar. Although easily disconnected, I'd worry about getting some kind of road/trail gunk in the loose ends, unless one goes to the trouble of blocking them off.

I'd also be leery of doing something like putting a few of wraps of blue painters tape around the joint between the throttle twist ring, and the outer fixed grip to temporarily immobilize it. Although easily removable later without leaving residue on the grips, there's always a chance the throttle could get activated in a panic twist, and get stuck on.

The sooner she gets used to the throttle the better, as it's one of the joys of owning a Rad. The throttle is your friend. It almost renders moot the old cyclists dilemma of not thinking ahead or just unexpectedly ending up in the wrong gear for a given situation, unable to shift down because lack of speed/high chain loading. An on/off switch on the throttle could easily make the bailout process more cumbersome/slower.

Also, the effect of using the throttle on the City will also be less "severe" as they are not as torquey as the gear motor  models.

4 Pin Blue Higo type connectors (M & F).

The 2020 RadMini Owners Manual V5-004, page 23, "When the Battery Is Removed" section says:

"• Do NOT operate the bike with the electrical system in the on position, or damage to the electrical system can occur."

What exactly does anyone think that is supposed to mean? Since the ON switch is built into the battery, how can it have any effect on what you do with the bike while the battery is removed? It seems to me that one might have a legitimate reason for wanting to ride the bike a bit with the battery removed while it is charging off-bike, either in an "emergency" or merely to experience the joy of riding, if only for a fleeting moment, a bike that weighs ~8 pounds less than the Mode 0  behemoth we all know so well.

I didn't check to see if the same wording appears in the Owners Manuals of other models, or it's only the Mini that is cursed with this apparent supernatural connection to an off-bike battery.

I have some White components and they're bombproof, but the DOS ENO 2-speed freewheel is a new one on me, looks interesting.

Potential issues would be:

Will it thread onto the Rad hub?

Since it's made for fixies, which generally have horizontal dropouts without chain tensioners, would the close proximity of the tensioner on your Rad cause a chain alignment issue? Some derailleurs have sliding bogies on their cages to accommodate a bit of misalignment close to freewheels/cassettes, so maybe your tensioner either already does, or could be made to do so if nercessary.

A two tooth improvement does not a true climber make, but on a single speed bike, every little bit helps (been there, too old for it now).

Having run the new headlight on a RadMini 4 for about a week, I too agree it sucks, but a little less than the standard Rad headlight, and the jury's still out on whether it's worth $60 shipped.

HOWEVER, it does appear to be  StVZO compliant (or at least attempts to be), and ALL of those suck in terms of how much of the ground ahead of a cycle they illuminate compared to the traditional wall of light approach. Same thing with cars, they've all gone to projector and other shaped beams, flat on top to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. The aftermarket is full of things for both cycles and cars that will give you the ability to see as if in daylight (it's not rocket science, just stupid brute force), but they will also blind oncoming traffic to varying degrees. Cycle paths are worse than roads because opposing traffic passes within a few feet of a blinding sun cycle light, whereas there is usually a traffic lane worth of additional separation on a road. There's no doubt in my mind (well maybe a little) that thousands of nighttime head on  collisions have been caused by blinded drivers running into people with aftermarket/non-compliant lights, but nobody knows this because all the evidence is destroyed in the resulting horrific collisions.

So for now, I'm going to try to be a responsible citizen and try to get used to StVZO bike headlights, just like I have with the flat top beams of my car lights that don't reach down the road like in the days of yore (but I might add a supplemental light with a convenient handlebar switch, maybe even with momentary button).

Which brings us to some addition problems with the new Rad Premium Headlight:

It's heavy and tailheavy, with a relatively small pivot, so on bumpy surfaces the beam tends to tilt up unless the  pivot bolt its tightened to a force beyond what I think is normal/safe for a bolt of that size. I'm considering putting something like Park Tool Supergrip Carbon and Alloy Assembly Compound SAC-2 on the pivot faces to try to provide some stiction (there are other similar anti-slip compounds out there made for use with carbon frames/seatposts, that's just one I happen to have).

IF you have an mri-Denver bottle dual cage mount on your RadMini 4 (and maybe other Rads?), when you turn the fork, the back of the new Premium headlight can hit the bottle cages (at lest that's what happens with my Topeak Modula Cage IIs). This can be sorta kinda good if your headlight has tilted up as mentioned above, but it then usually pushes it too far down, which can also be a bummer. I'm going to make a spacer to move the headlight about an inch (~25.4 mm for those still using the metric system) further forward/out.