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Messages - Radicali

#1
RadCity / Re: Blowout to Bonanza
June 12, 2022, 09:12:39 AM
My pressure seems to have stabilized.  I lose a bit over a week or two.  I'm going to keep monitoring but I'm less concerned now.
#2
RadCity / Re: Rad City 5 plus - PROBLEMS??
June 12, 2022, 09:10:25 AM
I've detailed my issues in the forum here.  But Rad did resolve all y concerns,  They did it happily and quickly once the issue were defined properly.  The frustration for me came in tracking the real problem and cause.  At each step Rd did offer solutions and shipped parts. And once they realized I still had a problem they replaced the entire bike, the installer built it asap, and there was no extra cost to me.  There was just time spent and patience needed.  The replacement bike is amazing in so many ways that I do not regret my journey in anyway. 

The most awesome thing is that the bike teaches me every time I take it out.  I enjoy learning what I can do with it and how to operate it differently than a traditional bike.  It's a lot of fun.

I'd say have no fear.   But let's keep the collective pressure on Rad to improve. It's worth it.
#3
RadCity / Re: Blowout to Bonanza
May 26, 2022, 06:08:03 PM
Thanks Rover.  After every ride and sometimes after I fill the night before I drop about 5-8 psi.  Is this normal?
#4
RadCity / Re: Blowout to Bonanza
May 23, 2022, 02:38:36 PM
Riding update...all continues to go well.  I tightened the front suspension a bit. I was plunging too much.  Tire pressure...hmmm...well when I checked it was at 40 so I boosted it up to 60 to see if there was a difference.  There was a noticeable difference on cruising but not much on pedaling. I was dismayed to see that the PSI dropped 6 lbs after my ride.   Both tires dropped equally. Since I pumped up the night before and didn't check pre-ride, I'm not sure if it was because of the ride or just general leakage.  I've seen many riders saying online that the tires need to be constantly topped off.  But I don't have a sense of the norm.

Any thoughts on how much I should expect the tire pressure to drop over how long?  Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
#5
RadCity / Re: Blowout to Bonanza
May 20, 2022, 12:14:33 PM
So true DrSmile.  I'm guessing you may be a dentist. With all the talk about the airway nowadays and dentists being on the cutting edge of better breathing, you must be getting a real jump on this with your bike exercise.  I've been trying to eliminate all mouth breathing. This is one of my reasons for the Peloton and Rad.

I took a long ride down to the water near me.  It confirmed what I shared in this thread already.  I learned some new things...since I have to cross some multi lane roads with aggressive drivers I decided to throttle through.  From a dead stop waiting for my moment to go I began with assist and then hit the throttle to zoom across.  Perhaps this was for my own piece of mind rather than real safety. But it was great.  It eliminates concern about the length of a crossing. Once across I went back to assist.

Did not have a chance to check and adjust tire pressure.  The sweet spot gear still eludes me but with assist 1 this is a non-issue.  It's only at 0 assist that I miss the gear on the old Trek. 

The suspension and comfort is a wonder to me. I feel safe and secure. Rough roads do not jar me.  I passed a struggling biker who was really pedaling slowly on a road that was busy, bumpy, and hilly.  I was gentle about it.  He had no mirror and I thought he might not hear or see me.  I didn't hit my bell because I was concerned it would jar him or make him think I wanted more room. A little further up I had to stop to cross.  By that time he whizzed past and belled me.  Not sure if it was courtesy or annoyance. If I was on a standard bike I wouldn't have been able to pass him without rattling my teeth and losing my breath. I guess there are some new rules to learn.

Battery drain is no drain so far.  Lost only one bar with 14 miles of riding.

So far, really good!


#6
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
May 19, 2022, 08:28:30 AM
Thanks Radding Along!  Makes sense.  Well the bike is back with Rad.  They can figure it out. I'm using the problem free replacement and so far it's problem free and pretty Rad!  :P
#7
RadCity / Re: Rad City 5 Plus: First Impressions
May 14, 2022, 12:09:01 PM
Great post!  Thank you for the insight.  I can see it all!
#8
RadCity / Re: Blowout to Bonanza
May 14, 2022, 12:06:38 PM
Thanks Ddaybc!  Interesting about HR. I will check out how it goes on the other assists. Another little project!
#9
RadCity / Blowout to Bonanza
May 14, 2022, 07:43:17 AM
Hey all - this a followup or next chapter to my USB Blowout? thread.

After finally taking delivery of my replacement bike, I took it for two short rides.  Here are my very initial thoughts.  Perhaps these will help others considering a Rad City or they might prompt more good advice from the forum.

This was my first time saddling up on an ebike. My prior ride was a 20 year old Trek 850 hybrid which I really enjoyed.  The Rad feels solid, wel-built, amazingly comfortable, adjustable to my size (pretty average), and kind of handsome ???.

For some reason most online video reviewers who share the bike thoughts with their wide angle lenses, their super fit and tallish body shapes, and downward camera angles gave me the impression that the Rad City was a little more squat and compact.  In reality this thing feels more like a beast. It's higher off the ground and stands tall. It's formidable. When I straddle (I don't have the step through) the cross bar gives me a small greeting before I step up on the pedal.  That's a major positive. The overall height, that is. The tickle I can live with.

The handle bars, seat, brakes, throttle are all situated very nicely.  What I find extraordinary is the assist button right near my left thumb on the secondary display.  This is a small wonder. More on that later.

The bike is heavy.  My Trek was heavy too.  But this feels like a tank.  I had to lift this small elephant onto the an SUV bike rack and all those Peloton strength workouts paid off.  It was like a dead lift.  When riding you feel it.  Maybe my pedal approach is making this more pronounced.  I purchased this bike to extend my bike rides.  Longer rides with more aerobic time. I bike for weight maintenance as well as cruising.  I wanted to fear no hill, face down every incline, and cruise down every road.  So I tested this on zero assist. Just me pushing.  I got a lot more cruising out of the Trek.  It's hard to find that perfect gear that gets you going and keeps you going on flat and low inclines. The Trek has more gears so maybe that's it.  Also it might be tire pressure as some posters have suggested here.

But!  I like it.  I had a misconception that I would be flying round town without doing much work and concerned I would not get the HR up there and be cruising all the time.  I realize you can do that if you want to assist at 4 or 5 or go full throttle.  But when I pedaled at 0 and then bought the assist to level 1-3 for inclines I found I worked hard enough for a workout but got good cruising when needed. This brings me back to the assist buttons. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be used this way but I started thumbing these in tandem with the gears and was operating the bike more like a standard car.  It seems kind of brilliant to have the 2nd display with the buttons right there.


As I rode I began to pay more attention to the road ahead and determine the best combo to tackle it.  I live in an area with a lot of short inclines and hills mingled in with flat and milled roads with some potholes.  So being able to customize my ride to my landscape and liking is kind of cool.. 

A few more thoughts. The mirror accessory is a life saver.  I found I was using it a lot.  Don't know how I rode without it.  The front small basket takes a bit to get used to since it doesn't turn with the wheel.  The standard suspension kept me smooth going over the rough roads here.  I put about 7 miles on the bike and battery still at 10 bars. I love the more upright seating position than the racer style on my Trek.  I guess using the Peloton has my liking this type of ride more.  And...since the Rad can be just as strenuous as the Peloton it's a solid one two.

I'll have more to share later.  But for now I'm very happy to be a Rad owner.

#10
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
May 14, 2022, 06:47:47 AM
I guess this is the beginning of a new story.  With a happy ending.

Rad sent out a new replacement bike to the installer pretty quickly.  The installer built the bike the moment it walked in the door and this one was problem free.  It was put together fast.  Everything worked! 

I picked it up at closing and make some minor adjustments at home.

Reflections:

The process was arduous but I believe the original bike was just a lemon.
The installer who seemed befuddled at first was just surprised and confused at all the issues.
Turns out he was more experienced and savvy than I had thought.  I misjudged.
He went to bat and dogged Rad to resolve this.
Rad was very happy to resolve but internal issues and global ones made this a lot harder.
Rad personnel were hard to reach but once connected were kind and helpful.
The pro team that works with the installer was very responsive.
If the original bike was like the replacement this would have been a breeze.

I've taken the bike out twice on a short ten minute night ride and a longer 45 minute neighborhood cruise.  I have some initial reactions which I will post under a new thread called: Blowout to Bonanza.

Thank you all for your support.  I am officially a real Rad owner!  I will see you in the other thread.
#11
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
May 07, 2022, 02:23:41 PM
Here's the latest.  Rad sent the installer a new throttle, display, and a third part. After replacing all, the bike still shows an error that points to a motor issue.  I spoke to Rad directly and since the motors are really backed up the only options are a bike replacement or return. I am very tempted to return, get my 2 G's back, and use it up on iced lattes and a new Mac.  But I decided that the installer should tell Rad we want a replacement. 

So now they will send him a new bike.  He has to ship back the old one and install the new one.  How long has it been?

This kind of reminds me of the old Schwinn stingray bikes.  My cousin got the Apple Krate while I settled on the Lemon Peeler.  This time I'm returning the lemon. Let's hope Rad ships out a perfect apple asap.
#12
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
April 27, 2022, 09:08:21 AM
Thanks Jay,  I agree that the pipeline needs some grease and better planning. 

After some more diagnostics it's been determined that it might not be the motor after all.  Installer is being sent a new throttle and display.  We are waiting for these to arrive.  More to come...
#13
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
April 23, 2022, 06:20:50 AM
Sorry to hear about your plight Jay.  I'm glad you are still able to ride.  But that's a crazy long wait! 

I'm told I will be given some options by Rad.  But not sure what they are or when they will call.  The funny thing is I paid extra to have one of their installers take care of this to avoid any hassles. Let's see what they have to say. I hope that there is still a simple resolution so this does not escalate into a bigger problem. I mean, I just want to ride...and so many others might be discouraged to be Rad owners with these problems...
#14
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
April 22, 2022, 08:10:13 AM
Thanks for your support.  The bike shop let me know that Rad will be calling me directly because the part we need is not in stock.  I called Rad on my own to get a jump on this and a message said they are all off today to celebrate Earth Day.  Laudable but I wish they were more down to earth with their support.  :(   If anyone from Rad follows this forum please DM me!
#15
RadCity / Re: USB blowout?
April 21, 2022, 08:34:04 PM
And yes, the bike is still with the bike shop who is dealing with the Rad's pro division.