Hi good folks and fellow bikists. I broke the frame on my trusty commuter last monday, leaving myself in the lurch so naturally I made a rapid decision and find myself the owner of a rad! wagon.
I'm a little leery from the reputation of the tires but I needed something to get me and my 2 kids to daycare, and myself to work with. We've made the transition from kids in chariot, to kids on bikes of their own, to winter short truck ride to daycare, and now potentially all of us on the wagon all year.
Radpower's out of the padded cushions for the seats at the back but I've got access to some tools at home that can hopefully make quick work of the DIY job.
So far I've got the plates cut, and am planning on using some garden kneeling pads for butt cushions for the kiddos. I'm comfortable with the woodwork, and metalwork, less so with the upholstery work but only one way to get better.
Here's where I'm at right now.
I've got a bunch of the accessories coming with this thing any day now to speed up the kids on the back way but I think I could've had some fun making up some handlebars, pegs, racks etc still if I'd been a bit more patient. Anyways I'm excited, and looking forward to sharing ideas, and hearing from all your experiences with these things.
I liked the last two images. A little more expensive than kneeling pads but it looked cool.
https://amzn.to/47X9Adj
Quote from: Naranja_CT5+ on September 04, 2023, 01:11:19 PM
I liked the last two images. A little more expensive than kneeling pads but it looked cool.
Yeah there are lots of neat ideas, seat backs would be pretty nice too. I do like the attachment method for these accessories and would way rather be working with bolts into the frames than clamps. I'm sure I'll appreciate how modular these can be with some use.
Well I wrapped it up. I'm pretty happy the way it turned out, and so far my kids are pretty content with the butt pads. It may not be the final version but it's a working copy for the time being.
Just some 3/4" baltic birch cut to fit, with the kneeboard/pad cut to match, then wrapped in some heavy fabric. I bolted the pads down from the top using the conveniently already threaded holes, then plugged the holes through the fabric/pad and wood using some 3d printed plugs that still allow for the squish in the seat.
Very nice; good job.
Does anyone have any experience with using a longer seatpost for these things? I'm 6'3" and long in the leg, and despite the fit, I'm much lower on the seat than I've been in a very long time on any previous bikes. Any chance someone's successfully used a much longer seatpost without damaging the first sleeve or the frame?
Quick success on the seatpost front, I've added a 400mm 30.9mm seatpost that fit perfectly. Way better for riding now that my legs can stretch out once more.
I don't think setting the seat post at a comfortable height will be an issue for you.
I believe on the RW4 one could even be 7 feet tall and still get proper leg extension. I'm only six feet but I have a 34 inch inseam and I have the bottom sleeve set very shallow. With the standard seat post and the scale on the back of the post I had it set at about 6.5 whatever that is. None of the two telescoping devices were close to the minimum insertion depth.
FWIW I just installed a 27.2 Suntour suspension seat post on my RW4. I used a 30.8 sleeve (the bike shop didn't have a 30.9 sleeve) for the 27.2 seat post and it's working fine. I've put about 30 or 40 kms on it and it is holding position. I'm not sure why Rad's web site says the Suntour seat post isn't for the RW4 as they simply need to have a few sleeves in stock.
It works excellently. Very enjoyable riding now.
Quote from: Ddaybc on September 16, 2023, 08:11:28 AM
I don't think setting the seat post at a comfortable height will be an issue for you.
I believe on the RW4 one could even be 7 feet tall and still get proper leg extension.
It's a strange thing indeed but something about me and bikes has always resulted in massively exposed seatposts. In stock form on the RW4 I felt like I was close to 90 degrees at the knees at the bottom of the stroke. Maxed the minimum insertion height on both sleeve and post.
I've got a 400mm post in now and I think I could still go to 450 to get closer to what I'd usually set it at. So I'm maxing out the min insertion lines on both sleeve and new post. It's still not perfect but it's much much better than before. Just a strange body I guess, and I've always had long legs. 6'4 and I don't even look at pants unless they have 36" inseams or more (shoutout lululemon's 38" inseams!!).
No big deal, I expected the one size to fit all to be a challenge to adjust to.
You've got a 400 mm seat post maxed out? I think you're right, you may need a 450 mm post to get proper leg extension. I note Rad's web site indicates the RW4 is suitable for riders with an inseam just over 36" but I'm not sure how they measure. Bike fit is such a personal thing.
Good luck and keep trying to find a good fit.
Well I've got the tires mounted up. They're pretty beefy looking, and went on without as much fuss as I thought they would. Pretty much just my hands and body weight to wrestle them on. I swapped to some new tubes while I was at it as well. Hoping these are durable and grippy for the kilometers ahead.
Banjopete, those tires look great. They appear to have lots of tread blocks of sufficient depth so one could also stud them if necessary. Of course they will affect range and speed but one doesn't use something like a RW4 for speed or usually range. Most ebike riders often don't even go 20 miles (30ish Kms) per day. Hopefully you will be fine.
I went out last night with my family, two kids on board and did a 20km round trip for ice cream. These tires are noticeably slower, significantly so, much more rolling resistance felt like the bike was dragging the whole way. PAS felt like 2 less, so 3 felt like 1 and so on. I didn't check tire pressure but think first thing I'll try is a higher pressure and see what that does.
I knew this would be a thing going in, but wasn't quite prepared for how big a change it made. Ride wise I can feel the additional load rating of the tires, the ride for me and passengers was more supple while also being a lot stronger. Bumps, and curb ramps etc felt a lot smoother. I'm a hopeless upgrader and already am thinking a bigger motor and more batteries would be the ticket haha.
@Banjopete :
Is that houndstooth an upholstery fabric or some kind of waterproof vinyl?
What did you use for the clear plastic sheet fastened to the fender? Some kind of Lexan / polycarbonate stuff? And where did you get it?
Banjopete, when your Kenda tires arrived, other than an arrow showing which direction they are supposed to rotate, did they have any markings indicating Front or rear? I'm still divided between ordering one for my front wheel verses the tire chains from Slipknot Traction.
Thank you.
Quote from: Ddaybc on September 20, 2023, 12:52:29 PM
You've got a 400 mm seat post maxed out? I think you're right, you may need a 450 mm post to get proper leg extension. I note Rad's web site indicates the RW4 is suitable for riders with an inseam just over 36" but I'm not sure how they measure. Bike fit is such a personal thing.
Good luck and keep trying to find a good fit.
Picking one of the bikes at random - https://radpowerbikes.ca/products/radrover-plus-step-thru-electric-fat-tire-bike?_pos=3&_sid=edef9694d&_ss=r - they have their sizing guide for the different models.
Just below the chart they have this:
QuoteWhat to Measure
Your "real inseam" -- or inside leg length -- is the distance between your body where it sits on your bike saddle and the ground.
This will typically be an inch or two longer than the length of your trousers, but you?ll want to measure to be sure.
You?ll use this number on the chart to get a feel for how the different models will fit you.
How to Measure
Gather the tools needed:
Medium-width hardcover book
Tape measure
A wall you can stand against
A trusted friend or relative
Wearing your regular riding shoes and with your back to the wall, stand with your feet spread so there is about 7 inches between them - this is about the distance apart your feet would be when straddling a bike with your feet on the ground (standover height).
Place a hardcover book against the wall with the spine of the book facing upward. Slide the book upwards towards your groin until it is solidly against your body. This may be a bit awkward, but is way more comfortable -- and safer! -- than trying to ride a bike that is too big.
If you have a buddy helping you, get them to measure from the floor to the top of the book spine while you hold the book in place. If you're going it alone, carefully hold the book in place and measure from the ground to the top of the book spine.
Quote from: John Rose on December 07, 2023, 11:24:33 PM
@Banjopete :
Is that houndstooth an upholstery fabric or some kind of waterproof vinyl?
What did you use for the clear plastic sheet fastened to the fender? Some kind of Lexan / polycarbonate stuff? And where did you get it?
Nothing that fancy as it was just a quick solution to the no pad situation. It's just cotton. We mostly deal with sun and snow here so rain isn't a concern. The plastic guards on the rear wheel came with the bike, standard stuff. It's quite nice to have as it keeps my kids' feet out of the spokes, and I would have wanted to do something about it if it wasn't a stock item.
Quote from: Ddaybc on December 11, 2023, 08:10:09 AM
Banjopete, when your Kenda tires arrived, other than an arrow showing which direction they are supposed to rotate, did they have any markings indicating Front or rear? I'm still divided between ordering one for my front wheel verses the tire chains from Slipknot Traction.
Thank you.
No front/rear designation, they're an identical pair. I've still not done anything about studding them, and am about a month in on snow riding now. They've been quite good in packed snow conditions. Decent enough on ice, but I'd still prefer studs at least on the front. I have liked the deep lugs for the deeper snow but the 90lb bike just doesn't it lend itself to a lot of agility when things get squirrely.
So far so good though as my next winter chariot. I don't have any worries it will do the job for the winter kid shuttling here, or my winter commuting.
I took a ride a while ago just after we had some snow and before the cold snap hit. It was also raining so the road, especially in the bike lane, was covered in slush. Our city pushes the snow to the side of the road but not far enough to clear off the bike lanes. WOW, very hairy trying to stay upright and not falling over into traffic. I don't often ride in the winter yet but I am going to order a tire for the front of my bike and stud it. Probably for next winter as it's almost the end of January and we really only have about one month left in winter. If push comes to shove I will probably buy two tires and keep one "just in case" I decide I need to have the back tire capable of handling snow.
When/if you decide to stud your tire(s) can you post what studs you're going to use and how you're going to mount them?
Thank you
So I never did stud my tires in the end. Aside from the couple of really icy days we had here the knobbies made it through the winter with few issues. The big footprint and more rigid yet compliant tires improved the ride too vs the stock tires.
I am back on the stock front tire again and it's amazing what a difference the tires do make for ease of rolling. I should weigh the tires to get a true sense of the weight difference but the rolling difference is massive. It's worth a whole PAS just for the front tire.