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.
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.