We just took care of the spam. Thanks for the heads up, I'll try to stay on top of it.

Ryan

I hope not, it has been quite the downfall to watch - from raising $300 million to having so many rounds of layoffs. The RadRunner prices just got sliced significantly, I guess good for buyers right now.

More here: https://electrek.co/2025/03/07/rad-power-bikes-ceo-secretly-exits-amid-more-layoffs-uncertain-future/

Hi all, thanks for the feedback. I removed all of the in-page ads and left some of the anchored ones. The honest answer is that less Rad's are selling and we don't have a site sponsor so to speak. If everyone made their purchase through our affiliate links we would likely be able to cover expenses. Surprisingly the hosting here isn't that cheap either so just trying to make everything sustainable in these tougher recent times (less people buying ebikes).

Curious if anyone is biting at these prices for Rad's Labor Day Sale. Rad Power Bikes is really shaking things up with a fire sale on the RadCity 5 Plus and RadRover 6 Plus—both are going for just $999! The RadRunner 2 is also seeing a nice price cut, with $200 off the usual price. Their newest models, the Radster Road and Radster Trail, aren't getting any love in the discount department. Same goes for the RadWagon 5 (which is still my go-to 2 kid cargo ride) and the RadExpand 5 Plus, now priced at $2,099. No deals there, unfortunately.

Be sure to use the forum link if you decide to buy: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/Wq1EzZ (thanks!)

I had no heads up on this one but Rad Power Bikes has released a lightweight electric bike called the RadKick. It's offered in a 7-speed ($1,199) or belt drive ($1,399). What does everyone think? We should get a review unit at the end of August. Should I review the 7-Speed or Belt Drive? link to RadKick: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/Y9Q6YK

My take: I think there aren't enough lighter-weight options out there, particularly with suspension though I wonder if 55 lbs is light enough. I previously thought under 50lbs was a good number to hit while not compromising battery and motor power too much but maybe 55 lbs is still light enough for most folks. A little bummed to see a 36 volt system and the battery is just half the size of the 15Ah batteries on other models. Is that big enough for lots of people? Not sure, range estimate is 15-35 miles per charge. Only 40 Nm torque on the 500 watt motor and a big one for me - no class 3 speeds.

It's interesting too that they now have three city oriented bikes.

Hopefully, this helps those considering the RadExpand 5 Plus. The RadExpand 5 (non-plus) was kind of a letdown for RadMini owners, particularly with the lack of suspension. With the RadExpand 5 Plus, they finally brought it back but the frame is largely the same as the original RadMini which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The frame is still accessible but you still have the external mounted components that many brands have gone away from. I think at the $2,099 price point there are clearly tons of other folding ebikes to consider but if you value a torque sensor, there are less options - at least from reputable brands.

On our review unit one of the blinkers did not work - Rad sent a replacement light but it turns out it is the controller. At least it should be easy to replace since it is externally mounted.

If you're planning to purchase a Rad Power Bike you can support the forum for free: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/LXQe03

Here's my pros and cons list after putting some decent mileage on the RadExpand 5 Plus.
Pros

• Torque sensor
• More powerful motor
• Safe Shield (resin-filled) and UL Certified battery
• 2-year warranty with US-based support
• BMX style handlebars are far superior to the "T" handlebars
• Great for shorter riders and it's supper accessible
• Front suspension fork added
• Hydraulic disc brakes though a lesser known brand with Gemma brakes

Cons

• Still only Class 2 speeds
• Cadence at 20 mph is still pretty fast (gearing could be improved)
• Not great for taller riders like me
• I like the horizontal display on the Radster models better
• Pretty firm saddle

A bit of a delay here but I just finished reviewing all of the new Rad Power Bikes models and wanted to share some thoughts on the Radster Road. Overall I think Rad delivered a lot of what people wanted, namely class 3 speeds, torque sensor option and a more powerful motor. It launched at $1,999 but now is $2,199 certainly putting it out of reach for some and above some (most?) of the competing ebikes. It's a bit odd having the RadCity 5 Plus still offered though it does come in at a much more affordable $1,699 though without all of the benefits of the Radster Road. I'm curious to see what happens there.

If you plan to purchase a Rad Power Bike you can support the forum for free: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/Mm9aAN

Here's a short list of pros and cons:
Pros:

• Looks cool: Unique frame but the biggest thing is the two size offerings (a first for Rad)
• Fast: Class 3 ebike, capable of reaching up to 28 mph with pedal assist.
• Smooth Ride: New torque sensor provides a natural and responsive riding experience and isn't too hard to hit speeds into the 20's.
• Functional Display: Color LCD display that's easy to use and the RFID tags are a cool bonus.
• Riding position: The riding position is still pretty relaxed for it not having an adjustable stem. The BMX-inspired bars also allow you to easily accessorize.

Cons

• Price: Just on the upper end compared to competing ebikes.
• Heavy: At 74.5 lb I wonder if it's too heavy for some folks.
• Accessibility: The size regular has a lower standover height than the size large so just be aware of this. It's still more accessible than a high step ebike

Curious what everyone else thinks.

Some of the older forum members will know that we started with a 2018 RadWagon, put 4,000 miles on it, and eventually "upgraded" to the RadWagon 4 which saw little use. Now years later there are a ton of competitors but we've been living with the RadWagon 5 now for over 2 months, putting on lots of miles. My wife is a huge fan which is saying a lot for someone who has ridden every competitor's cargo ebike. Though just keep in mind she isn't weighing in price but we are using this as our primary cargo ebike this summer. We use our RadWagon 5 as a vehicle replacement, trips of usually less than 10-15 miles around town hauling two kids in the Thule seats.

We actually plan to do an accessory video showing how we use our RadWagon 5 with our two kids which should be live in a few weeks. The Aventon Abound is probably the closest competitor here but didn't fit our needs with the two Thule seats as the rear rack isn't as long (the front child is way to close to the rider). 

If you plan to buy any Rad Power Bike you can support the forum for free: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/0ZeEk3

Here are our thoughts on the RadWagon 5:
Pros

• Motor power is much improved over the previous generation (even while loaded)
• Torque sensor is well thought out as it's not too hard to get power from the motor
• Accessories (more on this soon but the Conestoga, front rack/basket allow for lots of capacity even with kids in the rear)
• Class 3 speeds. While I think 28 is probably too fast for those with precious cargo, it's nice to be able to go 21-23 mph if you're comfortable.
• Kickstand is much better
• Standard size tires
• Geometry. The RadWagon 5 is lower to the ground than the RadWagon 4

Cons

• I wish they put the same horizontal display with RFID tags on the RadWagon 5 like they did with the Radster models. Not sure why they did this.
• Battery is just average and no option for secondary battery
• Wheel tension issue, clicking while riding. This is being addressed by Rad Power Bikes and is a known issue
• Price. At $2,399 it's on the upper end of its competitors and sure it offers some features others don't some might not value these benefits that much

Curious about what everyone else thinks. Is it worth the premium price?

Thanks for sharing your in-depth thoughts. I just finished up my review and overall was impressed. The torque sensor is well-tuned for Class 3 speeds without too much effort, the motor for 750 watts is surprisingly good and the LCD display is very intuitive. Already mentioned was the front mud flap and you do lose some flexibility on the bottle cage bosses with the larger frame size due to the reinforcements. Something not mentioned is that these new batteries have self-resetting fuses which was a downside on the old batteries - don't put your key in the charger port. 

If you're planning to purchase a Radster Trail you can support the forum for free: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/0ZeEgJ

I've stopped trying to figure out Rad's naming scheme but it does seem like the dual display isn't the go-forward with the introduction of both the color horizontal and color vertical screen especially with moving to more advanced functions like changing the Class. I'm speculating here and I do hope that they support those who have "older" models much into the future.

Tapatalk is on the list still to fix. I like that it makes the forum super easy for mobile but on the downside, we can't show ads which means there is less chance of direct support from users that use Tapatalk.

Quote from: John Rose on April 13, 2024, 03:12:09 PMUh-oh. Photos in old posts return a "file not found" message.
For example - https://www.radowners.com/index.php/topic,9719.msg24710.html#msg24710

Also getting this red fault message in the editor, even if there aren't supposed to be any attachments (like in this post).

QuoteThe message has the following error or errors that must be corrected before continuing:
There was a problem and your attachments could not be uploaded
The attachments directory can not be located. Please notify an administrator of this problem.

On the other hand, we can now give temperatures because the degrees º symbol works. Yay!

We believe the attachments are all working now. Let me know if you continue to have issues.

Quote from: ericwn on April 14, 2024, 06:24:00 AMTapatalk cannot find the forum anymore. Can you please make this work as usual again? That's my and many others' preferred way to read forums, not in a web browser.

Will look into this - thanks

The forum hadn't been updated in some time, so it was time to get updated! You'll notice it looks slightly different, but it also operates better on mobile. If you notice any issues post them below. Otherwise, as always I appreciate everyone's support of using our Rad links before you buy (even if it is just an accessory).

We've got a bunch of new Rad content coming on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/ebikeescape

By the way, related to the new batteries on the Rad Power Bikes 2024 lineup - they now have a self-resetting fuse. On the old shark style batteries it was easier to replace the fuse. From my understanding on the RadRover 6+ and RadCity 5+ you had to disassemble the battery. There were several examples I saw of people sticking their keys accidentally into the charge port. Now if the fuse gets tripped, it resets itself. Seems like Rad was listening...