Any RadMini people out there

[Machog]

Mini is on order, should be with me by the end of this week. I just finished reading every page of this thread. Thanks for all the advise on tires and tubes, plus general background information.

I waited until 2018’s with suspension and upgraded battery were shipping before ordering. Not sure when I found out about the new model, it might have been early Dec? It seems nearly everyone speaks highly of R.P. customer service and the bike in general. Already fired some questions at CS and got prompt eMail replies. Be using mine on our boat cruising the San Jaun’s, and the Canadian Gulf Islands. Friend of mine has a canvas sewing business and he’s making me a large bag with 2 big handles and shoulder strap to store Mini and keep it out of the weather.

I have a12v Slime mini tire pump, was wondering if there is any way to adapt that to work with the Mini 48v battery? Seems flats are a fairly common occurrence on the Mini. I’ve ordered a spare tube and have a good tool kit, but no easy way to pump up a high volume low pressure tire. Any suggestions, other than an old fashioned hand job? Asked R.P. about going tubeless, but they couldn’t help. I ride a mountain bike across the desert 2-3 days a week, about 60 miles, in 3 years I’ve yet to have one flat! Machog

 

[Machog]

Not sure anyone else reads this but me recently. Hoping some one can recommend tire pressure on the Mini for road use, not dirt or sand. Put in 25 psi, see how that goes. Tx

 

[MikeDD]

Tire pressure I have gone as high as 30 but like the ride of 20. I do not have a front suspension.

As far as the slime pump no answer. I carry a can of bicycle fix-a-flat. It is just like they make for cars. In fact I always have a can of fix-a-flat. It has never failed. You an find it at Walmart.

 

[Machog]

Just in case someone starts reading here again, got my new Rad Mini yesterday. It took 14+ hours to get the battery charger to show red/green. Book does say it takes a bit longer first time to balance the batteries-they weren’t kidding. Box was beaten to hell by UPS, but no missing parts or damage. Going for a 40mile trip tomorrow, my place to a local lake. Moderate up hill half the way, so should be a good mixed test.

 

[Olrocker]

20 PSI is what they recommend, and the ride is good at that pressure.

 

[Olrocker]

Here's a shot of our RadMinis at Ft. DeSoto Campground just south of St. Petersburg in January. Great biking!

 

[Machog]

First long ride today, 27 miles, Cave Creek to Bartlett lake, strong head winds. Had 3 bars left, reckon I could get 35 or more with ease. Mostly PAS 3 & 4, tried throttle a little. Mini is too low geared, anyone else tried changing the cassette to get a higher gear? At 20mph, I’m pedaling like a maniac. Great bike, comfortable, real 20 mph, real 30 miles or more. Noticed in set up mode, that wheel is set for 22”, it correlates perfectly with my GPS.

 

[Okanoggin]

I do not have many miles on mine yet. I got it in late October when the weather was changing. I have moved to town since and have ridden it on short rides. I like it so far. I do wish it was a bit quieter as I like to be able to hear cars coming up behind. I do not like all the questions I must answer about it and that delayed me getting inside the library for a while.

I built a little ramp out of a plank and a ramp end kit to get it into the back of my pickup. Getting it out isn't so hard and I can do that without the ramp. I cut the plank in half and put a hinge on it so it fits in the pickup bed too. I will fold up the bike when traveling with lots of stuff in the back.

I'm waiting for the local bike shop to open up. This area has goatheads if you go off the main roads in the lowlands. I'd like to find out if there are any things to do to the tires to make them goathead resistant.

I did break the mount on the headlight while hauling the bike in my pickup. The light could use some beefing up where it connects. I don't plan to ride at night so this shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Chewbacca]

Got my 2018 radmini today and took it out for a spin. I'm still grinning.
I got my wife a 2017 radmini about 8 months ago because she couldn't keep up with me on the local fire trails... then I couldn't keep up with her, prompting me to get my own mini. I could have gotten the rover but I plan to take these camping and the folding ability makes sense.... I also think 20" fat tires look cool. I'm not a big time mountain biker, so the little bike is perfect for the fire trails and gravelly roads.
There is some difference in the 2017 vs the 2018.
The 2018 sits a little higher at the crossbar, and the handle bars are a little higher. Works great for me... but my wife at 5'2" feels more comfortable with her 2017. The 2018 frame is beefed up in a few areas, and the front suspension is a great addition. I'll see if the bigger battery capacity is noticeable, but I'm a battery power hog with the throttle and power level 5, while my wife only uses power level 2... so it might not be a fair comparison... but should make our rides more compatible.
I'll do a scientific test, but for now, I swear the 2018 has more zip.
Great bikes, but just as important is the company and people that stand behind Rad Power, and I've found everyone I've talked to at Rad Power to be better than you could ever ask for. Friendly, knowledgeable and professional... what a concept! Hope they all do well.
San Francisco Bay Area

 

[Machog]

Congratulations, totally agree with your comments about the company, great customer service and follow up. Had mine a week tonight, just turned 80 miles. Love it, one major change put a 53T crank on instead of the 48T stock, was just too low geared for me. If you do Facebook, check out the Rad Power page, very active, lost of good tips. Probably why this excellent forum is quiet. Machog

 

[RDude]

Gonna be getting my radmini soon, was wondering does anyone here lock theirs up at bike racks and etc? Best way to lock it up?

 

[cayjak]

Congratulations, totally agree with your comments about the company, great customer service and follow up. Had mine a week tonight, just turned 80 miles. Love it, one major change put a 53T crank on instead of the 48T stock, was just too low geared for me. If you do Facebook, check out the Rad Power page, very active, lost of good tips. Probably why this excellent forum is quiet. Machog

Could you provide the source for the larger chain wheel? I'd like to add one to our RadMini but unsure what or where to buy. Thanks!

 

[Machog]

Could you provide the source for the larger chain wheel? I'd like to add one to our RadMini but unsure what or where to buy. Thanks!

Got mine from Amazon, like everything else I buy these days.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LPKGT2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You’ll need a longer 7speed chain. I got regular length and spliced it in.

 

[cayjak]

Thanks! Appreciate the lead on the chain wheel.

 

[Gregory Benner]

I notice several questions/comments re: re-gering the Mini, it is geared pretty low. I changed the cassete, inexpensive and easy. I posted a several thread here: Just fyi. Seemed easier than changing the front sprocket, and no chain issues.

https://electricbikereview.com/foru...cassette-change-on-my-radmini-under-50.14834/

 

[cayjak]

New RadMini (2018 model) owner here. I find this discussion about changing gear ratios interesting, because I too would like to slow down my pedal cadence. To do this, as I understand it, you can change either the rear gears (the freewheel), or the front chainring, or both.

The stock freewheel (on my bike) is a Shimano MF-TZ500-7 with tooth count of 14-16-18-20-22-24-28. If, like Gregory did (above), you change to the DNP 11/28 freewheel, it has tooth count of 11-13-15-18-21-24-28. With the DNP, you are reducing your pedal speed in 3rd through 7th gears, but the two lowest gears (1st and 2nd) remain unchanged.

On the other hand, if you change the front chainring from the stock 48 tooth to a larger 53 tooth (as mentioned by Machog in post above), you will decrease your pedal cadence (at any given speed) in ALL 7 gears.

For the greatest possible degree of change, you could replace BOTH the freewheel AND the front chainring.

The question is: which option, new free wheel or new chainring, gives you the most bang for the buck?

To answer this question, we can reduce each combination to a simple number called "gear inches". To find this number you divide the number of chainring teeth by the number of teeth on the freewheel sprocket. This produces a "gear ratio" number. Then you multiply the gear ratio by the diameter of the rear wheel. This produces the "gear inch" number.

Since most of us are primarily interested in decreasing our pedal cadence in top gear, I will only do the 7th gear calculation for the the stock setup, plus the 3 possible combinations listed above. I used 22" for the wheel diameter, because that is what is set in the control panel on my bike.

Here are the results, listing the percent improvement over stock for each combination in 7th gear:

( stock ) 48t chainring divided by (stock) 14t (7th gear) sprocket = 3.43 ratio times 22" wheel diameter = 75 gear inches (stock)

(bigger) 53t chainring divided by (stock) 14t (7th gear) sprocket = 3.79 ratio times 22" wheel diameter = 83 gear inches (11% better than stock)

( stock ) 48t chainring divided by (DNP ) 11t (7th gear) sprocket = 4.36 ratio times 22" wheel diameter = 96 gear inches (28% better than stock)

(bigger) 53t chainring divided by (DNP ) 11t (7th gear) sprocket = 4.82 ratio times 22" wheel diameter = 106 gear inches (41% better than stock)

Cost of modifications:

Replacing the front chainring costs about $53 (Amazon Prime) plus the cost of replacing or extending the chain, for 11% improvement.
Replacing the freewheel costs about $32 (Amazon Prime) plus the cost of a freewheel tool (use the original chain), for 28% improvement.
Replacing both the front chainring and the freewheel costs about $85 (plus cost of chain and a freewheel tool) ), for 41% improvement.

My conclusion:

If your primary objective is to slow down your cadence in the upper gears (3rd through 7th) for the least expense, then the new freewheel would seem to be the best choice. Although I only calculated the percent change in 7th gear, you would also see a improvement in gears 3 through 6. If it turns out you still want more reduction in pedal speed after trying the new freewheel, you could then replace the front chainring.

NOTE: I am just a novice at this bike gear stuff, so if I made any errors in my math, please feel free to point them out!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LPKGT2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/DNP-Epoch-Freewheel-Nickel-Plated/dp/B007A8RPUS

 

[Calldon]

I got my RadMini a few weeks ago, while the weather was still a bit cold. It went to velofix for them to assemble it then deliver to me. I'm short about 5-6 at the most and the guy who delivered it to me was about 6 inch taller at least and had an inseamprobably 6 inch longer than mine. He was good at setting it up but not good at setting the handlebars and seat for short people. I got on the thing once and was able to ride it a little bit but when I dismounted, I fell off completely on my back. He should have adjusted seat and handlebars, but he didn't. I started up again and fell off again on the concrete driveway. It was obvious that he was going to do nothing. I had him fill the air on another bike I have then he left. I didn't have time that afternoon to fool with it anymore and the weather was 25 degrees the next day

So after a week I was able to pull it out again and attempt to ride. I lowered the seat and handlebars but for some reason I fell off as soon as I got on it. This time I was injured. I folded up the bike and had to get my neighbor to put it in the backseat of my car. I was in such pain I went to the doctor that afternoon who said, and breaking my fall I had strained the muscles in my lower back. He gave me pain pills, non-narcotic and useless, and a muscle relaxer. I stayed on my back in bed for the most part of four days because I was in miserable pain. That's been 3 weeks and I'm just now feeling like I want to try it again. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, it's a taller bike than I expected, especially with 20 inch wheels. I would like to say I've been riding a lot then how much fun it is, but I haven't. I've only been riding bikes for over 50 years, you think I would know better.

 

[cayjak]

it's a taller bike than I expected, especially with 20 inch wheels..

I'm not an expert on this stuff, but I have noticed a few things about our RadMini that seem a little different than most bikes I have ridden.

First, the bottom bracket seems to be higher off the ground than "normal". Because of this, I had to raise the seat up higher to keep the distance between the seat and the pedals right. This higher seat position has me sitting where I can just barely touch the ground with my toes when I am stopped. I am 5'8" tall, with a 29" inseam, so I don't consider myself abnormally short. But if I was any shorter, I don't think I could ride the RadMini comfortably. The Rad Power Bikes page says this bike fits riders from 5'2" to 6'2". I would really like to see a 5'2" person ride it - I think that would be very entertaining!

The second thing is, you sit pretty far back on the bike. Plus, most of the bike's weight is centered toward the rear. This makes the bike feel kinda "wheelie prone" to me. Since the motor makes so much torque, I have to be careful not to apply too much throttle when first starting out. Same with the PAS - if it is set too high (above step 1 or 2), then when you start pedaling it really wants to take off. If you aren't accustomed to this motor torque and performance and it catches you off guard, it could easily dump you on your rear end.

I don't know if either of these things had anything to do with your problems. I have found that once I adjusted to the higher seating position and instant motor response, I have really enjoyed riding the bike. It is very zippy feeling, and steers very lightly considering its weight and the big fat tires. I hope you are soon able to get back on your bike and finally have some fun with it.

Good Luck!

 

[MikeDD]

I have a mini. The geometry is different from a regular bicycle. I recommend setting the power level at 1 and only use the throttle until you get used to balancing. It can be awkward in tight turns until you get used to it. You will have to adjust the seat up and down and forward and backward until you find the right position. The same with the handle bar height.

I would complain to Rad about velofix and their lack of customer service. Since I live in Washington I picked mine up at the store. I still had to adjust everything several times and still play with the seat height.

Good Luck.

 

[cayjak]

You will have to adjust the seat up and down and forward and backward until you find the right position. The same with the handle bar height.

This is good advice, except I found there was very little actual room for adjustment in the handlebars IF the bike seems to be "too tall" for your height. When I adjusted my bike, I immediately set the handlebars to the lowest position, because they were way too high for me. I would actually like to have them even lower, if it was possible. There is a small silver screw in the handlebar stem that acts as a mechanical stop when you lower the stem all the way. I tried removing it, which allowed me to lower the handlebars another 1/2". Big mistake! The next time I tried to fold the bike, the handlebar stem lock would not release. I found out the bottom of the stem was pressing on the red safety catch and would not allow it to move. Raised the stem back up a little bit, and everything worked correctly again. So don't be tempted to remove the little silver screw - it's there for a reason.