I received my RadMini last Friday and have been commuting on it this week. Here are some impressions:
The bike arrived well packaged, but I was a tad surprised by the amount of assembly I had to do: front wheel, seat, pedals, light, front rack. I would not have been a big deal, but some things gave me trouble. For example, the front wheel's axle appeared to be too short for the fork. Only after installing the quick-release rod and closing it, the fork got pinched together and works fine. Similar problem was with the front rack, which did not seem to fit. I tried different positions of the connecting rods, but to no-avail. I finally brute-forced it to fit.
I disassembled it and will try again, hopefully with more luck this time. Finally: the front light... It is made of really cheap and brittle plastic. I might have tightened it too much (so that it would not move) and its mount just crumbled into small pieces. In any case, when mounted on the front rack, it is sticking out so much that it won't last very long. I'm awaiting a replacement lamp and will have to figure something out to make it last.
The ride is great. The motor is quieter than I expected. The fat tires add a bit of noise, but that's actually pleasant to my ear.
I have a throttle-only bike, so the pedal-assist gets some getting used to. I'm still not there yet. I hope I can find a guide to riding this kind of bike most efficiently.
For people who like speed (like myself), this bike will disappoint a little. I could get to 20 mph only on full throttle, going slightly downhill (I'm adding 180 lbs to the 60 lbs bike). On pedal-assist, at best 17 mph, which seems a bit counter-intuitive, since I'm adding muscle power... Again, it may be my lack of experience with this mode. Also, I noticed that the bike lurches forward a bit when I stop pedaling (not using throttle) - it's become disconcerting on street crossings. I may be wrong about that, or... yes, lack of experience.
I'm a bit concerned about the battery. After riding 16 miles one day I noticed the power level down to one bar. I used pedal-assist, switching between levels 3 and 4, so I expected more power to remain. However, I do not think the display is terribly reliable, as it sometimes shows 2 bars, only to go to 4 a minute later, and to 5 at rest. I do not think it is the fault of the display, but the nature of the power type, which, unlike gasoline, is difficult to measure accurately.
Another small disappointment was with the user manual, which came half-Mandarin, half-English. I am a realist, but I was secretly hoping that this bike would at least be assembled in the US. I probably would have bought it anyway, since it offers so much at a good price, bit I'm thinking that for my
next bike I will go straight to the source and save some money.
Other things I like about this bike:
- I like the look of it - so unique!
- My back is straight, not bent. This may prove to be worse for my spine - time will tell - but it feels comfortable. (Till now the bent-forward position has been giving me trouble.)
- The seat is perhaps the most comfortable in any new bike I had, so I do not have to replace it right away
- It is a very practical bike. I purchased a bag for the rear rack, so I no longer have to wear a backpack. I have yet to do any grocery shopping with this bike, but this is coming.
- It is not intimidating like my Phantom X, so I hope my cautious wife can be convinced to ride it.
- It feels solidly built, but with attention to detail
Last but not least: I hope Rad Power Bikes will offer fenders for this bike. For now I will go to my local bike shop - maybe they will find something for me.
