Steve 95648
New Member
Yesterday we made our decision in selecting our new e-bikes. First of all, we cannot thank our friends in EBR for their incredible advice, support, and knowledge in making this difficult decision.
From the hundreds we reviewed, we narrowed our search to Rad City Step Thru, Aventon 350, and Blix Aveny. We had all the specs on a very detailed spreadsheet as we determined our priorities. We test rode the Rad City and City Step Thru in Monterey, CA and they seemed very adequate, though heavy. And we were concerned about the Direct Drive, but loved their power handling, especially the live throttle. Last week, we tested Aventon 350s in Napa Valley, CA (amidst the fires). Lots of power, looks like an ordinary bike, but it took about 2 peddle revolutions to activate the PAS and Throttle. Hard from a stop, especially for my wife. So we dropped Aventon. We'd been trying for months to test ride the Blix Aveny but none were available, even at the test ride sites listed on their website. So we had planned on driving to LA in mid-September where one bike shop had them. But then, this past week, we realized that we liked the radical sturdy look of the Rad more than the light "girlie" look of the Blix plus our calls to Rad always got an immediate response while Blix generally did not respond. So this brought our search down to Rad.
In my last Posting I expressed on-going concern about Rad's Direct Drive and whether other bikes would be better. Dewey and AHicks quickly responded with clarification of the Direct Drive's pros and cons and suggested comparing the Rad City with the Rad Rover which has geared drive. Luckily, we live close to Sacramento, CA where RAD has an Assembly, and Delivery service. I called Rad on Wednesday and the same day received a calls-back from both Dave and Nick at the Sacramento center. They immediately offered to bring two Rad Cities and two Rad Rovers - one Step Thu and one standard for each Model - to our home in Lincoln about 20 miles from Sacramento. Wow! We set an appointment for the very next day, yesterday.
Dave arrived at our home with the Rad truck and the 4 e-bikes. Their truck is a mobile bike shop. He set the bikes up to fit us, pointed out key features, and told us to head out - not just around the block, but to take our time exploring. So off we went. We live in a Del Webb senior community with bike lanes, lots of hills, trails, and two golf courses. For the next hour, my wife and I went up the hills, down the hills, along the dirt trails, along the streets, over the rough and over the smooth, even across a golf course (to the wonder of friends who were playing golf just ahead of us). Along the way, we kept swapping bikes so we could get a balanced feel. By the end of the test ride - about an hour - our decision was made.
Both the Rad Rover and the Rad City performed excellently in all conditions including up the steep, long hills. The Rover was definitely heavier, particularly with the 4" tires that gave it almost a motorcycle look. This gave it more traction off road but the weight was noticeable in road noise, motor noise, and starting out, especially for my wife. But surprisingly, the Direct Drive Rad City performed equally well in all conditions including the long hill climbs and it seemed more agile off road and crossing the golf course... perhaps due to its lighter weight. So the Decision was made. Immediately after the ride, we placed our Order for 2 Rad City Step Thru bikes, white color, and even got a $100/bike discount. The bikes should arrive in October and at that point Dave will come out to our home, assemble and tune them, and importantly fit them to each of us.
So what did our Decision come down to: EBR helped us through the Direct vs Geared Drive decision - it didn't matter for our use; the responsiveness of Rad Bikes was far superior to Blix or anyone else we called; and lastly we simply liked the look of the Rad City Step Thru... it's not like an ordinary bike. It's Radical. Thank you all who helped us on this Journey. We'll seek to pay it forward with advice to others making their choice. Steve
From the hundreds we reviewed, we narrowed our search to Rad City Step Thru, Aventon 350, and Blix Aveny. We had all the specs on a very detailed spreadsheet as we determined our priorities. We test rode the Rad City and City Step Thru in Monterey, CA and they seemed very adequate, though heavy. And we were concerned about the Direct Drive, but loved their power handling, especially the live throttle. Last week, we tested Aventon 350s in Napa Valley, CA (amidst the fires). Lots of power, looks like an ordinary bike, but it took about 2 peddle revolutions to activate the PAS and Throttle. Hard from a stop, especially for my wife. So we dropped Aventon. We'd been trying for months to test ride the Blix Aveny but none were available, even at the test ride sites listed on their website. So we had planned on driving to LA in mid-September where one bike shop had them. But then, this past week, we realized that we liked the radical sturdy look of the Rad more than the light "girlie" look of the Blix plus our calls to Rad always got an immediate response while Blix generally did not respond. So this brought our search down to Rad.
In my last Posting I expressed on-going concern about Rad's Direct Drive and whether other bikes would be better. Dewey and AHicks quickly responded with clarification of the Direct Drive's pros and cons and suggested comparing the Rad City with the Rad Rover which has geared drive. Luckily, we live close to Sacramento, CA where RAD has an Assembly, and Delivery service. I called Rad on Wednesday and the same day received a calls-back from both Dave and Nick at the Sacramento center. They immediately offered to bring two Rad Cities and two Rad Rovers - one Step Thu and one standard for each Model - to our home in Lincoln about 20 miles from Sacramento. Wow! We set an appointment for the very next day, yesterday.
Dave arrived at our home with the Rad truck and the 4 e-bikes. Their truck is a mobile bike shop. He set the bikes up to fit us, pointed out key features, and told us to head out - not just around the block, but to take our time exploring. So off we went. We live in a Del Webb senior community with bike lanes, lots of hills, trails, and two golf courses. For the next hour, my wife and I went up the hills, down the hills, along the dirt trails, along the streets, over the rough and over the smooth, even across a golf course (to the wonder of friends who were playing golf just ahead of us). Along the way, we kept swapping bikes so we could get a balanced feel. By the end of the test ride - about an hour - our decision was made.
Both the Rad Rover and the Rad City performed excellently in all conditions including up the steep, long hills. The Rover was definitely heavier, particularly with the 4" tires that gave it almost a motorcycle look. This gave it more traction off road but the weight was noticeable in road noise, motor noise, and starting out, especially for my wife. But surprisingly, the Direct Drive Rad City performed equally well in all conditions including the long hill climbs and it seemed more agile off road and crossing the golf course... perhaps due to its lighter weight. So the Decision was made. Immediately after the ride, we placed our Order for 2 Rad City Step Thru bikes, white color, and even got a $100/bike discount. The bikes should arrive in October and at that point Dave will come out to our home, assemble and tune them, and importantly fit them to each of us.
So what did our Decision come down to: EBR helped us through the Direct vs Geared Drive decision - it didn't matter for our use; the responsiveness of Rad Bikes was far superior to Blix or anyone else we called; and lastly we simply liked the look of the Rad City Step Thru... it's not like an ordinary bike. It's Radical. Thank you all who helped us on this Journey. We'll seek to pay it forward with advice to others making their choice. Steve
