Finally got my first E Bike

[CodyDog]

I received my new e-bike today and to say the least, I'm smiling like a kid with his first bike. After a great deal of research I chose the Rad Rover. One of the many reasons I purchased Rad Rover was the relationship Rad has with Velofix. Velofix came to my house and assembled and tuned the bike and will return in a month for a follow up tune up (all for a reasonable fee). Also,I wanted to mention that I had a couple questions that I asked Rad prior to my purchase and Rad customer service was very responsive.

So far I am pleased with the quality and performance of the Rover. My only other experience with an e bike was renting a Riese & Muller Veno. I am glad I chose the Class II (with throttle). We live in a very hilly area and the throttle was a big help. Love the fat tires and how easy the bike is to handle. The Rad has a lot more zip than I expected and I'm looking forward to a long ride tomorrow. Today was just a short run around the neighborhood.

Now we are in search of a second e bike for my wife but I suspect she may want a Rover as well.

 

[Figs]

Congrats! I find ebikes to simply be fun, and fun things can.be hard to come by. I wish you and your wife fun, and Year’s of good times together.

 

[CodyDog]

Thanks Figs.

 

[Banzai]

Welcome to another smiling RAD rider. I happen to have three of them that are working perfectly, and take daily rides that combine hilly residential roads and off-road soft sand.
Followup support from RPB is excellent so don't be hesitant to email or call them. I ask them a lot of questions and always get a reply by the next day.
The more popular the RAD bikes get it seems the faster they run out of stock. RAD has the best concept with the hub motor design and I think it is the most versatile as well as the most reliable. And you don't have to worry about design changes every six months - which can be costly to keep up with.
I'm sure to still be riding mine 10 (possibly 20) years on down the line.
Have fun.

 

[CodyDog]

Welcome to another smiling RAD rider. I happen to have three of them that are working perfectly, and take daily rides that combine hilly residential roads and off-road soft sand.
Followup support from RPB is excellent so don't be hesitant to email or call them. I ask them a lot of questions and always get a reply by the next day.
The more popular the RAD bikes get it seems the faster they run out of stock. RAD has the best concept with the hub motor design and I think it is the most versatile as well as the most reliable. And you don't have to worry about design changes every six months - which can be costly to keep up with.
I'm sure to still be riding mine 10 (possibly 20) years on down the line.
Have fun.

Thanks Banzai. I am very impressed with the Rover after my ride today. I got caught out in the rain and it handle great and the brakes were suburb. What I like is some of the features I didn't notice when I ordered such as the three point mount for the battery, metal chain stay guard, all the internal routing of wires (clean), front tire quick release, comfortable seat with build in rear handle, great kick stand (placed towards rear and out of the way), derailleur guard and the ability to reprogram the bike to 25mph in seconds.

Like you, I am impressed with the customer service. I contacted them several times and they got back to me within 24hrs. when I ordered a rack, my $50 discount code didn't work. They refunded me the discount the next day. Impressive to say the least.

 

[Banzai]

Hi CodyDog
The drive train and controls all work excellent for me, and I do some long fast downhills while offroad. The only things I changed were the seats and handlebars so it would position me to be more upright, such as when riding a beach cruiser. Having my back bent and leaning forward wasn't doing much for me, and I also noticed that I had more power available from my legs. I do a lot of PAS 0 out in the rough just for the exercise.
Glad to hear everything is working well, and no doubt, you will be an expert in no time.

 

[Barry S]

Congrats on your new bike! My ebike research journey started in October last year and after a couple of financial setbacks I finally ordered a RadRover yesterday morning when Rad enabled online ordering again. No Velofix in Honolulu so I'll be assembling myself, but I'll take it to a trusted LBS afterwards to have them check the brakes, gear indexing, spoke tension, etc when I'm done. I don't mind doing the assembly myself as I'm the kind of person that wants to know how it all fits. However, if Velofix was around I'd use them and just watch the process.

I too was thinking about getting a second bike for the wife so we could ride the crazy streets of Honolulu together, but I would probably get her a RadMini. She's not a bike rider so I think the RadMini would be much more approachable AND it would let me have 2 different models in my ebike quiver.

 

[Figs]

@PCDoctorUSA - and congrats to you! I’m so glad you finally were able to order your bike

I know you have had quite a journey to this point. If I were to get an online bike it would probably be a Rad. They seem to sell good bikes, and have good customer service. I guess you found a way to make the shipping work with them... happy for you!

 

[CodyDog]

Congrats on your new bike! My ebike research journey started in October last year and after a couple of financial setbacks I finally ordered a RadRover yesterday morning when Rad enabled online ordering again. No Velofix in Honolulu so I'll be assembling myself, but I'll take it to a trusted LBS afterwards to have them check the brakes, gear indexing, spoke tension, etc when I'm done. I don't mind doing the assembly myself as I'm the kind of person that wants to know how it all fits. However, if Velofix was around I'd use them and just watch the process.

I too was thinking about getting a second bike for the wife so we could ride the crazy streets of Honolulu together, but I would probably get her a RadMini. She's not a bike rider so I think the RadMini would be much more approachable AND it would let me have 2 different models in my ebike quiver.

Thanks and congrats to you as well.I like the thought of the Rad Mini as as second bike for you and your wife. I just wish I could test drive one. That's the frustrating think about buying an e-bike, most brands and models aren't available locally to look at and ride before purchase. I think you'll be fine assembling yourself. Velofix was just so convenient in our area but not necessarily necessary.

 

[Barry S]

I guess you found a way to make the shipping work with them... happy for you!

Thanks. I hate to pay $400 shipping to anyone; however, after reading through the "post-order" experiences from buyers of Rad bikes and other direct-to-consumer companies I felt Rad was the best option within my $2k budget. Most direct-to-consumer companies won't ship to Honolulu and eLBS modest offerings start at $2500 with most over $3k.

 

[Barry S]

@CodyDog Did you check Rad's Where to Ride page? Not sure where you live, but there appears to be quite a few options. If you're on Facebook, or know someone that is, you could post a ride request on the Rad Power eBikes Owners Group page. Not sure what kind of response you would get, but worth a try when you're ready.

I only got to try the RadRover and RadMini because I had business in the Seattle area, which happens perhaps about once or twice a year. The timing of this trip couldn't have been more perfect so there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to check out Rad's Seattle store.

 

[Ken M]

@CodyDog Did you check Rad's Where to Ride page? Not sure where you live, but there appears to be quite a few options. If you're on Facebook, or know someone that is, you could post a ride request on the Rad Power eBikes Owners Group page. Not sure what kind of response you would get, but worth a try when you're ready.

I only got to try the RadRover and RadMini because I had business in the Seattle area, which happens perhaps about once or twice a year. The timing of this trip couldn't have been more perfect so there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to check out Rad's Seattle store.

Check out Power In Motion's store as well. The PIM eBikes have impressive performance and very reliable direct drive hub motors that are great for urban commuting bikes.

 

[CodyDog]

Check out Power In Motion's store as well. The PIM eBikes have impressive performance and very reliable direct drive hub motors that are great for urban commuting bikes.

Thanks Ken, I'll give them a look.

 

[Ken M]

I have a Polaris Diesel that was made by Power In Motion and I really think it's a great urban bike. I changed out the hybrid / trail tires to Schwalbe Moto Xs and the geometry really shines for the varied infrastructure any serious urban commuter faces. The frame is not fancy hydroformed aluminum but the robust look will grow on you (I prefer their mid-step frame as it looks more like a light weight motor cycle frame than a bike frame). PIM has very nice components on their models for the price so I tend to believe the value of their bikes is best in the industry.

 

[Ken M]

Their control system uses both cadence and gear to establish assist level which gives you the sensation of a bit of extra boost everytime you shift to a higher gear. This system is unique in the industry and I find it compelling for urban commuting. The system tends to assist a short time after not pedaling but once you get use to this behavior it's actually a benefit for urban riding. The brakes do have electric shut-off so you can immediately cut off the assist anytime by just lightly pulling either brake.

I like the styling of their bikes but that I understand is subjective. Hydroformed aluminum frame bikes can have cosmetically compelling looks but the PIM frames are simple and focus on being purpose built which I prefer.

 

[jhoblo]

@CodyDog

I only got to try the RadRover and RadMini because I had business in the Seattle area, which happens perhaps about once or twice a year. The timing of this trip couldn't have been more perfect so there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to check out Rad's Seattle store.

That’s great that you have a bike on the way! What was the difference in the feel of the Radmini and the Rover? Did you think that the MIni handlebars are too high?

 

[Barry S]

I'm 5'10" and didn't feel the handlebars needed any adjustment. On both models, I did raise the seat to get better leg extension. As for performance, they both did really well but the RadMini was definitely better on the steep hills and quicker from a dead stop thanks to the smaller wheels. I'd really have no reservations going with either model.