Help me decide - Rad Rover vs. Rad City? Or something else..

[diomark]

My wife recently purchased a radwagon. I didn't think I wanted an e-bike, but now I do. badly.

I can't decide on getting the rad rover vs. getting the rad city. other bike that I had considered is the Juiced CrossCurrent..

I like the idea of the juiced crosscurrent having a torque sensor in addition to the cadence sensor, but the motor seems to be underpowered compared to the Rad Power bikes(?) at least on paper it's 350w vs. 750w..

I've been biking for years now and love the 'it's me just faster' aspect of getting an e-bike. i.e. a smoother pedal vs. motor curve would be nice.. Also planning on dragging our existing child trailer (weehoo igo 2) from time to time (although, with the wife having the radwagon, probably not as often as before..)

Any suggestions? Really can't decide of a fat bike (radrover) is right for me or not.. I ride in San Francisco - lots of hills, but mostly pavement (some trails..).

Radrover has a geared hub motor.. I guess this is better for hills vs. the direct drive? but wears down faster?

Can't choose

-mark
ps - the radwagon topping out at ~23/24mph was one of the negatives for me.. I guess based on my own pedal power the crosscurrent advertises ~28mph..

 

[mrgold35]

You get a few more upgrades with the Radcity over the Radrover like:
- choice of frame sizes
- standard rear rack that can support panniers
- front and rear fenders
- urban tires (less noise+longer treadlife). The tires can do some trail riding (on improved and maintained dirt trails you might find a large tire stroller, wheelchair, comfort/cruiser bikes would go)
- public transportation friendly with the thinner tires
- smaller footprint for storage or with bike rack
- will fit 99% of bike racks as-is that can support ebikes extra weight (I had to purchase 4 fat tire trays for $80 on top of my +$550 Saris platform rack)

The Radrover has the added capability ride where you mostly see MTB, hikers, or horses on single track (or make your own) trails, sandy, rocky, or uneven terrain. The Radrover and Radcity weight about the same. Because the Radrover is so (tail) heavy, it can't climb/hop over obstacles like a balanced and lighter MTB. I end up stopping and lifting/pushing my Radrover over fallen tree trunks on the trails or making my own trail and going around.

I would only go for the Radrover if you plan to do trail riding and you have the means to transport with personal vehicle. I have two (his/her) Radrovers and I mostly use them for Work Commuting around 13 miles roundtrip. The fat tires are very comfortable at +20 mph on the main roads and they transition smoothly from concrete, on/off curbs, dirt lots, uneven dirt paths, and sandy trails. I sometimes take detours before or after work to ride the +30 miles of paved and single track dirt trials available near the Rio Grande river halfway into my commute without missing a beat. The 4" fat tires really come in handy with the wet, muddy, rocky, and deep sand in some of the trail spots. I think the Radrover would be overkill if you ride in a 85%-100% urban environment. Most folks change out the tires to something like Hookworms to lower tire noise and increase the treadlife on paved roads (I only got 800-900 miles from the rear knobby tires with 65-75% paved road riding).

A plus with having two Rad products are the batteries are interchangeable. You can double your range if riding alone with the extra battery handy. Hard to do with a different brand of ebike. Another advantage with Rover or City is they are Class II ebikes limited to 20 mph, 750w of power, and have PAS+throttle. "Most" state allow Class I & II ebikes everywhere regular bikes are allowed (parks, bike paths, sidewalks, wrong way down a one way street, etc...) unless posted to exclude ebikes. The 28 mph Class III ebikes (mostly PAS only with this class) are very close to motorized vehicle territory for some local and state governments because of their top speeds. They sometimes have more restrictions with requiring helmets, minimal age restrictions, must stay on roadways (no sidewalks), and sometimes 100% no-go on bike paths depending on local/state laws.

Another little secret with either bike is you can adjust the motor cutoff speed from 20 mph to a little under 25 mph in the LCD set-up screen in about 15-20 seconds. Both bikes don't really have the gearing for 25 mph (might have to use PAS 5 and fake pedal or 100% throttle to maintain that speed). The downside is your battery range will most likely be in the low double-digits.

 

[diomark]

In the end, the main thing that helped me make the decision was the fact that the radrover's are out of stock right now

yes, the exchangable batteries (between my wife's radwagon + the radcity I just purchased) was a big factor in staying with the same brand..

While I love the idea of riding on MTB tracks, I never did on my hybrid.. so not that big an issue.. My only real concern is the gearing though; coming from a nicer ~24-geared hybrid bike to this will be an adjustment..

(ps - already found the lcd screen and unlocked to 40km/h on my wife's radwagon.. atlhoguh to be honest, dragging two kids, didn't see any improvements.. still felt like I was peddling like mad just to get it to stay around 20mph.) - BUT - looking forward to the radcity w/o kids

 

[Briggs Anderson]

So you got the RadCity? My wife is going to commute with the bike. Then we want to be able to haul our kids around with the bike as well. I was curious if you were ever able to tow around a child trailer with the RadCity?

 

[alloo]

I'm thinking of getting the Rad City step through or the Blix Aveny or Blix Sol with bigger battery. Not sure. I want a bike that fits well and will help me the most on my 13 mile one way commute. Any input is welcome. I'm concerned about the weight of the Rad City, but love the value. I am concerned about the height of the Blix Alveny.