How does your Rad City Step-thru fit you?

[AugustMainer]

Hello Rad City eBikers! My goal for posting here is to get feedback from owners of the Rad City Step-thru who have a bike inseam of 31 1/4” and are about 5’ 7 1/2” tall. In the penultimate paragraph I give instructions for measuring bike inseam. My arm reach, from arm pit to center of palm, is 21.5”.

When/if you provide feedback please note your bike inseam, height, and arm reach when applicable.
I am interested in the Rad City Step-thru for its battery mount, battery capacity, overall design, easy step-thru feature, upright riding position, and reasonable price. However, because I have no practical opportunity to try before I buy, combined with Rad’s policy not accepting returns of products which have been unboxed, I need to resolve the issue of fit, in particular leg extension, and arm reach before I buy.

Here’s where my confusion or concern began...Rad recommends their City Step-thru for rider heights of 4’ 10” to 6’, however, during a review of the 2019 Rad City Step-thru Court noted that the bike did not provide enough height/leg extension for him, and that’s with an inseam of 30” and an overall height of 5’ 9”.
I am hoping to better understand others’ feel for leg extension and wrist fatigue/soreness on this same model so that I can determine whether the Rad City Step-thru is the bike for me. My current best fitting bike is a 3G Venice, pedal forward, single speed, and 3G “Royal (handle) Bars”. I live in a hilly New England village, so my husband installed an electric motorized front wheel, but it doesn’t cut the mustard, especially after riding his new Rad Rover!

Note: I measured my bike inseam while standing with my shoeless feet 7” apart, with my back against a wall, and holding a large book at the highest point between my legs. The straight-line distance from the top of the book to the floor yields the bike inseam.

Thank you in advance for being willing to share your Rad City Step-thru fit experience!

 

[ebikemom]

If you can afford a better bike and want great fit I suggest you find a local store that can fit you to a bike and provide great service. Having local dealer support is a great thing!

 

[Marci jo]

Hello Rad City eBikers! My goal for posting here is to get feedback from owners of the Rad City Step-thru who have a bike inseam of 31 1/4” and are about 5’ 7 1/2” tall. In the penultimate paragraph I give instructions for measuring bike inseam. My arm reach, from arm pit to center of palm, is 21.5”.

When/if you provide feedback please note your bike inseam, height, and arm reach when applicable.
I am interested in the Rad City Step-thru for its battery mount, battery capacity, overall design, easy step-thru feature, upright riding position, and reasonable price. However, because I have no practical opportunity to try before I buy, combined with Rad’s policy not accepting returns of products which have been unboxed, I need to resolve the issue of fit, in particular leg extension, and arm reach before I buy.

Here’s where my confusion or concern began...Rad recommends their City Step-thru for rider heights of 4’ 10” to 6’, however, during a review of the 2019 Rad City Step-thru Court noted that the bike did not provide enough height/leg extension for him, and that’s with an inseam of 30” and an overall height of 5’ 9”.
I am hoping to better understand others’ feel for leg extension and wrist fatigue/soreness on this same model so that I can determine whether the Rad City Step-thru is the bike for me. My current best fitting bike is a 3G Venice, pedal forward, single speed, and 3G “Royal (handle) Bars”. I live in a hilly New England village, so my husband installed an electric motorized front wheel, but it doesn’t cut the mustard, especially after riding his new Rad Rover!

Note: I measured my bike inseam while standing with my shoeless feet 7” apart, with my back against a wall, and holding a large book at the highest point between my legs. The straight-line distance from the top of the book to the floor yields the bike inseam.

Thank you in advance for being willing to share your Rad City Step-thru fit experience!

My 2 cents:
I’m in agreement with Ebikemom. This the great people on this forum will give you tons of valuable info. However, no amount of feedback, no matter how experienced and well intentioned, can substitute for you yourself riding the bike before purchasing.

 

[mrgold35]

My wife is 4'11" and I'm 6'3". The RadCity is a little smaller compared to my 16 Radrover for my height; but, the City does have way more adjustments for a comfy riding upright riding position. I have a 400mm Suntour SP-12 NCX and 420mm Bodyfloat v2.0 adjustable seatpost with a larger Cloud-9 11.5X12.5 cruiser seat. You might have to upgrade to a longer seatpost to give you some extra range if the standard Rad seat+seatpost isn't tall enough.

 

[AugustMainer]

If you can afford a better bike and want great fit I suggest you find a local store that can fit you to a bike and provide great service. Having local dealer support is a great thing!

Thanks for your reply. I live in a state that is an eBike sales store desert! Unfortunately, I’d have to fly somewhere to test ride a quality eBike. In over a month I’ve been able to test ride only my husband’s new Rad Rover (very nice but too high for me) and a rental Pedego, and I now know that I don’t want a rear mounted battery. I am curious about your comment “if you can afford a better bike”... Are you not happy with your Rad Power bike? Anyway, it’s more helpful for me to get quantitative feedback including the data I requested because I find the objectivity to be more useful.

 

[AugustMainer]

My 2 cents:
I’m in agreement with Ebikemom. This the great people on this forum will give you tons of valuable info. However, no amount of feedback, no matter how experienced and well intentioned, can substitute for you yourself riding the bike before purchasing.

Thank you. I do understand what you’re saying, however, I live in a state that does not offer much in the way of eBike sales so, unless I pay for airfare, this is how I need to gather my information. My thread is intended to receive helpful measurement feedback, which I can assess and add to my decision variables.

 

[KenS]

Hi AugustMainer:

Like you, I live in a Rad Bike desert and had to buy without getting a chance to try one. My size is close to yours: 31.5" inseam, 5' 8", and 23" reach. I am still fine-tuning my fit because the bike is new. Presently, I have the seat post extended to the minimum insertion line and seem to be getting the proper leg extension on the down stroke. My reach is longer than yours and I ended up moving my seat back about 1 cm.

I don't have long term experience with this position so keep that in mind. Buying a longer seat post would solve the leg extension issue easily.

Ken

 

[Deleted member 4210]

Hello Rad City eBikers! My goal for posting here is to get feedback from owners of the Rad City Step-thru who have a bike inseam of 31 1/4” and are about 5’ 7 1/2” tall. In the penultimate paragraph I give instructions for measuring bike inseam. My arm reach, from arm pit to center of palm, is 21.5”.

When/if you provide feedback please note your bike inseam, height, and arm reach when applicable.
I am interested in the Rad City Step-thru for its battery mount, battery capacity, overall design, easy step-thru feature, upright riding position, and reasonable price. However, because I have no practical opportunity to try before I buy, combined with Rad’s policy not accepting returns of products which have been unboxed, I need to resolve the issue of fit, in particular leg extension, and arm reach before I buy.

Here’s where my confusion or concern began...Rad recommends their City Step-thru for rider heights of 4’ 10” to 6’, however, during a review of the 2019 Rad City Step-thru Court noted that the bike did not provide enough height/leg extension for him, and that’s with an inseam of 30” and an overall height of 5’ 9”.
I am hoping to better understand others’ feel for leg extension and wrist fatigue/soreness on this same model so that I can determine whether the Rad City Step-thru is the bike for me. My current best fitting bike is a 3G Venice, pedal forward, single speed, and 3G “Royal (handle) Bars”. I live in a hilly New England village, so my husband installed an electric motorized front wheel, but it doesn’t cut the mustard, especially after riding his new Rad Rover!

Note: I measured my bike inseam while standing with my shoeless feet 7” apart, with my back against a wall, and holding a large book at the highest point between my legs. The straight-line distance from the top of the book to the floor yields the bike inseam.

Thank you in advance for being willing to share your Rad City Step-thru fit experience!

Go with the Aventon Pace 500, in the medium frame. It'll be a better fit and you can order on line. The problem with the one size 'fits many ' is they can't get the stack and reach correct for many, so it's more like it fits a few. Aventon is also a slight pedal forward design which will help your dilemma.

 

[AugustMainer]

Hi AugustMainer:

Like you, I live in a Rad Bike desert and had to buy without getting a chance to try one. My size is close to yours: 31.5" inseam, 5' 8", and 23" reach. I am still fine-tuning my fit because the bike is new. Presently, I have the seat post extended to the minimum insertion line and seem to be getting the proper leg extension on the down stroke. My reach is longer than yours and I ended up moving my seat back about 1 cm.

I don't have long term experience with this position so keep that in mind. Buying a longer seat post would solve the leg extension issue easily.

Ken

Thanks very much Ken. I appreciate your info and understand that I might want to get an aftermarket seat post. I think there are seat posts available that provide suspension and move the seat backwards some to provide a pedal-forward like position. After the feedback I’ve received I’m pretty sure I’ll buy a RadCity Step-thru. After riding my husband’s Rover I’m anxious to get outside and go farther! I see fun places and picnics in my future.

 

[AugustMainer]

Go with the Aventon Pace 500, in the medium frame. It'll be a better fit and you can order on line. The problem with the one size 'fits many ' is they can't get the stack and reach correct for many, so it's more like it fits a few. Aventon is also a slight pedal forward design which will help your dilemma.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, the Pace throttle requires that the crank make one full rotation before it kicks in. My local post office is on a very steep hill, so I need a bike that will let me start up a steep incline from a complete stop. I’m feeling more confident that the RadCity will work for me.

 

[Deleted member 4210]

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, the Pace throttle requires that the crank make one full rotation before it kicks in. My local post office is on a very steep hill, so I need a bike that will let me start up a steep incline from a complete stop. I’m feeling more confident that the RadCity will work for me.

Bikes have gears, and you should never start out using the motor to get going. Also the Rad has very low torque until you get up to a higher speed.

Start out in gear 1, to get pedaling, and I would hope you don't start right at the bottom of the hil from a dead stop.

Good luck either way.

P.S the throttle not starting until a rotation begins should be a required safety feature on all ebikes. I can't tell you how many times people accidentally bump those throttles when not on the ebike, and either they drop the bike, or it moves forward and the pedal gashes their leg, etc. One renter called me once to complain the throttle kicked her bike (and her) nearly out into traffic when she was standing there ready to cross at a light.

 

[ebikemom]

Ooooh, so sorry you live in an ebike desert! I hope that as ebikes become more popular there will be mre and more stores accessible to people whoneed ebikes!

Your question:

I am curious about your comment “if you can afford a better bike”... Are you not happy with your Rad Power bike?

I don't have a Rad. I just said this because bikes from stores with service departments who stand behind their bikes are generally more expensive. And I've noticed lots of posts by Rad owners who are upgrading bike components.

Sorry you can't find someone who can give an answer to your specific quantitative question. Maybe call Rad? Maybe they have inseam information? Or, if they don't, your call might raise their awareness of customer needs?

 

[ebikemom]

you should never start out using the motor to get going

I live in a very hilly area, and sometimes, I do use the motor to get going. Depends on how steep the hill is.

 

[AugustMainer]

And what state are you in ?

Maine.

Ooooh, so sorry you live in an ebike desert! I hope that as ebikes become more popular there will be mre and more stores accessible to people whoneed ebikes!

Your question:

I don't have a Rad. I just said this because bikes from stores with service departments who stand behind their bikes are generally more expensive. And I've noticed lots of posts by Rad owners who are upgrading bike components.

Sorry you can't find someone who can give an answer to your specific quantitative question. Maybe call Rad? Maybe they have inseam information? Or, if they don't, your call might raise their awareness of customer needs?

A few kind folks who are about my height and or bike inseam have provided helpful feedback. I’m pretty sure I’ll buy the RadCity Step-thru. It looks like I’ll have to wait a bit before I can place an order - my husband checked Rad’s website today and discovered that this model is currently sold out. ?

 

[ebikemom]

I hope you love your bike!

 

[Banzai]

Hi AugustMainer,
Be sure to put yourself on the email list at RAD and they will send a notice a few days before they get a new stock of bikes in. They won't process any orders until after 9AM so have the page up and running and your order in the basket and ready to buy just after 9AM. The reason is because they sell out very, very fast!. A few people here have had to wait several times before finally landing their order. Good Luck!

 

[RangerDave]

Hello AugustMainer,

I had my black 2019 Rad City Step-thru delivered on 4/5 and set it up in about an hour. I've ridden it about 25 miles over the weekend and find it a joy to ride. I've used only 1 bar on the battery meter so far. I did a full charge of the battery before starting. Word of caution- the charger gets really really hot, so be mindful of what you have it setting on while charging the battery.

I am 5'10" tall, 155# with a 31" inseam and 21" reach per your measuring instructions. I have the pedal-to-seat-top distance at 33" on the bike with about 1/2" to spare before the "max" extension limit mark. The leg extension is important to me also and I have no issues. The handlebar stem is mounted at max vertical position allowed and the swept-back handlebars are at a very comfortable reach allowing me to ride in an upright position.

Starting in 2nd gear in PAS-1 is most comfortable for me. Once I get going, I'll switch to 3rd or 4th gear and cruise along at about 15 mph with about 60 watts displayed on the screen. It's pretty flat terrain where I live. I can cruise at 15 mph on throttle alone using less than 200 watts. It's fun to do that once in awhile, but it will obviously deplete the battery more quickly. I found a small hill (freeway overpass, really) and used PAS-3 in 4th gear and flew over it at 17mph with very little effort.

Goosing the throttle from a dead stop doesn't really do anything with this model direct drive motor. One revolution of the motor equals one rev of the rear wheel, so you really do need to start pedaling to get the bike going. The motor will kick in quickly once it detects you are pedaling. One thing I found is that if you are in proximity to people or traffic, such as a store parking lot, it is best to set it to PAS-0 to deactivate the assist and pedal like a normal bike. Otherwise you will lurch a bit when you start to pedal, stop pedaling to slow a bit, pedal again to maneuver around people/cars and lurch again.

Assembling the bike was pretty straightforward if you watch the YouTube assembly videos. My brakes seemed very tight so I did have to adjust the calipers wider a bit. Easy to do with the front wheel, not so easy with the rear due to the motor being in the way. I ended up removing the caliper from the bike to make the adjustment, then reinstalled it. My fix for that issue is to saw off about 3/8" of the Allen wrench from the long end and epoxy it to a paint stir stick to create a narrow, long-handled tool specific to adjusting the rear caliper without having to remove the wheel. I also needed to adjust the derailleur a bit to get it to shift into all gears successfully.

The bike is hulkier looking in-person than the videos made it seem to me. It is a heavy bike, for sure, but still easy to pedal like a regular bike in PAS-0.

Like you, I spent quite a bit of time researching ebikes before pulling the trigger on the Rad City Step-thru. I'm glad I did and have no regrets.

RangerDave

 

[AugustMainer]

Hello AugustMainer,

I had my black 2019 Rad City Step-thru delivered on 4/5 and set it up in about an hour. I've ridden it about 25 miles over the weekend and find it a joy to ride. I've used only 1 bar on the battery meter so far. I did a full charge of the battery before starting. Word of caution- the charger gets really really hot, so be mindful of what you have it setting on while charging the battery.

I am 5'10" tall, 155# with a 31" inseam and 21" reach per your measuring instructions. I have the pedal-to-seat-top distance at 33" on the bike with about 1/2" to spare before the "max" extension limit mark. The leg extension is important to me also and I have no issues. The handlebar stem is mounted at max vertical position allowed and the swept-back handlebars are at a very comfortable reach allowing me to ride in an upright position.

Starting in 2nd gear in PAS-1 is most comfortable for me. Once I get going, I'll switch to 3rd or 4th gear and cruise along at about 15 mph with about 60 watts displayed on the screen. It's pretty flat terrain where I live. I can cruise at 15 mph on throttle alone using less than 200 watts. It's fun to do that once in awhile, but it will obviously deplete the battery more quickly. I found a small hill (freeway overpass, really) and used PAS-3 in 4th gear and flew over it at 17mph with very little effort.

Goosing the throttle from a dead stop doesn't really do anything with this model direct drive motor. One revolution of the motor equals one rev of the rear wheel, so you really do need to start pedaling to get the bike going. The motor will kick in quickly once it detects you are pedaling. One thing I found is that if you are in proximity to people or traffic, such as a store parking lot, it is best to set it to PAS-0 to deactivate the assist and pedal like a normal bike. Otherwise you will lurch a bit when you start to pedal, stop pedaling to slow a bit, pedal again to maneuver around people/cars and lurch again.

Assembling the bike was pretty straightforward if you watch the YouTube assembly videos. My brakes seemed very tight so I did have to adjust the calipers wider a bit. Easy to do with the front wheel, not so easy with the rear due to the motor being in the way. I ended up removing the caliper from the bike to make the adjustment, then reinstalled it. My fix for that issue is to saw off about 3/8" of the Allen wrench from the long end and epoxy it to a paint stir stick to create a narrow, long-handled tool specific to adjusting the rear caliper without having to remove the wheel. I also needed to adjust the derailleur a bit to get it to shift into all gears successfully.

The bike is hulkier looking in-person than the videos made it seem to me. It is a heavy bike, for sure, but still easy to pedal like a regular bike in PAS-0.

Like you, I spent quite a bit of time researching ebikes before pulling the trigger on the Rad City Step-thru. I'm glad I did and have no regrets.

RangerDave

Thank you RangerDave! Your reply is icing on the cake! I really appreciate your recommendations regarding gear usage and PAS levels. Once I get my RadCity I’ll let folks know my experience of resuming uphill riding from a standstill. I will first try with zero PAS, zero throttle, and go from there. It was wicked easy with my husband’s Rad Rover, however I did use some PAS level, possibly 3 but I’m not sure, and found it to be very smooth, but that’s a rear geared hub. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience.

 

[AugustMainer]

Hi AugustMainer,
Be sure to put yourself on the email list at RAD and they will send a notice a few days before they get a new stock of bikes in. They won't process any orders until after 9AM so have the page up and running and your order in the basket and ready to buy just after 9AM. The reason is because they sell out very, very fast!. A few people here have had to wait several times before finally landing their order. Good Luck!

Banzai, thank you for the 9:00am tip! Earlier today I signed up for RadCity availability notifications. I’ll be ready! ?

 

[AugustMainer]

Hi AugustMainer,
Be sure to put yourself on the email list at RAD and they will send a notice a few days before they get a new stock of bikes in. They won't process any orders until after 9AM so have the page up and running and your order in the basket and ready to buy just after 9AM. The reason is because they sell out very, very fast!. A few people here have had to wait several times before finally landing their order. Good Luck!

A question for you Banzai...would that be 9:00am PDT (Pacific)?