Is this a good deal on this bike?

[Wes Turner]

A neighbor has a Radcity ST 3 for sale for $800. He says he bought it new in 2021 for $2,000. It has about 2300 miles on it

Is $800 a good deal for this bike?

 

[mrgold35]

Is there a local bike shop that also service ebikes? They can give the ebike an once over to let you know what maintenance needs to done. It could be worth paying $X to a shop to get an estimate of possible cost down the road. At 2300 miles, the tires, brake pads, and chain/gears (noise, smooth derailleur shifting, routine cleaning/lubing, chain and gears wear/tear, etc...) would be my areas of concern. I would expect battery range would be down by 1%-5% as being normal. I don't know if the 2021 Radcity ST 3 has cable brakes? I've had issues with my 3 previous Rads with broken strands and rusty shift cables with shift cables over time. This is assuming there isn't any LCD codes, controller issues, inop throttle/PAS, or mods that might make it harder to service/fix (aftermarket controller, motor, battery, etc...).

I have two 2016 Radrovers with 4000 miles each (broken brake cable strands), 1000 miles 2018 Radcity Step-Thru (rusty shift cable that got stuck in shift cable housing), and just purchased 2023 Radcity Step-Thru last July.

 

[sc00ter]

I don't think $800 is a bad deal if it does everything you want a ebike to do for you. I sold my RadRunner 1 for $350 and still miss that little ebike. Rad makes good ebikes for the price, but are getting overshadowed by lawsuits and better value brands that have infiltrated the market since Rad started.

Don't let mechanical disc brakes scare you if you don't need a ebike for a steep hill environment. Just learn how to do simple maintenance and that $800 ebike should last without any issues.

Oh, and I see you started a thread on bike locks. I'll just lump my opinion in with this thread. A good lock is better than no lock. Lock the bike in your garage. If you live or ride into a high crime area get the best lock you can afford. Kryptonite, Abus and Seatylock are the 3 I recommend. I live in a medium security needs area and use a Foldylock Classic. If I ride into the city or haul my ebike into Richmond VA or DC I also pack my Abus U-Lock and Kryptonite Evolution U-Lock.

 

[harryS]

Well, it's your neighbor. If it was a stranger, you could offer $500 and meet somewhere in the middle. You can buy new brake cables for 20 bucks. I think it's all right for $800 and the neighbor is happy to get rid of it, without having to run ads and wait for people who never show up or offer $500 if they do.

The City is old ebike tech though, being a direct drive hubmotor, which is nice if you want to brag about having regen braking or plan to convert the bike to a cargo hauler. Not something I care to ride, but it's a good way to get into ebiking. Maybe you will like it. For me, it's a good year if I can get 3000 miles or more on a bike.

 

[Wes Turner]

Is there a local bike shop that also service ebikes? They can give the ebike an once over to let you know what maintenance needs to done. It could be worth paying $X to a shop to get an estimate of possible cost down the road. At 2300 miles, the tires, brake pads, and chain/gears (noise, smooth derailleur shifting, routine cleaning/lubing, chain and gears wear/tear, etc...) would be my areas of concern. I would expect battery range would be down by 1%-5% as being normal. I don't know if the 2021 Radcity ST 3 has cable brakes? I've had issues with my 3 previous Rads with broken strands and rusty shift cables with shift cables over time. This is assuming there isn't any LCD codes, controller issues, inop throttle/PAS, or mods that might make it harder to service/fix (aftermarket controller, motor, battery, etc...).

I have two 2016 Radrovers with 4000 miles each (broken brake cable strands), 1000 miles 2018 Radcity Step-Thru (rusty shift cable that got stuck in shift cable housing), and just purchased 2023 Radcity Step-Thru last July.

There are several ebike shops near here. It is my plan to take it to one of them for at least a quick check. I am very new to e-bikes, so I also want their opinion on whether newer bikes have any significantly better features.

I was looking at a Gazelle at $4k. But at 80, I wondered if I would be able to ride it long enough to justify the cost. I thought buying this much cheaper bike now would allow me time to get really familiar with the technology and my ability. If that all works out and I then find that I'd like some newer features, I'll look into new bikes.

 

[Wes Turner]

Well, it's your neighbor. If it was a stranger, you could offer $500 and meet somewhere in the middle. You can buy new brake cables for 20 bucks. I think it's all right for $800 and the neighbor is happy to get rid of it, without having to run ads and wait for people who never show up or offer $500 if they do.

The City is old ebike tech though, being a direct drive hubmotor, which is nice if you want to brag about having regen braking or plan to convert the bike to a cargo hauler. Not something I care to ride, but it's a good way to get into ebiking. Maybe you will like it. For me, it's a good year if I can get 3000 miles or more on a bike.

Can you explain what you mean by regen braking?

I think my annual mileage will be less that 1,000 miles.

 

[mrgold35]

There are several ebike shops near here. It is my plan to take it to one of them for at least a quick check. I am very new to e-bikes, so I also want their opinion on whether newer bikes have any significantly better features.

I was looking at a Gazelle at $4k. But at 80, I wondered if I would be able to ride it long enough to justify the cost. I thought buying this much cheaper bike now would allow me time to get really familiar with the technology and my ability. If that all works out and I then find that I'd like some newer features, I'll look into new bikes.

I started out with Rad ebikes with a cadence sensor 750w rear hub Class II 20mph ebike with throttle was a very easy transition from pedal bikes. The $800 Radcity would be an inexpensive purchase to get almost +/- 90% of what it feels like owning, riding, maintenance requirements with an ebike. I guarantee, you will telling yourself "why didn't I purchase an ebike sooner" after a few rides. I also have a mid-drive Himiway 10-speed tq sensor ebike and that takes more rider involvement with up/down gear changes, tq sensor pedal effort, when I can apply throttle, more chain and gear stress/maintenance, and planning for inclines compared to a rear hub design.

 

[gromike]

Can you explain what you mean by regen braking?

To slow down, the motor is operated as a generator and sends current back into the battery. It is something a direct drive hub motor can do with the proper controller. Geared hub motors and mid-drive motors generally lack this ability. On my DD hub motor bike a switch on the rear brake lever turns on the regen. I really like it for braking, and like to believe I even charge the battery. DD hub motors are heavier and lack low speed torque, which is why some avoid them.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Since you are both in the same neighborhood, you could ask him about specific inclines. Also, if you are similar weight, you’ll have a better idea how the bike will propel you at those particular inclines.

Also may want some more background information. Has the bike been crashed? What was his charging method like? Did he leave it plugged in for days? Has the bike sat for months in the garage?