Magnum Cruiser or Rad City

[LewSchiller]

Old guy here...6'2", 250#, Geezer Knees.
Today I test rode the Cruiser at an LBS here in Denver. It felt good. Comfortable..responsive..easy on my knees. The Magnum Metro not so much, The Cruiser has a geometry that puts my legs a bit more forward than the Metro which is pretty much straight down from the seat. The Metro was hard on my knees right from the start. I only went around a nearby block while on the Cruiser I went close to a mile and could have gone on all afternoon. I like the throttle for starts from stops...the assist was nice...ride was smooth. Price +- $1800. . I've also ridden two different Stromers and two custom built bikes with EBO kits in both rear and front hub configurations. All under $2,000. Not in love with any of those.
But then there's the Rad City. No way to test ride but on paper it's quite attractive. Doing Net research it was the first one that grabbed me.

Of course I've read the reviews here but absent a way to ride a Rad it's hard to be sure and while not New Car Money it's not an insignificant expenditure. Anybody here have experience with both the Magnum and the Rad?

 

[AHicks]

I have an '18 Rad City, but have not ridden the Magnum. I can see they are fairly similar bikes so it's not hard to understand your hesitation. So some "stuf" I see without having ridden the Magnum.

The crank set appears to be a little further forward on the Magnum. Without having ridden the bike, I'm guessing the seat will be a little lower to the ground when set to fit your inseam, translating directly into the effort required to swing a leg over the bike (nice).
The Magnum has oil filled front forks, vs. the springs in the City (also nice).
The City has a little bigger tires (2.15" vs 2.30"), and a little bigger battery (13ah vs. 14ah) (meh...)

The bigger thing though, is the 500 watt gear drive rear hub in the Magnum, where the City has a 750 watt direct drive. This feature might help you separate the 2 bikes. The gear drive, because of it's gear reduction, is likely going to accelerate from a stop easier, where the direct drive might be more efficient when at cruise speeds. The down side to the gear drive is they are not quite as quiet as the direct drive, and obviously, the potential for a little extra maintenance when/if you wear out a set of gears.

Bottom line, had I seen the Magnum when considering the City, I'm not real sure which I would have gone with. I REALLY like the pedals forward, and the oil filled front fork. -Al

 

[LewSchiller]

Thanks for the reply!

I was concerned about the noise factor as well and while there is a bit - as in you can hear it but it's not annoying - I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. As compared to the standard bikes and the other ebikes I've tried the pedal forward layout seemed easier on my right knee which isn't a "bad knee" but if I don't treat it right it lets me know.
I've also ridden a 36 volt Del Sol. When pulling away from a stop at the bottom of a slight grade - throttle only - it struggled . It definitely required more owner participation than the Magnum...but then the power train wasn't equivalent. It was a lot less expensive - +- $600 less - but I can't see myself being happy with it.

Oh - another plus for the Magnum is the dealer which has a substantial service department. One of the Service Guys came out and set the seat for me so while it wasn't "dialed in" it was close. They also sell Pedego.They display those in a separate room . I did look at them. Nice but I can't see the price difference. Also noticed in lifting one that the rear rack battery really caused imbalance.

 

[mrgold35]

How close are you to a bike shop that rents ebikes? The wife and I were able to take a detour while in California on vacation to hit two bike shops that rented Rad bikes, Electra Townie Go, and BH Easy Motion Evo city Wave. We were looking for an ebike for my wife and a +2 hour test ride seemed about the best way compared to click/order site unseen in New Mexico. My wife was extremely impressed with the Radcity Step-Thru and it felt and handled way better than the other two ebikes. We felt a lot better ordering the RadCity online after the test ride.

Good thing about Rad Power Bikes is the throttle provides full 750w power in any PAS level (0-5). It really comes in handy for getting across intersections, starting to pedal on inclines, maintaining your speed up short inclines, or helping to get to cruising speed faster when work commuting. Along with the 14 ah battery and regen braking that work everytime you apply the brakes or coasting. My wife range on her RadCity seems to be closer to 50-60 miles compared to me at only 30-35 miles on my 11.6 ah Radrover on the same routes (PAS 2/3 at 15-18 mph).

 

[MetroDuck]

I can only speak to the Magnum Cruiser. I have the Metro+ which I use for a 12 mile round trip commute 3-4 days a week. My wife thought she was going to get the Metro but after riding about 20 minutes on each she fell in love with the Magnum Cruiser. Like you, she has some knee pain but is pain free while riding her bike. In fact we did a 45 mile rail-trail ride in the summer with a short 12 degree climb midway. The Magnum motor had plenty of power on both of our bikes. and she had no knee pain during or after the ride. One thing we have both come to love is the throttle for take off from a stop. It minimizes the leg and knee pressure. Not sure which brakes the Rad has but I have come to really appreciate the hydraulic brakes which offer a lot of control and really quick stopping power if needed. I have had people comment on the Magnum display which will show you the voltage of your battery. This is MUCH more useful for knowing how much capacity you have left than the typical system of bars of energy left.

Comparing our two bikes I'm always amazed at the comfort of the Magnum Cruiser. The tires, shocks and seat make for a real cushy/smooth ride. I love my Metro+ which is very nibble and, in my mind, perfect for commuting. The range on the Magnums are great. We did a 43 mile rail/trail ride mostly on PAS 1 and still had enough battery left that I convinced we could have made a second trip on the same charge.

While I don't have any experience riding the Rad bikes I know a couple of people who have them. They both love their bikes and after talking with them I would be good with owning one of those bikes. Whichever you chose I think both brands are good choices.

 

[LewSchiller]

I tend to agree. While at the shop an owner rolled in for some minor warranty service. Took the opportunity to chat with him. He was quite positive after about a month of ownership. But, Mr.Gold is right in that the Magnum has to be dialed back to PAS 1 for the throttle to kick in. Something to get used to I guess. As for the looks, I dunno, maybe turn into the skid and go with streamers? I like it myself. The owner I spoke with had bar end mirrors on his. Made sense.
I saw - probably here - a photo of a cruiser with leather saddle bags..that looked great! But then there are e-bikes that are all looks. They had two on the floor that resembled motorcycle board track racers from the 20's. They had center drive motors. They looked fantastic. Tried to sit on one. It was definitely not for me. Terrible riding position. I asked if they were for selling or for attracting. She said they've sold a couple..but also said they were on sale at half off. Right.

Now I just have to wrap my head around spending that much for a bicycle. I mean the last bike I had was a gift for my 12th birthday. Then there are the necessary add-ons. Couple of U Locks...a helmet...(a helmet? ... in my day if we fell off our bike and didn't get a concussion our dad would smack us upside the head and give us one...and we liked it!).
Anyway - $2100 out the door is a tough load to swallow...but I think it's the right choice for me. Anything else will just be a frustrating experience that will keep me off the bike paths.

 

[AHicks]

I think the purchase of an e-bike is a leap of faith for many of us. The great thing that I see now, after reading regarding everyone's experience here for the last couple of months, is there are few real disappointments!

My Rad City, which I consider to be an awesome bike after I made some major renovations (1500w direct drive conversion kit) to tweek it MY way, may need to be replaced soon, by something with the forward mounted pedals. I REALLY like that idea, but had no idea bikes like that existed before yesterday.

Does that make the City a bad purchase? Not to me. More like part of my education, refining the concept of my "perfect" bike....

My point is, don't delay this decision any longer than necessary. Get the bike and get out there so you can have some serious fun ASAP. Once you've ridden it, you'll forget all about what it cost you....

 

[CodyDog]

Both great bikes. If its a toss up, I would go with the LBS supplied ebike.

 

[LewSchiller]

That's an interesting point about there being few disappointments. My wife recently pointed out as well that there aren't many on Craigslist other than the occasional kit converted bikes.
I think somebody has a radrover on but that's not what I'm looking for. The point is people obviously like them use them and keep them.
I also definitely agree about the upside to the LBS.

 

[LewSchiller]

The time for hesitation's through.
No time to wander undecided.
Buy now and enjoy the Cruise.
Ride the bike that really lights my fire

Bought the Cruiser from Best Electric Bikes in Denver where I had an excellent experience.
Christi introduced me to the Magnum line and the Cruiser last week.Today Dustin facilitated a pleasant transaction. Bob in Service showed me how to properly R & R the rear wheel plus other good to know details.
Took a shakedown ride around Sloan's Lake - smelled the leaves - listened to the birds - grinned from ear to ear. Rode more once home. Not a peep out of my usually whiny right knee!

Thanks for the input from all here and thanks to Court and EBR for bringing clarity to a complex decision.



(Gosh I take a terrible photo - avert your eyes to the Beautiful People behind me)

 

[AHicks]

Congrats on your new bike! Ride it (frequently) in good health! -Al

P.S. That grin on your face is likely going to be there a while!

 

[CodyDog]

Congrats on your new ebike! love the look of the Cruiser.

 

[Figs]

Congrats! Ride it every chance you get, it does a body (and mind) good.

 

[LewSchiller]

Congrats! Ride it every chance you get, it does a body (and mind) good.

Thanks Folks! I am riding it as often as I can and loving it.
I can't imagine being able to ride a regular bike as far as I can the Cruiser. My knees would abandon ship and return home without me after 3 miles.