LimboJim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
EBR shows two reviews for the RadMini, one from April '16, the other posted in November of the same year. There are some insignificant differences, but some substantial ones as well. I'm hoping to help potential buyers find out what they're actually buying.
The more recent RadMini review says it comes with Panasonic cells in its battery, but Rad's own specs currently reflect what the April review does - Samsung cells. Both reviews show capacity at 11.6Ah, but the Samsung's weight is 1.1 lbs lighter? RadPower's Mini page also refers to the April EBR review, which makes me wonder why the November review even exists. If the earlier review was of a prototype, why does Rad still refer to it and not the more recent one?
Other differences:
Brake rotors = 180mm (Nov) vs. 160mm (Apr) - Rad's site says 180 font, 160 rear.
Wheel size = 20" (Nov) vs. 26" (Apr) - this HAS to be a mistake in Apr, clearly they're 20"!
Bike weight = 62.1 lbs (Nov) vs. 61 lbs (Apr) - 60.8 lbs on Rad's site.
Motor Weight = 12 lbs (Nov) vs. 8 lbs (Apr) - not shown on Rad's site, but 4 lbs. difference?
Seatpost Length = 320mm (Nov) vs. 266mm (Apr) - not specified on Rad's page.
Spokes = 13 Gauge (Nov) vs. 12 Gauge (Apr) - Rad's site says 11 Gauge.
Frame Type = Step-thru (Nov) vs. Mid-step (Apr) - clearly it's not a step-thru!
There are more variations (like worldwide availability vs. just US and Canada), but I digress... My late-2015 RadRover hyped a 750W Hengtai metal-geared motor on Rad's site at the time, but came with a Bafang with plastic-gears that was clearly stamped as 500W. Rad claimed it switched to Bafang for reliability and tuned the system for 750,* but the bike really struggled on hills, and I felt duped.
Additionally, my Rover came with a flimsy, no-name suspension fork. Another EBR forum member posted how his Rover's generic fork collapsed and Rad sent him a Top Gun brand fork to replace it - apparently newer Rovers now come with the branded fork. I proactively purchased the Top Gun from Rad but still sold my Rover at a loss 6 months and ~200 miles later, offering full disclosure to someone who just wanted to ride around his mostly flat neighborhood.
Rad still seems to be pretty "fluid" in its specification listings, not stating what brand fork or which Shimano gearing components they're equipping their bikes with, etc. This might allow for flexibility, but the Tourney derailleur specified in both EBR reviews is Shimano's low-end offering and won't hold up long, just like their original forks. Rad also doesn't specify the brand of motor - they clearly dropped Hangtai for Bafang in late 2015... who's to say they'll keep using Bafang?
Despite my obvious misgivings, I believe that Rad Power Bikes offers decent value for the money and has many happy customers, but urge potential buyers to be aware of possible inconsistencies between the specs shown on EBR's reviews and what you might get.
* Quote from RadPower email addressing my complaint: "The stamping on the motor, and the continuous power rating are largely unrelated since we program our controllers to provide a 750 watt continuous output power..."
The more recent RadMini review says it comes with Panasonic cells in its battery, but Rad's own specs currently reflect what the April review does - Samsung cells. Both reviews show capacity at 11.6Ah, but the Samsung's weight is 1.1 lbs lighter? RadPower's Mini page also refers to the April EBR review, which makes me wonder why the November review even exists. If the earlier review was of a prototype, why does Rad still refer to it and not the more recent one?
Other differences:
Brake rotors = 180mm (Nov) vs. 160mm (Apr) - Rad's site says 180 font, 160 rear.
Wheel size = 20" (Nov) vs. 26" (Apr) - this HAS to be a mistake in Apr, clearly they're 20"!
Bike weight = 62.1 lbs (Nov) vs. 61 lbs (Apr) - 60.8 lbs on Rad's site.
Motor Weight = 12 lbs (Nov) vs. 8 lbs (Apr) - not shown on Rad's site, but 4 lbs. difference?
Seatpost Length = 320mm (Nov) vs. 266mm (Apr) - not specified on Rad's page.
Spokes = 13 Gauge (Nov) vs. 12 Gauge (Apr) - Rad's site says 11 Gauge.
Frame Type = Step-thru (Nov) vs. Mid-step (Apr) - clearly it's not a step-thru!
There are more variations (like worldwide availability vs. just US and Canada), but I digress... My late-2015 RadRover hyped a 750W Hengtai metal-geared motor on Rad's site at the time, but came with a Bafang with plastic-gears that was clearly stamped as 500W. Rad claimed it switched to Bafang for reliability and tuned the system for 750,* but the bike really struggled on hills, and I felt duped.
Additionally, my Rover came with a flimsy, no-name suspension fork. Another EBR forum member posted how his Rover's generic fork collapsed and Rad sent him a Top Gun brand fork to replace it - apparently newer Rovers now come with the branded fork. I proactively purchased the Top Gun from Rad but still sold my Rover at a loss 6 months and ~200 miles later, offering full disclosure to someone who just wanted to ride around his mostly flat neighborhood.
Rad still seems to be pretty "fluid" in its specification listings, not stating what brand fork or which Shimano gearing components they're equipping their bikes with, etc. This might allow for flexibility, but the Tourney derailleur specified in both EBR reviews is Shimano's low-end offering and won't hold up long, just like their original forks. Rad also doesn't specify the brand of motor - they clearly dropped Hangtai for Bafang in late 2015... who's to say they'll keep using Bafang?
Despite my obvious misgivings, I believe that Rad Power Bikes offers decent value for the money and has many happy customers, but urge potential buyers to be aware of possible inconsistencies between the specs shown on EBR's reviews and what you might get.
* Quote from RadPower email addressing my complaint: "The stamping on the motor, and the continuous power rating are largely unrelated since we program our controllers to provide a 750 watt continuous output power..."