New City arrives! First impressions and ride.

larry-new

Active Member
This is a hefty, solid bike...assembly was easy, but went slowly, to make sure everything was tight. The spokes are massive...took the front wheel to the LBS to get the right Park spoke wrench.. the blue one, which they had to order. Top tube is straighter than the pic, and hefty. Even so, I could lift the bike over a one foot garage dog fence easily. Everything was perfectly adjusted, right out of the box.

Filled the tires with Bike-On liquid, put 80# in both, but looking down at the rear, it needs a bit more. I can see why 2.3" for nasty streets, but my country roads will be fine with a bit narrower tire later. The fork...seems a gimmick...not necessary for road riding, but this bike can do many other things for different riders.

I like the adjustable stem...have it fairly flat, and the seatpost is long enough to stretch out a bit. Seat seems decent. Water bottle location a stretch, but I'm going to use a bag/tube for power drinking. The heavy rack accessories show yet another side to this versatile platform...maybe panniers for later..I found a 15" rear rack trunk bag for a battery, etc.

Road riding was great...went out flat with a tailwind, no assist...fine, but Pas 1 made me feel like 30 again, rather than 70.
Returning from 5 mi. out, into the wind, Pas 2 kept me in 5th+ 6th, at 16mph...rather nice into the breeze!

The assist isn't huge, but I wasn't looking for huge...my maxiscooter terrorist days safely behind me. This feels just right, and, yes, you get whatever workout you want. A great reentry to biking...the extra battery will translate into very nice 50-60 mile rides!

It's good to start in a low gear to help...experimented with the throttle, but it needs assistance..sort of mutual, it seems. Once underway, the throttle is good for a burst of speed to get around a gravel patch and back inline.

I'm liking this ride, it lets me ride but helps when I want it...I can see why people want a higher gear, but I can still spin, and an 85" gear gets me 20mph, which is fast enough for now.

I'm satisfied with the components..the shifter works just fine, and anything is upgradable later.
 
Last edited:
157 miles on my 2018 RadRover as of this writing and I love it. Especially glad that I got it before the new tariffs kicked in. Enjoy your RAD!
 
Pretty much the same experience with my 2016 Radrovers (white: 2800 miles, black 2700 miles) and 2018 Radcity Step-Thru (200 miles). So much easier to find any reason to get on the ebike compared to sometimes forcing myself to use my old pedal bike to work commute or use for exercise rides. You really don't notice the advantages of an ebike in normal riding. My ebike works best when thing get close to the limits for a regular bike (really, my limits) like 15-25 mph headwinds, extreme cold/heat, short/steep or long inclines, if you need a speed boost, or loose ground conditions. I've even got home a few times riding my ebike because of the throttle that would have caused me to walk home on a regular bike (trail ebike wipe-out with broken handlebar stem+hurt shoulder and another time I had a pedal crank fall off work commuting).

The first thing I did was purchase a larger/softer seat (Cloud-9 12.5X11.5 Cruiser seat) and suspension seatpost (Suntour and later upgraded to Bodyfloat). I then added the 1859 Northwest thumb throttle for about $18. I really don't think I could go without my throttle for my ebike.
 
Congrats on the successful maiden of the new bike Larry!

Big C9 seat owner here as well. The one with the vented center. Still using a cheap suspension seat post though. Having a tough time justifying the kind of money required for a good one.

After previously using a thumb throttle equipped e-bike, the twist made me crazy, so I've gone with the thumb again as well.
 
A good ride today, with a stiff breeze. Saw another (push) rider struggling against the breeze...when I turned into the wind, Pas 2 and 3 made made the wind a non-factor.

Have a Roswheel Attack triangle bag ordered, which is designed for a water bladder, which I have. There's no way I could reach that bottom tube bottle mount.

Saddle has not been an issue, after a few adjustments...I've got some of my weight on my hands, which I can feel...so a good pair of gel padded gloves, first. Seat later, if necessary...thanks for your recommendations.

8/18 update....38 mi. to Lake Ontario and back...mostly flat, one half mile Niagara Escarpment hill...PAS 1 out, PAS 2+3 back.
Butt sore, butt not unduly, considering the abominable shape of the rider. Hopping into the hot tub! Love this ride...the triangle bag fit the hydration bladder perfectly...very secure.
 
Last edited:
Back