new rad city issues

[fnkyhd]

ive had the bike for about a month but haven't ridden much because it is very uncomfortable to ride. I haven't given up though & trying to get that dialed in. I think the problem is that the front suspension does nothing with the upright riding position and all of the bounce is in the rear of the bike; which makes sense since that's where all the weight is. I put a suspension seat post which has helped a little but only a little and I am still getting a lot of jarring bumps. less pressure in the rear tire also helps some. any suggestions for a next move? I find myself standing up over every little bump so I don't get my huevos's smacked by the seat! I think the bike really doesn't need the front suspension fork at all and really needs either rear suspension or to be lighter in the back somehow

 

[Diarmuid]

Not all seat suspension systems are equal. Which one did you get? The body float is the one I would recommend.

 

[Drew]

Make sure you have your bike seat level. Rad has a penchant for setting up their seats so they tilt back, which is guaranteed to be a pain in the "huevos". I noticed this in Court's review and you can see it clearly right on the current Rad City product page:

https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radcity-electric-commuter-bike?variant=5032659451935

I test rode the Rad City three times (e.g. three different bikes) and they all had the seat set up like that. The first test ride was pretty uncomfortable because of it. I brought my bike tool with me for the other two test rides and adjusted the seat myself so it was level. That made a big difference!

 

[cayjak]

As a temporary cure for the fork issues, you should be able to lock the travel, converting it into a (rather heavy) fixed fork. I know I can do this on my Rad Mini, and I would assume they provided the same feature on the Rad City.

 

[michael mitchell]

I don't have a RadCity, but I do have 2 hardtail ebikes which I ride on pretty bumpy paths and roads. The first suspension seatpost I bought was cheap ($20-30), and it helped a little, but not a lot. Then, I decided to splurge on a LT thudbuster. It made a world of difference. You may also want to look at a different seat.

 

[Backwards]

Is the Cirrus BodyFloat the same and the Kinekt ?

 

[Deleted member 4210]

ive had the bike for about a month but haven't ridden much because it is very uncomfortable to ride. I haven't given up though & trying to get that dialed in. I think the problem is that the front suspension does nothing with the upright riding position and all of the bounce is in the rear of the bike; which makes sense since that's where all the weight is. I put a suspension seat post which has helped a little but only a little and I am still getting a lot of jarring bumps. less pressure in the rear tire also helps some. any suggestions for a next move? I find myself standing up over every little bump so I don't get my huevos's smacked by the seat! I think the bike really doesn't need the front suspension fork at all and really needs either rear suspension or to be lighter in the back somehow

Try a better seat ! This one from Bikeroo is pretty awesome.

https://bikeroo.net/collections/frontpage/products/wide-comfort-bike-seat-bicycle-saddle

The seats on most bikes and e-bikes that come from the OEM's as standard all are pretty sub-par. They expect people to ditch the seats on most of these bikes, especially those priced below $2000. A body float suspension seat, now called the Kinekt, is also going to protect your body from the jarring bumps. Better for your spine.

 

[Drew]

Is the Cirrus BodyFloat the same and the Kinekt ?

Yes, "Kinekt BodyFloat" is the product name and "Cirrus Cycles" is the company that produces it.

 

[AHicks]

I went with a Cloud 9 (C9) seat. Note there are several sold under that brand name. You'll need to select one that best suits you/your weight. In my experience, the BEST seats are not nearly as expensive as some of these seat posts, and can make nearly as much difference in ride comfort.