New RadMission from Rad Power Bikes
- Thread starter BTfl
- Start date
phoenixtoohot
Well-Known Member
I like it. Would definitely consider as a second bike. Relatively light, nimble, simple. Only concern is 16-50 gearing, only 86 gear inches. Throttle could bail you out starting on a hill, but high speed would be limited to probably 24 mph at cadence 90? or 17 mph at 60.
Hi Court, do you think Rad will make a mission plus?,with bigger Battery, gears, Fenders, rear rack, Like they did with the rad runner? Just your thoughts. If they did, I think I would definitely buy it.Single speed.
[MODERATOR EDIT] Hey guys, this is Court! I'm hijacking the top comment to add a video reaction to the new RadMission. I welcome any feedback, questions, etc. so I can incorporate them when I eventually cover this model
Forgot, and a pair of forks
FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
Here is the full review from Electrek... not too bad for an entry-level Ebike for commuters @ $1K
Rad Power Bikes unveils new RadMission e-bike at company's lowest price ever
Rad Power Bikes has just announced the RadMission electric bicycle. This single-speed electric commuter bike is officially the most affordable...
electrek.co
Rad Power Bikes has just announced the RadMission electric bicycle. This single-speed electric commuter bike is officially the most affordable e-bike ever offered by the brand.
- As the largest electric bicycle company in the US, Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes commands a large portion of the value-oriented e-bike market.
- And while Rad Power Bikes’ current lineup includes e-bikes priced from $1,199 to $1,599, now the company is solidifying its dominance with the new $999 RadMission electric bike.
- The RadMission is a single-speed e-bike with a 500W rear motor (250W in the EU) putting out 50 Nm of torque.
- That motor propels the bike up to Class 2 speeds of 20 mph (32 km/h) with either pedal assist or throttle.
Explorer-1
Have bike, will travel
- Region
- USA
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- Boston North Shore
Hopefully at time of purchase one could opt for the larger 14Ah battery for a small upcharge. Never had a single speed bike so I'm not really interested in this, but i think this will be a good bike for many leisure riders.
-1 for the Twist throttle vs. Thumb throttle.
-1 for using the word 'innovative' in their marketing to describe the lower capacity 480Wh battery. The claim only highlights their low standards for innovation, and lack of integrity. Seems their apparent early approach to honesty with customers is fading with their success. I would subtract 2 points, but most people these days know about sad marketing techniques and their different applications.
-1 for the Twist throttle vs. Thumb throttle.
-1 for using the word 'innovative' in their marketing to describe the lower capacity 480Wh battery. The claim only highlights their low standards for innovation, and lack of integrity. Seems their apparent early approach to honesty with customers is fading with their success. I would subtract 2 points, but most people these days know about sad marketing techniques and their different applications.
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Explorer-1
Have bike, will travel
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- USA
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- Boston North Shore
Pretty much everything, but which FLX bike in particular were you thinking about? That new one with the disgusting name is the only one that might be a suitable comparison.
Hey @BTfl that's a great hypothesis! I'm not sure, I really didn't expect to see a different color and accessorized RadRunner. They mentioned the original to me (and the Euro version) but said nothing about the special edition. I feel like the two frames and six colors are already pretty good, and the accessories are decently affordable. It seems like a price drop on RadMission in a year (like they do with video game consoles) would make sense, bringing it down to $899 or maybe adding a version with gears? I honestly have no idea, RAD surprises me pretty frequently with their bikes 
AHicks
Well-Known Member
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- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Regarding the potential "full dressed" version of this bike - they have something very close now in the form of the RAD City. All they would have to do to that would be to replace that direct drive rear hub with a gear drive, and maybe hyd. brakes!
THAT'S the bike that might be a game changer, especially if they could hold it's price point.....
With the last few new introductions, it appears they are getting the message regarding the practicality of direct drive. All the new stuff is gear driven.... A gear driven 'City at some point would be no surprise here!
THAT'S the bike that might be a game changer, especially if they could hold it's price point.....
With the last few new introductions, it appears they are getting the message regarding the practicality of direct drive. All the new stuff is gear driven.... A gear driven 'City at some point would be no surprise here!
Explorer-1
Have bike, will travel
- Region
- USA
- City
- Boston North Shore
If they can use a hub with 3-5 speeds in it then it would be closer to the Mission+ theme of simple and low maintenance. or they would need a gear transmission in the bottom-bracket like Pinion.
Explorer-1
Have bike, will travel
- Region
- USA
- City
- Boston North Shore
Ya looks like they were out of ideas, and looked around at the market place and saw some other bikes in this category generating some excitement so they decided to go for it. I think it will be a mistake for most people, but if it's not their first e-bike and they have a good idea of their needs or have more basic needs then they will like it.
TMH
Well-Known Member
I agree. While not having researched bikes in this price-point a lot, this new Rad looks like attempted competition for bikes like the R1U Core-5 (which is $50 more expensive if you take the R1U pledge, but also has 7 speeds). I personally like what I see in the Core-5 better, and I think that it could better serve the basic needs of a first e-bike.
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phoenixtoohot
Well-Known Member
I agree with TMH, the R1U Core and 500 ($1195) have a lot to offer over the Rad Mission. For $50 or $200 more, the R1U's are much more versatile, and they both have the integrated batteries, displays, 7 speed, etc.
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
We can keep adding money 50-100 at a time to the point we get a pretty nice bike....
The question remains, what can we get for the price of a Mission? I doubt seriously Rad intends this bike to be suitable for all purposes. Safe bet it won't suit everyone. The bet is there will be quite a few that the bike DOES appeal to. I think that's another safe bet...
The question remains, what can we get for the price of a Mission? I doubt seriously Rad intends this bike to be suitable for all purposes. Safe bet it won't suit everyone. The bet is there will be quite a few that the bike DOES appeal to. I think that's another safe bet...
It's priced right, 20 lbs less than anything else they sell.
Bolton mod might fit, or a 2 speed front chain ring maybe to help with hill climbing
Adrian.s
Member
Waiting for a mission my thoughts go out to getting a lcd display
, wouldn't be surprised if it becomes the new city bike?legsofbeer
Active Member
The problem is it is not near cheap enough to qualify as a stealer bike. (my prior road bike was such a stealer bike, and I pity the guy who stole it. Not really, hope he threw the chain while crossing the path of a tractor trailer.)
cuekwe Jones
Member
my thoughts go out to getting a lcd display
I'm kinda' curious why so many folks are so keen on an outdated (monochrome) LCD display? I own a RR1 and the basic analog controls suit me just fine -- in fact, I like this better than my RR+ because I dislike the PA controls on that bike (less haptic feedback, and so I often switch through PA levels faster/slower than intended). If you want speed display, there are plenty of smart phone GPS apps out there that will probably give you more accurate readings. If you want power remaining, the LCD is no more (or only little more) accurate than the cheaper analog display (as I understand). Real-time power consumption (in watts) may be of some use. But really, is the be-all to end-all of must-have features??? It's also been reported that the LCD will allow one to overcome the factory-prescribed speed limitation of Rad bikes. But from what I read, and in my own personal experience, this "hack" has been disabled in most/all of RPB's 2020 model-year bikes.
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