NEW: Radwagon just released

[jazz]

http://www.radpowerbikes.com



Welcome the RadWagon™ electric cargo bike by Rad Power Bikes! The RadWagon's powerful 750 watt 48 volt power system makes transporting groceries, extra people, and large loads effortless and convenient.

The RadWagon™ will be available to purchase on RadPowerBikes.comtomorrowFriday August 21st at a discounted price of $1,499 until September 31st! After Sept 31st, the RadWagon™ will return to the MSRP of $1,699. Shipment 1 (70 RadWagons™) is scheduled to ship out to buyers at the end of October!

If that wasn't enough, if we sell our first 70 RadWagons™ by Sept 15th, those buyers will receive an additional $100 off, bringing the savings up to $300! Hurry and tell friends and family about the RadWagon™ before the offer ends, don't let them miss out on this great deal!

 

[George S.]

Very creative marketing. A CF campaign model without the fees or IGG. Building on the success of their Rover. So cool...

They put up the specs. It's 71 lbs, direct drive 750 watts. Battery is 48/12ah, Samsung 29E cells. they show someone riding on back, and there are rails for a rider, 350 lbs total weight capacity. A lot of people on this forum are looking for bikes with some weight capacity. It has 11 gauge spokes. It's got potential as a car replacement, but I guess they are going to end up weighing a lot. Max in Utah is 75 #.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Going by their credibility and integrity to deliver good quality E-bikes, at $ 1500 this bike provides better value than every other Cargo bike on the market right now.
Way to go @Mike Radenbaugh !

 

[jazz]

I admit, I wasn't terribly excited about this design when I first saw it but it is starting to grow on me!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I admit, I wasn't terribly excited about this design when I first saw it but it is starting to grow on me!

Hey, some ICEholes think Nissan Leaf is a car with down syndrome.
Some, just love the functionality of it.
I think this particular design wins when it comes to practicality (at least on paper)

 

[jazz]

I agree and the price point is pretty good.

 

[Nachoman]

Agreed, great price for a cargo bike, I really like it. Had I known this would be their next offering and at that price point, I might have skipped on the Radrover and gotten this instead!

 

[pxpaulx]

A bike like this would absolutely kill it in the European market! I don't care for it myself, but it seems like an excellent cargo bike offering.

 

[SQN]

I can't decide if I love it or hate it. But that goes for any cargo-style bike. I think I like it, though.

Either of these two RadPower bikes seems too good to be true, though. I just don't understand how they can offer so much for such a low price. I've been researching kits to potentially convert an existing mountain bike I already own. It's nothing special, and a bit old, but it does have front suspension and dual disk brakes.

Here are three kits I'm looking at.

Falco e5.7 - 500W / 48v / Lithium Ion - $1,895
EBikeKit - 500W / 48v / LiFiPo4- $1,473
Bionx D500 500W / 48v / Lithium Ion - $2,499

Am I missing something here in my analysis? I realize that Rad is using a direct-drive motor, but they are also using 750W motors.

The other thing I don't understand is that either of these 3 kits allows for 28+mph speeds using pedal-assist. Would my assumption be correct that either of the two Rad bikes should be able to achieve over 20mph when using pedal-assist?

What to do...

 

[Nachoman]

Based on my experience with the Radrover, the PAS seems to be governed by the speed. When you're peddling, the motor will work as hard as it needs to to put you at a certain speed. PAS3 puts you around 15mph, PAS4 puts you at 17mph, and PAS5 puts you at 20mph. When you're above that speed, PAS shuts off. So you can definitely go over 20mph but it would mainly be due to leg work.

 

[SQN]

Thanks, Nachoman. That feedback helps a lot! I'm searching for the most cost effective solution to get back into commuting by bike, but I've got a 16 mile one-way trip to make. Speed is something that I'm looking for, so perhaps the Rad bikes really woudn't be a good fit then. Thanks, again!

 

[Nachoman]

I think it's more of a function of US laws, anything over 20mph is considered a motor vehicle, so any motor assist is limitted to speeds under 20mph. With a 750W motor, the radrover certainly has enough juice to go above 20mph if the controller allowed it. Those kits you mention probably aren't limitted, which is why they advertise higher speeds. But that might be an incentive if you want an bike without a limitter.

 

[jazz]

Agreed, great price for a cargo bike, I really like it. Had I known this would be their next offering and at that price point, I might have skipped on the Radrover and gotten this instead!

Well if you decide to sell your RadRover, hit me up !

 

[HSU]

I'm excited about this RadWagon, but concern about the size. I am 6'3" tall and 50+ years old, so I don't want to feel cramp or having to hunch over and feel like doing push up to reach the handlebar. Especially if i'm using this for 22+ miles round trip for commute and to haul products at work.

 

[Phrodos]

Also think this bike would kill in Europe and if I had kids and/or did a lot of shopping, this would've made me drool a little. I love that it's orange, and it looks really old school and modern at the same time.

 

[HSU]

I can't decide if I love it or hate it. But that goes for any cargo-style bike. I think I like it, though.

Either of these two RadPower bikes seems too good to be true, though. I just don't understand how they can offer so much for such a low price. I've been researching kits to potentially convert an existing mountain bike I already own. It's nothing special, and a bit old, but it does have front suspension and dual disk brakes.

Here are three kits I'm looking at.

Falco e5.7 - 500W / 48v / Lithium Ion - $1,895
EBikeKit - 500W / 48v / LiFiPo4- $1,473
Bionx D500 500W / 48v / Lithium Ion - $2,499

Am I missing something here in my analysis? I realize that Rad is using a direct-drive motor, but they are also using 750W motors.

The other thing I don't understand is that either of these 3 kits allows for 28+mph speeds using pedal-assist. Would my assumption be correct that either of the two Rad bikes should be able to achieve over 20mph when using pedal-assist?

What to do...

My suggestion is to buy one of the Rad bikes instead. I recommend the RadWagon. They are offering this low price because they are selling directly to us. No markup by dealers.

 

[Allezdude]

If there was a hack that would allow you to go faster then 20 mph, I would probably go for one.

 

[jazz]

If there was a hack that would allow you to go faster then 20 mph, I would probably go for one.

I agree, I would like 25mph as my sweet spot!

 

[Steve McLaughlin]

I am trying to decide if this bike will work for me. My wife just bought an Evelo Luna with the NuVinci rear hub, so she is already set to go.
Here are some of my needs:
1. We are in our 60's and don't want to work too hard climbing the crazy steep hill leading to our house. It's dirt and at least 200ft elevation in 2 1/2 blocks. We sold our regular bikes when we moved here because even the teenagers have to push their bikes up this hill and we just not going to do that. The Ebike has opened the door for going down the hill, getting some exercise and have fun, then get home without too much effort at the end.
2. We have an RV and want to be able to travel with our ebikes and skip towing a car. The cargo bike would be used to do sightseeing as well as shlep groceries, etc. to the RV when we are camping. We talked about using the cargo bike for carrying a picnic basket, lawn chairs, etc. to nice remote spots for exploring with lunches. Luckily, our RV has a storage compartment easily big enough for the Rad Wagon and my wife's bike.
3. We have a Toyota Yaris that we use to bop around town locally and still get 35MPG. I would like to go greener and do some of our regular grocery shopping with my bike, keeping me in shape while saving the planet.

I'm a bit concerned that the direct drive motor on the Rad Wagon will not have enough grunt to get me up the hill in comfort. I'm in decent shape and would use pedal assist, but would be going slow for sure. The direct drive motors don't have as much low-end torque as a geared hub motor or my wife's mid drive. I wonder how much help the motor could provide while going 3mph up a steep hill. If anyone has thoughts on this, please comment!

Also, Cort lists the range on this bike pretty low, 17 miles. Since the bike has a nice 48V battery and a sine wave controller, I would expect more????

The Rad Wagon has everything I think I need except for a suspension. I'm a bit worried that it will be a jarring experience just riding around a National Park.

Lastly, we need some advise on securing our bikes. What do you do when you get to the museum? What is the best bike lock / alarm / technology to use?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks to those who pitch in!

Steve

 

[jazz]

I would think that 48v/750w motor is enough to climb most modest hills but I guess that would really depend on the grade, the length of the hill, your weight + bike/cargo weight. The bike is pretty heavy already so maybe power up a steep hill would be an issue. 17 mile range does seem pretty low even with 11.6Ah.

As far as security goes, nothing is 100% secure. I try to always lock it in a good area. I use a beefy u-lock with a wheel cable and either lock battery in place with key or I take battery with me (makes for a heavy backpack). I use this one around town one: http://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Bulld...&qid=1441044842&sr=8-3&keywords=onguard+ulock.

And I also have this one which I also use for my e-motorcycle sometimes--it is inexpensive but 4lbs of thickness. Best lock I have ever had. It is very solid- http://www.amazon.com/Club-UTL810-U...&ie=UTF8&qid=1441044919&sr=1-1&keywords=ulock -- a combination of both would make it tougher to take but it would weight down your backpack.