Question to all RadWagon owners

[unknown_wagon]

Hello everyone!

I have had the wagon in the ol' shopping cart for a while as I try to absorb as much reviews and criticisms as I can before I make this purchase, and I have just a few ( or well a million ) questions.

My question is more, are there anything replacements I should purchase now before the bike is assembled to avoid headaches in the future? It seems the spokes might just need replaced at the start, if so any recommendations?

Or are there things you would have done differently before assembling the bike?

Also, tangent maybe, if you have put a lot of time on a RadWagon, hows your experience been thus far?

 

[trainman]

I would say to keep your spokes tight, most spoke problems are because of loose spokes and are not checked on a regular maintenance schedule. My Rad Mini came with the spokes all tight as well as all was in proper adjustment from what I can tell, but I still intend to have a knowledgeable person check it out. I would say if you plan to use your RadWagon as a work vehicle, or over load it with heavy loads, spokes can work loose at a much faster rate under heaver loads.

 

[AHicks]

2 thoughts.
First, I agree with the idea the spokes are a maintenance issue. If you check them during assembly and again after you get a few hundred miles on it, you should be fine.

The second thought is a question for you. Have you studied the differences in the direct drive rear hub this bike is equipped with vs. that of a gear driven hub? If you are familiar, and you believe the direct drive will work out for you, go for it! RAD is great to deal with and the 'Wagon is a great design.

 

[unknown_wagon]

Thanks for the tips! To be honest, not that closely. It appears to me the gear driven hub provides a bit more torque, which given how heavy the bike is would be more or less essential if one had to battle hills. Other than that, I don't know much. My rides are mostly flat (however the roads can be often in poor conditions). Good to hear the spoke issues are (usually) more related to lack of through check-up at the start, or general maintenance neglect. I do plan t have the bike initially assembled/removed at a trusted shop before I leave it to my hands.

 

[AHicks]

Yes, gear drives are quite a bit peppier, but if the area you're riding in is flat you should be fine with the direct drive.

 

[John49]

Tighten the spokes after a the first couple of rides and check the rear axle for proper torque. The Radwagon also can benefit from a Suntour seatpost and better seat like a Cloud 9 cruiser gel. The wagon has no suspension.