Rad City vs Ride1Up

[Steve 95648]

Both Rad City and Ride 1 Up 500 appear to have the same power motor and battery. Both PAS and Throttle. Yet Rad is Class 2 and Step1Up is Class 3. Why would this be?

 

[Dewey]

RadPower bikes are sold with Class 2 controller programming, they give here an explanation why they chose to do this https://www.radpowerbikes.com/blogs/the-scenic-route/class-1-vs-class-2-vs-class-3-ebikes
tldr: they sell bikes with a throttle but want to maximise where their bikes can be used and not run afoul of varying state laws

 

[Steve 95648]

Thank you so much Dewey. I was very aware of the California restrictions (we live there) but couldn't understand why the same motor/battery combination would be Class 2 on one bike and Class 3 on another. The Controller makes sense. Since we'll be using these often when RV'ing and in Parks, the Class 2 will be best for us. At this point, we're planning on getting Rad City SU 3 for my wife and a Rad City for me. They have service and delivery in Sacramento near where we live.

 

[AHicks]

The bigger difference in these 2 bikes is that one is direct drive, and the other is using a geared rear hub. All else being equal, the geared setup will offer MUCH sportier performance at speeds under 15-20 mph, and be much better at climbing hills.

I'm a big RAD fan, but I am NOT a fan of direct drive bikes. For me, the Rovers would be a much better choice. Fat tires will deliver a better ride and ability to roll over sandy roads and trails, and geared drives will offer better performance.

Nothing e-bike is ever simple!

 

[Steve 95648]

Thank you. Choosing an e-bike has so many moving parts. We've been spreadsheeting the comparative features and test-riding the ones that appear tops. But just when we think we've reached clarity, another option appears. We had looked at the Rad Rover in June but we didn't want the extra weight of 4" tires. We're test riding the Blix Aveny in 2 weeks: Similar specs to Rad City with geared motor. The Blix may check all our boxes but Rad's customer service is far more responsive. As one reviewer put it well a few days ago: "Don't overthink this decision. Choose the Rad or Blix bike and ride".

I think what is making this decision even harder is that I love riding my regular bike: Trek hybrid. Great exercise. But we want e-bikes so my wife and I can do this together. I realize that I don't have to give up my Trek but I suspect that will happen. It will be like our cars: Jeep, Lexus, Vette, and RV but no room for a golf cart.

So meanwhile, we'll re-visit the Rover. Thanks again for your mentorship of all of us newbies

 

[AHicks]

I rode Trek hybrids for years - until we bought a place smack dab in the middle of some big rolling hills, just 5 miles from a 46 mile bike trail. They didn't seem that daunting when driven in a car, but on a bike, the wife and I were wiped out by time we got to the trail! No choice but to turn around and head home. We lost interest in biking because of those hills. Too much! Then somebody mentioned e-bikes, and I was like a dog seeing a squirrel..... Prior to that mention, I hadn't even considered one. Just didn't occur to me! Things haven't been the same since....

I sold the his and hers Trek hybrids because they were just collecting dust. Fun seeing the big grins on the buyers. They we really happy to find a pair that had been well maintained. Felt good selling them to somebody that would enjoy them...

IMHO, with a good PAS system in play, weight is not an issue (within reason). You're going to choose a PAS level that let's you pedal at a level of effort that you choose. From there, the motor is handling the weight. If you are talking about the big tires FEELING heavy, it might have been they were not inflated properly for your tastes. Messing with the pressure in those big tires is important as the "feel" will change quite a bit with just 5 psi difference. Makes it hard to really get a good feel on a demo ride....

Best of luck on your hunt. Keep asking questions! -Al

 

[Steve 95648]

I just got in from 20 mi on my Trek. Freedom. But pretty winded after a long climb. I still want to get exercise on the e-bike. Most have taken off pretty quickly on PSA 1. I suspect it's a learning curve. Someone posted that peddling an e-bike with PSA 0 is like riding with the brakes on... maybe this was a Direct Drive issue. We're trying to set up test rides on the Rover (Rad, not Moon). I hadn't thought of the inflation variance on a fat tire.

 

[AHicks]

I've heard a few mention that they are interested in getting exercise on their e-bikes, my wife among them.... I'm pretty sure you're going to find that you can get all the exercise you want pretty easily. She sure did! She's in much better shape than I am.

Direct drive WILL have noticable drag when using PAS=0. The gear driven rear hubs do not have that drag. I'd be willing to bet though, that after using the bike for a while, using PAS=0 won't be something you do very often.

" Most have taken off pretty quickly on PSA 1." This would be a big concern for me in PAS1. If I could not ride the bike at a speed where you can barely keep your balance EASILY, that would be the end of that test ride. At that point it would be a question of whether or not that could be tuned out using whatever programming is available. I am NOT going to ride a bike where the thing is constantly going to be lurching ahead. That's a sign of junk programming within the controller - and a cheap bike... -Al

 

[Steve 95648]

Thanks. Rad in Sacramento is bringing 2 Rad Citys and 2 Rad Rovers out to us this morning for a test ride. I'll report our findings