Rad Mission lemon or are they all garbage?

[Nobodyspecial]

I decided to try out Ebikes to be a little kinder on my old injuries. I purchased a RAD Mission after doing some research. Apparently I didn’t research enough. The bike shop couldn’t even get it put together without a part breaking. They warned me then about the low quality of Rad Power bikes but I dismissed it thinking they were just trying to get me into one of their $5k bikes. It took another week and a half to get the part in and bike together which put me past their refund window but the company said they would push it to start when I had a working bike. Another note, the window also closes after 10 miles of use. 10 miles? I saw that red flag immediately. Between 50 and 60 miles the tensioner broke (shocker). I had that replaced then took it out this morning for its first ride. ONE BLOCK into what was supposed to be a 10 mile ride the chain area starts popping and pinging again. Then a thunk every 30 yards or so. It did the same in pedal assist 0-2. Looks like even though the tensioner was broken, something else has crapped out now. I also noticed the brakes are diminishing in efficiency already. 10 miles turned into 1.3.
When I contacted the company last time they just offered to send parts and say to check out forums about problems. There’s only one good Representative there from what I gather. He’s great. The company policies and product quality are not. I figured I would just have to replace everything as it broke with better quality parts but I really don’t think I should have to with a bike with less than 70 miles on it. I sent them an email this morning asking for the mobile service van they claim to have come out or provide me with a replacement bike as this one must be a lemon. It has to be a lemon. ALL the reviews out there can’t be wrong.
Don’t even get me started on the fact it doesn’t come with a kickstand and the kickstand is always out of stock. That is a diatribe for another day. Just imagine the damage to walls, cars, cabinets, or even your face when trying to install a water bottle holder on a bike that doesn’t stand up nor does it lean against anything for any amount of time without being wedged into place. I recommend a 75lb punching bag but that will have damage too.
Has anyone else had these problems? If so, how did you deal with it? I’m not sure if this is a BBB issue or if I should just donate the damn thing to a bike shop to use for parts and chalk it all up to a life lesson.
I apologize for the negativity but I’m really at my wits end.

 

[john peck]

I´ve bin looking for mission feedback since it came out. This ain´t real encouraging. Also looking
at the Ride1up roadster, which looks great if you live somewhere flat & weigh less than 180 pds.

 

[Nobodyspecial]

I searched the reviews on YouTube and various ebike magazines and it seemed like a good economical option to try out. Bigger motor. Good mileage on the battery. I also liked the look since I’m not into the “granny went to the farmers market to get flowers” look on a bike which most ebike have. I’m used to regular mountain/road bike hybrids but hills were really doing a number on my knee and hip injuries. Figured a little help from a motor wouldn’t hurt but I could still get a workout. I wanted a bike to ride to work a few days a week too. The Rad Mission I received DEFINITELY isn’t reliable enough to do that. I saw these reviews of “1000 miles on my Rad” and so on. I’m seriously wondering if those were paid fake reviews.
Maybe I just got a bad one. Maybe I’m unlucky. Who knows what the situation is. All I know is this bike has been nothing but frustration, dissatisfaction and regret since day one. I should have known when they said “2 weeks or 10 miles” to get your money back. Oh. I saw an advert that now they are selling it for $200 cheaper than what I paid 2 months ago.
I’ve already started looking for used bike shops that might be willing to buy this thing off me so at least I will have some money towards a different one. I’m not hedging my bets that the company will make this right. If they do, great! If they don’t, maybe the best I can do is stop someone else from enduring the same situation.

 

[soyabean]

They warned me then about the low quality of Rad Power bikes but I dismissed it thinking they were just trying to get me into one of their $5k bikes.

This is a great example of what can go wrong with "internet mail order".

It might work out. When it does, great.

When it doesn't, this is what happens.

Lesson to be learned, buy your bike from a good recommended LBS (Local Bike Shop).

Yes, there is a reason why Specialized, Trek, Gazelle bikes cost as much as they do.

There will be a ton of naysayers, DIY fanboys, and anti-LBS folks who will say otherwise. Do please resolve the OP's problem.

Glad this isn't me or anyone I know!

 

[soyabean]

All I know is this bike has been nothing but frustration, dissatisfaction and regret since day one.

You asked, "Rad Mission lemon or are they all garbage?"

My answer is, Yes. Both. They are all garbage.

To the haters: don't hate me, I simply answered the OP.

 

[rich c]

I paid $4,000 for a carbon fiber BMC and it doesn't have a kickstand. Kickstands are basically universal, just find one with the right bolt pattern on Amazon or eBay. Didn't the idea of a $1,000 ebike give you some kind of warning? Most replacement batteries run around $500, half of what you paid for the entire eBike. And since they are selling it for $1,000 means the factory is probably selling the bike for no more than $600. So what you really bought was a $600 or less eBike. As the famous redneck comedian says, "There's your sign." About the brakes, there is definitely a wear-in time and adjusts are needed pretty quickly.

 

[chunk]

Rad took more than a week sometimes to get back to me via email. I figured they were either overworked or understaffed, so I wrote them off pretty early in my ebike researching. I've since read of product quality problems with the Rad Mission, so maybe I made a good choice crossing them off my list early. Not wanting to spend a lot on my first ebike, I finally bought an Amazon special generic ebike made up of common components. Bafang rear hub motor, Shimano gears and derailleur, generic mechanical disc brakes, etc. Everything is available it seems, nothing proprietary. I had a problem with a caliper and the seller said buy a new one and they reimbursed me for the cost. Of course I had to do the R&R, although they said they would pay a shop to do the replacement. But no shop close by, so I'm an ebike mechanic now. I also had to index the gears the first time out, but now it's a reliable, inexpensive entry level bike. Several hundred miles later and I'm quite happy with it and the way the seller stands behind the product when I had a problem. If you have basic mechanical skills it can be a good way to go, if you are more of a plug and play type then maybe going through a bike shop would make better sense. And yes, it came with a kickstand too.

 

[BTfl]

You asked, "Rad Mission lemon or are they all garbage?"

My answer is, Yes. Both. They are all garbage.

To the haters: don't hate me, I simply answered the OP.

SAD??????

 

[Fly Rod]

I have two rad runner pluses. They are both approaching 1000 miles with no major problems. I'm happy with my Rads. My first ebikes. When I was researching they always took my calls and answered my questions. I bought them because 3 families in my neighborhood owned them and we're pleased and are still pleased with theirs. I recommend Rad. Who is to say these complainers aren't plants or trolls.

 

[EMGX]

That "spend a lot of money at a LBS and you'll get a good e-bike and service" line is BS.

TREK DOMANE + HP: Warning Do Not Buy a Trek ebike Domane+ HP/LT Without Watching This Video First!

UPDATE: 17 DAY OWNERSHIP OWNER’S REVIEW OF MY NEW 2021 TREK DOMANE + HP If you are potential buyer please understand I don't have a dog in the race nor am I bad mouthing the nice people in Trek. I am just sharing with you the problems I have had with 2021 New Trek Domane HP in the 30 days of...

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There are too many similar or worse experiences posted on this forum alone to support that position.
I have bikes with high end components like Shimano 105 and bikes with low end components like shimano tourney. They've all been durable worked well for me. I'm guessing your experience is as much of an anomaly as that of the trek owner's linked above.

 

[harryS]

Any single speed bike would be a piece of junk for me, but I suppose my wife would trade her 7 speed for one.

 

[Nobodyspecial]

Well here’s the update. Took it to a shop. 2 links in the chain were bent and nearly broken. (Good thing I didn’t push for a longer ride this morning) The connector link was too big for the tensioner which was causing the thumping and pinging. That likely had a hand in bending and breaking the first tensioner. Not the main cause but more of a contributing factor. They replaced the chain with a higher quality on that also fit the tensioner. Due to the bad reputation of the tensioner they ordered a better one to replace it. The brakes were adjusted.
The tech repeated one thing: this is what you get dealing with a “bottom shelf online dealer.” They said all of their Rad customers have the same complaints: tensioner, brakes, and motor failures. He also said most of those customers come in with bikes less than 200 miles on them. I guess I have my list of components to upgrade. Hopefully finding compatible ones aren’t too difficult. Looks like I get to learn how to be an ebike mechanic at the YouTube School of Stuff.

 

[Gionnirocket]

This is a great example of what can go wrong with "internet mail order".

It might work out. When it does, great.

When it doesn't, this is what happens.

Lesson to be learned, buy your bike from a good recommended LBS (Local Bike Shop).

Yes, there is a reason why Specialized, Trek, Gazelle bikes cost as much as they do.

There will be a ton of naysayers, DIY fanboys, and anti-LBS folks who will say otherwise. Do please resolve the OP's problem.

Glad this isn't me or anyone I know!

Sounds like his inept LBS to a perfectly good bike and hacked it up during assembly... What a shame.

 

[EMGX]

Sounds more like the shop tech was covering for their shoddy workmanship than any inherent defect in the bike itself.

 

[Nobodyspecial]

Just for the record, the shop that put the bike together is a different shop than this one. The original shop no longer works on Rad Power products. I also called 3 other ebike shops that said they also don’t work on Rad bikes. I’ll let you take from that what you will.

 

[Widgets]

Sorry you are having issues with you new Rad. As you have seen posted here, you can get a problem bike from any manufacturer. The lower end models do have more component compromises. Remember these low cost bikes are entry level.

I've had my RadCity for 7 weeks now. I've had 650 trouble free miles. There was some minor shipping damage that I did not notice at first. The derailleur guard was bent in and also bent the derailleur hanger. This caused some difficulty getting the initial derailleur adjustments, but never left me in an unrideable state. The rear brake disc has a slight taco that I will replace at some point, but the brakes are adjusted to work silent now and I have plenty of stopping power.

The bike is a lower end ebike, but it serves my purposes. I can upgrade components, or step up to a more expensive ebike. I was able to take several ebikes for a test drive, and read a lot. I knew what I was getting into and am happy with what I got.

What I didn't expect was all the additional costs. Receiver and rack for my car, tools and supplies, saddle, suspension seat post, mirrors, and other accessories are quickly adding up to more than the bike.

 

[jabberwocky]

Honestly a lot of those issues sound like potential assembly problems. I’ve known a few people with rad bikes (not the mission, mostly rad wagons) and while they aren’t high end bikes, none have reported any problems. Even high end mfgs have lemons and part failures though. But with a shop bike you have a layer of competent people (the shop) to help catch those before sale or resolve them after

I definitely feel like people who need a shop to handle assembly probably aren’t a good candidate for a mail order bike like a rad. They definitely assume a basic level of bike mechanical knowledge and general handiness, and if there are problems you are mainly on your own.
Hopefully you get things resolved.

 

[Nobodyspecial]

Sorry you are having issues with you new Rad. As you have seen posted here, you can get a problem bike from any manufacturer. The lower end models do have more component compromises. Remember these low cost bikes are entry level.

I've had my RadCity for 7 weeks now. I've had 650 trouble free miles. There was some minor shipping damage that I did not notice at first. The derailleur guard was bent in and also bent the derailleur hanger. This caused some difficulty getting the initial derailleur adjustments, but never left me in an unrideable state. The rear brake disc has a slight taco that I will replace at some point, but the brakes are adjusted to work silent now and I have plenty of stopping power.

The bike is a lower end ebike, but it serves my purposes. I can upgrade components, or step up to a more expensive ebike. I was able to take several ebikes for a test drive, and read a lot. I knew what I was getting into and am happy with what I got.

What I didn't expect was all the additional costs. Receiver and rack for my car, tools and supplies, saddle, suspension seat post, mirrors, and other accessories are quickly adding up to more than the bike.

I agree. It’s like adopting a puppy. Sure the adoption fee is $100 but all the accessories and additional stuff turns into thousands before you know it.

 

[john peck]

Sorry you are having issues with you new Rad. As you have seen posted here, you can get a problem bike from any manufacturer. The lower end models do have more component compromises. Remember these low cost bikes are entry level.

I've had my RadCity for 7 weeks now. I've had 650 trouble free miles. There was some minor shipping damage that I did not notice at first. The derailleur guard was bent in and also bent the derailleur hanger. This caused some difficulty getting the initial derailleur adjustments, but never left me in an unrideable state. The rear brake disc has a slight taco that I will replace at some point, but the brakes are adjusted to work silent now and I have plenty of stopping power.

The bike is a lower end ebike, but it serves my purposes. I can upgrade components, or step up to a more expensive ebike. I was able to take several ebikes for a test drive, and read a lot. I knew what I was getting into and am happy with what I got.

What I didn't expect was all the additional costs. Receiver and rack for my car, tools and supplies, saddle, suspension seat post, mirrors, and other accessories are quickly adding up to more than the bike.

Gotta modify & accessorize b4 it´s truly your bike....whatever it might be. And yes any bike can be a lemon,
some more than others.

 

[Nobodyspecial]

Honestly a lot of those issues sound like potential assembly problems. I’ve known a few people with rad bikes (not the mission, mostly rad wagons) and while they aren’t high end bikes, none have reported any problems. Even high end mfgs have lemons and part failures though. But with a shop bike you have a layer of competent people (the shop) to help catch those before sale or resolve them after

I definitely feel like people who need a shop to handle assembly probably aren’t a good candidate for a mail order bike like a rad. They definitely assume a basic level of bike mechanical knowledge and general handiness, and if there are problems you are mainly on your own.
Hopefully you get things resolved.

The main reason I had a shop put it together is because Rad recommended it to ensure the warranty isn’t voided by the possibility of it not being assembled according to the exact specifications.