Im in the market for an Ebike. I was very interested in the Radcity until I learned it was direct drive as I read these were inferior systems. Can anyone with experience tell me the pros and cons of having a direct drive motor in general as well specifically as it pertains to the Radcity thanks
Radcity direct drive
- Thread starter Cassidy
- Start date
Thanks Timpo that was informative and adds to my confusion lol. So direct drives are better for city driving/speed where Geared motors are best for starting off, going up hills etc as it has more torque at the start. will be using it mostly for fun/sport/exercise, not many hills but we have some great bike paths from the beaches to inland and mostly flat surfaces with an occasional hill to climb 
I appreciate the responses
I appreciate the responses Thanks again ---It seems also gear less is heavier. In the original video you posted at approx 1:26 he says "geared motors are the way to go" But after reading your posts I think either would be ok for me do you have any suggestions as to other Ebikes I have not considered ? thank you
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Cassidy, a big piece of your call is going to be the geared vs. direct hub decision. Take your time here as there are a lot of things to consider. The tip of the iceberg - while the geared may climb and accelerate better at low speeds, they are not as quiet and there is increased maintenance required due to the gears. They also do not transfer heat as well as the direct drive, and take longer to cool after being stressed. The reason the direct drive are larger diameter is to take advantage of the extra torque they can deliver due to that. And on and on..... There is no right or wrong here. This is all about your available choices to satisfy how you see yourself riding most often.
I have an '18 Rad City and I flat love the bike, but I'm getting ready to put it's 3rd motor in it. I'm a big guy, over 300 pounds, with a couple of "kit" bikes I built myself previous to buying the Rad. Turns out those kit bikes spoiled me a bit, showing me what could be done electronically with the bike's controls. This led me to install a "kit" on my 6 week old bike - that included a 1500w direct drive motor. Me being the larger and older type, and rarely seeing over 20 mph (on purpose) I find the DD sometimes lacking in the hill climbing power I need as the bike is often used in a rolling hills coastal type area. My weight (the load on the bike) is causing it to strain on the longer taller hills.
So, this bike is about to recieve it's 3rd (!!) motor. I ordered a MAC 12t geared rear hub motor to install on it. MAC has a pretty good reputation for building quality gear drive rear hubs - but you don't see them on production bike much. Damn the extra noise, damn the potential extra maintenance, damn the cooling issues, my priority now is to see what this hub will do for my riding style. On paper, I should have nearly double the torque from a standing start while using considerably less power under the conditions I normally ride in! We'll see... -Al
I have an '18 Rad City and I flat love the bike, but I'm getting ready to put it's 3rd motor in it. I'm a big guy, over 300 pounds, with a couple of "kit" bikes I built myself previous to buying the Rad. Turns out those kit bikes spoiled me a bit, showing me what could be done electronically with the bike's controls. This led me to install a "kit" on my 6 week old bike - that included a 1500w direct drive motor. Me being the larger and older type, and rarely seeing over 20 mph (on purpose) I find the DD sometimes lacking in the hill climbing power I need as the bike is often used in a rolling hills coastal type area. My weight (the load on the bike) is causing it to strain on the longer taller hills.
So, this bike is about to recieve it's 3rd (!!) motor. I ordered a MAC 12t geared rear hub motor to install on it. MAC has a pretty good reputation for building quality gear drive rear hubs - but you don't see them on production bike much. Damn the extra noise, damn the potential extra maintenance, damn the cooling issues, my priority now is to see what this hub will do for my riding style. On paper, I should have nearly double the torque from a standing start while using considerably less power under the conditions I normally ride in! We'll see... -Al
Thank you for that post
Keep us updated on the new motorWow how do you feel about the Juiced ccx ? I know it's cables are exposed but the manufacturer said they did that on purpose to allow easy repairs etc. As far as the Radcity I dont think I have read one post here that says they were displeased after the purchase on the contrary they love it, so Im not sure about your bike. Most bikes I have looked at do weigh a lot the ones that seemed to weigh less all had no rear rack or fender. So I think 50-65 pounds is the norm.
KLee
Active Member
The Juiced CCX has hydraulic brakes and torque sensor vs mechanical brakes and cadence sensor on Radcity. The new Rad bikes have integrated lighting which includes a brake light when the brake levers are applied.
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
The CCX is a really formidable adversary when compared to the Rad City. It's 52v 19.2ah battery is clearly in a whole different league when compared to Rad's 48v 14ah. The hydraulic brakes are a great option, but the City's mechanical are up to the job at hand as well (remember, I'm the fat guy that rides in the big hills). Love the thumb throttle as I feel the twist grip is hard on my wrists. That's without getting into the direct drive vs. gear drive arguments. The thing to keep in mind, for me anyway, is what you could do with the thousand dollar difference in price. If it's in your budget, I don't think it would be hard to justify spending to get the CCX. My opinion anyway, FWIW. -Al
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Chopperbill
Active Member
Regenerative braking on the City. My dad swears it goes further than his prior 3 ebikes because of that. I’m not too sure about that though.
Al thank you I appreciate that and you are right, at what point does one make concessions for the $1,000 difference...The CCX is sold out (my size I think) and they do not respond well to Emails, however I did get one FB response.
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AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Just to supply a counterpoint, The Rad City I've been riding the last couple of seasons now, the one with 1200 miles or so on it, have been adjusted one time since new and work just fine hauling my 300+lb butt down to safe limits on some pretty big hills. They work just fine, leaving me confident I can stop safely any time I want to.
I have a Radcity and like the direct drive because when you use the brakes it charges the battery. Have the front brake set up lose so the switch starts charging the battery before the brake start working. The geared motor could be better if you have big hills but doesn't charge the battery. I wouldn't get a mid drive because of the chain up keep. There is one make that uses a gates belt drive that looks good but the coast is to high for me. The mechanical brakes work fine. Had them on my motor cycles and worked fine. Now the fast I every had one was to about 160mph. When you start talking about making anything go faster it is how much money you have. I am 72 so speed just gets me a ticket.
Johnny333
Johnny333
I wish my ebike dealer was as knowledgeable as Mike. I know more about lithium ion cells than my dealer and more about brushless motors as well. I didn't want to buy a bike and have no dealer support though but I was tempted to buy online to save some money. Too many components with the potential to fail for me to be comfortable buying online as well as the fair chance the bike would arrive damaged.
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