Radcity slower than Radmini

[Redeemed]

So, my wife and I ride our Rad's to work most days. Her mini slowly walks away from me, and I'm peddling hard in 6th gear on PAS 3., and she is running the mini in 4th gear on PAS 4.
Also when using just the throttle, the speedometer reads 19.3 - 19.5 on flat ground...never 20MPH. Is that normal?

 

[mrgold35]

What is the weight difference between you and your wife? I have two his/her Radrovers and my wife can out accelerate and maintain a higher speed with less effort (wife 128lbs, me 270lbs). We went for a 20 mile ride and I was at a solid one bar of power and she still had 4 bars left. I've also notice a difference in pedalling resistance and sustained top speed with a heavy headwind. I produce more wind drag because of my size and the very upright riding position (I'm 6'3"; but, about 6' 10" with helmet+helmet light). I can feel a decrease in effort at cruising speed if I crouch down in a road bike position.

I've noticed my acceleration improved, sustained top speed 1-2 mph higher, and range/battery increased a little bit when I dumped the Kenda tires and switched to Vee8 120tpi tires.

 

[Redeemed]

Those are very interesting points, but my wife is only 20 pounds lighter than I am and I'm 5-9, 195. She has the 4" tires and I have the 2.3". Is there any way to adjust the speed limit control to obtain a true 20mph?

 

[mrgold35]

On the Radrover, you can enter the LCD set-up screen by pressing the up & down arrow at the same time (battery pack turned on and LCD active). You can use the mode button to cycle the 4 choices (tires size, motor cut-off km/h, LCD brightness, mph or km/h on odo). The motor cut-off speed only displays in km/h and you can adjust in 1 km/h increments from 12-40 km/h (7.5 mph to 24.75 mph). You can use the up or down arrow to adjust and press/hold the mode button to exit.

You can also lower the wife's motor cut off speed down 1-2 mph to match your cruising speed as an option. Increasing your motor cut off speed might lower your range since you are applying more power, speed, and wind resistance at the faster speed.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

So, my wife and I ride our Rad's to work most days. Her mini slowly walks away from me, and I'm peddling hard in 6th gear on PAS 3., and she is running the mini in 4th gear on PAS 4.

There is a significant difference in motor power between PAS 3 and PAS 4 of as much as 150 watts. I am not an athlete (50 yo, 5 foot 8 inches) and I can only do continuous 80-100 watts, and can do few minutes burst of 300-400 watts (according to my stationary bike).

 

[Sonoboy]

On the Radrover, you can enter the LCD set-up screen by pressing the up & down arrow at the same time (battery pack turned on and LCD active). You can use the mode button to cycle the 4 choices (tires size, motor cut-off km/h, LCD brightness, mph or km/h on odo). The motor cut-off speed only displays in km/h and you can adjust in 1 km/h increments from 12-40 km/h (7.5 mph to 24.75 mph). You can use the up or down arrow to adjust and press/hold the mode button to exit.

You can also lower the wife's motor cut off speed down 1-2 mph to match your cruising speed as an option. Increasing your motor cut off speed might lower your range since you are applying more power, speed, and wind resistance at the faster speed.

The fact that you can't achieve 20 MPH exactly might be due to the setup made by your LBS to meet your local bike laws. Here in Georgia, to legally use bike paths, the assist motor cannot exceed 20MPH.

 

[Redeemed]

On the Radrover, you can enter the LCD set-up screen by pressing the up & down arrow at the same time (battery pack turned on and LCD active). You can use the mode button to cycle the 4 choices (tires size, motor cut-off km/h, LCD brightness, mph or km/h on odo). The motor cut-off speed only displays in km/h and you can adjust in 1 km/h increments from 12-40 km/h (7.5 mph to 24.75 mph). You can use the up or down arrow to adjust and press/hold the mode button to exit.

You can also lower the wife's motor cut off speed down 1-2 mph to match your cruising speed as an option. Increasing your motor cut off speed might lower your range since you are applying more power, speed, and wind resistance at the faster speed.

Thanks Mrgold35...that did the trick!