RadPower? (mine's spent more time waiting to be maintained than in use)

[RunForTheHills]

I think if you look at the sidewall on your tires, you'll see max inflation is WAY less than 70psi (40 maybe?). It sounds like you're riding around on a problem looking for a place to happen. If you don't like the fat tires (I didn't care for them either) check out the potential to go with a 3" width. Much better. And put some Slime in them! It's cheap, it's easy, and it works! And yes, it works fine at 70psi. I learned about it wile riding a 700C bike....got sick of weekly pressure checks, a problem completely eliminated. I can now go months....

I've never seen a RAD with a front derailleur. Not clear how you managed to bend/brake 2 of them.

Front derailleurs are pretty simple and bullet proof, but maybe there was a problem with the shifter or cable. Non-technical people can misstate what the actual problem is/was. The frustrating thing about this thread to me is the implication from the title of the thread that the manufacturer is somehow responsible for flat tires and service backlogs at the local bike shop.

 

[Gordon71]

I think if you look at the sidewall on your tires, you'll see max inflation is WAY less than 70psi (40 maybe?). It sounds like you're riding around on a problem looking for a place to happen. If you don't like the fat tires (I didn't care for them either) check out the potential to go with a 3" width. Much better. And put some Slime in them! It's cheap, it's easy, and it works! And yes, it works fine at 70psi. I learned about it wile riding a 700C bike....got sick of weekly pressure checks, a problem completely eliminated. I can now go months....

I've never seen a RAD with a front derailleur. Not clear how you managed to bend/brake 2 of them.

Stock Rad Rover tires have a minimum tire pressure of 5PSI and a Max of 30PSI. Rad recommends 20PSI which is what I use. Had one flat at around 600 miles in the rear. Added a liner and new tube to the rear and slimed both tires and haven't so much as lost a single PSI since. 2400 miles on the bike. Other than cleaning and lubing the chain regularly,periodic brake adjustments when needed,and new brake pads at around 2000 miles I've not needed to do anything to it. Oh,the headlight did fail early on and Rad sent me a new one.

 

[JohnJohn]

I can only ride about half the year because of snow but I put on about 6000 clicks of city riding each year in that half year. Rad bike has never been in the shop.

 

[rawlus]

So, About this time last year I ordered my RadPower (4?) ... I'm not a cycle guru by any means, I just ride. Being older now, out of shape, and disdainful of the local traffic betwixt myself and the office, I wanted something that'd get me there without arriving as a geyser of sweat and get my exercise on the way home. I mean, it's kinda worked, having lost 25lb so far... but still. I've had two flats (both in the back) and a pretty nasty squeak develop so far, and it's been maintained by one outfit or another four times already. And it already feels like it needs another tune up after just a couple uses.

Kinda scared to even take it out anymore (presently, it's out of commission again, and haven't heard back from any local repair places yet (being a holiday weekend, of course.))

Has anyone else had this much trouble? Is there a not-absurdly-expensive alternative out there? (I see a 2500-or-so trek that I could probably swing if I tighten a belt or two, and the most reliable high I've ever had was a trek, so ... maybe?)

In the meantime, I should research how I might get this rear tire back up to snuff on my own. Last time I had to wait a month for an appointment.

a pretty complete set of bike tools can be had on a budget…. $50-100 for the core stuff.

as was mentioned before, flat fixes and tire changes is something the owner is usually expected to prepare for and handle.

likewise basic maintenance like adjusting brakes (squeaking), and maintaining cable effectiveness (usually tightening or adjusting) for shifters/deurailler and brakes.

the downside of fat tires, as you’ve found out is that they have a significantly larger contact patch than traditional tires and with that comes a much higher possibility of flat…. most will either carry and be prepared to patch and refill tires anywhere it might happen, or spend quite a bit more than a patch kit to upgrade tires and tubes with puncture protect layers, tannus armor, filling tubes with slime, flatout or similar product to ooze into small punctures and seal them.

youtube is loaded with basic guides on adjusting disc brakes, adjusting shifters, removing/washing/replacing chain…. while i know it’s not something everyone gets a lot of satisfaction out of (some do, some don’t), being able to do the basic maintenance and ongoing adjustments yourself is pretty freeing, way less expensive, less wait and the sense of self accomplishment that you’re capable of overcoming adversity and thriving if not merely surviving.

 

[mjeds]

Carry where? I'm curious.

Rear Topeak cargo rack pack. Adds about 4lbs with the tools and tube, but I carry 30lbs of work crap anyway.

 

[mjeds]

You don't say heh.

Glad to hear it. This one's had three flats and two front derailleur replacements so far, plus some work on the rear tire rim after the first flat (dunno about the current 3rd flat yet). In just 400 miles. Could be extraordinary bad luck or a lemon, perhaps. The flats, though... shaking my fist at all the construction going on around here. I can't avoid it and get to the office, and they're not holding up their end on keeping shrapnel out of the road and off the sidewalks, I can say that.

Yeah that sucks. I use Apple Maps in bike mode to route me on mostly bike only paths. Been lucky, It I get the flats as well. First one I had no tools and no spare, had to sit on the side of the road for 2 hours waiting for my wife to bring me a spare tube and all the tools needed. After that I just decided to carry it with me.

 

[m@Robertson]

How does flat out work in higher psi's? thats been the problem I run my tires at 70 psi. most of what I see is at a lower psi.

I am using it in my 65 psi Marathon 2.0 tires. As you can imagine... I still haven't flatted . The FlatOut is an only-remotely-likely backup with tires like that.

I did *hear* a flat and a seal on my front Super Moto X on the same bike. Those are 40 psi. I got the PfissPfissPfiss sound but by the time I stopped and got over to it with pliers in hand, it had sealed, and the tire only had a slightly damp spot on it. Whatever it was didn't stick into the tire so nothing to pull out and I continued on.

This would be a worthwhile question to ask FlatOut themselves. I called them up to verify this stuff was usable in bikes at all (I had heard a lot from people who had tried it but the label doesn't say 'bicycle' anywhere). They piped me right into the product manager's office for the Sportsman formula and he was very generous with his time, explaining to me how they had tested it and answered my questions. Since FlatOut has several formulae, and they vary chiefly in their viscosity, maybe a different formula (lower viscosity?) would work better for higher psi? I know a different formula is regularly available at Home Depot and its geared more towards motorcycle and ATV tires.

 

[Luto]

I had a niece who got flats in cars about every 2 months, ON NEW TIRES! I was visiting her, and took a short ride with her and found out why she was getting so many flats. She would not hesitate to drive and track the tires through the debris zone on the side of the road. It was as if she was trying to run over as much debris as possible. Very oblivious.

When bike riding, I pay attention to the debris zone, swerve to avoid ALL debris, or even running over anything that looks suspect. I don't get flats until the tire is near worn through.

 

[pawtoki]

As was mentioned, flat tires happen. You can't avoid that reality but you can put it off or almost completely eliminate it.

If you have a fat tire bike (I am guessing you have a RadMini v4?) , then belted tires like a Schwalbe Marathon Plus - which on its own is effectively flat-free - is not an option due to the weight such a tire would come in at. Your flat avoidance strategy has to be multi-pronged in other areas as a result.

1. Buy a heavier tire with a thicker casing. Downhill tires have lower 'tpi' counts due to their need to take a beating. Fancy tires are 120 tpi. Average/meh tires are 60 tpi. You want the 30 tpi count if you can get it as those tires are like tank treads. Thats the sort of tire I would have spit on back in my analog cycling days. But for an ebike commuter they are the most durable, and just as grippy as their more supple counterparts.
2. Buy a thicker tube. Again if you have a fat bike, you are out of luck insofar as thornproof tubes are concerned. Best you can hope for is 1mm to 1.5mm thickness. But do look for thicker tubes. I don't have 20" fat wheels so I won't have any suggestions but get out there and look.
3. Use tire sealant. Slime is the crowd favorite for tubed tires. Orange Seal and Stans come from the tubeless crowd. But Slime has been largely unimproved in decades, and Stans/OS are sub-optimal in tubed wheels - their working is hit and miss at best; their water-thin formula may seal the tire hole and leaves the tube to hiss away. Best-of-breed tire sealant now for both tubeless and tubed tires is the Sportsman Formula of FlatOut. Available on Amazon. More details on it are linked below. Its rated for 1/2" punctures which is double that of Slime and it dries into a hard nub rather than staying quasi-liquid and leaving a hole that weeps like a freshly popped zit as Slime does. Slime works but FlatOut works better.

Lastly... learn to fix your own flats. If you do the above, your sealant will actually render this step almost always unnecessary. But back when I only used Slime, I let it slow the leak to a trickle of air, where I only needed to pump the tire back up every week or so, and then I would pick a weekend morning and go in and patch all the slime-mostly-sealed-it holes. Rema Tip Top kits have been the gold standard for decades for a reason: The tube is if anything stronger than it was before the patch. The tube pictured below went to 7 patches before #8 gave it a cut on a seam that could not be repaired. At $20 a pop for a decent 26x5" tube, imagine the cost differential at one tube per hole versus about 10 cents.

(e?)Bike Flat Prevention

As a daily rider for decades, I have some thoughts on this subject. Mostly along the lines of “no flats allowed, ever”.

talesontwowheels.com

Also... in this post-COVID environment, the local bike shop likely has a backlog of repair lasting for weeks. My LBS has devoted half its interior to a roped off area for bikes awaiting service. And they have the space because there are few bikes available for sale presently. Learn to fix things yourself or... sit and wait. A bike you ride on the mean streets of your town is going to need maintenance. Especially a Rad with its mechanical brakes etc.

View attachment 92347

I can't believe the number of patches in that tube, but I do believe it. I've had a significant number of flats. All of mine were on the rim side if the tube, except one. After 5 unexplained flats, I found several burs on the spoke nipples. Grinding those off stopped my flats for the last 1600 miles. I typically replace the tubes after the 2nd flat.

 

[m@Robertson]

I typically replace the tubes after the 2nd flat.

If you are using good cold-vulcanizing patches (Rema has been the standard for decades) then the patch you are applying is actually stronger than the rubber underneath it. No reason to replace until you can no longer patch. As I noted in that post, I kept going until #8 was on a mold seam and a patch wouldn't seal to it properly. If you figure $20 a pop for a fat inner tube like that, I would be out quite a lot of money if I didn't just patch and fuggedaboudit.

Reality nowadays, though, is tech has gotten to the point I don't need to do anything. FlatOut seals to a hard knob on a tube and never dries out inside. It can handle holes up to 1/2" and so far its never failed me, including when used as a tubeless sealant.

 

[mjeds]

I can't believe the number of patches in that tube, but I do believe it. I've had a significant number of flats. All of mine were on the rim side if the tube, except one. After 5 unexplained flats, I found several burs on the spoke nipples. Grinding those off stopped my flats for the last 1600 miles. I typically replace the tubes after the 2nd flat.

I have a tube like that, 8 patches so far.