Radrover Guidance for shorter riders...

[mrgold35]

I can't remember the name of the owner of Rad Power Bike rental in Newport Beach; but, it was on Balboa Island at SportRents LLC. I think it was his son that took us out and around the whole area. Using Rad Power Bikes was the absolute best way to avoid the traffic, handle the hills, see the hidden hotspots local like to go, and get the low down on all the good non-tourist places to hang out (beaches, trails, attractions, restaurants, etc...). I now look for either a (e)bike or segway tours the first day when I travel to a new location for vacation.

I placed our order for the Rad City Step Thru once we got back home on vacation.

 

[ExPatBrit]

Yes, these look a lot like a water bottle. 3.04 pounds. Range depends on how they are ridden. I know that that is not very satisfying for an answer, so I will give a couple of examples.
We do group rides on Thursdays. Last week we only had three bikes, see photo. A Sondors, a Specialized Vado 5.0 and one of my bikes with a small battery in a water bottle cage. After 26 miles of hills the Sondors was on its last bar. The Vado which has five-bars was down by two. The bike I rode with four-bars was bilinking between 3 and 4 under heavy load but showed 4-bars while stopped. I have done 48-miles on one mini battery using power levels 1 & 2 with some hills, stops and starts. I have also run them hard up a mountain and depleted one after 22 miles of climbing. Sheading weight make a big difference on range. The bike's physics do not differentiate battery weight from any other weight. All weight is bad. The industry trend is toward light bikes with light motors and and with light batteries. https://fazua.com/en/drive-system/evation/

Bikes do look professionally built.

 

[ExPatBrit]

I can't remember the name of the owner of Rad Power Bike rental in Newport Beach; but, it was on Balboa Island at SportRents LLC. I think it was his son that took us out and around the whole area. Using Rad Power Bikes was the absolute best way to avoid the traffic, handle the hills, see the hidden hotspots local like to go, and get the low down on all the good non-tourist places to hang out (beaches, trails, attractions, restaurants, etc...). I now look for either a (e)bike or segway tours the first day when I travel to a new location for vacation.

I placed our order for the Rad City Step Thru once we got back home on vacation.

My daughter lives in Newport Beach, so we are there multiple times a year (covid excepted ). Same store, Liam was the owner when I was there.

 

[Gordon71]

Gordon71, In California we have some pedestrian bridges over freeways that have tight spiral ramps, making two and one-half rotations in a twelve-foot outer diameter, while going up about twenty-five feet. Electric bikes with thrilling surge and lurch crash on these bridges. E-Bikes that are smooth do not. We are doing a group ride tomorrow with a bunch of different bikes. That is the best way to experience and to celebrate the differences among bikes. My first eBike and second had surge and lurch but at the time I was happy because I didn't know the difference. When the fourth bike had this issue, I got rid of it fast.

I think I understand the concept (maybe). I mean if you pop the clutch and slam down the accelerator on a 70's muscle car it's going to lurch and surge but if you ease it out and accelerate gently it won't or does "lurch and surge" maybe mean something different to you than it means to me?

 

[PedalUma]

I think I understand the concept (maybe). I mean if you pop the clutch and slam down the accelerator on a 70's muscle car it's going to lurch and surge but if you ease it out and accelerate gently it won't or does "lurch and surge" maybe mean something different to you than it means to me?

Many bikes have a slight lag time with Pedal Assist(PAS). You request assistance and your initial request is submitted and estimated and then Delivered. By then you want less power surge but have already requested more with a second request because it was not delivered quickly enough with the first request. Lag, surge, lurch, lag... That is why the crashes on the tight spiral pedestrian overpasses. Also, three wheel magnets on cadence sensor bikes must turn over the pick up before actual cadence can begin to be triangulated. If you ever want to play a trick on a friend with exposed crankshaft magnets, push a couple of them out with needle nose pliers and reverse their polarity. It rides like a bucking bronco.

 

[Gordon71]

Many bikes have a slight lag time with Pedal Assist(PAS). You request assistance and your initial request is submitted and estimated and then Delivered. By then you want less power surge but have already requested more with a second request because it was not delivered quickly enough with the first request. Lag, surge, lurch, lag... That is why the crashes on the tight spiral pedestrian overpasses. Also, three wheel magnets on cadence sensor bikes must turn over the pick up before actual cadence can begin to be triangulated. If you ever want to play a trick on a friend with exposed crankshaft magnets, push a couple of them out with needle nose pliers and reverse their polarity. It rides like a bucking bronco.

OK. I guess I must have chosen a bike that doesn't do that.

 

[calstar]

Beware, Rad Runner stock bars way too high for a short person, a result of the drawbacks of a one size fits all frame. My wife's 5', when sitting on the new bike her arms are straight out from her shoulders, when standing over the bike her shoulders are maybe a bit below the bars. For a small person controlling and balancing a 70lb bike is difficult at best, the ergonomics with the stock bar are just wrong. I replaced the very high rise stock bar with a 3" rise one(alu, $20), much more manageable for her now.

Two issues here:
FIrst is managing the cable as there is a lot of lose flopping cable with the reduced height, it's manageable with zip ties and leaving the front brake cable free from the bundle of cables, the brake cable binds if you don't.

Second is replacing the cone spacer on the fork steerer, the stock stem spacer is to long for a replacement stem to be adequately secured to the steerer, both of the pinch bolts don't cover the steerer. I called Rad asking to buy one of the shorter cone spacers from another model but was told they couldn't sell me one or reccomend a replacement suggesting I go to a local lbs, really, couldn't sell me one of their spacers? Found one on the net for $5, problem solved.

So....if you're short and have trouble managing a Rad runner I suggest you look at replacing the high rise bars, she really loves her bike after this modification.

 

[Linternet1]

Beware, Rad Runner stock bars way too high for a short person, a result of the drawbacks of a one size fits all frame. My wife's 5', when sitting on the new bike her arms are straight out from her shoulders, when standing over the bike her shoulders are maybe a bit below the bars. For a small person controlling and balancing a 70lb bike is difficult at best, the ergonomics with the stock bar are just wrong. I replaced the very high rise stock bar with a 3" rise one(alu, $20), much more manageable for her now.

Two issues here:
FIrst is managing the cable as there is a lot of lose flopping cable with the reduced height, it's manageable with zip ties and leaving the front brake cable free from the bundle of cables, the brake cable binds if you don't.

Second is replacing the cone spacer on the fork steerer, the stock stem spacer is to long for a replacement stem to be adequately secured to the steerer, both of the pinch bolts don't cover the steerer. I called Rad asking to buy one of the shorter cone spacers from another model but was told they couldn't sell me one or reccomend a replacement suggesting I go to a local lbs, really, couldn't sell me one of their spacers? Found one on the net for $5, problem solved.

So....if you're short and have trouble managing a Rad runner I suggest you look at replacing the high rise bars, she really loves her bike after this modification.

 

[Linternet1]

Thank you.. I am leaning towards the city step through as many said that they were happy with it, as a short person.

 

[bottomsup]

I'm 5'7" and 44 y/o. Riding the bike is no problem. It's amazing, fun, etc.. The only time i notice is when i am on the street and have to dismount or straddle the pedals at stop lights. My *junk* is pretty mushed on the top tube. I am used to it and am happy overall, but if i was any shorter it would be a problem. My seat height can be seen in the attached picture.

 

[legsofbeer]

I'm 5'7" and

Can't quite tell from the photo, but have you taken the rizers off the stem under the handlebars? On mine, there are three.

 

[bottomsup]

Can't quite tell from the photo, but have you taken the rizers off the stem under the handlebars? On mine, there are three.

I haven't done anything to the handlebars

 

[mrgold35]

I'm 5'7" and 44 y/o. Riding the bike is no problem. It's amazing, fun, etc.. The only time i notice is when i am on the street and have to dismount or straddle the pedals at stop lights. My *junk* is pretty mushed on the top tube. I am used to it and am happy overall, but if i was any shorter it would be a problem. My seat height can be seen in the attached picture.

I tried the "no nose" bike seat for my wife for her Radrover. It gave her the room to straddle the bike flat footed instead of being pushed half up the down tube because of nose of her Cloud-9 seat. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of selection of no nose seats at the time and this one was a lot smaller and very hard compared to the Cloud-9. It felt like you are sitting on a large roll of duct tape for a seat. This was 4 years ago and they might have more comfortable no nose seats out there.