Radrunner Plus vs. Priority Current

[Kenf]

I'm a first time Ebike shopper. I need a bike for a 3-5 miles of commute on both side of a mass transit commute with some stretches where there is no reason not to flat out go as fast as possible (no real traffic or stopping for any reason). A little bit of hills, but nothing too much. Battery range shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm a fairly standard sized human being, if that makes any difference.

I have a few models on my short list (Juiced CCX I guess is also in the running), but the two I keep coming back to are the Radrunner Plus (once it's available) or the Priority Current. The major difference from my perspective on these two is throttle and suspension. The Radrunner has both, and the Priority has neither. But the Priority does seem to have other aspects that, as a current non Ebike owner, look hugely beneficial. Radrunner is also significantly cheaper (even with the current costco deal on the Priority), so I don't want to pay for upgrades that I don't really need.

I don't want to end up paralyzed!

 

[WattsUpDude]

Torque sensor vs cadence sensor is also an important factor in the riding feel of a bike. I’d choose the Priority personally.

 

[Achterbahn]

If you haven't seen yet, here's a discussion thread on similar bikes. Maybe it will help.

Sub $3000 Leisure/Commuter Bike For Hilly Area [Final Choice: Priority Current]

Hi folks, Holiday season is upon us, which also means decision season. I have been admiring e-bikes for years and feel it is finally the time for me to get one of my own. However, the amount of different companies, models, feature sets and price-points has been honestly overwhelming. My goal...

electricbikereview.com

 

[BarryS]

I'm a first time Ebike shopper. I need a bike for a 3-5 miles of commute on both side of a mass transit commute with some stretches where there is no reason not to flat out go as fast as possible (no real traffic or stopping for any reason). A little bit of hills, but nothing too much. Battery range shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm a fairly standard sized human being, if that makes any difference.

I have a few models on my short list (Juiced CCX I guess is also in the running), but the two I keep coming back to are the Radrunner Plus (once it's available) or the Priority Current. The major difference from my perspective on these two is throttle and suspension. The Radrunner has both, and the Priority has neither. But the Priority does seem to have other aspects that, as a current non Ebike owner, look hugely beneficial. Radrunner is also significantly cheaper (even with the current costco deal on the Priority), so I don't want to pay for upgrades that I don't really need.

I don't want to end up paralyzed!

for that kinda money why not a trek Alliant or a COMO

 

[Kenf]

If you haven't seen yet, here's a discussion thread on similar bikes. Maybe it will help.

Sub $3000 Leisure/Commuter Bike For Hilly Area [Final Choice: Priority Current]

Hi folks, Holiday season is upon us, which also means decision season. I have been admiring e-bikes for years and feel it is finally the time for me to get one of my own. However, the amount of different companies, models, feature sets and price-points has been honestly overwhelming. My goal...

electricbikereview.com

Thanks. I had read through your whole thread with great interest! It's what introduced me to the Priority in the first place, actually. Do you miss not having a throttle and/or suspension on it? That's the two benefits of the Radrunner Plus that I think I like (but don't know that I like having no background here!).

 

[Kenf]

for that kinda money why not a trek Alliant or a COMO

That's another step up in price; the Current is currently (pun not intended) available through Costco for 2600 which has already creeped out of the price range I started in.

 

[BarryS]

That's another step up in price; the Current is currently (pun not intended) available through Costco for 2600 which has already creeped out of the price range I started in.

My mistake I thought I saw 3200 .

 

[Achterbahn]

My mistake I thought I saw 3200 .

You saw right. However, Priority is one of those companies that advertise a high MSRP but is always running big 'sales'. This bike has costed $2700 for most of its existence so far.

Thanks. I had read through your whole thread with great interest! It's what introduced me to the Priority in the first place, actually. Do you miss not having a throttle and/or suspension on it? That's the two benefits of the Radrunner Plus that I think I like (but don't know that I like having no background here!).

So, I got the Current, but I haven't received it yet. At my request, of course, because I am traveling, so I can't really help. I have talked to a bunch of owners here on the forum and elsewhere, though. The anecdotal consensus I've heard is:

• Most people do not miss suspension for city riding. A suspension seatpost is a common addition and isn't that expensive.
• People are divided on throttle. Usually, people who are used to throttle enabled bikes miss it more, especially if you're stopped halfway up a hill and need the extra help to take off. However, a lot of these higher end mid drive bikes (read Trek, Specialized, Giant) are meant to ride more like regular bikes than 'scooters' and don't have throttle. I personally have ridden non-throttle bikes so far, and they're fine for me.

I'm not trying to sell you on the bike. I bought one and I'm not 100% myself. I just wanted to leave you with two pieces of info. First, the Priority has a 2 year warranty, which is cool, and the folks at Priority are absolutely fantastic. They are really proud of their customer service and are amazing. Second, there's a fb group for owners of Priority bikes, which will be an easy way for you to find folks with the Current and ask some of those more specific questions.

 

[Deacon Blues]

If it was me I'd pay more for the Priority Current. Having a belt drive and a front through axle is nice, as is the hydraulic brake kit. I couldn't find out if the Radrunner's brakes were mechanical or hydraulic.

 

[Kenf]

You saw right. However, Priority is one of those companies that advertise a high MSRP but is always running big 'sales'. This bike has costed $2700 for most of its existence so far.

So, I got the Current, but I haven't received it yet. At my request, of course, because I am traveling, so I can't really help. I have talked to a bunch of owners here on the forum and elsewhere, though. The anecdotal consensus I've heard is:

• Most people do not miss suspension for city riding. A suspension seatpost is a common addition and isn't that expensive.
• People are divided on throttle. Usually, people who are used to throttle enabled bikes miss it more, especially if you're stopped halfway up a hill and need the extra help to take off. However, a lot of these higher end mid drive bikes (read Trek, Specialized, Giant) are meant to ride more like regular bikes than 'scooters' and don't have throttle. I personally have ridden non-throttle bikes so far, and they're fine for me.

I'm not trying to sell you on the bike. I bought one and I'm not 100% myself. I just wanted to leave you with two pieces of info. First, the Priority has a 2 year warranty, which is cool, and the folks at Priority are absolutely fantastic. They are really proud of their customer service and are amazing. Second, there's a fb group for owners of Priority bikes, which will be an easy way for you to find folks with the Current and ask some of those more specific questions.

I appreciate the insight. You're the reason I ended up with this one on my short list in the first place!

 

[Kenf]

If it was me I'd pay more for the Priority Current. Having a belt drive and a front through axle is nice, as is the hydraulic brake kit. I couldn't find out if the Radrunner's brakes were mechanical or hydraulic.

It's mechanical brakes on the RR+. I'm not taking price into account here, despite the higher price tag on the Current (2600 vs 1700 for the RR+). Just want to understand the features that I need vs the ones that I just think I need and then determine if the price difference matters to me.

The throttle is one that I think might matter to me. I'm sure there are times after work where I won't want to pedal at all, and just want to zoom over to catch my train!

 

[Achterbahn]

It's mechanical brakes on the RR+. I'm not taking price into account here, despite the higher price tag on the Current (2600 vs 1700 for the RR+). Just want to understand the features that I need vs the ones that I just think I need and then determine if the price difference matters to me.

The throttle is one that I think might matter to me. I'm sure there are times after work where I won't want to pedal at all, and just want to zoom over to catch my train!

I think you'll have to be more explicit about the remaining criteria that you care about. You're considering two completely different bikes, with different sets of features and very distinct pricepoints.The CCX can be purchased for $1900 - it can reach up to 33mph, has a throttle and suspension. It doesn't have as nice components are the Current, but it will be cheaper and faster. I discarded it because it's heavy (and I need to keep it inside the apartment), and has a more aggressive riding position than I wanted (but it's meant for speed). It might work for you, however.

 

[Kenf]

I think you'll have to be more explicit about the remaining criteria that you care about. You're considering two completely different bikes, with different sets of features and very distinct pricepoints.The CCX can be purchased for $1900 - it can reach up to 33mph, has a throttle and suspension. It doesn't have as nice components are the Current, but it will be cheaper and faster. I discarded it because it's heavy (and I need to keep it inside the apartment), and has a more aggressive riding position than I wanted (but it's meant for speed). It might work for you, however.

I've pushed the CCX down the list for the same reason. I want to ride comfortably, and I'm willing to give up the extra few MPH for that. Not sure I want to go 33 MPH on a bike anyway!

The Current (52 lbs) is significantly lighter than the RR+ (74 lbs) or CCX (65 lbs), which is good for the parts of my commute where I may need to go up/down stairs a bit with it though none of them is exactly light weight. I'm able bodied, so I can handle the heavier bikes, but it's definitely a mark in favor of the Current.

Being able to have a passenger (RR+) is a bonus, but not really a huge one. I like the look of the RR+ better than the Current, to be honest, but again, not a huge bonus.

I want an agile bike that I can commute with comfortably that I look forward to riding. And, on weekends, when I need to pick up a few things at the store, or go get the family take out, I want to think, "Hey, I get to ride my bike there to get them!" and then look at how annoying it can be to park a car and realize I made the right choice. I'm definitely going to slap some baskets on it somewhere for these purposes.

I don't think I'd go wrong either way, but I want to hear experiences. I'm trying to get a feel for the cadence on the Current at higher speeds, which is a concern due to the lack of a throttle. Looks like they only have the Shimano gearing now. But at 28MPH am I going to be pedaling furiously?

(I'm leaning toward the Current, but that changes frequently!)

 

[Achterbahn]

I've pushed the CCX down the list for the same reason. I want to ride comfortably, and I'm willing to give up the extra few MPH for that. Not sure I want to go 33 MPH on a bike anyway!

The Current (52 lbs) is significantly lighter than the RR+ (74 lbs) or CCX (65 lbs), which is good for the parts of my commute where I may need to go up/down stairs a bit with it though none of them is exactly light weight. I'm able bodied, so I can handle the heavier bikes, but it's definitely a mark in favor of the Current.

Being able to have a passenger (RR+) is a bonus, but not really a huge one. I like the look of the RR+ better than the Current, to be honest, but again, not a huge bonus.

I want an agile bike that I can commute with comfortably that I look forward to riding. And, on weekends, when I need to pick up a few things at the store, or go get the family take out, I want to think, "Hey, I get to ride my bike there to get them!" and then look at how annoying it can be to park a car and realize I made the right choice. I'm definitely going to slap some baskets on it somewhere for these purposes.

I don't think I'd go wrong either way, but I want to hear experiences. I'm trying to get a feel for the cadence on the Current at higher speeds, which is a concern due to the lack of a throttle. Looks like they only have the Shimano gearing now. But at 28MPH am I going to be pedaling furiously?

(I'm leaning toward the Current, but that changes frequently!)

Got it. I won't be one to add more bikes to your list, but I'm sure there are others that might satisfy your criteria at lower price points than the Current.

Regarding cadence, unfortunately yes. You can expect around 90rpm on the Enviolo Current and 100 rpm on the Shimano Current. You can see what these numbers look like easily on YouTube. Long story short, Current is not a good bike to maintain 28mph. 24? Sure. 28? No. This is a consequence/drawback of being a belt drive bike. The IGHs have limited range, so you have to sacrifice either higher gears or lower gears. The Current tries to stay in the middle, so it's not exceptional for high speeds and not exceptional for steep hills.

 

[MFL]

I bought a Current Priority (Costco $2599) with the Shimano hub a month ago and I love it!! The after sales service is fantastic. It runs out of gearing at 30mph but that plenty fast enough for me. My last bike was bought 2nd hand for $10, 45 years ago, so my knowledge of bikes is a bit limited!!

 

[Kenf]

Yeah, I didn't have any intention of going over 30, but are you pedaling unreasonably fast at that speed?

 

[MFL]

Yeah, I didn't have any intention of going over 30, but are you pedaling unreasonably fast at that speed?

I was pedaling pretty fast that's for sure but as you suggest I wouldn't want to go any faster anyway..

 

[Achterbahn]

I thought I wanted a class 3 but riding it daily for a week I can never reach 28mph for more than a few seconds. Not a bike limitation, although you need to pedal fast, it's not uncomfortable, if you're used to a regular bike. However, the city traffic, even in parks where you have children, dogs, makes it hard to safely sustain that speed. Also, I noticed that at PAS 5, 28mph, the battery drains incredibly fast. I doubt I'd get anywhere close to 30 miles if I rode it at 28mph PAS 5 most of the time.

 

[Kenf]

I finally pulled the trigger and ordered the Current, but was unfortunately a few days late (was waiting to see if I was actually going to need it for a commute) and will now have to wait a few months. Thanks to everyone for the advice. Hope everyone is still happy with it!

 

[Achterbahn]

I finally pulled the trigger and ordered the Current, but was unfortunately a few days late (was waiting to see if I was actually going to need it for a commute) and will now have to wait a few months. Thanks to everyone for the advice. Hope everyone is still happy with it!

Welcome to the club! I am still very happy with mine. If you haven't seen and still are interested, you can read thorough my thread here. I recommend starting from the post I liked and reading through the end, as my opinion matures the more I get to ride the bike. Also, the more I rode it, the more I liked it!