Radwagon 4 best value bike for short distance + hills with kids?

[overloading]

Situation: moving to a new house about a mile from downtown shops, restaurants, and park. One long gradual hill between our house and that area. Would like a great bike to transport two kids ages 3 and 5 and small packages (picnic, small purchases, etc.). In the Seattle area so being able to handle wet conditions necessary. Would expect to use once a week and bang-for-the-buck is a key aim. Focus is on getting the job done safely and reasonably comfortably.

Current plan is to go with Radwagon 4. I've read a number of threads of folks with similar needs though interested if anything new has hit the market recently that could be an even better option. Thanks in advance for input from all you experts!

 

[Dewey]

Yay, riding with your kids is great fun for everyone. Just curious what is your budget?

 

[overloading]

Target budget would be $2 to $2.5K though can flex up from there if good reason to do so.

 

[indianajo]

Rad is a great brand for people that don't ride very far or very often. Check the known problems thread under brands. The rad doesn't come with spoke guards that prevent pinches of straying fingers.
I've got a yuba cargo bike, shown left, and after 4 years & 8000 miles I've adjusted a shifter stop once. No shifter cables adjusted. I only adjust brake cables when I change motors & the brake rotor moves. The motor was added by me & cost a whole $221. I don't adjust spokes, or straighten the rim. Yuba costs more than rad for a reason. Real steel & aluminum cables, wheels, spokes. My Yuba came with spoke guards and rear footrests.
I've had normal wear items. Brake pads, 6000 miles. Chain, 5000 miles. tires about 2000 miles each. I broke a front fender with my foot. I adjust the front brake pad on the cable pull brakes about every 6 months or 1000 miles. Takes < 5 minutes.
Look at the yuba spiceycurry. www.yubabikes.com Having a 26" tire in the front jars the pedaler less if you hit a pothole. 20" tire in the back helps you load kids without it falling over. Be sure to buy a 2 legged stand.
If your kids tend to run away, squirm a lot, or misbehave, look at the front loading yuba supercargo. Kids in front can be supervised better. Costs a lot more due to chain drive steering. Center of gravity is lower, easier to load.
Look at the Blix Packa. It has 24" tires, a little bigger than the 22" on Radwagon 4. 24" tires don't have to be ordered from the internet. It has zero known problems on the known problem thread under the brand.
Don't take any geared hubmotor bike up a 1000' rise in an hour. It will burn the motor. I cross 80 hills of up to 80' rise in my 30 mile commute, and have no heat problems with my geared hub motor. You do have the Sierras in California. Don't climb them with a geared hubmotor bike like radwagon4, or blix packa.

 

[Dewey]

In addition to the RadWagon you might also like to look at the Eunorau Max, Blix Packa, Magnum Payload, or as @indianajo suggested you could convert a Yuba Kombi

 

[WattsUpDude]

Target budget would be $2 to $2.5K though can flex up from there if good reason to do so.

For that budget, I'd personally take a good look at the Eunorau G20. It has a middrive that will help with those hills in a much more efficient way than a hub motor.

 

[overloading]

For that budget, I'd personally take a good look at the Eunorau G20. It has a middrive that will help with those hills in a much more efficient way than a hub motor.

Thanks very helpful! Eunorau G20 and Eunorau Max look like solid options! Any disadvantages of those vs. Radwagon 4? And any big differences between the two Eunorau models?

 

[overloading]

Rad is a great brand for people that don't ride very far or very often. Check the known problems thread under brands. The rad doesn't come with spoke guards that prevent pinches of straying fingers.
I've got a yuba cargo bike, shown left, and after 4 years & 8000 miles I've adjusted a shifter stop once. No shifter cables adjusted. I only adjust brake cables when I change motors & the brake rotor moves. The motor was added by me & cost a whole $221. I don't adjust spokes, or straighten the rim. Yuba costs more than rad for a reason. Real steel & aluminum cables, wheels, spokes. My Yuba came with spoke guards and rear footrests.
I've had normal wear items. Brake pads, 6000 miles. Chain, 5000 miles. tires about 2000 miles each. I broke a front fender with my foot. I adjust the front brake pad on the cable pull brakes about every 6 months or 1000 miles. Takes < 5 minutes.
Look at the yuba spiceycurry. www.yubabikes.com Having a 26" tire in the front jars the pedaler less if you hit a pothole. 20" tire in the back helps you load kids without it falling over. Be sure to buy a 2 legged stand.
If your kids tend to run away, squirm a lot, or misbehave, look at the front loading yuba supercargo. Kids in front can be supervised better. Costs a lot more due to chain drive steering. Center of gravity is lower, easier to load.
Look at the Blix Packa. It has 24" tires, a little bigger than the 22" on Radwagon 4. 24" tires don't have to be ordered from the internet. It has zero known problems on the known problem thread under the brand.
Don't take any geared hubmotor bike up a 1000' rise in an hour. It will burn the motor. I cross 80 hills of up to 80' rise in my 30 mile commute, and have no heat problems with my geared hub motor. You do have the Sierras in California. Don't climb them with a geared hubmotor bike like radwagon4, or blix packa.

Yuba is going to be a bit more than I'm willing to spend, the Blix Packa looks great though. If I understand correctly the reason to go for this over Radwagon 4 is less reported problems and bigger tires which makes for a smoother ride?

 

[JRA]

Kind of hard to beat the service you would get with the Rad's HQ being right there in Ballard.

 

[Dewey]

Thanks very helpful! Eunorau G20 and Eunorau Max look like solid options! Any disadvantages of those vs. Radwagon 4? And any big differences between the two Eunorau models?

The Eunorau Max uses a gearless direct drive hub motor, while the G20 uses a geared mid-drive motor. Because you live in a hilly city I agree with @WattsUpDude recommendation of getting the G20 model over the Max.

 

[overloading]

The Eunorau Max uses a gearless direct drive hub motor, while the G20 uses a geared mid-drive motor. Because you live in a hilly city I agree with @WattsUpDude recommendation of getting the G20 model over the Max.

Thanks. I'm now trying to decide between G20 and Blix Packa. Believe the G20 is a mid-drive motor whereas Packa is a hub. Sounds like that makes a big difference for hills with a bit over 200 lbs?

 

[indianajo]

If your hills are taller than 1000'. You were planning to climb Mr. Vaca 2819 feet? If not, you don't need the mid-drive.
Dewey's right, DD (direct drive) hub motors burn up too many watthours (battery) climbing slowly up hills. Geared hub motors are fine on hills as long as you're up & down, carrying momentum from the down to the next up the way I do. I cross 80 hills in 30 miles twice weekly, with 160 lb me & 60-80 lb groceries or ag supplies on the uphill leg.
Every time you hit a pothole in a 20" tire bike like a Euronau, you'll regret it.

 

[Dewey]

trying to decide between G20 and Blix Packa.

I would still consider the RadWagon and price up the three with family accessories like running boards or foot pegs, a front basket, rack cushions, a child seat for your 3 year old, something for them to hold onto, helmets, etc. Then add the cost of shipping and assembly and see which models come in under your budget - this speaks to @JRA point about the benefit of being able to pick up a fully assembled RadWagon from the store in Ballard

 

[AHicks]

I'm a big fan of RAD, but especially when loaded down like you are discussing, I would NOT go with a Rad Wagon 4. There's a very good reason the RAD Wagon 5 no longer uses a direct drive hub like the 4 uses. Geared hub drives (like the one used in the 5) are MUCH more powerful, which is the reason the latest Wagon has gone that way. Hills of any significance only amplify the situation.

 

[overloading]

So appreciative of all the insight here. Big decision and there's a lot to learn / a lot of nuance. I didn't even realize there was a Radwagon 5. Is that available now or coming soon? Could certainly wait another month or so if it's a big step up. Reddit posts suggest that Radwagon 5 not coming anytime soon?

Takeaways so far: (1) Definitely need a geared hub drive vs. direct drive hub, (2) Mid-drive is a nice-to-have but not necessary, (3) 24" or larger tires in the front will make for a lot better ride.

 

[overloading]

https://www.reddit.com/r/RadPowerBikes/comments/rpqrkc

 

[AHicks]

My bad!!!! I was thinking of the 'City. The latest version of the 'City is a 5.

The RadWagon 4 IS the bike with a geared hub! So Sorry!

RadWagon™ 5 Electric Cargo Bike

Rad's updated cargo bike provides better handling, advanced safety features, and more carrying capacity than ever before. Upgraded features include front suspension, hydraulic brakes, torque sensor and class 1-3 capabilities. Plus the electrical system and Safe Shield™ battery are both UL Listed.

www.radpowerbikes.com

 

[Dewey]

My bad!!!! I was thinking of the 'City. The latest version of the 'City is a 5.

The RadWagon 4 IS the bike with a geared hub! So Sorry!

I thought that might have been a mistake, the RadPower model numbering is confusing

 

[Dewey]

Takeaways so far: (3) 24" or larger tires in the front will make for a lot better ride.

Re: Takeaway 3, I wouldn't rule out the 22" wheels on the Radwagon or 24" wheels on the Eunorau G20 or Blix Packa models without taking a test ride. Smaller wheel size helps lower the bike which is helpful when carrying child passengers on the back. You may have seen how some more expensive longtail cargo models from Yuba and Xtracycle etc have a smaller 20" wheel on the back and a larger 26" wheel on the front for this reason and because as @indianajo mentioned the larger front wheel can cope better with uneven pavement. I think any of these models would provide easier handling when loaded with two children than earlier longtail designs with larger wheels.

 

[Bicyclista]

@overloading, my daughter has a Radwagon 4 and she likes it a lot. She uses it every day to take my granddaughter, 2 years old, to daycare. Like you, she lives in Seattle and she chose the Radwagon because the company is based in Seattle. That said, she still had to wait a few days when she needed service because there was such a backlog due to the pandemic.

I'm afraid that my personal experience with cargo bikes is with bikes above your budget. I bought a Tern HSD for my girlfriend, and she is in love with it. Hopefully, she loves me more, but I'm not sure. The 20-inch wheels suit her fine because she is a short person and the lower height makes loading it much easier. She quickly got used to the peculiar ride quality 20-inch wheels provide and loves their acceleration. The front suspension mitigates the small wheel size, as does the suspension seatpost. I found that the Bosch Perfomance Line motor that comes with it is a bit wimpy compared to my old Yamaha PW motor on my Haibike, which is very strong and provides instant torque. I recently had all the bearings and drive gears on my Yamaha motor replaced even though at 15,000 miles, nothing was wrong with it. I like to do preventive maintenance.

I'm about to take delivery of a Yuba Spicy Curry AT (all terrain) cargo ebike. It has front suspension, seat post suspension, and off-road wheels and tires. I am hoping that its Bosch Cargo Line motor is stronger than the Bosch Performance Line (the under-Performance Line!), and by all reports it is. It features a mullet configuration, i.e. a 26-inch wheel in front and a 20-inch wheel in back, the benefits being what others have pointed out. I am getting it with two batteries, both installed in the frame, wired, and capable of automatically switching from one to the other. (I carry two batteries with my Haibike but I have to physically exchange them to switch from one to the other.) It is rated for a 400-lb load, though I doubt I would ever carry that much. But things could change because this bike could really substitute for a car.