Rec'd Rad Rover 6 today - BIG

[murbot]

Rode 2.6 miles and it feels like riding a WWII motorcycle. I enjoy it and it's a lot of fun, but it's more difficult than I want\need for riding with wife and kids. It was a breeze to assemble, and I have smiled every moment I've rode, but it's flipping HUGE!!

I'll return it. I'm thinking the size and options of a Rad Mini will suit my needs better. Not a fan of the folding bikes, but I'm an injured 48 yr old mountain biker with post surgery scarring that means a lot of pain later if I pedal too much.

Any suggestions for something similar to the RadMini?

Need a soft ride
750W, but 500 would do.
Front suspension
3" tires

Thanks !!

 

[AHicks]

Agree on the fatty bikes being HUGE. I didn't buy a RAD, but wasn't happy with the giant look and heavy handling of the one I bought either. Consider it an expensive lesson.

Wondering if you have checked out the newest RAD City with geared hub drive and hydraulic brakes?

Regarding ride, something I've run across is Schwalbe's balloon type tires. The Super Moto-X 27.5"x2.4" in particular. They remind of the old fashioned balloon tires we had back in the 50's and 60's from an appearance standpoint. Ride is just cazy, and even with that the rolling resistance, or more particularly the lack of rolling resistance, needs to be seen to be believed.

Another that comes to mind is the Espin Sport, currently on sale for 1129. Yes, that's 1129. Not a misprint.

Sport

FREE shipping on ebikes to the lower 48! 2-3 weeks delivery time Style, performance, and high-powered excitement. Does an aggressive riding style get you going? Then the Sport is for you. Its mountain bike inspired frame is perfect for your literally energized outing. Take those hills like...

www.espinbikes.com

I recently bought one of these as a project bike for nearly 1700 and then spent another 500 on it making it MY way! Nice solid bones so I added the tires mentioned above, seat and suspension seat post, hyd. front forks, handlebars and riser for an upright ride, and even an aftermarket controller and display (KT-22a w/LCD-3 display) cuz they've spoiled me on previous bikes. Awesome city bike that works fine on occsional trails.....

 

[Gordon71]

"I have smiled every moment I've rode," Then what's the problem????

 

[WattsUpDude]

Rode 2.6 miles and it feels like riding a WWII motorcycle. I enjoy it and it's a lot of fun, but it's more difficult than I want\need for riding with wife and kids. It was a breeze to assemble, and I have smiled every moment I've rode, but it's flipping HUGE!!

I'll return it. I'm thinking the size and options of a Rad Mini will suit my needs better. Not a fan of the folding bikes, but I'm an injured 48 yr old mountain biker with post surgery scarring that means a lot of pain later if I pedal too much.

Any suggestions for something similar to the RadMini?

Need a soft ride
750W, but 500 would do.
Front suspension
3" tires

Thanks !!

One is 73 pounds, one is 67 pounds. Both are very heavy in my opinion. Is it the dimensions alone that you don’t like or is weight a factor, too?

 

[Cstefan]

Another that comes to mind is the Espin Sport, currently on sale for 1129. Yes, that's 1129. Not a misprint.

I have the Sport and It is a great bike. I will say it is fairly large. I have a 32 inch inseam and the bike feels “big” to me when mounting, stopping, or standing over the top tube. The Flow is a better option for most (even if it is $500 more). That said the Sport is only 55 lbs which is on the light side for an inexpensive ebike.

I plan on tricking mine out over time: Schwalbe super Moto-X, Brooks saddle, suspension seat post, Look platform pedals, riser/albatross bars, etc. Possibly eventually a torque sensing bottom bracket and a controller that supports such.

BTW I’d recommend having someone who knows what they are doing check the spoke tension and adjust accordingly with any direct to consumer bike including Espin models. Most shops will do assembly for a fee which should include checking spoke tension.

 

[murbot]

One is 73 pounds, one is 67 pounds. Both are very heavy in my opinion. Is it the dimensions alone that you don’t like or is weight a factor, too?

I know they're all close the same weight, but maneuvering the RR6 while on or off of it is more trouble than it's worth given the trails and locations I'll be riding. If I lived near the beach, had a good place to ride in the snow or had miles of trails near my house, I'd keep it. I didn't expect it to take up as much space all around or be as unwieldy as it is. Hard to fit it in the truck after loading 3 other bikes, chairs, hooking a trailer etc. It's a lot of fun to run up and down my street, but there's no good place within safe riding distance. Not investing in another rack or ramp (for a bicycle) and don't have a receiver on the back of the trailer. The RR6 would be a PITA to squeeze through the trailer doors. I have a full size pickup and a smaller bike, close the same weight would be easier to load\unload. I would feel ridiculous riding something as big the RR6 at a lot of the campgrounds we go to. I'll never talk our camping buddies into something that size. I just didn't want to disparage the RR6. If you have a good place to use it, it's a great bike.

Assembling the RR6 was simple (2hrs taking time). Packing up was about the same. Saved every piece and used a razor to undo the zip ties so I could reuse them. It's packed in the box again and the new pics look the same as when it arrived.

I'll head back up to the local shops and check out some different size options again before trying.

 

[mschwett]

"I have smiled every moment I've rode," Then what's the problem????

because he wanted a bike, not a low-power motorcycle!

 

[murbot]

because he wanted a bike, not a low-power motorcycle!

That puts it far more succinctly than I did. Thank you

I've decided on the Rad Mini 4. Would have picked it the first time if they didn't intentionally mislead me by calling it a "Mini".

Was stuck between the Espin Sport, the Lectric xp 2.0 and the Rad Mini 4.
The Espin ($1129 on sale), looks great and has what I need... except it's large and won't be a smooth enough ride (to help alleviate the bounce and grind from my injury). If I didn't need a super-smooth ride, I might get past the size. It would be similar to the RR6, but capable of turning far easier with the slimmer tires.

The Lectric XP 2.0 ($950 on sale) was a close call, but the multi company copies and overall quality concerns me. If I was getting 2 at the same time, I might go with Lectric.

The Rad Mini 4 ($1300 not on sale) has better overall quality on the frame and components. Stronger (maybe not better) motor. Better battery. Better customer service ratings.