Iridebikez
Member
I had a RadCity in the past and liked it a lot. At that time, my round-trip commute to and from work was around 15 miles. I never really paid attention to the range between charges, but it always seemed to have plenty. But around the time COVID/lockdown happened, I also moved from a duplex with a garage to a 3rd floor apartment with stairs (and no elevator). Since I was working from home due to lockdown and because that thing was a beast to haul up and down stairs, I got rid of the RadCity. I did, and still do, otherwise ride regular (acoustic) bicycles.
Now I'm starting to go back into work again and want the convenience of an ebike. I also really want something lighter that won't be a bear to get up and down the stairs. I'm in great shape, but I know from experience that something as heavy and cumbersome as the RadCity will make me less likely to use it. However, my commute to work is now about 10 miles each way with modest hills, so I need something with at least 20 miles of range.
I'm considering the Roadster V2 because it's listed at 32 pounds, up to 25mph, and 20-35 miles of range. I like that it's about the weight of a normal bike, as well as the simplicity and stealth aspects (though I would prefer a chain to a belt drive). With a 36v 7ah battery, I'm not sure if I can actually get 20 miles out of the V2, even in lower assist levels. Obviously, riding it without assist would defeat the purpose, and the gearing it comes with is absolutely massive for riding without assist.
Other similar bikes I've found come with the same size battery. I'm specifically looking at the Luna Fixed, but there isn't much user feedback on the real-world range of that bike. I refuse to consider the FLX Babymaker, so please don't suggest that. And I can't spend more than about $2,000, so something like the Specialized Vado SL is too expensive. The next weight class of bike would be something like the RadMission (47 pounds), R1U Core-5 (48 pounds), or LMT'd (51 pounds). All of those are considerably heavier than the V2, but still quite a bit lighter than the RadCity and I'd feel more confident in having sufficient range.
Can someone who has a better understanding of range chime in to let me know what I might expect out of the Roadster V2? Other than those options, are there other similarly light weight ebikes out there, perhaps with somewhat better range? Or, am I just going to have to find a compromise?
Now I'm starting to go back into work again and want the convenience of an ebike. I also really want something lighter that won't be a bear to get up and down the stairs. I'm in great shape, but I know from experience that something as heavy and cumbersome as the RadCity will make me less likely to use it. However, my commute to work is now about 10 miles each way with modest hills, so I need something with at least 20 miles of range.
I'm considering the Roadster V2 because it's listed at 32 pounds, up to 25mph, and 20-35 miles of range. I like that it's about the weight of a normal bike, as well as the simplicity and stealth aspects (though I would prefer a chain to a belt drive). With a 36v 7ah battery, I'm not sure if I can actually get 20 miles out of the V2, even in lower assist levels. Obviously, riding it without assist would defeat the purpose, and the gearing it comes with is absolutely massive for riding without assist.
Other similar bikes I've found come with the same size battery. I'm specifically looking at the Luna Fixed, but there isn't much user feedback on the real-world range of that bike. I refuse to consider the FLX Babymaker, so please don't suggest that. And I can't spend more than about $2,000, so something like the Specialized Vado SL is too expensive. The next weight class of bike would be something like the RadMission (47 pounds), R1U Core-5 (48 pounds), or LMT'd (51 pounds). All of those are considerably heavier than the V2, but still quite a bit lighter than the RadCity and I'd feel more confident in having sufficient range.
Can someone who has a better understanding of range chime in to let me know what I might expect out of the Roadster V2? Other than those options, are there other similarly light weight ebikes out there, perhaps with somewhat better range? Or, am I just going to have to find a compromise?