Show off that Rad!

[Fatzo]

Share some pics of your Rad Bike and upgrades! What do you guys think of mine and what upgrades do you recommend?

The Radrover is my first ebike and so far so amazing! The bike has been great with no major issues and the staff at Radpower are even better with their fantastic customer service and awesome products.

I am already looking into the Radwagon to purchase

Upgrades:
-Pinhead Anti-theft pin lock system
-Adjustable stem (better upright position)
-Corsa white bottle mount
-Abus Big Bordo foldable lock with mount
-PDW Dave's Mud Shovels front/rear
-Ibera RA5 rear rack
-Ibera Pakrak Bag with extendable paneirs

Just ordered Origin8 Supercells for my paved trail commute. I tried fitting on Maxxis Hookworms 26×2.5 at a local bike shop and they looked at me like I was crazy. They got it on but the tire was buldging out on one side and the techs recommended I get bigger tires. Will let you guys know about the Supercells!

 

[mrgold35]

I have a black and white (his and her) 16 Radrovers since Sept of 2016. I have about 1200-1300 miles per Rad with a good mix of work commuting (13 miles roundtrip) and fun/trail riding. I've added, replaced, and upgraded over the months and I now have the Radrover the way I like it. The next upgrade will be the convert the brakes to the TRP HY/RD hydraulic brakes.

Bike
- Luna Cycle triangle bag
- 1 Spare Radrover battery
- BC wide platform MTB pedals (black with red versions)
- Zefal lower downtube frame guard
- Arundel Looney adjustable water bottle holder
- Topeak Uni Super rear rack with Topeak MTX DTP Quicktrack rack bag
- RRP neoguard MTB mudguard
- Planet Bike Big Buck front fat tire fender
- Lizard Skin top tube protector (clear for white RR, Carbon fiber for Black RR)
- Problem solvers bottle cage height adaptor

Handlebars
- Sunlite 95mm 0-60 degree adjustable handlebar stem
- four 2.5mm spacers for Sunlite stem (two per bike)
- BM Works handlebar speed extenter
- GOTD plastic ebike thumb throttle
- Vibrelli Universal iPhone holder (work perfectly for my iPhone 6S Plus with Mophie battery case)
- Xlarge Bar Mitts (winter only)

Seat/seatpost
- Cloud9 11.5X12.5 suspension seat
- ISM Touring saddle (for wife to help with standover straddle)
- Suntour SP12 NCX 400mm seatpost
- Bodyfloat 350mm v2.0 orange spring

Wheels
- Vee8 120 tpi tires
- Mr. Tuffy 3XL liners
- Stans tire sealant
- red chrome valve stem cap

Helmets
- Fox Flux (his)
- Louis Garneau LG Roaota (her)
- AirStreamz noise reducer
- Bike Peddler helmet mount rear view mirror
- Light and Motion Vis 180
- Niterider 2200 and 1800 lights

Lights
- Niterider Pro 3600 lights
- Brightz LED 5 color lights (side illumination)
- Light and Motion Vis 180 on Topeak rack

Security
- Boomerang GPS tracker and alarm
- Xena XC-14 5 foot 14mm chain
- Xena XSU-310 18mm U-bolt
- Xena XUL-210 18mm alarmed U-bolt
- 15 foot security cable with lock

Misc Accessories
- Osprey Radial 34 Commuter Backpack (his)
- Osprey Comet Daypack (hers)
- Saris SuperClamp Freedom 4 bike rack
- Bike Hand Pro bike stand
- Extra RR battery charger to leave at work

 

[Denis Shelston]

Thank you so much for sharing. @mrgold35. Looks fantastic.

1. I am curious on the way you attached your Zefal lower downtube frame guard.

I have a Téo and the battery is longer and goes down tube quite a bit, the provided stretchable straps are not long enough, and it would be a nuisance even if they did wrap around the battery . Yours seems to attached differently.

2. Your bar extender. As the handlebars are not round, I noticed you installed it right in between the LCD brackets and stem...

3. Where did you buy that thumb throttle GOTD?

Again thank you.

 

[mrgold35]

1. The Radrover has bottle cage attachment points on the bottom side of down tube. I removed the Zefal straps, drilled holes in the Zefal for bottle cage points, and used the longer bottle cage security screws that came with the Boomerang unit to secure both. It also works with regular bottle cage screws without the Boomerang unit. It was the little touches like the 3 bottle cage attachment points that made me pick the Radrover.

2. The handlebars on the Radrover curve and angle too much and there isn't a lot of real estate for extra accessories. I had the same bar extender on my old bike I test fitted and the extender fit perfectly under the Radrover LCD screen. It holds my iPhone 6S Plus and extra headlight in place on the trail rides and still has some play if I need to adjust up/down on the fly. I now have a level spot for my iphone and extra headlight instead of crowding the handlebars, Amazon, $20: https://www.amazon.com/BM-WORKS-Spe...=1499526771&sr=8-1&keywords=bm+works+extender

3. GOTD, Amazon, pack of two, $5, long shipping time from China: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LCPFQNM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I trimmed the thumb throttle a little bit so it wouldn't get in the way of me reaching the gear changer and throttle on/off button. I had an extra piece of the Lizard Skin carbon fiber sticker to dress up the throttle a little bit.

Lizard Skin, Amazon, $22: https://www.amazon.com/Lizard-Skins...=pQFF5&refRID=K3KGVE76QZMD3XRRRZAJ&th=1&psc=1

 

[Fatzo]

Thanks for sharing those awesome Radrovers mrgold35
Those are some rad upgrades u made. I have couple of questions.

1. How are the V8's rolling resistence compared to the stock kenda's? How is the grip going off road compared to the stock kendas?

2. Would you recommend the boomerang gps system? How does the alarm work? Is the alarm loud? Do you think this product is worth it? (I bring my bike inside my home and my work parking lot is a secured, private parking lot.)

3. Please let us know about the hydraulic brakes when u get them installed

 

[mrgold35]

The Vee8 roll so much easier, less noise on paved roads, faster acceleration, 1-2 mph higher cruising speed, top speed 1-2 mph faster, less flats, and they seem to wear less compared to the Kenda. The Vee8 have more than enough knobs for the single track riding I like to do with hard packed dirt to sandy conditions. It really felt like the Kenda take a little bit more effort when riding and that might have zapped my acceleration and range a little bit. I didn't notice the extra effort until I had Kenda on one bike and Vee8 on the other. I've noticed the Vee8 feel a little better at higher PSIs of 20-25 compared to the Kenda I would run in th 12-20 PSI range. I tried running the Vee8 at lower PSI of 12-17 and they felt real squirrelly. I only got around 800 miles from the rear Kenda tires with about 30%-35% tread left before I switched one bike to Vee8. I'm now around 500 miles on this bike with the Vee8 and the tread still looks pretty good with way more tread at this time compared to Kenda.

I've had the Boomerang since Sept/2016 on both bikes ($200 for unit, $50 per year monitoring). I usually keep the bikes in my garage or small server room next to my office when I work commute. I like to travel with the RR and I can't always take both bikes into the hotel rooms or have to leave unattended for hours. A lot of thieves target hotels in my hometown because of all of the out of state travelers (I figure they would do the same when I travel). I have extra locks, chains, and U-Bolts I can add when parked. I figured the extra locks will take a few minutes to cut; but, the Boomerang should alarm in seconds to let me know if there is a problem. It uses the Verizon cell network and your smartphone app to arm/disarm, alarm with 110 db alarm when moved, notify you by email, and track your bike using google maps. You can also track using the internet app; but, you can't arm/disarm or get the email notifications with this (smartphone only). I think this is one of the 1st gen version of cell based GPS trackers that work pretty good. I'm thinking we should see more smaller, cheaper, and better systems in the next few years. I would recommend Boomerang or other GPS trackers if you travel or have to leave your bike unattended for hours in a less secure location.

An added feature is I sometimes put a Boomerang unit in the back of my SUV (I have a 12v plug in the hatch). I use it as a cheap Lo-Jack system for my vehicle if I'm traveling without the bikes. I did this when traveling to LA, Vegas, Utah, and Colorado without any problems. I don't arm it, I just use the google map tracking feature. I figure I'm paying for 24/7 tracking, might as well use it as much as I can with or without the bikes.

 

[Fatzo]

Thanks for the info mrgold! Extra security is always a plus. Hope u have velosurance on top of all that
V8 is my top choice for treads after this kenda wears out, which seems to be wearing pretty quickly. V8 seems like a very good all season, multi terrain use.

 

[jazz]

Nice bike and updates on the Rad. Kendas are standard on many fat ebikes and are crap. They are heavy, do not roll well, waste battery and are noisy. They should be scrapped as soon as you can do it. Replaced mine and it felt like a different bike. Handled better, battery life improved and less noise.

 

[BVC]

Bunch of great looking rides!!

Here's one I took recently on a photoshoot for our new custom twist throttle attachment. I feel the Rover felt like it was at home being on the beach

 

[Vortex]

Added some color to ours. Nothing against RadPowerBikes and their logo, we still happily refer people to their website when they ask about the bikes. But I wanted a better look and a way to tell two "his and hers" bikes apart from each other.

 

[Fatzo]

Added some color to ours. Nothing against RadPowerBikes and their logo, we still happily refer people to their website when they ask about the bikes. But I wanted a better look and a way to tell two "his and hers" bikes apart from each other.

How did you manage to get the stock prints off the frame?

 

[Vortex]

How did you manage to get the stock prints off the frame?

I just used poster board to create the shapes I wanted. Then I used those templates to hand cut simple colored adhesive and layed the sticker right over the frame and existing logos. Works great and looks even better. Now that templates are made, if my bike ever gets a nasty scratch I just lift off the old and slap a new one down and she looks brand new again (at least where the color is!). And we've had zero problem with any edges lifting up. Everyone who sees it compliments it and assumes it's a factory finish.

 

[fillerupmac]

Share some pics of your Rad Bike and upgrades!

Brand new Rad Rover Rider! One day old! Absolutely stunning! I like to ride or walk to and from work, but here in Colorado Springs, we live in the foothills, so it's either UPhill, or downhill. It would take me forever to crawl home UPhill, and my new Rover has definitely solved that problem! What a blast!

Now I'm off to the LBS for some accessories....

Al S.

 

[BVC]

Brand new Rad Rover Rider! One day old! Absolutely stunning! I like to ride or walk to and from work, but here in Colorado Springs, we live in the foothills, so it's either UPhill, or downhill. It would take me forever to crawl home UPhill, and my new Rover has definitely solved that problem! What a blast!

Now I'm off to the LBS for some accessories....

Al S.

www.1859nw.com is also a great source for e-bike accessories!

And Colorado Springs is a great place to live. I used to live in Denver for 8 years. I miss the weather like crazy!

 

[mrgold35]

Brand new Rad Rover Rider! One day old! Absolutely stunning! I like to ride or walk to and from work, but here in Colorado Springs, we live in the foothills, so it's either UPhill, or downhill. It would take me forever to crawl home UPhill, and my new Rover has definitely solved that problem! What a blast!

Now I'm off to the LBS for some accessories....

Al S.

I grew up as an Army brat in Colo Sprgs and grad from H.S. there (Harrison H.S. 84). I still hit Fargo's Pizza and the Yakitori every time I'm up there. Albuquerque and Santa Fe reminds me a lot of the Springs with the high elevation, weather can change from mile-to-mile from sun/rain/hail/snow, and are you are either going up hill or down hill most of the time. People talk about a rear hub not being a very good hill climber; but, I find the Radrover very capable at flatting hills and lessening the effects of head winds.

Don't have much as far as an ebike riding activities in NM; but, I'm willing to travel to the Springs if there is a weekend ride or event. Let me know...

 

[fillerupmac]

@BVC - Living in CS ain't so hot the last couple of months - you'd think we're next to Seattle!! Too much humidity, too much rain - yuck!

@mrgold35 - army brat?? Me too! But I got 18 years on you. My Dad retired here in 1960. The RR's power so far has amazed me - it has gobbled up everything I have thrown at it so far (and the tire still have air in them!). Found out why there is a throttle - sometimes you just have to use that, and not rely on pedal power!

I'll let you know if I discover any activities...

Al S.

 

[fillerupmac]

Here's one pic of my almost 1 month old Rover. Taken off Gold Camp Road, overlooking downtown Colorado Springs. Not too many fires in Colorado this year, but we're getting plenty of smoke from Montana, California, Oregon, etc...

 

[Rut4family]

Share some pics of your Rad Bike and upgrades! What do you guys think of mine and what upgrades do you recommend?

The Radrover is my first ebike and so far so amazing! The bike has been great with no major issues and the staff at Radpower are even better with their fantastic customer service and awesome products.

I am already looking into the Radwagon to purchase

Upgrades:
-Pinhead Anti-theft pin lock system
-Adjustable stem (better upright position)
-Corsa white bottle mount
-Abus Big Bordo foldable lock with mount
-PDW Dave's Mud Shovels front/rear
-Ibera RA5 rear rack
-Ibera Pakrak Bag with extendable paneirs

Just ordered Origin8 Supercells for my paved trail commute. I tried fitting on Maxxis Hookworms 26×2.5 at a local bike shop and they looked at me like I was crazy. They got it on but the tire was buldging out on one side and the techs recommended I get bigger tires. Will let you guys know about the Supercells!

do you remember what size rod you ordered from pinhead for your front tire?

 

[Rut4family]

Share some pics of your Rad Bike and upgrades! What do you guys think of mine and what upgrades do you recommend?

The Radrover is my first ebike and so far so amazing! The bike has been great with no major issues and the staff at Radpower are even better with their fantastic customer service and awesome products.

I am already looking into the Radwagon to purchase

Upgrades:
-Pinhead Anti-theft pin lock system
-Adjustable stem (better upright position)
-Corsa white bottle mount
-Abus Big Bordo foldable lock with mount
-PDW Dave's Mud Shovels front/rear
-Ibera RA5 rear rack
-Ibera Pakrak Bag with extendable paneirs

Just ordered Origin8 Supercells for my paved trail commute. I tried fitting on Maxxis Hookworms 26×2.5 at a local bike shop and they looked at me like I was crazy. They got it on but the tire was buldging out on one side and the techs recommended I get bigger tires. Will let you guys know about the Supercells!

Did you use pinhead wheel locks?

 

[cuekwe Jones]

My RadRunner 1 modded for maximum storage/cargo capacity: