Trail tracker , Rad , or Teo fat bike
- Thread starter Marceltt
- Start date
Denis Shelston
Well-Known Member
Hi.
Can't speak of the Trail Tracker, don't know much about it.
I have a Teo and cannot say enough good things about it. I have a Red S Limited with fenders, rear rack with light. Very nice paint job.
But I have to admit the Rad Rover is also a good buy, it is very similar to the Teo Fat. Rad customer support is getting lots of praises, good warranty and a very vibrant community with lots of riders helping everyone out, here and on Facebook.
But the Teo has hydraulic brakes, bigger 17AH battery, 12 magnet cadence sensor, 9 speed derailleur, quick release on front wheel, among others. Worth the $ in my humble opinion.
The Rad Rover does show Watts used on its LCD display, the Téo does not. It also has nipples for a bottle holder on the frame, the Téo does not.
Both are made from pretty standard components, hence will be relatively easy to maintain over the years.
So yes the Teo is a good call. It ships out of Montreal in Canada, bike made in China, as many are, including Rad.
Good luck.
Can't speak of the Trail Tracker, don't know much about it.
I have a Teo and cannot say enough good things about it. I have a Red S Limited with fenders, rear rack with light. Very nice paint job.
But I have to admit the Rad Rover is also a good buy, it is very similar to the Teo Fat. Rad customer support is getting lots of praises, good warranty and a very vibrant community with lots of riders helping everyone out, here and on Facebook.
But the Teo has hydraulic brakes, bigger 17AH battery, 12 magnet cadence sensor, 9 speed derailleur, quick release on front wheel, among others. Worth the $ in my humble opinion.
The Rad Rover does show Watts used on its LCD display, the Téo does not. It also has nipples for a bottle holder on the frame, the Téo does not.
Both are made from pretty standard components, hence will be relatively easy to maintain over the years.
So yes the Teo is a good call. It ships out of Montreal in Canada, bike made in China, as many are, including Rad.
Good luck.
mrgold35
Well-Known Member
I've had my two his/her 2016 Radrovers for almost a year with 3200 miles between them. The wife doesn't use her Rover as much and I end up using both for work commuting and trail riding equally (I keep the wear/tear/mileage the same for both). The Radrover does a good job of being a "jack of all trades and master of none" type of bike for $1500.
Sounds like you might want more of hardpacked to single track fat tire bike mostly? The fat tire choices you picked will go anywhere your Pedego Ridge Rider can go offroad with the addition of loose sand being added to the mix with the extra wide tires. The Radrover only has 5 levels of PAS (PAS 0-5) that are designed to provide X amount of watts per PAS level until the 20 mph motor cutoff:
PAS 0: 0 watts,
PAS 1: 75 watts,
PAS 2: 175 watts,
PAS 3: 375 watts,
PAS 4: 550 watts,
PAS 5: 750 watts.
PAS 2-3 works best for me when trail riding. I've never had a need to use PAS 5 trail riding or work commuting because PAS 3-4 can get me at or near max speed of 20-21 mph usually.
I like the Radrover twist throttle because it provide full 750 watts of power in any PAS level (even in PAS 0). Full power throttle comes in handy for short inclines, deep sandy spots, walking the bike up inclines, getting across intersection in a hurry, tight trails when pedaling would hit obstacles, etc...
I went with the Radrover because it is a fat tire bike with ebike components added. I can remove, repair, transfer, or replace ebike hardware if they fail after the warranty period to mod the Rover with more power or just turn it into a regular 4" fat tire bike. At the price point of the Rover, it left me a lot of room for accessories, platform bike rack, lights and gear to travel and trail ride in/out of state day or night. The wife and I had a lot of fun and put over +100 miles on each Radrover in a couple of days at the Grand Canyon and Sedona last November.
Sounds like you might want more of hardpacked to single track fat tire bike mostly? The fat tire choices you picked will go anywhere your Pedego Ridge Rider can go offroad with the addition of loose sand being added to the mix with the extra wide tires. The Radrover only has 5 levels of PAS (PAS 0-5) that are designed to provide X amount of watts per PAS level until the 20 mph motor cutoff:
PAS 0: 0 watts,
PAS 1: 75 watts,
PAS 2: 175 watts,
PAS 3: 375 watts,
PAS 4: 550 watts,
PAS 5: 750 watts.
PAS 2-3 works best for me when trail riding. I've never had a need to use PAS 5 trail riding or work commuting because PAS 3-4 can get me at or near max speed of 20-21 mph usually.
I like the Radrover twist throttle because it provide full 750 watts of power in any PAS level (even in PAS 0). Full power throttle comes in handy for short inclines, deep sandy spots, walking the bike up inclines, getting across intersection in a hurry, tight trails when pedaling would hit obstacles, etc...
I went with the Radrover because it is a fat tire bike with ebike components added. I can remove, repair, transfer, or replace ebike hardware if they fail after the warranty period to mod the Rover with more power or just turn it into a regular 4" fat tire bike. At the price point of the Rover, it left me a lot of room for accessories, platform bike rack, lights and gear to travel and trail ride in/out of state day or night. The wife and I had a lot of fun and put over +100 miles on each Radrover in a couple of days at the Grand Canyon and Sedona last November.
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Falken
Active Member
Hi @Marceltt
I also have the Teo and am loving it! I can't speak hands on for either of the other bikes you mentioned but there is a Teo owner who's wife owns the Rad. He might be able to share some thoughts between those two bikes? His name is @Dan Edwards .
I can't see anyone regretting buying a Teo. It's been a great bike so far. From what I've read the Rad is a great bike as well. Good luck on your purchase!
Marceltt
Active Member
Thanks for your thoughts. How do you like the nine level of assist and your throttle only working at a couple of mph before it works.Hi @Marceltt
I also have the Teo and am loving it! I can't speak hands on for either of the other bikes you mentioned but there is a Teo owner who's wife owns the Rad. He might be able to share some thoughts between those two bikes? His name is @Dan Edwards .
I can't see anyone regretting buying a Teo. It's been a great bike so far. From what I've read the Rad is a great bike as well. Good luck on your purchase!
Marceltt
Active Member
Wow sounds like you love the Rad. The Trail Tracker is an expensive buy but the Teo &a Rad are half the price. Do you find it easy to work on the Rad. I'm a hands on guy and love to do my own work. With the ridge rider I am limited as you need special tools that only Pedego makes to work on certain areas of this bike.
Falken
Active Member
I actually prefer it that way. It seems much safer to me. I can't tell you how many times I've been moving the bike around and accidently twist that throttle. Then I look down and Yes, the bike has the power on. I find you barely have to pedal at all, you just have to rotate forward and it kicks in. If you are in throttle and use the brakes to disengage, the throttle activates as soon as the brake is released without having to pedal. I have the ability to change it to constant throttle and have opted against it.
Just depends what you're used to and prefer I guess
Just depends what you're used to and prefer I guess
Denis Shelston
Well-Known Member
I actually prefer it that way. It seems much safer to me. I can't tell you how many times I've been moving the bike around and accidently twist that throttle. Then I look down and Yes, the bike has the power on. I find you barely have to pedal at all, you just have to rotate forward and it kicks in. If you are in throttle and use the brakes to disengage, the throttle activates as soon as the brake is released without having to pedal. I have the ability to change it to constant throttle and have opted against it.
Just depends what you're used to and prefer I guess
I agree, safety first. I too worry about engaging the motor while pushing it... with the 12 magnet sensor, it really does not take much to get it going.
And as @Falken said... Just depends what you're used to and prefer I guess.
mrgold35
Well-Known Member
Pretty much everything about the Radrover has standard parts, nut, bolts, allen sizes as a regular bike. I upgraded to an adjustable 0-60 degree stem, added a Suntour NCX SP-12 400mm suspension seat, transfered my handlebar extender from my other bike for my cell phone holder, upgraded the pedals to MTB type, and added a topeak rack+bag to my Radrover.
Another added bonus with the Radrover is you can adjust the motor cut-off in a few minutes to a little under 25 mph if you need some extra mph. The Radrover is not a perfect bike. It only the front tire has a quick-release, the front suspension with lock-out is just a spring, and the rover has cable brakes. I've had zero issues during an emergency stop with the 60 lbs Rover at +20 mph with the cable brakes (I'm 270lbs+25lbs of gear/accessories).
Marceltt
Active Member
Thank you for your input
If you can wait a month or two, I'd investigate the HYPE from Juiced Bikes. It should start shipping soon. Torque sensing on 1000 Watt motor will be impressive.
Marceltt
Active Member
I just watched the video. It looks like a nice bike. Thanks for the heads up.
Denis Shelston
Well-Known Member
I may be wrong, but isn't 750W the upper limit for an E-bike in many jurisdiction. You may need to be insured and all that stuff...
It's 500W in Canada.
It's 500W in Canada.
mrgold35
Well-Known Member
Most restrictions I've seen shows 750w and 20 mph being to upper limit for Class I & II ebikes that can share the same areas as regular bikes unless specifically prohibited. Speeds above 20 mph or 750w can be restricted from sharing walking/hiking/bike/mtb paved or dirt trails and you might fall under motor vehicle restrictions by some local/state laws (age restrictions, helmet at a certain age, register the ebike, staying on paved roads shared by other motor vehicles only, etc...). There is always a disclaimer for these high powered bikes of "off road use only" or "for use on private property only" to CYA of the manufacturer.
I think most local/state law enforcement folks can't tell a 200w ebike from a 3000w version just by looking unless you are going +40 mph on a bike trial dodging joggers.
I think most local/state law enforcement folks can't tell a 200w ebike from a 3000w version just by looking unless you are going +40 mph on a bike trial dodging joggers.
Marceltt
Active Member
Thanks for your input. Ok now I'm down to the Rad and Teo. This is a tough one
Marceltt
Active Member
No it didn't cross my mind. Do you have one ?Have you considered the Easy Motion Big Bud Pro?
605Wh battery
All Wheel Drive
Beautiful Frame
Denis Shelston
Well-Known Member
The Big Bud Pro is a beautiful bike, absolutely, but at $3499 US it's in a different category all together.
mrgold35
Well-Known Member
I wonder how the 2wd 600 watts combined Easy Motion would feel against the 750 watt Radrover or Teo up steep grades? The Radrover only has a cheaper front suspension fork with a spring; but, I usually get around 2 - 2 1/4 inches of travel when riding to smooth out the ride. No front suspension on the Easy Motion means all that force is hitting your upper body like a jackhammer.
jazz
Well-Known Member
Not on a fat bike. Have you ever ridden one? Even with no suspension they are one smooth and cushy ride. You don't really need a suspension on a fat bike and if you do there is only one worth getting and that is the Bluto which is expensive. The cheaper front suspensions that come stock with most fat ebikes are crap and you are better off without one.
I don't have the Big Bud Pro but one of my ebikes is an E-Motion 2WD that has the same exact system and I will tell you that it has pretty good power (48v), torque sensing, smooth , hydro brakes and you have 2WD with control over both motors or front and rear separately. The frame is beautiful and the integration is flawless.
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mrgold35
Well-Known Member
I'm about 270lbs and maybe another 20-25 lbs for rack bag, accessories, and commuter back pack. I would have to ride the 600 watt 2wd fat bike to see if it feels the same as my 750w Rover. I know my Radrover is on the extreme lower end of ebikes in general and you get what you paid for. Just not sure if the Easy Motion is worth $2000 more than the Radrover?
I have two Radrovers for about a year with around 3300 miles between them. I use them for work commuting and single track trail riding equally. I work commuted with the front forks locked out compared to open. Much smoother ride with the suspension open (on and off road) with the rover. I also have a 400mm Suntour SP-12 NCX and Bodyfloat orange springs V2.0 350mm seatpost with Cloud-9 11.5X12.5 cruiser seats. Much less vibrations hitting bottom, spine, and my upper body with the suspension seatpost and forks compared when I first rode the same routes without the seatpost and suspension locked out (still feel the vibrations in my lower legs from the pedals and that is how I know how hard the two suspensions are working).
I've experimented with PSI set as low as 12 and high as 25 with 26X4" Kenda Juggernaut and Vee8 tires. The lower PSI work best for sand and rocky/hilly terrain. Higher PSI for level is fine for single track or work commuting combo riding (+22 PSI if 100% paved roads for max speed).
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