Was planning on ordering 1st ebike tonight.... Then this.
- Thread starter jeremy8000
- Start date
TomD
Well-Known Member
Not sure I follow. There are 2 attachment points for a rack:
Why can't a rack like this can't be put on this bike?
The Best Rear Bike Rack
After considering 38 models and testing eight top contenders, we’re confident the Topeak Explorer is the best rear rack for the average bike commuter.
thewirecutter.com
jeremy8000
New Member
So I kept looking at Rad, mostly the RadMini 4, and every day I'd see another that make me think "ooh, this has _____" but there were always drawbacks, e.g. preorder with who-knows-when actual delivery, unknown company, questionable support, etc, and I kept going back to Rad.
Ordered the RadMini 4 today. Not inexpensive (for my budget) but on paper looks to meet all my needs and have excellent support both from Rad and community. Worst case, if down the road I feel I want more, the mini will still carry a lot of utility as a folder.
Thanks again to everyone for all the guidance - as a neophyte to ebiking (and 35 year absentee from any kind of biking, it's really great to have a community like this.
Ordered the RadMini 4 today. Not inexpensive (for my budget) but on paper looks to meet all my needs and have excellent support both from Rad and community. Worst case, if down the road I feel I want more, the mini will still carry a lot of utility as a folder.
Thanks again to everyone for all the guidance - as a neophyte to ebiking (and 35 year absentee from any kind of biking, it's really great to have a community like this.
RoadRash47
New Member
Glad you ordered one. I was in the same spot yesterday. Doing the exact same thing. Should I order this one, no this one, well wait what about this. It became exhausting. Finally just ordered one of my first choices. I think you will be happy with the RadMini 4. Everything I've seen suggests that it will be. Happy trails.
What did you end up choosing?
RoadRash47
New Member
Rize Leisure in white
Very cool. Congrats on the new bike!
I saw your post a few days ago and ordered the new Ride 1 Up Limited bike. Thank you for the thought!
jeremy8000
New Member
Looks like a fantastic bike - congratulations! Had it been readily available for shipping I might we'll have pulled the trigger on that, but ended up going with the RadMini4 for portability and availability. I suspect we'll both be very happy with our respective decisions.
byunbee
Well-Known Member
Ride1Up all the way compared to Rad Mini4. I never really liked their designs. The trend these days is stealth and since Ride1Up's new bike has integrated battery it looks much more refined. Then there are the power and suspension upgrades you have to take into account.
Ravi Kempaiah
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Halifax
For those who are interested, you could also look at Espin sport.
Basically, it uses the same frame as Ride1up Ltd but the components are slightly different and it looks like a good value at $1200. I don't know where their warehouse is or how the support will be handled few years down the road.
www.espinbikes.com
Class 3, 48V, 14Ah etc. I am not sure if the price is a typo but I have known few people who dealt with Espin.
Basically, it uses the same frame as Ride1up Ltd but the components are slightly different and it looks like a good value at $1200. I don't know where their warehouse is or how the support will be handled few years down the road.
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
Class 3, 48V, 14Ah etc. I am not sure if the price is a typo but I have known few people who dealt with Espin.
jeremy8000
New Member
Ride1Up doesn't fold. As I gave it more and more consideration while deliberating, that kept retaining a great deal of weight in the decision — being able to tote it to more remote riding destinations or for needed service without the need or expense of a rack, or more readily in case of a roadside emergency, are of high value. Otherwise, I agree about the bang for the buck of the Ride1Up pretty much across the board. Not particularly concerned about the aesthetic of a battery showing, and the difference in power / suspension would have little 'impact' on me as I don't anticipate taking it off-road much if at all, and am principally on flat terrain (and, with my and the bike's weights combined being in excess of 300 lbs, don't really fancy the physics of what happens when we become separated from the upright position at over 20 mph).
And as a first ebike, this, like a first car or home, will give me a better idea of what I might appreciate more in a replacement; as such, it will still definitely hold personal utility as a folder allowing for greater flexibility of option towards a subsequent purchase.
jeremy8000
New Member
For those who are interested, you could also look at Espin sport.
Basically, it uses the same frame as Ride1up Ltd but the components are slightly different and it looks like a good value at $1200. I don't know where their warehouse is or how the support will be handled few years down the road.
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...
Class 3, 48V, 14Ah etc. I am not sure if the price is a typo but I have known few people who dealt with Espin.
Another nice one.
I have come to the conclusion that ebikes are like cellphones in that there is always a better-specced, better value product coming 1-2 months behind the best option one might decide on at any given point — though ebikes are a much less matured product, so the differences are even greater. I found myself spiraling into that "ooh look at that" for a new bike that would appear in my now over-saturated-with-ebikes newsfeed almost daily and figured that there was no bike I could buy that would be my best choice a month from now, much less 6, so might as well buy the one that appealed to my budget and criteria best today and begin enjoying it while the best riding weather prevails.
Serialnerd
Member
I don't quite agree. Do you really see the technology of eBike change that fast?
jeremy8000
New Member
The technology, not necessarily, but the pricing for comparable package seems to be moving down at a fairly good clip. Ebikes have been around a good while, but it seems with the surge of interest some sellers are looking to capitalize and lowering prices based on economy of scale to attract more, so bikes we're seeing announced now are certainly offering a lot more than ones that have been readily available. Kind of like how my first DVD player cost about $800, one could buy them for $300 a year later, and over time they dropped to sub-$100 while they were still actually relevant.
Of course, I've only really been looking at them with any real depth of focus for about a month, so my frame of reference is limited and this could just be a momentary spike of value change
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
I always want to see the assembled bike right in front of me before signing on the dotted line. Are there any LBS in your area you can check out?
jeremy8000
New Member
You won't be able to see your bike in advance of purchase unless you're buying from their Seattle showroom, but you may be able to find a place local to you that rents them or uses Rad bikes for bike tours. If so, even if they don't have the specific model you are looking at, you should be able to get a feel for the build quality and ride experience.
