Why not buy a RadRover ? Upright position is vital.

[Hap]

I am selling my gravity fat tire bike today and am looking into getting very soon a Fat E-Bike. I am old (62) and short 5'8. I live in the outback of Michigan and have zero bike shops around here. So I am doing my deciding with online help and advice from the people who know about E-bikes. I cant find anything wrong with the Radrover. Maybe a bit tall for me but the Mini seems not what I will use it for. Dirt roads and pavement and If I found a trail to be able to check it out. I am in need of a more upright sitting position. I added riser bars on my current bike and need the least amount of pressure on wrists and hands. I like the upright position for what I do. So please advise me with anything you have on this bike or a similar one in the 2K price range.
Thanks in advance

 

[mrgold35]

I have his/her Radrovers since Sept/16 with around 3800 miles between them. I went with the Rad because the seating position was more upright and the handlebars were not as wide compared to the Volt Yukon 750. I work commute with a backpack 3-4 times a week and I didn't want extra stress on my back/shoulders/arms from leaning forward too much. It was just Volt, Rad, and Sondors at time I was looking. I don't know how newer Fat tire bikes compare in riding position. There is always a better bike on paper; but, the Radrover seemed to check more of my boxes for the type of riding I do in my neck of the woods in the southwest at a very affordable price of $1500.

I'm also 6'3" and I added an 0-60 degree adjustable stem to raise the handlebars up and a little back for an even more upright riding position. Very comfy for trail riding and 18-20 mph work commuting with front suspension, fat tires, Cloud-9 11.5X12.5 cruiser seat, and Suntour NCX SP-12 suspension seatpost. Fat or Plus size tires are very nice if you have to traverse a lot of different terrain in a single ride like paved roads with potholes up to 20 mph, uneven sidewalks, hard packed trails, pockmarked/washboard trails, gravel/sandy/muddy/rocky trails, and over small obstacles.

The 2018 Radrovers now have upgraded handlebars you can adjust alone with a brighter headlight, larger battery capacity, more responsive PAS, and mounts for a front basket. You might not need to add the adjustable stem to find a comfortable riding position. Another reason I picked the Rad was I liked the ability to use the throttle to apply the full 750w of power in any PAS level (even in PAS 0). Having full throttle power comes in handy:
- trail riding and you hit a sandy spot
- short inclines if you just need to a touch more power to maintain your mph
- if you need to push the bike up hills or over obstacles (I even used the throttle to help push my ebike up a flight of stairs)
- getting across intersections in a hurry
- using the throttle if pedaling would hit the ground or obstacles
- helps to get going if you are starting up an incline
- less shifting required to get up to cruising speed
- can get up to your cruising speed faster using the throttle and shifting

 

[Hap]

Thank you for response.
I keep reading about building a bike with mid drive...
But then I com back to the Rad Rover as a good place to start with E-Bikes.
Could I use the Rad battery on another build if I use Luna mid drive ?
On another type bike maybe a cruiser type ?

I am so close to pulling the trigger on Rad Rover....
Out of town next week then I will be home to get a delivery .
That is the plan. Any other inputs will be thought about

Thanks again

Hap

 

[mrgold35]

I have an old 700c pedal bike I always wanted to convert into a mid-drive commuter along with my Rad. I would just need the mid-drive kit, controller, wiring, and LCD screen and just transfer the battery between bikes. Life after warranty was one of reason I picked the Radrover over Volt. Most fat tire bikes now days have the integrated battery design with built-in controller on the down-tube; which, makes it hard to do any changes other from the manufacturer's parts bin. The Rad is a fat tire bike with standard ebike components added. I have the option of replacing parts with Rad or aftermarket, convert to a mid-drive (reuse Rad battery saving $500), transferring Rad components to another fat bike, or just removing and turning the Rad into a regular pedal bike.

 

[rich c]

My first ebike was going to be a RadRover, but found a Sondors on Craigslist. Hard to pass up an experiment for $500. Put 1500 miles on it and knew I was hooked. Second bike was a Haibike Full Seven S RX. Mid-drive Bosch stole my heart. It has oversized Schwalbe tires, but not fat tires. I find it as a whole different experience as a fat bike. 28mph, nimble, and the full suspension is great for my 65 year old body. Kids, dogs, and even adults are no longer frightened as I ride by them on the trail. Fat knobby tires put out a hell of a rumble on paved trails! I justified the cheap bike for my first experience, but who doesn't love an ebike? So do you buy a better bike, or buy a lower end starter and then spend more money latter to upgrade. These things don't hold their resale too well. It's all fun!