Anyone into electric cycling? Electric Bicycles

[jjeff]

I should have gotten a Rad Power bike, instead of the crappy Magnum Metro I got - and which now has a loud motor that will likely fail in the coming year.

Your Magnum Metro isn't living up to expectations? I looked at the Rad Power bike website and it looks like tomorrow(8-22) they will be releasing information on their latest ebike, a $1299 model(their other ebikes seem to start at $1499 so I guess it's not a huge savings but it will be interesting to see what one gets for $1299).
https://www.radpowerbikes.com/?utm_sour ... gI4NfD_BwE
I personally like the RadWagon, $1499 for:
Min 25 miles range, 20mph top speed, 750w direct-drive hub motor, 48v 14ah battery that will charge from either 120v or 230v(although no mention if 230v gets you any faster charging than the somewhat paltry 5-6 hrs ) 350lb total capacity(120lbs cargo rear, 40lbs/side cargo front racks) , puncture-resistant tires(hopefully not the crap Chinese bubble gum rubber I purchased locally for replacement tires on a couple of my bikes and after only 2-3yrs they cracking like crazy )
Anyway, I think I'll check back tomorrow to see what they have to say.
I was also looking at a couple of bikes at Costco made by Genze. Their motor was only 350w and battery was only 36v 9.6Ah and I believe the price was around $1200?? so the Rad bikes seem to have it beat on all but price.....

[LeftieBiker]

Rad was the brand I almost got, and wish I had. At the time it was $1500 for most of their bikes, but that was with no fenders or other basics that were expensive add-ons. The Metro had more features for more $$ but the bike just isn't worth the money because of the shoddy motor and other flaws like no assist speed below 12MPH, charge port in the path of the pedal crank, water bottle bosses in the Metro that, if used, negate the step-through frame, no hardwired taillight (it doesn't even flash!), etc. I'll likely replace the rear wheel with a direct drive aftermarket drive wheel and controller. The Rad Power people are also responsive over email, while the Magnum people are terrible.

[jjeff]

Well their $1299 RadRunner ebike is now live! Check it out 2 posts before this one where I have a link. A few points I'll note:
20mph top speed, similar to the other Rad ebikes.
25 miles min range, same as other Rad ebikes.
750w motor, again same as other Rad ebikes.
48v 14ah battery, again same as other Rad ebikes.
65lbs total weight, less than the 73lbs of the Radwagon I was looking at but basically the same as other Rad ebikes.
300lbs payload capacity, which is more than the 275lbs of most of the other Rad ebikes but less than the 350lbs of the Radwagon.

The RadRunner has the advantage of being 2 passenger(although with the 300lb payload they'd both have to be smallish) and while the price starts $200 cheaper than the other Rad ebikes, by the time I'd add a couple options I'd probably want, it would be the same $1499 as say the Radwagon. The RadRunner does have wider tires for those wanting that feature and has a lower step in height(both ebikes say they accommodate up to a 6'2" person so I'm good there).
A couple different options and while some may think ~$1500 for a bike/ebike is high, I've seen many others well over $2k.

[LeftieBiker]

IMO, E-bike prices are "high" if they are over $2k with delivery.

[BrockWI]

I have been taking my bike to work for a couple of years, weather permitting, usually two or three days a week. I regular rode anytime the temps were above freezing. My trip is only about 2 miles (3.2km) one way, slightly downhill to work. If I push it really hard I can make the trip in 5 minutes, but then I am sweaty, ok on the way home, but not so much going to work. Usually I am just about 10 minutes one way. This sort of rules out running home for lunch on a 30 minute break. I was riding a Giant Escape, a mountain bike style, but with skinny road tires and higher gearing.

I bought a Rad City and took it to work, amazing, I did the trip in pedal assist 2 or 3 and it took 3 minutes, it was almost scary, but I am sure I will get used to it.

So far the only thing that has been an issue is the rear brake, you have to take the brake off the bike (becasue the hub motor is in the way) to adjust it and no matter what I do it is dragging a tiny bit and if I open it enough to not drag then I can't "lock up" the rear wheel. It could be becasue I am a nube with disk brakes. It does have 250w of regen, which is pretty cool.

The range won't be a problem at all, it has a throttle, maxes out just above 24 mph, pedal assist or throttle although just pedaling in 7th gear I hit 28, felt like a hamster pedaling so fast and couldn't keep that up for long. I could hit upper 30's on my other bike.

So far so good.

https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/ ... muter-bike

[LeftieBiker]

That's tempting. I won't touch another crappy Magnum product again, and I want to go with a gearless motor this time, to avoid the gear noise. The price is also good. I've seen another review of what I think is the same bike, though, and it complains about it being gutless on larger hills. Is there any way that you could try a steep, long hill on yours? The one big advantage to geared motors is that they have lots more torque from a stop. I'm currently considering replacing the rear wheel and controller on my Metro with a gearless 1000 watt motor and adjustable controller...

I'm no disk brake expert, but you may have some dirt or gravel on the rear pad(s), or a dirty or slightly warped rotor. Is the noise constant or cyclic? You should have no noise at all when not using the brake. It's also really not necessary to lock up the rear wheel. I've been riding with disk brakes for well over a year, now, and have never needed to do it - not once. You just have to stop as fast as the tire will allow. If you want to lock it up, though, just inflate it to the max sidewall pressure.

[LeftieBiker]

Oops. Looking at the price again, it's the same thing that put me off that company originally. Low price, but everything is a pricey option. Rack, fenders(!)...it ends up being a $2k bike when optioned, but with lower specs...

[BrockWI]

I did try many geared motor e-bikes at the local shops. The advantage they have is they use your gearing, so they pull the same in the lowest gear as the highest gear, while the hub motor peaks about 15 mph. We do have a nice long steep grade going to my house. I rode up it just fine at 15 mph with the Rad City. Most people walk bikes up the hill. At low speeds it doesn't have the touque, but moving it has plenty, just don't slow down below 10 mph Even at 5 mph it has good pull but below that it drops off pretty quick.

Touching on noise, there is none, I can't hear the motor at all, honestly that was one of the reason I choose a hub motor bike, I didn't like that whine the less expensive ($2k) mid drive. Even the hub motor ones I tried in local shops had some noise, but were noticeably less than mid drives. Again the Rad City is super quiet, honestly the slightly rubbing rear disk brake is louder than the motor.

The rear disk is flat and I can spin it up and see the placement with light on both sides of the disk and it isn't wobbling much at all, and nothing in there that I can see. The pads don't seem to be parallel to the disk, but no matter what I don't I can't seem to get them flat. I think it is an adjustment I haven't figured out yet, but the front was easy and very logical, I just don't get what's up with the back. If I do open it one more click it won't lock up the back wheel and really doesn't do much pulled all the way to the handle bar. The way it is now it still won't lock up pulled all the way but I can feel decent braking. One advantage is a slight pull starts the regen braking and about 1/4 way it contacts the disk and I can hear it more pronounced and about 3/4 of the way it starts to do some good braking. I stopped messing with it for now hoping it will get better, maybe the rear disk brake pad is not quite flat? it looks flat though...

[jjeff]

I'm actually looking seriously at the Rad Wagon, I like the utility and 350lb max weight carrying, I believe the Rad City maxes out at 275 and isn't as utilitarian, of course the Rad City looks cooler, more like a traditional bike.
https://electricbikereview.com/rad-powe ... /radwagon/
Funny thing is the Rad website told me several ebike retailers in town sold them so I went to the largest one in St. Louis Park, while they sold tons of e-bikes they didn't sell Rad and actually kind of poo poo'd them. Their e-bikes started more around $2.5k and went way up from there. I did sit on and pick up a couple that were barely heavier than a normal regular bike(30'ish pounds compared to the 60'ish of most Rad's) but most topped out in the 275-300lbs max weight, which would be fine for just me but not me and lots of gear. Sounds like the Rad bikes are only mail order from WA?

[BrockWI]

yes I believe Rad are pretty much mail order only. Although I thought there was a shop in Minneapolis that sold them? One of the shops here knew about them and said they would service them but they don't carry them becasue they get very little commission and it wasn't worth it for them to carry them. He did say they used mid level parts, but the battery, electronic and motors were good.

Yes I road a 35 lbs 1000 watt road bike, it was crazy fast, I believe it hit 40 mph and quiet as well, motor and battery built in to the frame, it was beautiful but it was $7500. They had a bike very similar to the Rad Rover (fat tire), same specs and it was $2500 local.

I was worried about the weight since my bike was 28 lbs, but you really don't notice it, even with level 1 pedal assist. I did ride it a bunch with everything off and it is very rideable, it is comparable to my 40lb 30 year old trek mountain bike.