Great, thorough review. Thank you! The biggest problem with this bike is the tires. Recently a significant number (like 20-30% in some forum polls) of RW4 owners have encountered catastrophic failure of these proprietary Vee tires where the sidewall splits/separates at the bead. This is obviously a defect, and Rad was sending out free replacements, but wouldn't you know it, when it finally happened to me Rad support came back with, "We don't warranty tires". The good news though, is we are actually not as limited on tires as we thought. Any brand of motorcycle/scooter/moped tire in 2.75 x 18 (or 3.0 x 18, or 90/90 x 18) will fit the RW4 rim. No, "18" isn't a typo. Bicycle tires are sized by the outer diameter of the tire, whereas motorcycles are sized the same as car tires by the diameter of the rim. The RW4 has an 18" rim. Motorcycle tires are usually 3-ply instead of single-ply like bicycle tires, have much better tread patterns (even the street tires), and much more durable/strong sidewalls/bead. You can even use motorcycle inner tubes (just buy the same size that you did for the tire), which are also much more durable than bicycle tubes. I went with Michelin City Pro 2.75 x 18 tires and after 700+ miles on them I couldn't be happier. At the time they were only $37 ea with free shipping, so they were actually significantly cheaper than Rad's proprietary Vee bicycle tires. The second biggest problem is the brakes. Honestly, the stock brakes (with the single sided pad actuation) are garbage. They make too much noise, don't stop well, and need constant adjustment (and the adjustment screw is on the inside of the wheel and difficult to reach especially for the rear brake). I actually don't like full hydraulic brakes because when a hydraulic system fails (and they do fail) you're done -- you have no brakes. And in most (if not all) situations this isn't a repair you're going to be able to do on the side of the road. For me "hybrid" hydraulic brakes are the way to go, where you use hydraulic calipers that are still cable actuated. The Zoom Xtech HB100 calipers are drop-in replacements for the Rad's horrible mechanical calipers (it's literally two bolts per caliper) and the difference is night and day better! The HB100's pinch the brake rotor from both sides (rather than one side pushing the rotor over into the other side on the stock calipers), so you get much more stopping power with very little (if any) regular adjustments required. Also this HB100's use a hydraulic style brake pad, which are cheaper and more readily available to replace. Can the HB100's fail just like any hydraulic system? Sure, but the only thing that fails is the caliper -- not the whole system. HB100's cost around $22 each and the front and rear calipers are identical, so if you're worried about failure just buy and carry an extra caliper with you. With a literal 2-bolt install, switching out a failed caliper will definitely not be the most difficult repair you'll do on the side of the road. These two things as well as upgrading the front chainring from the stock 48 tooth to a 53 tooth have made this bike near perfect for me. I definitely have a lot more trust/confidence in the tires/brakes, and the chainring upgrade allows me to keep up with the motor better when pedaling at higher speeds. Less than $200 worth of upgrades and I installed all of them myself. Incidentally, I also received Radius brakes and MicroShift drivetrain. FYI, the Radius and Tektro calipers are both the same bad one-sided design. The biggest annoyance to me with the Radius brakes was that the left brake lever didn't include the nice integrated bicycle bell like the Tektro has. Thankfully, the brake sensor that cuts off the motor failed in my left Radius brake lever, so Rad sent me a replacement and that turned out to be Tektro! So although I have slighly mismatched brake levers (they're only slightly different in appearance) I ended up with the integrated bell. (Score!) The standalone bell that Rad included with my Radius levers was very low end and almost inoperative. Another thing that's different from the website is the toolless stem. I can't remember what brand was promised and what brand I received, but I know that the one I received was different from the website and it's MUCH easier to operate judging by other view reviews and the instructions on the Rad website. The original one basically requires two hands, whereas the one I received can easily be operated with just one hand. Sorry this is so long but hopefully it will help fellow RW4 owners that watch your review.
Chris, thank you for your comment & feedback. I really do enjoy & appreciate long responses like yours. Tires: Thanks for the feedback on the issues with the stock tires and also on replacement options since this was one of my original concerns with the RW. Also it's a bummer they didn't want to send you a replacement when it happened to you. Right now, my tires are fine but it's something I'll take a closer look at as time goes by. Brakes: That's a good callout on the Zoom Xtech HB100 because I have it on my list of items to upgrade on the bike and especially as a DIY project these hybrid kits are the way to go bc you get increased stopping power & they're affordable. The brakes for me have not been terrible but they're not the greatest either especially for a cargo bike when hauling two young kids. Components: These swaps are the now the norm 😞. Interestingly I just unboxed the Radio Flyer L885 Cargo ebike and it has tektro brakes/levers, shimano tourney thumb shifter and a microshift derailleur. Btw the Radio Flyer ebike so far actually feel nicer that the RW (fyi I've only ridden it for about 10 miles)
I just bought a rad wagon 4. It just came in. Read a few comments max about tires and felt like I made a mistake and would have hell dealing with finding tires in the future. I also hate that the brakes are only squeezing from one side and they’re noisy and I have to adjust them to lessen noise but then I lose stopping power. That being said..I’m glad I read your comment. I saved it all in my notes. I think I’m gonna swap out the brakes after a few uses with the bike. And I’m definitely using your trick for the tires
Thnks for your helpful review. Just started enjoying a Radwagon4. & agree with the mechanical observations you have made, (as a retired Machinist/millwright, 63 years) Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Long time rider)
My disabled brother-in-law bought one. I've been bicycling for 57 years. This bike is well built and has some cool accessories. This is also the biggest waste of money for an e-bike. They won't sell you tires or inner tubes and the ones that come on the bike are cheap. Most bikes sold don't come with "the best" tires and tubes. Rad Power Bikes have tubes and tires in stock but are keeping them for new bike sales. It's now an almost $2,000 paper weight. The 22x3 tires are only used by Rad. No one else makes them or the tubes. They sell an equally bad "armored liner" meant as an adapter so you can use 22x1.75 tubes in the 22x3 tires. Why is there not a class action suit against them?
I just assembled mine this morning and the forecast is looking great this coming week. 👌🏼 I have a Yep Maxi and it was cool to learn that you don’t need the extra attachment to lock the seat in.
Thank you for the comment and glad our video helped with your child seat info! My RadWagon4 was just updated w the new tires (recall) so I'll be riding it again very soon. The RadWagon4 is such a good all around cargo ebike.
I just bought the Radwagon and it will be delivered next week. I hope I made the right choice between the RADW and Packa. I went with RAD because of how well known they are and the customer service. I am sure Packa is a great bike too and I loved the disc break and dual battery. Hopefully I made the right choice. I will mostly use it to bike around with my 4 year, I would say 20 miles max per trip, very flat road (Chicago). I love your videos.
Thanks for the feedback! I think you're going to love the RW and 20 should be more than doable. I'm thinking of upgrading the brakes and if I do that, I'll make a video to share
ya you did read my post. charging battery in daily winter important. if you dont ride in winter. charge it 70 percentage then store room temp. for months you cant ride
I have replaced almost everything on this. I have been driving daily in Stockholm Sweden for two years. The snow and sub-zero temperatures are torture for this bike. I have changed the entire drive train, cassette, and chain basically every season (three times now). I replaced the breaks with hydraulic, the tires for all weather tires. I have also replaced a bunch of the electronics. The cold has frozen and cracked a lot of the connectors and I have had to replace basically all contacts. It is a very difficult bike to own (as any bike would be) in these kind of weather conditions.
I've averaged 47.5 miles over 3000 miles between charges on my 2019 Radwagon. To be fair, I spend most of my time in PAS-1, and use 2/3 sparingly. I rode 32 miles yesterday, and used PAS-1 going out, and PAS-2 coming home. Three bars left on the battery. If you use a mix of PAS-1 to PAS-3, I think 45 miles is a realistic range. I often break 60 miles between charges.
Wow that's an amazing range! I can see getting that range in lower PAS and if you're not carrying much weight. Thanks for sharing your experience! If i ever do a range test, I'll be sure to mention your experience as an example of the top range!
@@Top5ebikes Great review, keep up the good work! Sixty miles is obtained by using PAS-1 probably 95% of the total riding time, but it is possible. I am also riding by myself, with no children or cargo. What is true with anyone, as you learn the roads you frequently ride, you will know where you can coast, and where you need to pedal. Let's call that on-the-road battery management. I want to say I have achieved 35-40 miles using only PAS-2 and 3, but it has been a while since I experimented with higher PAS levels. My gut feeling is that 25-30 miles is very possible for a person using PAS-3 and short bursts of 4 with cargo and/or children.
you can get almost 50, but winter dont charger battery if its cold. let it get room temp. i 5000 miles then 1 year. 2021 wagon. 20 to 30 miles a day. ride temps from 18 to 90 degrees winds constant 20 mph up hills in winter.
A tip for anyone with cable brakes - squirt a drop of WD40 into the ends of the brake cable sleeves. This makes them super-slippery to operate. Much is made out of hydraulic brakes(and sure they can be good) but the cable brakes have the advantage of easy maintenance - no fluid draining kits etc. Also, the cable brakes are a pull brake instead of a push unit. You can buy optimal callipers very easily and change them out at the disk - again, no fluid draining - a real easy upgrade. These callipers are designed for cable brakes but would have fluid internally sealed inside the calliper for smoothness of operation. On top of that, you can even change out the brake disk easily depending on your fork mount holes for the calliper.
Have you looked at the flyer L855? Any opinions on that? Trying to decide what to get. How old of a child do you think you could comfortably cary on the back? Thanks
Just got one in EU, very satisfied with the purchase. Mine came with Shimano derailleur. It's gonna be fun patching that rear tube once it gets a flat (and it will eventually). Also i heard hub motors are not good for the wheel and the spokes especially, so changing spokes will be fun too. I think i'll upgrade to better brakes and in some distant future maybe to mid drive motor. But still, great bike, easy to ride, well built, good price, lots of options for upgrades.
moto is fine, but if you upgrade hub cpu, interface an display go 54 mph. um ya spokes. my dealer its in fee. but that changes class of vechile. so bike to moped or more. here is about 2k for that uprade authorized shop.but youll want seat post with shock and upgrade brakes. lol 54 diff story.
How hard is it to start from a stopped position with 2 kids on the back. I’m worried I’m not a strong enough rider to carry 2 kids but I don’t want a giant 3 wheel bike. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the watching & for the feedback! It can be hard to take off from a stopped position but you can make it easier by either (a) using the throttle when you take off or (b) using a lower gear like 1st or 2nd gear.
It depends on your budget really. The radwagon is an affordable cargo ebike and a great option in the price category (other good options are the Lectric XPedition & Aventon Abound) but if you're willing to spend $5k+, the Tern is a great cargo ebike and you get a ton more feature with it. I've actually ridden a Tern GSD and it's a luxury cargo ebike (bosch mid drive, high end hydraulic brakes, really cool design features) vs the Radwagon but the Radwagon could be plenty ebike for you depending on your budget & needs
This is a silly question but how easy is it to take off accessories? Like if I get a passenger seat and handle bars but end up doing a trip alone, how easy is it to remove and make more room for cargo?
Hi and thank you for the question...it's not difficult at all. I remove 1 Yepp Maxi and swap it for a bamboo board all the time bc sometimes i ride w only 1 of my daughters and we go to the store....as far as what you need to do, i just remove the seat which is integrated so it's fairly easy and then screw on the bamboo board (4 short screws w an Allen wrench).. it probably takes me 3-5 mins total.
no offense but i have 5000 miles less then 1 year. rad powerwagon 4. i ride 20 to 30 miles aday some hills. still no tune up. just took it in for quote on tune up. 225. first thing out of box go get soft brake pads. swiss. last 2 times longer. i hual up to 150 lbs. ride 6 days a week. rode in ice and snow. lower tires to 20 or 25 lbs. better ride more grip and rim not close to bottom out. the defapulater works, i caught air loosened grip it kept me straight. i unlocked mine to 24 mph rarely peddle. now battery range went down over winter. nothing i do helped. well learned that i hurt battery cuz i charged it cold. i was riding 45 mins to 1 hour in 18 to 35 degree temp. let battery get room temp then put charge on. this will help range. i went from 40 miles to 20 in a month. battery fine in down pours you can put a plastic bag over it. not needed. now riding 20 miles semi rough aday. seat takes 1 2 months brake in. again lower tires 30 seems nice.and 20 mile winds and hills did good. but 23 mph goes to 15 mph. and get some 220 sand paper your disk rotors breaks. those hard stock pads make them smooth. noise less stopping. i have stock brack s butt soft pads at 23 mph stop in 15 feet of car cut infront of me
14 1 way alot. upgrade seatpost to shock its 100 bucks. play with routes. doing 15 mph vs 25 is like 5 mins time. stop and go all battery is huge on carghe
How old are your girls? I am considering it for our family long term. We have an almost 3 year old and a newborn. So the youngest isn’t going to ride with us for another 8 months but I want to plan ahead.
Hi and thank you for watching! My daughters are 4 and almost 2. The oldest is i think 6-12 months away from sitting on the rear rack without a Yepp Maxi seat...my youngest will probably be on the Yepp Maxi for another 2 years. I hope that helps and good luck w your search
I don't get why anyone would buy one of these over the Blix Packa Genie. For $300 more you get a second battery, stronger motor and hydraulic brakes. Way longer range with that second battery and then the "burst" power when needed over the 750W is huge. The issues some others have brought up (tires, etc) also kept me away but even more were the issues you brought up in that they are putting sub par brands or parts that they don't advertise it has. They are running into issues keeping up I guess. I think the biggest thing that people are drawn to with Rad is that they have been around for some time and have some great accessories but Blix has most of what Rad has.
I really would love to ride the Packa to compare it in real life (vs just stats) against the RadWagon. The dual battery & hydraulic brakes could be top factors for some buyers. For me personally, hydraulic brakes are a big deal especially with a cargo ebike bc most riders will be carrying quite a bit of weight but the brakes for me wasn't a deal breaker. If I needed to ride longer ride, the dual battery on the other hand would be a determining factor. Thanks for the comment and I do agree it's a great ebike but I can also see why people go with both of these ebike.
Hi and thanks for the comment! The rear rack payload capacity is 120 lbs (350 lbs total) so you'd be under that weight if you carried your wife. This past weekend I rode with my 10 yr nephew and daughter at the same time (they probably weigh around 110 combined) and it's fine but you definitely feel the weight shifting if the weight behind you is moving As far as it being comfortable, you'd probably need to add a cushioned seat .
The weight of your dog could determine what route you go ..if it's a heavier dog, the back rack will be the only option but if it's a smaller dog, the front basket could work.
Rad Powers Bikes sells a dog carrier that can go in the rear or front rack so I'd recommend taking a look at the carrier www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=3ea584b8-942d-4804-bba4-365e395d607b&website_id=8afdb4a9-450b-463e-901a-ae5432cee05d&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.radpowerbikes.com%2Fproducts%2Fpet-basket-carrier&ctc=UA-cam_comment_pets . If that carrier doesn't work, check out Amazon.
you should get a trailer with a metal bottom. now you may need to go to a trailer hitch company to get custom bracket. dont get wood bottom, spend metal. get scrap alluimin. then get 2 inch fom and a cheap dog bed. the width is wierd, but if you ride full bags like me. its i think 4 to 3 inches more each side. plus you can carry shopping goods easier. now if your dog is big 100 lbs. its prob a 20 mile range. med winds, hills. bad battery charging habits. cold battery ect you 15 ish. good battery charging 30. there are aftermarket up grades now. longer distance battery. hub computer go 54 mph. 30 is fast enough. fed law 30 mph mopped need odot helmet and linseance and plated
We try to abide by all laws! My town is pretty small so I tend to pass some low traffic stop signs but I agree w you, we need to all obey traffic laws!
Sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with Rad. In general (and compared to other DTC brands), Rad has better support. Hopefully they rectify the situation.
well what color did you order. black wagon up to 3 months wait. and rad sends fed ex. usps most to heavy. usps 70 lbs max. the rad wagon is about 80. your issue is fed ex. i work at usps. so a possible delay is fed ex ships through usps. if its over 70 lbs. usps will not move it, and wait for fed ex to pick up. seen 30 delay. also rad bikes have orders have gone threw roof. very common things upgraded free. check components. i bought mine before trend. 5 days shipping. last july. since they went 1st in ebikes. you have to expect delays. also go to an authorized service center. they can help faster.
Good eye and thanks for watching. I knew someone would catch that clip of me passing the stop sign. I live in a really small town (just a handful of lights/stop signs) with low/slow traffic so on a cargo bike i tend to pass through this particular stop sign.
Great, thorough review. Thank you!
The biggest problem with this bike is the tires. Recently a significant number (like 20-30% in some forum polls) of RW4 owners have encountered catastrophic failure of these proprietary Vee tires where the sidewall splits/separates at the bead. This is obviously a defect, and Rad was sending out free replacements, but wouldn't you know it, when it finally happened to me Rad support came back with, "We don't warranty tires". The good news though, is we are actually not as limited on tires as we thought. Any brand of motorcycle/scooter/moped tire in 2.75 x 18 (or 3.0 x 18, or 90/90 x 18) will fit the RW4 rim. No, "18" isn't a typo. Bicycle tires are sized by the outer diameter of the tire, whereas motorcycles are sized the same as car tires by the diameter of the rim. The RW4 has an 18" rim. Motorcycle tires are usually 3-ply instead of single-ply like bicycle tires, have much better tread patterns (even the street tires), and much more durable/strong sidewalls/bead. You can even use motorcycle inner tubes (just buy the same size that you did for the tire), which are also much more durable than bicycle tubes. I went with Michelin City Pro 2.75 x 18 tires and after 700+ miles on them I couldn't be happier. At the time they were only $37 ea with free shipping, so they were actually significantly cheaper than Rad's proprietary Vee bicycle tires.
The second biggest problem is the brakes. Honestly, the stock brakes (with the single sided pad actuation) are garbage. They make too much noise, don't stop well, and need constant adjustment (and the adjustment screw is on the inside of the wheel and difficult to reach especially for the rear brake). I actually don't like full hydraulic brakes because when a hydraulic system fails (and they do fail) you're done -- you have no brakes. And in most (if not all) situations this isn't a repair you're going to be able to do on the side of the road. For me "hybrid" hydraulic brakes are the way to go, where you use hydraulic calipers that are still cable actuated. The Zoom Xtech HB100 calipers are drop-in replacements for the Rad's horrible mechanical calipers (it's literally two bolts per caliper) and the difference is night and day better! The HB100's pinch the brake rotor from both sides (rather than one side pushing the rotor over into the other side on the stock calipers), so you get much more stopping power with very little (if any) regular adjustments required. Also this HB100's use a hydraulic style brake pad, which are cheaper and more readily available to replace. Can the HB100's fail just like any hydraulic system? Sure, but the only thing that fails is the caliper -- not the whole system. HB100's cost around $22 each and the front and rear calipers are identical, so if you're worried about failure just buy and carry an extra caliper with you. With a literal 2-bolt install, switching out a failed caliper will definitely not be the most difficult repair you'll do on the side of the road.
These two things as well as upgrading the front chainring from the stock 48 tooth to a 53 tooth have made this bike near perfect for me. I definitely have a lot more trust/confidence in the tires/brakes, and the chainring upgrade allows me to keep up with the motor better when pedaling at higher speeds. Less than $200 worth of upgrades and I installed all of them myself.
Incidentally, I also received Radius brakes and MicroShift drivetrain. FYI, the Radius and Tektro calipers are both the same bad one-sided design. The biggest annoyance to me with the Radius brakes was that the left brake lever didn't include the nice integrated bicycle bell like the Tektro has. Thankfully, the brake sensor that cuts off the motor failed in my left Radius brake lever, so Rad sent me a replacement and that turned out to be Tektro! So although I have slighly mismatched brake levers (they're only slightly different in appearance) I ended up with the integrated bell. (Score!) The standalone bell that Rad included with my Radius levers was very low end and almost inoperative. Another thing that's different from the website is the toolless stem. I can't remember what brand was promised and what brand I received, but I know that the one I received was different from the website and it's MUCH easier to operate judging by other view reviews and the instructions on the Rad website. The original one basically requires two hands, whereas the one I received can easily be operated with just one hand.
Sorry this is so long but hopefully it will help fellow RW4 owners that watch your review.
Chris, thank you for your comment & feedback. I really do enjoy & appreciate long responses like yours. Tires: Thanks for the feedback on the issues with the stock tires and also on replacement options since this was one of my original concerns with the RW. Also it's a bummer they didn't want to send you a replacement when it happened to you. Right now, my tires are fine but it's something I'll take a closer look at as time goes by. Brakes: That's a good callout on the Zoom Xtech HB100 because I have it on my list of items to upgrade on the bike and especially as a DIY project these hybrid kits are the way to go bc you get increased stopping power & they're affordable. The brakes for me have not been terrible but they're not the greatest either especially for a cargo bike when hauling two young kids. Components: These swaps are the now the norm 😞. Interestingly I just unboxed the Radio Flyer L885 Cargo ebike and it has tektro brakes/levers, shimano tourney thumb shifter and a microshift derailleur. Btw the Radio Flyer ebike so far actually feel nicer that the RW (fyi I've only ridden it for about 10 miles)
Correct. This happened to me today with the tire coming apart. Also, I replaced my rotors with 200mm and a hydro up front. Big improvement.
There is a recall. They are taking care of it.
I just bought a rad wagon 4. It just came in.
Read a few comments max about tires and felt like I made a mistake and would have hell dealing with finding tires in the future.
I also hate that the brakes are only squeezing from one side and they’re noisy and I have to adjust them to lessen noise but then I lose stopping power.
That being said..I’m glad I read your comment.
I saved it all in my notes.
I think I’m gonna swap out the brakes after a few uses with the bike.
And I’m definitely using your trick for the tires
Thnks for your helpful review. Just started enjoying a Radwagon4. & agree with the mechanical observations you have made, (as a retired Machinist/millwright, 63 years) Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (Long time rider)
Thanks for watching and for the comments!
My disabled brother-in-law bought one. I've been bicycling for 57 years. This bike is well built and has some cool accessories. This is also the biggest waste of money for an e-bike. They won't sell you tires or inner tubes and the ones that come on the bike are cheap. Most bikes sold don't come with "the best" tires and tubes. Rad Power Bikes have tubes and tires in stock but are keeping them for new bike sales. It's now an almost $2,000 paper weight. The 22x3 tires are only used by Rad. No one else makes them or the tubes. They sell an equally bad "armored liner" meant as an adapter so you can use 22x1.75 tubes in the 22x3 tires. Why is there not a class action suit against them?
I just assembled mine this morning and the forecast is looking great this coming week. 👌🏼 I have a Yep Maxi and it was cool to learn that you don’t need the extra attachment to lock the seat in.
Thank you for the comment and glad our video helped with your child seat info! My RadWagon4 was just updated w the new tires (recall) so I'll be riding it again very soon. The RadWagon4 is such a good all around cargo ebike.
Excellent review. Thank you!
Range is everything. A spare battery is a must.
I just bought the Radwagon and it will be delivered next week. I hope I made the right choice between the RADW and Packa. I went with RAD because of how well known they are and the customer service. I am sure Packa is a great bike too and I loved the disc break and dual battery. Hopefully I made the right choice. I will mostly use it to bike around with my 4 year, I would say 20 miles max per trip, very flat road (Chicago). I love your videos.
Thanks for the feedback! I think you're going to love the RW and 20 should be more than doable. I'm thinking of upgrading the brakes and if I do that, I'll make a video to share
ya you did read my post. charging battery in daily winter important. if you dont ride in winter. charge it 70 percentage then store room temp. for months you cant ride
I have replaced almost everything on this. I have been driving daily in Stockholm Sweden for two years. The snow and sub-zero temperatures are torture for this bike. I have changed the entire drive train, cassette, and chain basically every season (three times now). I replaced the breaks with hydraulic, the tires for all weather tires. I have also replaced a bunch of the electronics. The cold has frozen and cracked a lot of the connectors and I have had to replace basically all contacts. It is a very difficult bike to own (as any bike would be) in these kind of weather conditions.
I've averaged 47.5 miles over 3000 miles between charges on my 2019 Radwagon. To be fair, I spend most of my time in PAS-1, and use 2/3 sparingly. I rode 32 miles yesterday, and used PAS-1 going out, and PAS-2 coming home. Three bars left on the battery. If you use a mix of PAS-1 to PAS-3, I think 45 miles is a realistic range. I often break 60 miles between charges.
Wow that's an amazing range! I can see getting that range in lower PAS and if you're not carrying much weight. Thanks for sharing your experience! If i ever do a range test, I'll be sure to mention your experience as an example of the top range!
@@Top5ebikes Great review, keep up the good work! Sixty miles is obtained by using PAS-1 probably 95% of the total riding time, but it is possible. I am also riding by myself, with no children or cargo. What is true with anyone, as you learn the roads you frequently ride, you will know where you can coast, and where you need to pedal. Let's call that on-the-road battery management. I want to say I have achieved 35-40 miles using only PAS-2 and 3, but it has been a while since I experimented with higher PAS levels. My gut feeling is that 25-30 miles is very possible for a person using PAS-3 and short bursts of 4 with cargo and/or children.
you can get almost 50, but winter dont charger battery if its cold. let it get room temp. i 5000 miles then 1 year. 2021 wagon. 20 to 30 miles a day. ride temps from 18 to 90 degrees winds constant 20 mph up hills in winter.
A tip for anyone with cable brakes - squirt a drop of WD40 into the ends of the brake cable sleeves. This makes them super-slippery to operate. Much is made out of hydraulic brakes(and sure they can be good) but the cable brakes have the advantage of easy maintenance - no fluid draining kits etc. Also, the cable brakes are a pull brake instead of a push unit. You can buy optimal callipers very easily and change them out at the disk - again, no fluid draining - a real easy upgrade. These callipers are designed for cable brakes but would have fluid internally sealed inside the calliper for smoothness of operation. On top of that, you can even change out the brake disk easily depending on your fork mount holes for the calliper.
Have you looked at the flyer L855? Any opinions on that? Trying to decide what to get. How old of a child do you think you could comfortably cary on the back? Thanks
Just got one in EU, very satisfied with the purchase. Mine came with Shimano derailleur. It's gonna be fun patching that rear tube once it gets a flat (and it will eventually). Also i heard hub motors are not good for the wheel and the spokes especially, so changing spokes will be fun too. I think i'll upgrade to better brakes and in some distant future maybe to mid drive motor. But still, great bike, easy to ride, well built, good price, lots of options for upgrades.
moto is fine, but if you upgrade hub cpu, interface an display go 54 mph. um ya spokes. my dealer its in fee. but that changes class of vechile. so bike to moped or more. here is about 2k for that uprade authorized shop.but youll want seat post with shock and upgrade brakes. lol 54 diff story.
I'm putting a middrive that I had from another bike on mine this weekend.
@@segriffincom Why did you decide to do it? Is the wheel hub the standard size? Can you keep the original battery and controller? Good luck.
*Great **Latest.Bike** with amazing quality and speed…I’m in love with it and strongly recommend it. It looks a bit pricey but absolutely worth it.*
Thanks for watching & the comment! and I totally agree with you!
How hard is it to start from a stopped position with 2 kids on the back. I’m worried I’m not a strong enough rider to carry 2 kids but I don’t want a giant 3 wheel bike. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the watching & for the feedback! It can be hard to take off from a stopped position but you can make it easier by either (a) using the throttle when you take off or (b) using a lower gear like 1st or 2nd gear.
Compared to a Tern HSD or HSD?
It depends on your budget really. The radwagon is an affordable cargo ebike and a great option in the price category (other good options are the Lectric XPedition & Aventon Abound) but if you're willing to spend $5k+, the Tern is a great cargo ebike and you get a ton more feature with it. I've actually ridden a Tern GSD and it's a luxury cargo ebike (bosch mid drive, high end hydraulic brakes, really cool design features) vs the Radwagon but the Radwagon could be plenty ebike for you depending on your budget & needs
This is a silly question but how easy is it to take off accessories? Like if I get a passenger seat and handle bars but end up doing a trip alone, how easy is it to remove and make more room for cargo?
Hi and thank you for the question...it's not difficult at all. I remove 1 Yepp Maxi and swap it for a bamboo board all the time bc sometimes i ride w only 1 of my daughters and we go to the store....as far as what you need to do, i just remove the seat which is integrated so it's fairly easy and then screw on the bamboo board (4 short screws w an Allen wrench).. it probably takes me 3-5 mins total.
no offense but i have 5000 miles less then 1 year. rad powerwagon 4. i ride 20 to 30 miles aday some hills. still no tune up. just took it in for quote on tune up. 225. first thing out of box go get soft brake pads. swiss. last 2 times longer. i hual up to 150 lbs. ride 6 days a week. rode in ice and snow. lower tires to 20 or 25 lbs. better ride more grip and rim not close to bottom out. the defapulater works, i caught air loosened grip it kept me straight. i unlocked mine to 24 mph rarely peddle. now battery range went down over winter. nothing i do helped. well learned that i hurt battery cuz i charged it cold. i was riding 45 mins to 1 hour in 18 to 35 degree temp. let battery get room temp then put charge on. this will help range. i went from 40 miles to 20 in a month. battery fine in down pours you can put a plastic bag over it. not needed. now riding 20 miles semi rough aday. seat takes 1 2 months brake in. again lower tires 30 seems nice.and 20 mile winds and hills did good. but 23 mph goes to 15 mph. and get some 220 sand paper your disk rotors breaks. those hard stock pads make them smooth. noise less stopping. i have stock brack s butt soft pads at 23 mph stop in 15 feet of car cut infront of me
i guess i can show picks of bike, if wantedd
Jim, this was helpful feedback for me as I am thinking about purchasing this to ride to work, which is 14 miles from my home.
14 1 way alot. upgrade seatpost to shock its 100 bucks. play with routes. doing 15 mph vs 25 is like 5 mins time. stop and go all battery is huge on carghe
How old are your girls? I am considering it for our family long term. We have an almost 3 year old and a newborn. So the youngest isn’t going to ride with us for another 8 months but I want to plan ahead.
Hi and thank you for watching! My daughters are 4 and almost 2. The oldest is i think 6-12 months away from sitting on the rear rack without a Yepp Maxi seat...my youngest will probably be on the Yepp Maxi for another 2 years. I hope that helps and good luck w your search
I don't get why anyone would buy one of these over the Blix Packa Genie. For $300 more you get a second battery, stronger motor and hydraulic brakes. Way longer range with that second battery and then the "burst" power when needed over the 750W is huge.
The issues some others have brought up (tires, etc) also kept me away but even more were the issues you brought up in that they are putting sub par brands or parts that they don't advertise it has. They are running into issues keeping up I guess. I think the biggest thing that people are drawn to with Rad is that they have been around for some time and have some great accessories but Blix has most of what Rad has.
I really would love to ride the Packa to compare it in real life (vs just stats) against the RadWagon. The dual battery & hydraulic brakes could be top factors for some buyers. For me personally, hydraulic brakes are a big deal especially with a cargo ebike bc most riders will be carrying quite a bit of weight but the brakes for me wasn't a deal breaker. If I needed to ride longer ride, the dual battery on the other hand would be a determining factor.
Thanks for the comment and I do agree it's a great ebike but I can also see why people go with both of these ebike.
i weight 225lb and wife weights 115lb, can i have her as a passenger comfortably ? TY great video
Hi and thanks for the comment! The rear rack payload capacity is 120 lbs (350 lbs total) so you'd be under that weight if you carried your wife. This past weekend I rode with my 10 yr nephew and daughter at the same time (they probably weigh around 110 combined) and it's fine but you definitely feel the weight shifting if the weight behind you is moving As far as it being comfortable, you'd probably need to add a cushioned seat .
@@Top5ebikes thx for the info.
Good review. Not a fan of the fish eye lens.
How can I put my dog on it ?
The weight of your dog could determine what route you go ..if it's a heavier dog, the back rack will be the only option but if it's a smaller dog, the front basket could work.
@@Top5ebikes thank you .. probably back rack .
Rad Powers Bikes sells a dog carrier that can go in the rear or front rack so I'd recommend taking a look at the carrier www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&merchant_id=3ea584b8-942d-4804-bba4-365e395d607b&website_id=8afdb4a9-450b-463e-901a-ae5432cee05d&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.radpowerbikes.com%2Fproducts%2Fpet-basket-carrier&ctc=UA-cam_comment_pets . If that carrier doesn't work, check out Amazon.
you should get a trailer with a metal bottom. now you may need to go to a trailer hitch company to get custom bracket. dont get wood bottom, spend metal. get scrap alluimin. then get 2 inch fom and a cheap dog bed. the width is wierd, but if you ride full bags like me. its i think 4 to 3 inches more each side. plus you can carry shopping goods easier. now if your dog is big 100 lbs. its prob a 20 mile range. med winds, hills. bad battery charging habits. cold battery ect you 15 ish. good battery charging 30. there are aftermarket up grades now. longer distance battery. hub computer go 54 mph. 30 is fast enough. fed law 30 mph mopped need odot helmet and linseance and plated
@@jimscoggins3828 thanks for info
Why do you keep running the stop signs? You are supposed to obey traffic laws.!!!
We try to abide by all laws! My town is pretty small so I tend to pass some low traffic stop signs but I agree w you, we need to all obey traffic laws!
Yeah Rad Power Bikes are totals shit service and delivery of product. 35 days late with a dead battery. Useless customer support as well.
Sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with Rad. In general (and compared to other DTC brands), Rad has better support. Hopefully they rectify the situation.
well what color did you order. black wagon up to 3 months wait. and rad sends fed ex. usps most to heavy. usps 70 lbs max. the rad wagon is about 80. your issue is fed ex. i work at usps. so a possible delay is fed ex ships through usps. if its over 70 lbs. usps will not move it, and wait for fed ex to pick up. seen 30 delay. also rad bikes have orders have gone threw roof. very common things upgraded free. check components. i bought mine before trend. 5 days shipping. last july. since they went 1st in ebikes. you have to expect delays. also go to an authorized service center. they can help faster.
MAN YOU WENT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WITHOUT STOPING AY THE STOP SIGN. YOU HAVE CHILD ON THE BACK
Good eye and thanks for watching. I knew someone would catch that clip of me passing the stop sign. I live in a really small town (just a handful of lights/stop signs) with low/slow traffic so on a cargo bike i tend to pass through this particular stop sign.