Total Weight:
73 lbs (33.11 kg)
Battery Weight:
7.7 lbs (3.49 kg)
Motor Weight:
10.2 lbs (4.62 kg)
Frame Material:
6061 Aluminum Alloy
Frame Sizes:
17 in (43.18 cm)Geometry Measurements:
17.25" Seat Tube, 21.5" Reach, 26" Stand Over Height, 33" Minimum Saddle Height, 27" Width, 79" Length
Frame Types:
Mid-Step
Frame Colors:
Satin White with Orange Accents, Satin High Visibility Orange with Blue Accents
Frame Fork Details:
Rigid Steel, 100mm Hub Spacing, 9mm Axle with Quick Release Skewer
Frame Rear Details:
135mm Hub Spacing, 12mm Threaded Axle with 10mm Flats, 18mm Nuts
Attachment Points:
Fender Bosses, Front Rack Bosses, Rear Rack Bosses, Bottle Cage Bosses, Custom Accessory Attachment Points, Two Yepp! Mounting Windows
Gearing Details:
7
Speed 1x7 Shimano Acera Derailleur, DNP Nickel Plated 11-34 Tooth FreewheelShifter Details:
Shimano SIS Index Thumb Shifter on Right
Cranks:
Aluminum Alloy, 170mm Length, 46 Tooth Chainring with Prowheel Ounce Alloy Guide
Pedals:
Wellgo Aluminum Alloy Platform with Reflectors, CrMo Axle, Black
Headset:
VP, Semi-Integrated, Sealed Cartridge, 1-1/8" Straight
Stem:
Zoom, Adjustable Angle 0º to 60º, 100mm Length, Two 10mm Spacer, One 20mm Spacer, 31.8mm Clamp Diameter
Handlebar:
Aluminum Alloy, Swept Back, 630mm Width
Brake Details:
Tektro Aries Mechanical Disc with 180mm Rotors, Four-Finger Tektro Levers with Rubberized Edges and Bell on Left and Motor Inhibitors with Brake Light Activation
Grips:
Ergonomic, Rubber, Black and Gray
Saddle:
Velo Plush with Lifting Handle
Seat Post:
Promax, Aluminum Alloy
Seat Post Length:
390 mm
Seat Post Diameter:
27.2 mm
Rims:
Weinmann, Aluminum Alloy, Double Wall, 30mm Width, 36 Hole
Spokes:
Stainless Steel, 12 Gauge, Silver with Nipples
Tire Brand:
Kenda x Rad Power Bikes K-Rad, 26" x 2.3" (58-559)
Wheel Sizes:
26 in (66.04cm)Tire Details:
30 to 80 PSI, 2.1 to 5.6 BAR, 30 TPI, Reflective Sidewall Stripe, K-Shield Punture Protection
Tube Details:
Schrader Valve
Accessories:
Wooden Deck and Running Boards, Clear Plastic Skirt Guards on Rear Wheel, Rear-Mount Adjustable Kickstand, Plastic Fenders with Mud Flaps (67mm Width), Heavy-Duty Aluminum Alloy Center Kickstand, Integrated Spanninga Axendo 60 LED Headlight, Integrated Spanninga Solo LED Backlight (Solid, Flashing, Braking), Neoprene Slap Guard, Integrated Rear Rack with Two Yepp! Windows, Optional Plastic Fenders (105mm Width, $89), Optional Front Rack ($69), Optional Small Basket ($59), Optional Large Basket ($79), Optional Platform ($39), Optional Small Pannier (Fremont Bag $89), Optional RAD Backlight ($25), Optional SR Suntour NCX Seat Post Suspension ($109), Optional RAM Torque Handlebar Phone Mount X ($59), Optional Small Basket Bag ($44), Optional Large Basket Bag ($59), Optional Small Insulated Delivery Bag ($59), Optional Large Insulated Delivery Bag ($69), Optional Yepp! Maxi Child Seat ($199)
Other:
Locking Removable Downtube-Mounted Battery Pack, 1.1lb 2 Amp Charger, Fully Potted Motor Controller, Stainless Steel Torque Arm, 350lb Maximum Weight Rating (275lb Rider, 120lb Rear Rack, 40lbs Per Running Board), Kickstand Rated to 100lbs, 275 Watt Regenerative Braking (Automatic When Braking)
craig
6 years agoYou’ve got a couple references to the “DNP Flywheel.” I assume you mean freewheel.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoYes, thanks for the heads up Craig ;) will get those fixed.
ReplyGreg Tew
6 years agoI’ve put about 50 glorious miles on my new 2019 RadWagon. I was apprehensive buying a bike online. I’m an architect/industrial designer, which is to say, I’m unusually picky and hard to please when it comes to product design. I was also a bit skeptical because similar electric bikes are much more expensive.
The reason for my purchase is that I’ve just moved to the top of a significant hill, about a 3/4 mile long slog with 200′ vertical. As a daily bike commuter in all weather, I just couldn’t imagine making that climb on the cold/rainy/windy days we often get here in Blacksburg, VA.
Anyway, I am blown away by just how good this bike is. I’m only about 145# but the bike makes the climb with little pedal assist in the top power level at about 8-10mph. And oh, that’s with my 60# son riding on the back. The two of us took the bike to the next town over on a very hilly paved rail trail on Saturday for about a 20 mile round trip. The bike is simply amazing. We only used about 50% of the battery on the trip. The bike is very responsive to pedal pressure and super smooth. It is well balanced, nice geometry – just awesome. And you seriously can’t even hear the motor.
At 20mph the regen braking does kick in, which is a little annoying, but on the other hand, 20mph is fast enough. I’m 55 years old, and with age I’ve become more cautious in my definition of fun. I love riding bikes, always have, but more than ever I like to get there in one piece……20 mph is fast enough.
The bike is super solid, shifts amazingly well. Sure you can buy better brakes but the brakes on the bike work just fine.
I can’t imagine an unhappy buyer of this bike.
I’m already seriously considering a RadCity as a second bike for the family.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoThanks for the feedback, Greg! I enjoyed your testimonial and feedback about shifting and brake performance :)
ReplyJH
5 years agoHi, I was wondering about your hill and how that might compare to San Francisco hills… any additional insights given that the bike is not a mid-drive (so less torque) would be helpful
ReplyGreg
5 years agoI have over 600 miles on the bike now. Still love it, we actually have two RadWagons we like it so much we bought a second one. I’d say the final hill to our house is pretty steep, but not like the steepness of a lot of hills in SF or Seattle. I once lived on Queen Anne hill in SF, and I don’t think there is any chance our bike would climb Queen Anne Blvd if you can compare that hill to yours. The hill I have to climb is Clay St. in Blacksburg, VA. I can climb our hill fairly effortlessly at 15 mph when riding alone, but with my 65 pound son on the back it’s a grind to get up the hill at 8-10mph. I’m a fit 150 pounds, so the bike is sensitive to added weight and if our hills were steeper I think I would be really frustrated. The RadWagon is all but perfect for us, but I imagine SF would really test the power of the RadWagon….
Charlie
6 years agoThanks a lot for the review. One sticking point for me before hitting the go button is size. I’m 6’4″ and I’ve always loved tall frames. I don’t mind an upright posture, but I do care about having my legs fully extend. Is the max seat height for this bike amenable to a tall guy like myself?
ReplyCourt
6 years agoHmm, that’s a great question Charlie. I think it might require a longer aftermarket seat post to get that full leg extension… The thing is, I’m not sure there are many alternative longtail cargo bikes that are any different, in terms of frame size. You could purchase a larger bike and then use an Extracycle attachment to extend the bike, but most purpose-built ebikes in this category only come in one size for now.
ReplyPJ
6 years agoI’m wondering if a u-lock can be used including capture of the front wheel, without having to remove that wheel from the drop outs? There seems to be a lot of distance between frame and wheel rim.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoGreat question, PJ. My guess is that it would not… especially with the battery mounted there. I think the wheel is positioned forward so there is space for the fender, and when you take an external pole or rack into consideration too, it’s just too far. You might need an extra long u-lock like this. Another possibility is to use a short cable to loop the front wheel or even a second u-lock to secure the frame to the rack and use the first one to secure the wheel to the frame. I hope this helps!
ReplyJon Wade
6 years agoHey Court, great to run into an old friend when I started looking for electric bike. I loved your reviews with great insights along with pros and cons before I even realized it was you. I’m glad to see you doing something you love so much.
I am looking for an ebike that we can run around town and carry Wendy back up a decent 3/4 mile hill after happy hour downtown. We would be within the weight limit but I wonder if this one has enough power. I is a good pedal up on a normal bike but not strenuous.
I hope that life is great for you. Come stay with us or say hi if you are ever in Steamboat. – Jon
ReplyBob Tined
5 years agoHi, thanks for the comprehensive review. I am in the market for an electric cargo bike to commute and carry my two kids to school. We’ve got some hills (500 ft elevation over 2 miles) and I wonder if my spouse will be able to handle them with the RadWagon as it has only one gear? Also, how can you explain the price point? We were initially looking at the Tern and Yuba which are like 3 times the price. Just wanna make sure this is not a sacrifice on quality.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Bob, sorry for the delay on this reply to your questions. The RadWagon electric cargo bike actually has seven gears: 7 Speed 1×7 Shimano Acera Derailleur with a DNP Nickel Plated 11-34 Tooth Freewheel. I think it would do fine on hills but require a bit of speed or pedaling to get up really steep sections. They keep the price low by using some entry level components, by only offering one size and color, and using simpler drive systems like hub motor vs. mid-drive. That said, they also benefit from economies of scale because they sell LOTS of units each year. I hope this helps :)
ReplyRuss Lange
5 years agoHow about a comparison between this bike and the Blix?
ReplyAnita Johnson
5 years agoHi have you considered making a Senior TriCycle with the back tires maybe 1/3 width of your commercial wagon? Would love to bike around small rolling hills but cars go flying by and balance is not what it was.
ReplyJoe Stricker
5 years agoI recently replaced a rear wheel tube due to a flat. It worked well for the first day but now the Power cord has wrapped around the rear wheel axle causing it to unplug itself. What has happened to allow the rear wheel portion of the power cable to wrap around the axle?
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Joe, I’ve experienced this before (mostly with ebike kits). If the nuts that hold the rear axle get loose, the axle can spin based on the power of the motor… this is why most Rad Power Bikes products have a torque arm in addition to the keyed axle design that slots into the rear dropout. I wonder which model year your Rad Power Bike is from? If your motor power cable is damaged, it may not be salvageable and you might need to reach out to Rad Power Bikes.
Replyaidan denton-smith
5 years agoCourt any update on my insurance problem i emailed you about ???
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Aidan! I haven’t heard back from Mike and I don’t know where this might be since your last comment. I’m not sure that the US team is that familiar with European insurance. They do have a Euro office, have you tried reaching out to them locally? I apologize for not being completely up to date with our conversation and the context, I’ve also been pretty busy with travels for work.
ReplyGina
5 years agoHow is this bike for shorter people ( 4′ 11″)? I would be interested in a comparison between the radwagon and the blix packa.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Gina! Great question… These two bikes weigh about the same, but the RadWagon has smaller wheels (26″ vs. 27.5″) so it sits slightly lower. That said, the standover height and minimum saddle height of the Blix Packa is slightly lower and it offers the possibility of a two-battery setup for long range use. The RadWagon frame is stiffer, which reduces the feelings of frame flex if you’re really loaded up, but the bright orange isn’t as cute as the pastel blue. This might come down to style, range, or price, with the RadWagon being slightly less. While I haven’t done a head-to-head comparison of the bikes, we do have a compare tool which I’ve setup to show both back-to-back for you here. I hope this helps, and you can also ask around in our help choosing forum area ;)
ReplyBruce H Bitterman
4 years agoCourt – thanks for the very thorough review. I recently bought a 2019 RadWagon (for me) and Rad Rover Step thru (for my wife). We love both bikes. One thing I am planning to do is put a suspension fork on the rad Wagon, as I feel they should have included that. Also, I think a fatter tire would have been nice. I know they redesigned the 2020 version with smaller, fatter tires and a few other changes, but I think the 2019 version is better. Happy Riding!
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Bruce! Yeah, they’ve got a new design coming out soon that’s a little different. The motor went from gearless with regenerative braking to geared, like the RadRover and RadMinis. The one that you got is a bit lighter and has taller wheels, which can improve ride quality. I’m glad that you’re happy with it and wish you luck getting and installing a suspension fork. That’s one thing you can do much more easily because of the standard 1-18″ straight headset and 100mm hub spacing with 26″ wheels vs. the new custom standard. Good luck, and thanks for the update :D
ReplyNadia
4 years agoHow would the battery hold up in -40C weather?
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Nadia! I’m not a battery expert, but my understanding is that extreme cold is not good for Lithium-ion batteries. It might be less harmful than extreme heat, and you could expect to see limited range… like 50% less range than if the temperature was 70-degrees Celsius. I hope this helps, and perhaps you can get some feedback directly from Rad Power Bikes by calling their customer service number or emailing their support team? I’d love to hear what they say :)
Reply