I’ve been reviewing folding e-bikes from a variety of manufacturers for years now. Folding e-bikes may look alike, but they do not all function alike. With each new iteration of the RadExpand, Rad Power Bikes has made notable improvements that change the rider’s experience for the better. The RadExpand 5 Plus is easily the best folding e-bike they have released so far.
On paper, the RadExpand 5 and RadExpand 5 Plus look quite similar, but there are several changes between the two that make the RadExpand 5 Plus a notably better e-bike worth the additional investment.
The biggest single upgrade may be the addition of Rad Power Bikes’ Safe Shield battery. Not only is this battery certified to UL’s 2271 standard for batteries, but the battery is “potted.” By this we mean that all of the cells are encased in a heat-absorbing polymer. We will go into greater detail about this later in our review. The Rad Power Bikes Safe Shield battery may be the safest battery found in an e-bike.
But a battery alone is no reason to buy a particular e-bike.
Rarely has a folding e-bike felt so solid. That improves the handling, making it easier to handle at higher speeds than some other e-bikes. This handles as well as many Class 3 e-bikes we’ve tested that have a maximum assist speed of 28 mph.
Read on in our review of the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus and you’ll see why this is one of our favorite folding e-bikes on the market.
My Experience Riding The Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus E-Bike
Ride Quality Rating: 8.8
Hardly anyone ever talks about how folding e-bikes can sometimes feel a bit flexible or lacking in that sense of sturdiness that lends the rider confidence. One of my favorite features of the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus is how solid this e-bike feels. The frame offers a solid feel missing in some other folding e-bikes.
I’ve reviewed folding e-bikes where due to the way they flexed I would only have chosen them—were I in the market—if I was only considering a folding e-bike. With the RadExpand 5 Plus, the frame is so solid feeling that I would compare it favorable to other step-thru e-bikes.
Some of our staffers here are pretty tall and according to Rad Power Bikes’ sizing tool, anyone with a 34-in. inseam should be too tall to fit comfortably on the RadExpand 5 Plus. That’s not our experience. Usually, we find e-bike maker’s sizing estimates to be too generous, not too conservative, so if you’re tall, don’t be too quick to rule this e-bike out. Part of the reason it can work for such tall riders comes down to the relaxed riding position.
** Disclaimer: What the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus Is NOT **
Rad Power Bikes presents the RadExpand 5 Plus as an e-bike capable of offroad riding, thanks to its 4-in.-wide, knobby tires. Certainly, the tires can handle unpaved roads and multi-use trails, but this is no eMTB. With just 50mm of suspension travel in the fork, this is an e-bike that will perform well in light offroad use, but isn’t meant for technical singletrack trails.
Range
Range Rating: 10
Estimated Range (from Rad Power Bikes): 60+ miles
Real World Range Test Results (from ElectricBikeReport): 39 mi. (PAS 5) 82 mi. (PAS 1)
Any time an e-bike closes in on the 75-lb. mark (the RadExpand 5 Plus weighs 73.8 lbs.), we grow concerned about how much range the e-bike will be able to offer, unless it is equipped with a battery that offers more than 900Wh of capacity.
The Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus surprised us by offering notably greater range than we expected. Whether other e-bikes have smaller batteries because of an effort on the part of the manufacturer to keep the e-bike’s weight as low as possible or if it’s because they figure a folding e-bike isn’t going to be ridden long distances, we don’t often see folding e-bikes with more than 50 mi. of range. That’s not the case with the RadExpand 5 Plus.
The 720Wh Safe Shield battery performed like a champ. When our colleagues at Electric Bike Report performed range tests on the RadExpand 5 Plus, they covered 39 mi.—on PAS 5. That’s a terrific number for any e-bike. In PAS 1 it covered a whopping 82 mi. Normally, we only see range like that with a 720Wh battery if it has been paired with a mid-drive motor, not a hub motor.
That gives us a clue to why the RadExpand 5 Plus performed so well. In our next section, I’ll explain why.
Power (Motor & Battery)
Power Rating: 750W, nominal, 64Nm of torque
The Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus is equipped with a 750W brushless, geared hub motor. It produces a maximum torque of 64Nm, which solid, if not mind-blowing. Most Rad Power Bikes models pair this motor with a cadence sensor, but Rad Power Bikes has begun upgrading their new models with the Safe Shield battery as well as some other components, such as a torque sensor.
The presence of a torque sensor is why the RadExpand 5 Plus achieved such great range numbers. Torque sensors apply power in a fashion that’s very different than a cadence sensor. Torque sensors take the amount of power the rider is producing and multiply it by a factor determined by the PAS level the rider has selected. This is what some e-bike makers mean by giving the rider 200 or 300 percent assistance. They give two or three times the power output generated by the rider. To generate more power, the rider must pedal harder. The bottom line is that a rider pedaling an e-bike with a torque sensor is contributing more of the power being output than if they were on an e-bike with a cadence sensor.
A cadence sensor puts out power at a steady rate depending on the PAS selected. All that the cadence sensor is measuring is whether the pedals are turning, or not. E-bikes with torque sensors may require more work from the rider, but they offer a fundamentally more dynamic and exciting ride experience.
The biggest single upgrade is the addition of Rad Power Bikes’ Safe Shield battery. Not only is this battery certified to UL’s 2271 standard for batteries, but the battery is “potted.” By this we mean that all of the cells are encased in a heat-absorbing polymer.
Lithium-ion batteries generate heat as they produce electricity. Under most circumstances, that’s not a problem, but sometimes, the battery begins to generate an excessive amount of heat. If there is an issue with one of the cells, such as being defective or damaged in a crash, that cell can go into thermal runaway, heating up until it causes a fire. With the thermal polymer that encases the cells, the material draws heat away, preventing the heat buildup that can lead to runaway, so not only does the battery meet the UL standard, it adds an extra layer of security.
Components
There’s so much about the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus that we love, we are a bit hesitant to criticize it, but we are reviewers, so criticize we must. And it’s not like this is a perfect e-bike.
One of our biggest reservations about the RadExpand 5 Plus is its choice of drivetrain. The 7-speed Shimano Altus drivetrain is rarely found on e-bikes that cost more than $2000, so it seems out of place here. An 8-speed drivetrain would shift better and offer a wider range of gears, which is handy for anyone living in a hilly place like Rad Power Bikes’ home base of Seattle.
This point is only driven home by the fact that another of the upgrades that the RadExpand 5 Plus received relative to the RadExpand 5 was a change from mechanical disc brakes to hydraulic disc brakes. Such a change makes a big impact on braking performance.
The thing about braking performance isn’t just stopping distance. Scrubbing speed, controlling speed, especially before a turn is crucial to a rider’s sense of control and control = confidence. When brakes aren’t powerful enough, riders will brake much earlier than necessary and that cuts down on the fun of zooming along.
People always have questions about the latching mechanism for a frame and the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus latch is the one they have used for a while. It’s easy to operate and foolproof; if it isn’t fully latched, the e-bike isn’t rideable; it just folds up. The handlebar mast is similarly easy to operate.
None of this speaks to how rigid the frame is when locked into position. For most e-bikes, the handling suffers some when you reach top speed. They can be a bit squirrelly, nervous, but that really isn’t the case with the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus. When we say we don’t know why this isn’t a Class 3 e-bike with a top-assist-speed of 28 mph, that is more praise than criticism. We wouldn’t want most folding e-bikes to go 28 mph.
Screen / User Interface / App
Rad Power Bikes has introduced a new display and it lends a significant improvement over the previous one. First, this one mounts at the center of the handlebar, where it is far easier to look at while riding. Displays mounted near the grip require a rider to turn their head, which can cause many of us to deviate our line a bit, and for some of us to outright veer offcourse. Positioning the display so all you have to do is look down makes things easier and safer.
The fact that the display is both larger now and in color also aids quick reading, meaning you take your eyes off the road less. While it offers usual functions such as current speed and odometer, it shows exactly how much power the motor is producing moment by moment, which is handy given the way a motor’s output changes when it is paired with a torque sensor. It also shows remaining estimated range (it is always an ongoing calculation and one hasty acceleration can throw it off), as well as brake light and turn signals.
Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus Model Options
When ordering the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus, buyers face a simple choice: slate blue or stone tan. Some buyers can also choose between having the e-bike shipped to their home or in-store pickup.
One of the benefits to purchasing an e-bike from Rad Power Bikes is their deep assortment of accessories. There’s little that a buyer might want that Rad Power Bikes doesn’t offer. They sell baskets, mirrors, smartphone mounts, locks, locking panniers, trailers, bags, replacement parts and more.
With so many different accessories to choose from, an understandable concern would be whether the item you’re looking at will work with the RadExpand 5 Plus. Fortunately, Rad Power Bikes makes it easy to tell. On the left side of their accessories page, you can choose a filter for the Rad Expand 5 Plus and that will eliminate every accessory that isn’t compatible with it. You’re left with 43 options, all of which have been verified to work with the RadExpand 5 Plus.
Is The Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus Worth Buying?
Most folding e-bikes retail for less than $2000, so bringing to market one that costs more than $2000 can be risky. There are solid reasons for why the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus goes for this much money. A good folding frame is more expensive than a standard step-over or step-thu frame to produce. The Smart Shield battery is worth a notable premium considering that no one else on the market is potting e-bike batteries. The upgrade to hydraulic disc brakes also makes the RadExpand 5 Plus worth a bump over the RadExpand 5.
The 7-speed drivetrain works well enough to provide reliable service, but it seems a little out of place on an e-bike at this price point.
Even if Rad Power Bikes has no plans to release a Class 3 version of the RadExpand in the future, the frame’s stiffness make this one of the best, if not the best, folding e-bikes on the market from a handling standpoint. I’m much more comfortable taking the RadExpand 5 Plus offroad than other folding models.
That Rad Power Bikes provides a 2-year warranty rather than the standard single year is another fine reason to consider the RadExpand 5 Plus.
Pros
- The 720Wh SafeShield battery is certified to UL 2271, and features a polymer that encases the cells for even greater safety.
- Torque sensor gives immediate power the moment riders step on a pedal and can adjust their speed by changing how hard they pedal.
- Gemma hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors are a notable improvement over the mechanical disc brakes found on the RadExpand 5.
- Pedals now fold, saving space for when storing in a small space.
- 50mm travel Exsho suspension fork will give riders a more comfortable ride.
- New, larger, color display mounts in the middle of the bar, where it is easy to read.
Cons
- We’d love to see the 7-speed drivetrain upgraded to 8-speed with a wider range of gears than the 14-32t freewheel.
- We would love to see Rad Power Bikes make the RadExpand 5 Plus switchable to Class 3 operation. The handling is good enough that it would ride well at 28 mph, and it has a battery that will offer solid range even at Class 3 speeds.
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