RadTrike Electric Tricycle
radpowerbikes.com
radpowerbikes.com
Fixing a rear puncture was a slow but pleasing experience that seems to be one thing where they’ve optimised for: maintenance.
I’m resigned to it hitting the scrap heap after 3000km. It’s only a matter of time. It’s such a shame that at their price points these devices are basically disposable. Spend 2x the money on something not bought online and you’ll probably enjoy 5x the lifetime.
Thanks for trying though, Rad. I get your passion. It just didn’t work out but maybe you’ll level out into something cool soon. Maybe this trike is it? Heavier, clunkier, even more fixable, and with more bulletproof electronics on the drivetrain and you could win out against the clones, especially if you had a fully fleshed out service partnership in the EU.
Have you tried loosening these, applying the brakes fully, and tightening the screws hand tight to center the brake disc and let it relax to flat?
I think the future is dual hub motors with Regen braking. Having tried this on a brakeless bike and a modified scooter, the performance is very good.
I don't doubt any of your experiences, but I mention this so readers can get more perspectives.
Perhaps one significant difference between us is that Rad has a showroom / repair shop in Seattle, although I haven't needed them for anything other than easier parts pickup (fenders and break pads.)
One thing I've noticed is that pretty much every established bike company is placing the motor on the pedal crank, whereas Rad uses a much bigger (750w in my case) in-wheel hub motor. The acceleration with a hub motor is so much better and doesn't depend on what gear I'm in.
> The acceleration with a hub motor is so much better and doesn't depend on what gear I'm in.
I have a 750 watt radbike and I always find this a little bit bothersome in that I end up in situations where I feel like I'm being dragged forward when I don't want to be because my cadence got just a little bit too fast and the motor starts dumping power. I end up treating the pedal assist as another set of gearing to manage so it doesn't start giving me too much power when I am pedalling in a low gear. Higher end hub drives and pretty much all mid-drives solve this by using a torque sensor so the motor responds to the wattage you are putting down rather than the cadence.
Bikes are one of those things that are sort of figured out how to make (tho eBikes, less so). You can go to a trade show in east Asia, spec out exactly what you want a run of bikes to be, and they'll do all the hard work for you, and ship you a container full of "your" bikes. Many brands use the same bike manufacturer/factory. Shop for some of them on bikesdirect.com. Many of the "brand" names are just stickers - the companies may have existed as something decades ago, but now live as a name only.
Even a more established brand will send over the cad files of the frame to be built (usually the only really distinguishing thing in most bikes), then spec out the rest of the parts to be put on it. A few visits to the factory from a brand rep/engineer to get details right (welds, layups), then start pumping out orders.
If you go by share of profit from bikes versus other sources I would not be surprised at all if they get more than trek or specialized. Trek/Bontrager and Specialized are notorious in the bike industry for requiring dealers to move accessories if they want to stock bikes. They make a TON of money of accessories at this point
Kia makes cheap cars using less than cutting edge technology, but that doesn't mean that they are any less of a car company than Mercedes.
Sure, they cater to the low end. But, their designs aren't off the shelf (or aliexpress), they have a network of showrooms and shops, and most importantly there primary business is the selling of bicycles.
I know eBikes popularity went to the moon during the pandemic, the global shortages, yadda yadda, but my overall experience from RadPowerBikes customer satisfaction isn't the highest.
As of now, my recalled parts have not failed, and I continue using it, but it's not a good look. I know they have to make those kind of "don't use until repaired" for liability reasons, but man it's frustrating.
I would not recommend this brand. I guess they decided to do a lot of custom components which is why they have like a 6 month lead time to ship out new non-defective tires (or whatever).
You'll find a lot of love for it online, and I think it is genuine, but I suspect the love for the brand is because it is bought by biking neophytes and makes biking accessible to people who don't want to put a lot of effort into it(nothing wrong with that). So it opens up a lot of possibilities for getting outside and getting fresh air without needing strong thighs or aerobic fitness or getting sweaty, and people associate that with their radwagon, not just generally with an ebike. But there is nothing particularly different about this brand compared to other ebike brands. A lot of ebikes look and function exactly the same as the radwagon, and haven't been part of a longstanding recall.
This is something a beginner can repair. This is normal stuff for those who ride bikes and don't go to a shop for little repairs. Replacing a tube (and fixing it with a small vulcanizing kit) is biking 101, and there they're not even expecting you to repair that. Just check how to replace the tube of a wheel in a youtube video and while at it, check if your strip needs alignment. Tyres often go flat but you normally feel that something is off because it feels "smeary".
The warning is just for those who are not the slightest bit technically inclined and don't feel like doing any of this. To avoid lawsuits.
I bet in the Netherlands any 10 year old kid could check if your wagon is affected and if it is, align the strip.
They discovered the problem. Waited long enough to see how extensive the problem was. After whatever investigation process there was, it was determined that they were just manufactured poorly. Design error or manufacturing error? More testing. Now that the true issue is understood, how to fix it. Iterate changes to make new replacement better than original design. Cool. Now, find a factory and get in their queue to manufacture the thing. Receive shipment via literal slow boat from China. Distribute parts, arrange repair mechanic appointments, etc.
I'm not defending the situation I find myself in, but if you honestly can't think of "what's taking so long", then I'd suggest you're just not trying at all. Maybe you have no experience manufacturing something, so that might be out of your wheel house. It's not like someone can just say 'git clone bicycle parts' or 'npm update bicycle parts'
If you can't, the reality is you didn't buy a bike, you bought a bicycle-shaped object with proprietary components designed for the landfill.
Overall, I'm quite happy with my bike. It does exactly what I wanted it to when I purchased it. However, it's the company itself that just seems to have it's head insert fully up their backside. It seems to be a Seattle thing, but I feel it would fit in perfectly inside the SV VC world of "disruptors" where a concept that is as ubiquitous as a bike gets updated to be the VC darling of a thing only to realize the updates are so stupid that it devalues the entire thing. Rather than using stock component parts, let's custom design everything!! What could go wrong?
As part of the recall process, they will ship me the replacement parts. I don't live in Seattle for them to make the repair for me. I am free to install these myself, or if I'm mechanically challenged, they will arrange for a local repair shop to make these repairs for me. I'm not repairing the friggin recalled tire. What a moron to make that assumption. I'm making the repair taking the recalled part off, and then placing the corrected part on.
>Yeah, the level of repair for mine is swap a wheel and tire.
What kind of thick skulled imbecile can't understand that?
So I still have no idea what you're talking about. But I do have some idea that you're an absolute cock.
In my emails, I was told I would be receiving a new wheel as well as tires. So, I have no idea why you would feel necessary to suggest I won't be needing to swap a wheel when they are sending me a wheel. That's okay, sense I don't know what I'm talking about and you do. Have a good life being better than everyone else though.
If this is the problem you're putting so much weight on, where's the issue with buying new a tire? If you know the parameters, which are printed on the tire itself, you can buy a new one. Once your bike is ready for recall, I'd put on the original set and have it replaced for a new one.
But I myself wouldn't have an issue with just removing the tube once to take a look at it and the tire, then either replace something or just reassemble it and wait until it breaks due to wear, as it will do anyway sometime down the line.
The only difference will be that it will break because of wear (not the companies fault) or because it was of low quality. But I would never assume that this would cause some kind of harm which puts any life in danger, specially because it has 4 wheels.
Rad designed the drop outs nicely and there’s only a cable tie and a power cable to undo, but I had still had to use a rope as a winch to hold and then lower the wheel out of the frame.
If you’ve done a lot of bike work you’ll know about the danger of crushing your finger between the rear axle fastener and the derailleur body. Now imagine that with a 10lb wheel falling out of the rear dropouts. It’s a pretty dangerous job if you don’t take your time and do things safely and it made me really appreciate how easy it is by comparison to work on a simple, light, mechanical pedal bike.
That being said a puncture is just a normal bicycle problem. Does Rad offer tubeless compatible components? I’m guessing e-bikers may be less “normal bicycle maintenance” oriented than your average road/gravel/mountain bike owner and tubeless would nearly eliminate punctures.
Changing a tube on my road bike is like flipping a pancake. Changing a tube on the RadRunner is like flipping a turkey.
I also had a battery charging issue after 1000 miles and a winter where it got unplugged from the charger for a couple of months, but I count that as my mistake. I got to take apart the old battery pack though, and one interesting thing I found was that although the power output has half a dozen electrodes on it, only the two big + and - ones were connected to anything.
I did replace the front fork because the previous one was bent. I think this happens when you're going 20mph and hit a curb or sharp bump. Replacement part was $60.
Kickstand spring broke and Rad gave me another for $1 along with nuts and bolts that were missing from the previous owner.
Electric motor and battery is doing fine. I purchased another battery for long rides. Because Rad is so popular there are great/cheap OEM options that other e-bike manufacturers don't have.
I think for the price Rad is amazing if you're willing to tinker with it occasionally.
People who ride electric bikes still get the benefits of exercise (elevated heart rate, muscle use) though obviously less than regular biking.
I ride mine year round in Seattle, it's incredible. I deliver cargo, go grocery shopping, visit the library. This should be the default mode.
The theory I've heard is that cyclists being on the road is only a problem when it's the exception. When it's rare, motorists aren't expecting it and are driving in a way that doesn't accommodate it.
If cycling were "the default," motorist behavior would be very different because everyone would be expecting it.
This is false, depending on the region.
I'm even all for having no limit on watts or horsepower. If I want to haul a heavy trailer with a custom bike that draws 10kW but can't break 20 MPH, I should be allowed to do so. Having the torque to quickly get through an intersection saves lives and impatient drivers are less likely to make dangerous maneuvers if people can get out of their way quickly. Cars don't have HP limits, they have speed limits, and those same clowns who risk themselves and everyone around them for fun are always going to do what they want regardless. I feel it would be better to make speed limit laws stronger and get rid of the laws that pit pedestrians against other pedestrians over antiquated statutes.
This type of thinking, "One person might be frightened, so let's continue to make cyclists pay with their lives" is unfathomable. It's even more incomprehensible that it seems to come mostly from motorists wanting to dictate how all pedestrians 'shall obey' because the are second class citizens. "One could argue" all kinds of things without data and get nonsensical laws passed that affect other people and not themselves.
Furthermore, sidewalks already exist in vastly larger coverage of most cities, where bike lanes do not. Most places don't want to pay for bike lanes, and those that do rarely maintain them in the US. They have never run a street sweeper over the bike lanes where I live, and if they had, they would have hit the concrete spill that's been there for over 3 years and likely damage the street sweeper. It's outrageously dangerous if you don't know it is there because it is between the roadway and a turning lane, so if you get ejected in either direction you are possibly roadkill either way.
Escooters are so popular probably because it's so much easier to bring them inside and on elevators unlike this clunky trike.
The same can be said of the vastly-overpowered e-scooters that seem to be popular where I live (far larger than the usual Segway style e-scooters). All the speed of a small motorcycle (60 km/h+), with far less ability to brake or survive minor potholes.
Cost $850... goes 23mph, weighs 25 lbs, has about 12 miles of range. Aside from not being usable in the rain, it's the perfect vehicle.
I understand the market for not DIY, but someone considering this should also consider buying a Schwinn Meridian and a conversion kit (front wheel hub) and saving $1500.
Speaking of which, it would be interesting to see someone bend some copper to use as a frame and use some plexiglass to create a roof to keep rain off you.
Range was not great either, due to the extra weight of the wooden box he made to hold everything but the rest probably applies to many lower-end two-wheeled bikes too.
I suspect this is the reason that most higher-end electric bikes more closely resemble electric motorcycles than bikes, in terms of wheel size and frame build.
I’ve looked at Arcimoto too, but being in NYC with something like that just seems like asking for a bad time
An elderly gentleman in my locale made himself a trike with 3 wheels in front. He rode at less than a walking pace, but was out all the time. I made a mental note for if and when I can longer get around on two wheels.
I believe you meant to say "after a few injuries and a moral panic originating among demographics that don't tend to expose themselves (moreso their kids) to risk of injury very much."
Nobody cared when farmers had three wheelers. But at some point as they moves in from the rural areas to the exurbs and into the outer suburbs and a line was crossed and they went the way of lawn darts.
I wouldn't want a three wheeler as transportation but as entertainment or a utility vehicle they're fine, not stupid proof but fine.
As per the new policy introduced here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33884441, should this url be replaced by a third-party site we just googled?
For example, here's one I just googled which provides useful extra context about the company and the safety record of their previous products: https://www.geekwire.com/2022/rad-power-bikes-launches-radtr...
[0] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/us/the-villages-census-fl...
https://www.peachtree-city.org/DocumentCenter/View/17110/Pat...
(If the map looks a little weird, it's because there's a zillion unofficial paths to connect the dots)
They've rallied around golf carts historically but it's a great place to bike. I use an E-bike and see a lot of recumbent bicycles using the pathways.
Yeah. Having spent a decent amount of time in Florida gated communities, I just don't see electric bikes replacing electric golf carts.
You already have a golf cart and the only thing the bike can do is use a bike lane. Sure somebody who likes to bike might get one just like somebody who likes tennis might get a pickleball set but the average person is just going to get an electric golf cart.
Also, parking and storage. As cost of housing goes up, so too does the cost/size of parking/storage.
I'm going to be following this. I think a Trike will be enormously popular because of the stability, but it has to be stable. Rad tends to design for low cost... I hope this wasn't a terrible choice.....
This tricycle isn't for me but I get it, I think the niches that ebikes can fill are much bigger than we think they are
The biggest problem with e-bikers, and general e-thing riders, as a population, is that they haven’t built the bike skills equivalent to the speed that they can go at. I can ride 20mph if I want to, but it took a long time for me to be able to do that. I had to ride a lot. In doing so, I got a lot of practice.
E-bikes allow you to do that with basically no practice. The resulting behavior is not good. They ride erratically. They ride with AirPods. They salmon. They salmon at night with no lights. They salmon on roads that aren’t even one way! They shoal at every intersection.
So this thing will make them double wide as they salmon… I don’t want to be opposed to e-bikes but the practical effects on cycling, for those of us that were already doing it, since the pandemic explosion, haven’t been great.
(Technically going on the wrong side of the road is also salmoning, but in NYC it was almost always wrong way on a one-way
Shoaling is cutting in line at lights. Inexperienced cyclists/e-whatever riders are notorious for this. It’s not dangerous but is very poor etiquette if you are not going to absolutely blow away the people you cut when the light goes green.
So, if you cut someone on a Citibike (local terrible heavy bike share bike) on your Specialized Tarmac SL7 in full kit, then, like, whatever. Not that bad. The Citibiker probably doesn’t even realize it’s rude.
But if you cut in front of kitted up people on road bikes on a Citibike, you better have some monster legs.
Anyways I notice this a lot with e-bikes recently. But the thing is that I am actually faster than them, despite riding a “regular” bike. So it’s very annoying.
And half the time they’re wearing AirPods and are just completely oblivious as they do this. Honestly the median Citibiker is not much better, but at least they only go like 8mph.
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Family/parents-file-lawsuit-bike-...
As for trikes, do you really need one if you are not impaired? Bikes are awesome for the city because they are one lane wide. A trike instantly blocks the bikelane, is slow around corners and thus a hassle for anyone else who is trying to get somewhere!
Assuming LIDAR eventually becomes cheap enough or cameras become sufficient for the job.
{shudder}
Canada Post is currently testing electric cargo trikes for delivery in my city. They're beefier than this, but the same idea. I live near the postal depo, and I love seeing them zip around - feels like the future.
Maybe i'll wait for the second gen
As a nice bonus, the wheelbase of my bike gives me a TONNE of space under the frame and within the frame for battery packs. So it's a whole project that I'm going to get started on after I move.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3eRv_FZjBc&list=PLPqn8bOJKP...
And get a Bafang motor:
https://www.utahtrikes.com/PROD-11620438.html
Also I've got a catrike villager
its easier when it's an E-bike. But they were geared for and used before the electric assist became popular.
It's that simple.
EDIT: that said we now have the Dacia Spring which is approximately what you're asking for. Even that is on the chopping block two years after being introduced and selling like hotcakes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhood_Electric_Vehicle
[edit]
I should note that I couldn't find a route from my house to my workplace that is legal for such a vehicle (They can only drive where the posted speed-limit is under 35MPH in California)
Couldn't find the price.
Like $2-$8k electric car / golf cart-sih cars are already happening!
Basically a fully enclosed golf cart, lead acid batteries and all. Was $1,200 a year ago.
Can it go on the highway? No. Is it crashworthy? No. But neither is an ebike, and this at least keeps the rain off you.
The average electric bike owner gets more exercise than the average cyclist or the average driver:
https://electrek.co/2019/08/11/electric-bike-riders-more-exe...
In retrospect it's not that surprising since the average cyclist doesn't use their bike...
I'm not cycling again in my city until we start protecting cyclists here. The roads where I live are absurdly unsafe for cyclists to be on. It's a fucking joke to put a bike lane without a physical divider a few inches next to cars on a 40mph road.
In recent years I haven't been riding much. A couple months ago I put an electric motor on my bike, and now I am riding it all the time. And I am still a cyclist!
(Refresher: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_Paradox )