![]() Our vision is a world where transportation is energy-efficient, enjoyable, and accessible to all.Īn electric bike is simply a traditional bicycle that has been equipped with a battery-powered motor that makes it easier for riders to climb hills, go faster, haul cargo, and cover longer distances without getting tired with support from a pedal assist feature or a throttle. We rely on hundreds of designers, engineers, and support specialists to ensure that all 450,000+ customers ride the best electric bikes possible. There’s also regenerative braking when you descend past the 24mph e-assist ceiling, the bike doesn’t pick up speed as quickly as you’d expect because the motor is recycling kinetic energy to recharge the battery.Rad Power Bikes was founded in 2007 as a sole proprietorship and today, it’s North America’s largest electric bike brand. The company lists 20 mph as the top speed, but selecting 28-inch wheels within the display unit’s settings boosts the e-assist limit to 24 mph. Everywhere else, pedaling isn’t strictly necessary. The throttle gives you full power on-demand but needs some pedaling input to keep the bike moving uphill. A thermal limiter in the controller reduces power if the motor gets too hot, preventing you from cooking the motor on extended climbs. It’s not as capable up steep climbs as a Bosch, Yamaha, or Shimano system, but I could still climb a sustained 8 percent incline at 12 to 14 mph on the highest pedal-assist setting. The direct-drive motor is quieter than mid-drives (there’s only one moving part) and never felt underpowered. Note that your friends will affect the handling, though. The running boards make it easier to carry human cargo. Minor gripe: The kickstand’s legs don’t have a rubber coating, so they’ll scratch up wooden floors. Included accessories include integrated front and rear lights, fenders, a double-legged kickstand, and a clear plastic cover for the rear wheels to keep cargo or children’s dangling feet from hitting the spokes. The e-bike-specific tires are 2.3-inch-wide Kenda K-Rad’s with a puncture-resistant liner and a reflective strip for visibility. ![]() Handy cockpit details include an on/off switch for the throttle and a bell that’s integrated into the left brake lever. The Tektro mechanical disc brakes use 180mm rotors and stop the hefty bike with ease I never felt myself wanting for hydraulics during testing. There’s an 11-34t freewheel instead of a cassette-there’s no room for a freehub body next to that big hub motor-and the 34t climbing gear is handy for steep hills. The RadWagon comes with a 1x7 Shimano Altus drivetrain. The jump to the climbing gear is dramatic but we’re glad it’s there. In other words, don’t trust the battery indicator on undulating terrain. But when I crested the hill and began descending, I got my three bars back. Accordingly, I switched to the lowest pedal-assist level to make sure I wouldn’t have to pedal the 73-pound bike over the hill by myself. For instance, climbing a half-mile hill on medium assist, I went from three bars to one, and then the display unit told me the battery would soon be dead. The battery indicator is annoying: Rather than just telling you how much charge remains in the battery, it estimates how much charge you might have if you continue using a certain level of assist. I reckon you’d get more than 40 if your route is mostly flat. I averaged around 35 miles per charge, but my cumulative home-work-home-work-home-work route included more than 2,000 feet of climbing. The range from the 48-volt battery largely depends on terrain. That said, reviewers from other outlets found the system jarring compared to riding a pushbike, so you might not enjoy it as much if you prefer your e-assist to feel more like regular pedaling. I think this behavior makes the RadWagon easier to ride than a mid-drive e-cargo bike because you don’t have to pedal very hard to get a full effort from the motor. Power delivery isn’t as fluid as it is on torque-sensing systems, but the cadence-sensing design gives you full power from easy, fast pedaling. A 12-magnet cadence sensor on the drive side of the bottom bracket picks up your pedaling input and doles out e-assist accordingly. Unlike most e-cargo bikes, the RadWagon gives you the option to use either one of five pedal-assist modes or a throttle on the right side of the handlebar. The cadence sensor, seen inside the chainring, gives you more e-assist as you pedal faster.
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