Rad Power Bikes Radster Trail Review, 2024 | ($1,999) New Fat Tire E-Bike
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- čas přidán 12. 03. 2024
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I’m blown away with the new Radster Trail from Rad Power Bikes. This is an exciting new model that is as versatile as it is powerful. From the frame to the motor to the wheel and tire choice, this is terrific new model from one of the most popular makers of e-bikes.
The Radster Trail rolls on 27.5 x 3-in. tires, what they call a mid-fat. I like the 3-in. width because it handles better than 4-in.-wide tires. Sure, it loses some cushion, but the narrower tire improves the maneuverability, whether on-road or off of it. While this isn’t an eMTB, it does have the ability to take in dirt roads and some natural surface trails. I ran the tires at less than 20 psi and that combined with the 80mm-travel fork gave me a very comfortable ride any time I wasn’t on asphalt.
According to Rad Power Bikes, this new motor still delivers a maximum of 750W, like other Rad Power Bikes motors, but they increased the torque in the motor by 54 percent to produce 100Nm of torque. What that means is that this thing really moves uphill. The narrower tire is substantially lighter than the 4-in. rubber we see on all-terrain models, and that almost certainly helps the Radster Trail’s acceleration.
This is a true Class 3 e-bike, able to achieve 28 mph and it has both the power and the gearing necessary to reach that speed. Here’s another reason to like the 27.5 x 3-in. tires: This e-bike handles really well at speed. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I did like how Court posted extremely detailed measurements, and mentioned the most important ones in the videos, as well as the effects/consequences of geometry or component choices. I’ve been missing that in this channel’s last few posts.
I like having a mechanic’s opinion on the quality and serviceability of bikes and their components. So, please include Ben in future reviews.
Regarding the tire width, I have bikes with tires from just over an inch, 1.75, 2.0, 2.125, 2.4, 3 and 4. I ride mostly paved roads and paths, venturing a bit through grassy fields, packed gravel, dirt with scattered rocks, and I find 2-3in works well for me (6ft tall, 230lbs). 4 feels much cushier but there is a huge gap in handling and nimbleness between 3 and 4. I plan to replace the folding fat tire (4in) bike with one that uses 3in as soon as that model receives UL 2849 certification. A lot of people like fat tire e-bikes, but I find it too sluggish and slow (handling and rolling resistance), and I don’t ride across surfaces where they work well (loose dry sand).
About the weight, I chose my LMT’d partially because it weighs less than e-bikes with similar specs and features, but I think it achieves its low weight (51lbs before racks, fenders, etc.) by using tubes with thinner walls (as well as an air vs coil fork). It dents more easily than other bikes I own. Looking at the frame design of the Radsters, they use more length of tubing, and potting epoxy adds some weight to the battery, but not enough to explain the roughly 20lb difference without considering the wall thickness or internal webbing of the tubing. The twin support tubes between seatpost and downtube add to the sturdy feel of this mid-step frame, but I think greater wall thickness of the tubing is a big factor to both the sturdy feel and weight. I suspect that’s why Ride1Up changed the frame of their Core-5 replaced by Turris) and v2 of their LMT’d (uses same frame as the Turris). The LMT’d now weighs 55lbs, though that includes fenders and lights. Essentially, you can’t replace simple mass at some point for a given design and material.
Rad made some serious upgrades on the frames, motors (especially since they deliver 90 or 100Nm peak torque while keeping peak power capped at 750W) and safety of the batteries (until inherently safer chemistries are commercially available). I like the combo of a torquey hub motor, driven by a torque sensor, and throttle. I’ve considered whether to get a mid-drive ebike but most lack the ability to use a throttle. I love the control of a torque sensor but there are times I’m too tired or unable to extract more than 50% output from a motor driven by a torque sensor. It seems Rad also has the ratio of motor output to riser input set higher than is set on my LMT’d. My LMT’d also has a 100Nm peak torque motor driven by a torque sensor, but I find I have to work hard to sustain 28mph. 26 is easy, but those last two mph require noticeably more effort, whereas it seemed very easy for you to sustain 28mph with the Radster Trail.
They stop selling in the EU … i advocated this brand easily to 6-8x buyers and dozens more. When i was finally about to place my order, the sales stop already happend and i was Heart brockend 😢 i saw Rad Power Bikes on this channel for the first time with the very first Radwagon and dreamed about owning one, my ultimate dream bike is the Rad Runner 3 Plus and i was so close 😢
What happened to Court? I havnt seen him do a review in months. Update: yes, he sold EBR I sub'd to his channel back when i bought my first Ebike (RadCity 2017) He will be missed, what a great guy. first class all the way.
We will be putting out a video with more details on this in he next couple of weeks, that should help clear things up for everyone.
He sold EBR.
My first couple of ebikes were rads. The quality of them were fine, very well built imo. However, as a life long cyclist I just couldn't adapt to the cadence sensor set up. It was sooooo unnatural to me. Sold them both and went with a Ride1up torque sensor, so much nicer. I will only stick with torque or mid drive from here on out.
Now these new Rads finally have torque sensors, surprised it took them so long!
Do you know if you can also adjust the assist %?
Great review, however as a self proclaimed bike nerd I do miss Court's thorough deep dives into these bikes. Hopefully he'll be back with some reviews??
Torque sensor really needs to be paired with a mid drive bicycle with a better center of gravity feel as well imo
The weight is really an issue many of us that need to rack bikes for travel, or get them into the truck bed. Too bad. It looks pretty nice.
Great video. Does having the twist throttle with the trigger shifters cause any problems when throttling and trying to change gears?
Really appreciate Ben's comments.
AYE FINALLY A RAD BIKE 😮
Where is this video shot at? State? Looks awesome
I’m a mullet fan myself with plus tires
I guess we will finally get a mid drive bike from them in 2-3 years once they’ve exhausted their market share with these minimalistic upgrades
I hope not lol. Rad doing mid drives will lead to even worse customer service problems 😂
@@RobinsonCycle Well considering that it doesn’t exist anymore; it could only get better. I see that they doubled the length of their warranty. That’s a step in the right direction
Great review! I’m from Canada. We get the 500 watt rear motor 😢. Does that change the torque levels? Is it still 100 NM?
The motor for Canadian version looks the same as the US version, maybe there is a way to increase the power to 750 watt.
Feels illegal to be so early 😎
The NSA is now watching you
This bike looks so incredible!
Great review. I'm selling my Aventon Aventure and buying this bike.
Is it labeled and shipped as a class 2?
looks premium 💫✨👏🏽
My friend has a rad bike and their customer support is practically non-existent.
It used to be really meta human. Now the phone support evaporated over night. Only text messages support
Hi, pretty interesting, im hesitant between this Radster trail and the Aventon Level2 , what would you recommend?
Thanks
That's going to depend on your personal preferences. If you are looking to go off road at all, then go with the Radster Trail, 100%. The 3" tires give you a little more options as to where you are going to be able to ride.
I also think the Radster is a bit faster up the hills, for what it's worth.
Court would have shown the lights at night. Just saying lol. He truly had a captivating and a way to draw the viewers into to his journey of E-bikes. I’m still a fan of EBR and look forward to new content.
🚨Here’s the skinny on the upgrades/fixed deficiencies from their flagship the Rover.
1). More torque 80Nm➡️100Nm definitely needed and the only true improvement. 2). 7➡️8 gears meh. 3). 4”X 26”➡️3”X 27.5” wheels an other correction from those clumsy fat tires.
The rest are truly nothing burgers. Including the 1 extra Ah which equates to 10-15 minutes of extra road time.
CONS: 1). Don’t be fooled by the new class 3 bicycle option. It’s actually a downgrade. I’ll explain. You used to be able to unlock the bike to 40kph or 25mph without having to pedal above 20mph throttle only. Now if you want to go above 20 you have to pedal. Including when you’re going down hill where pedaling is less efficient than tucking streamline and throttle only. 2). Still no digital battery level
Thanks Justin for the review. Just to let you know, the link above is invalid.
Thanks for the heads-up, it is fixed now!
Interesting bike. How far can it go on each pedal assist level?
For a normal sized man @ 180 pounds with throttle only figure on about 20 miles on flat good road with zero wind and temperatures above 60 degrees. Pedaling with the same conditions as above about 25-30 depending upon the amount of pedaling. Worst condition or battery age and or health expect less range or more pedaling power contributions. There are websites calculators which you fill in Ah, weight etc. to find more precise information but this is roughly accurate
When people ask me which is often HOW FAR DOES IT GO? My generic reply is a simple 25 miles workout any elaboration unless they press me
What happened to EBR? I miss Cory’s objective reviews.
Comparing the rad trail to the rad roadster road which do you think would be a better buy for a older rider new to biking , that would be most of the time on pea gravel trails and a bit of use on paved roads and trails ? Also we are restricted to the 500 watt motor version of this new bike from Rad , which I guess you may not of had rode on this two new bikes!
I also like the 3" tires. I'm not a fan of fat tires except for snow and sand.
Nice new entry by RAD. I've been riding them since 2017 and have never had problems with the electronics and have never needed hydraulic brakes, so that will just add more difficulty to the upkeep for me. But that's hardly a game changer, and I'm glad to see RAD is continually modernizing their bikes and their performance. My only concern is the width of the tires and how they behave in deep soft desert sand, which is abundant in my area. My 2017 RADRover rides right over soft sand with about five pounds of air pressure, and at power level zero. Yep, I only use electric power when riding on paved roads. Not sure if these thinner tires will work as well for me, but certainly can agree they will be just fine on hard packed trails and pavement. Probably not so good in slick mud, but I don't have to worry about that. Has anyone tested the bike's performance in loose, deep sand?
I’ve had to change the wiring harness on my 2018 Rad Rover. After an arduous self diagnosis. I believe that they tried to upsell me on an additional component which eludes me at the moment. I passed regardless of the additional postage I would have to pony up. It was only the wiring harness. It’s an error 30 code that eventually shuts down the bike semi permanently until the harness is replaced
This ebike is awesome ebike for this price.
like to hear more about service.
Does it have a throttle?
Yes, it has a twist throttle
This was such a good channel back in the day, what happened...
@realeyesrealizereallies6828 - What do you fill the channel is missing? If you had a wish list, what kind of content could we create that you would want to see?
I'd like to see you guys take bikes like this on an actual non-paved trail, too. How hard can it be driven? I've taken my Himiway Cruiser out on some seriously technical mtn bike trails and lived to tell the tale. It's certainly not made for it, but it would be interesting to see how a bike performs should the need ever be there to use it off-trail.@@ElectricBikeReview
@@ElectricBikeReviewIt's feel not fill...I think it's the passion some people have for the technology and industry..But, it could also just be the personalities we came to know over several years are no longer here...Or a combination..I like knowing how many amps the controller pushes and what kind of cells are used in the battery..Real world battery tests, hill tests, I don't know..I build my own stuff, I just like to keep an eye on the technology, so I'm probably not the right person..I have 2 Ebikes, one is a mountain bike with 2 hub motors with 45 amp controllers..The other is a mountain bike with a Bafang 1000 watt BBSHD with a High Voltage after market kit..Both bikes have home made batteries with Molicells..
From their website. Samsung 50GB or LG M50LT cells, UL Certified to UL-2271@@realeyesrealizereallies6828
@@ElectricBikeReviewHere is a bit more information from my own pov that is missing. 🚨Here’s the skinny on the upgrades/fixed deficiencies from their flagship the Rover. 1). More torque 80Nm➡️100Nm definitely needed and the only true improvement. 2). 7➡️8 gears meh. 3). 4”X 26”➡️3”X 27.5” wheels an other correction from those clumsy fat tires.
The rest are truly nothing burgers. Including the 1 extra Ah which equates to 10-15 minutes of extra road time.
CONS: 1). Don’t be fooled by the new class 3 bicycle option. It’s actually a downgrade. I’ll explain. You used to be able to unlock the bike to 40kph or 25mph without having to pedal above 20mph throttle only. Now if you want to go above 20 you have to pedal. Including when you’re going down hill where pedaling is less efficient than tucking streamline and throttle only. 2). Still no digital battery level. 3). Zero customer support by phone. 4). Front fender is lesser than before. 5). 200 lumens head lamp is pretty lame. 300-350 is a balanced approach without too much battery drain. Better would be 300 to 600 high beam option
That thing looks like it's made for old people that still drive station wagons lol
Ha! I guess I'm officially old then, because I love how this bike looks (I am 43 though, so that makes sense).
What were the Hell-Hole times?
They have a different video out for that
@@romanyefimets454Be a friend and post a link? Thank you 👍
I just got mine and I have to warn everyone. The bike itself is good but they shipped it with the wrong size battery. They have 2 different sizes of batteries that will work for the bike. The website says it has the bigger size but mine came with the smaller one. I have tried to work this out with rad but as of now they are saying it’s the right battery. (It’s definitely not). Honestly I’m super bummed with rad. This is my second rad bike, I have the radrover 5 and have had no problems with that. I will update if they fix the problem ( I just want what I paid for).
Can you provide the specs of the battery you received and the specs of the expected battery? Getting ours soon
@@ed4ever1 expected (on the website) 15ah and 720wh. Printed on the battery is 14.4 ah and 679.9wh. Rad is saying peak vs nominal ( I’m not a battery expert so I don’t know if that is right).
@mattysreviews50 the statement from rad is correct 👌 in real life no individual cell inside the battery is of a perfect ah or wh rating. Simply put batteries have a marked rating like 15ah but in real life that's impossible to do every time. So you get a 14.85 or 14.65ah when you buy a 15ah.
Why do they have to make them so heavy? If it tips over, some of us would have trouble getting them back upright. A friend of mine got pinned under her slightly lighter Rad and some bystanders had to help her get out from under it. No thank you. Bicycles are supposed to be light weight.
e-bikes are not for the weak. get stronger or buy a trike!
@@liamjohnson2474Rad bikes are awesome in so many ways, but they could make them lighter if they wanted to. Tricycles are even heavier, so how would that solve the problem? My little ebike weighs 40 lbs and I can lift it into the car or up on a bike stand. I think Rad would sell a lot more bikes if they would put out a "lightweight" series.
Well it's not a bicycle per say it's an ebike and if you want long range (big battery) and a high load capacity then you get a heavy vehicle no matter what you design.. there is literally no way around that unless you spend allot more money, even then there are limits.
needs rear suspension for a trail bike, also, needs better quality derailleur rather then the cheapest Shimano set you can buy.
I got the first rad fat bike great bike it got stolen
Lectric murdered this bike with the Xp One.
This Rad bike looks much better than the Lectric, has taller wheels and a suspension fork for off road, the Lectric is a commuter bike so they are designed for different uses.
I agree different bikes for different things. Lectric hasn't necessarily focused on making good looking bikes. We think this Radster Trail is a really good looking bike though, maybe the best style design Rad has ever created.
Rad has to drop the price to high,
Too heavy.
they make a trike for the elderly
No suspension. Pass, rear suspension is a must depending where you have to ride.
Weight is something we hope keeps getting better with e-bikes.
Yes They do!
Not many bikes at this price point and style will come with full suspension.
If you’re new to eBikes, There is something you should be aware of that is NEVER mentiioned in these reviews. Direct to Consumer ebikes that you buy online and have shippped to you ave VERY hit-or-miss when it comes to quality control and customer service! These bikes are manufactured, partially assembled and boxed up in China, they then spend months in transit. YOU the consumer do the final assembly and YOU are the final quality control. If there is a problem with the bike you are at the mercy of someone at an 800 # or email to help you. Since the bike is almost 80 pounds, forget trying to ship it back to RAD at your own expense. The bikes are complex, with lots of moving parts and electronics. RAD has had major customer service problems in the past year. I’m not picking on RAD becasue this is VERY common in the Direct to Consumer eBike market. These companies are in the business of selling bikes, not servicing them. I’m not saying these are bad bikes but you should be aware of the proposition before purchasing one.
This is why I wouldn't buy any electric bike unless it is a Trek or Specialized!
@@gosman949 whoa mr moneybags over here
I’ve had e-bikes from Rad and Specialized and the Rad was high quality in terms of build quality and condition on arrival.
I’ve also had local bike shops make mistakes and errors when assembling old-school high-end bikes, and in that case I was the one who had to find the problem.
Any good bike shop can service any direct to consumer bike.
These are all anecdotal statements and observations so readers should think critically and make up their own minds.
@@aviflax But many bike shops will not touch Direct to Consumer eBikes. RAD literally turned off their phone lines and email support for a period of time in 2023.
@@jeffmpvd7689 yep, RAD is no longer a RAD thing to buy!
Rad has the worst customer service ever
Zero customer support by phone anymore
Idk I had a great experience with their customer service.. my rad rover broke after 3 months a year ago and a lady was on the phone with me multiple times over a course of a few months while we tried to figure out what was wrong . She did video calls with me, she sent me different replacement parts that unfortunately never fixed the problem and eventually they sent me a whole new replacement bike. A+ customer service in my experience
They should use standard battery. Solid casing which cannot bend not reisn will keep battery safe. Cordless tool bat no fire, cars bat firedup.??