Most conceptually similar bikes start from three grand the RadRunner will set you back £1,300 to £1,500 or so with various sensible selections of accessories. Of course, you can do that with a regular bike too – adding third-party racks and so on – but the integration of Rad Power’s accessories dials the idea up to 11.Īnd then there’s the excellent value for money on offer here. That means buying a RadRunner isn’t just buying a bike, it’s buying into a system that means you can configure the bike differently for whatever task or tasks you need. It’s become our family’s main errand-runner and commuter, especially when both teenagers want to nip into town together and their mum has better things to do than play cabbie. The accessory range, and the thoughtful provision for mounting a front rack and platform, bags or a passenger seat make it really versatile too. It’s quick away from the lights, tough as Fermat’s Last Theorem, nimble and lots of fun. The Rad Power RadRunner has a heck of a lot going for it. With a bigger bag, the size of, say, a Deliveroo rucksack, the RadRunner would be a solid choice for a food delivery bike too. My nearest Domino’s is 10 minutes away by bike so it’s crazy to drive there, except that a large Vegi Volcano does far better on the passenger seat than bungee-corded to a bike rack. With those, the RadRunner would be very handy for nipping out for pizza. One accessory I wish I’d asked for is the Large Platform and Small Insulated Delivery Bag. If you’re used to fork- or handlebar-mounted front racks and bags, it’s a bit disconcerting at first. Because it’s mounted on the frame the rack doesn’t move when you steer, so it has no effect on the bike’s handling. They’re really intended for Rad Power’s longtail model, the Radwagon it’s a shame Rad Power hasn’t tweaked them or the RadRunner so they work together better.įront Rack and Small Basket: The rack bolts to the head tube and the basket bolts to the rack, providing you with a spot for a bag or other gear, as long as it comes to less than 10kg. However, at 50cm from end to end they’re so long it’s hard to get them far enough back on the rack to clear your ankles. They hang from the built-in rear rack with three hooks, with a fourth on the body to grab an upright and stop it from swaying. The RadRunner benefits there from a bit of rider oomph to get it up.īallard Cargo Bags: A pair of these huge panniers is big enough to swallow a week’s shopping. One of the cycleways into Cambridge includes a railway overbridge with short ramps that are about 30% grade. With a passenger on board the RadRunner does need a bit of help on steep inclines, but it on normal road hills and the flat it’s almost entirely unfazed by the extra load.
Ella says it’s “really fun” on the back of the RadRunner though she’d like some sort of handlebar rather than having to hold on to the rider. The RadRunner’s principal passenger has been Ella, my partner’s 15-year-old, with her mum or older sister at the helm. That’s spot-on for general riding, but if you go past the assist’s cut-off speed on a descent you find your legs flailing around if you try and keep up with the bike over about 20mph. You get one ratio, 48 x 16, yielding a gear of about 68 inches with those fat tyres. There’s no gear shifting to worry about on the RadRunner. Nobody likes an oil mark on their trouser cuffs. A €99 option gets you an LCD screen that better separates assist mode and battery level displays and shows speed and power levels as well.Įveryone who used the RadRunner wished for a bit more protection from the chain than the minimal chainring guard fitted.
One tester said that having two adjacent banks of LEDs to indicate charge and assist level was a bit confusing. If you plan to transport the RadRunner by car you’ll need a sturdy rack to handle its heft (over 30kg with accessories) and – if your rack manufacturer offers them – extra long straps to go round the tyres. That suggests 55 miles is just about doable using only the lowest level of assist and on entirely flat roads. More judicious use of the assist at levels 2, 3 and 4 (sparingly) gave a range of over 35 miles with one LED of five still lit to indicate remaining charge.
#RAD ELECTRIC BIKES SEATTLE FULL#
The RadRunner served excellently as a commuting bike and runaround for my partner’s eldest who got about 25 miles out of it on full assist before managing to strand herself in town and phone home pleading to be rescued. Claimed range is 55-88km (34-55 miles) which is about right if you’re between sensible and very careful with the level of power assist.
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