And in terms of safety, the puncture-resistant reflective tires and integrated LED headlight and taillight were helpful features, especially at night. The RadRunner 2 was equally enjoyable on the uneven pavements of my Brooklyn streets as on the rougher terrain of gravel paths. Shorter riders should be fine, and to help you get a better idea before you buy, the website offers a sliding scale size guide that allows you to check your bike inseam height (your inside leg length) in inches if you’re worried. However, when some taller folks took a turn, they felt more cramped and less comfortable with the size, so while Rad Power Bikes claims this will fit riders up to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, they may not be happy on long rides. As a beginner, that was something I greatly appreciated.īecause I was used to riding a taller commuter bike around town, it took a minute to get used to the RadRunner 2’s frame design, but at 5 feet, 7 inches tall, I was soon fine with the reach to the handlebars. There was never a time I felt unstable, even at higher assist speeds (I tended to hover around 10 to 15 miles per hour for the most part).
#RAD ELECTRIC BIKE CANADA FULL#
In fact, I was always able to find an appropriate level for the terrain I was riding through.Īccelerating from a full stop was both quick and smooth, using either the pedals or the throttle, and small wheels and low center of gravity meant the bike nimbly took turns. Though many lower-cost e-bikes have five pedal assist speeds, I felt comfortable with the four pedal assist power levels on offer, which gave me plenty of range, from gentle assist to full-on moped-style cruising. While riding around the streets of New York City and cruising on- and off-road in upstate New York, the RadRunner 2 was surprisingly powerful and simple to use. If you’re thinking about using it to haul people on a regular basis, you’ll want to look into the $99 RadRunner Passenger Package, which includes a comfy-looking padded seat, or if you’re carrying little ones, you can outfit it with the $260 Thule Yepp Maxi Child Seat. She did have to step off a few times when we were going up a significantly steep hill, but that didn’t deter us much.ĭozens of accessories for various tasks are available à la carte or in almost 300 configurations. With no extra padding, it wasn’t the most comfortable ride, but we went about four miles while she pulled her bike along with us. During one family outing, my 21-year-old niece got a flat tire on a gravel bike path and she hopped on the back of my bike.
I was also able to tote around and drop off larger packages at UPS or FedEx, and it supports a range of pannier bags and baskets if you want to carry even more.
The extended rear deck was perfect for shopping, letting me secure at least two big bags of groceries, sometimes more if I stacked them correctly. This let me throw it in the cargo compartment of our SUV and take it upstate to visit family - a huge plus. Weighing in at 65 pounds, it may not be lightweight, but it is on the less heavy side of the e-bike scale (many Dutch bike-style and larger cargo e-bikes weigh 15 or 20 pounds more). Plus, the compact overall dimensions and short handlebar height of just 45 inches made it easy to store in my Brooklyn apartment and usable by the whole family. And the 18-inch frame size (it’s about equivalent to a small or medium traditional bike) and low standover height of just 16.5 inches mean almost anyone can ride it (it fits people from 4 feet, 11 inches tall to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, according to Rad Power Bikes). The RadRunner 2 makes a ton of sense as a do-it-all utility bike for a city dweller, letting me easily haul everything from groceries to packages to backpacks. We did have to pay careful attention to the handlebars, however, which had to be carefully mounted so as not to tangle the cabling. The entire bike took approximately 45 minutes to assemble. The RadRunner 2 was delivered safely in protective packaging, and the detailed instructions and included tool kit made it fairly simple to attach the wheels, handlebars and pedals.
As a city dweller, I cut my teeth on the now ubiquitous electric Citibike, and once I realized how effortless it was to use pedal assist, I wanted one of my very own. The extra power on tap can make even the most reluctant or hesitant rider feel capable of getting anywhere on two wheels - quick. Hopping on an electric bike for the first time - or any time, really - is a ton of fun, and even transformative. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account
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