RadCity 4 Electric Commuter Bike Review 2024
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Rad Power Bikes started its journey in 2007. It was founded by Mike Radenbaugh. Radenbaugh made his first e-bike to give him transportation to and from school. After this, he fell in love with e-bikes and started a business converting people’s pedal bikes to electric bikes in his neighborhood. He did this for many years and in 2015, Radenbaugh and his college roommate Ty Collins decided to go into business together and turn his mom and pop bike conversion company into a worldwide brand.
In 2015 they rebranded and released their first e-bike the RadRover E-bike. This means that this company is truly only 6 years old but in this 6 year period, Rad Power Bikes and their revolutionary electric bikes have taken a dominating share of the North American electric bike market.
People want convenience more than anything, especially while being out and about. Nobody wants to be stuck in traffic inside their cars and riding the Subway can also be extremely hectic in peak hours.
Electric bikes provide the perfect solution for busy city dwellers and the statistics are showing a similar projection. As of December 2020, e-bike sales are estimated at around 3.7 million per year. In the next 10 years, by 2030, the sales of electric bicycles are estimated to grow to around 17 million per year. This shows that this market has quite a glorious prospect for growth.
Rad Power Bikes is the largest manufacturer of e-bicycles in the United States. The Company specializes in offering high-value products while charging a comparatively lower price. The unique business model of eliminating the middleman makes it possible for them to keep their e-bikes at an affordable price.
The company makes different electric bikes catering to almost all of your needs. Whether you want to have an adventurous ride on the rocky terrains or want to go for a quick trip to the grocery store, Rad Power Bikes has it all for you.
If you are looking for a great commuter bike to make your everyday life easier, The RadCity Electric Bike might just be what you are looking for.
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RadCity Electric Commuter Bike
The RadCity Electric Bike has won the award for the best commuting bike of 2021. This electric bike is a bit different from the Rad Power Bikes. Unlike the other bikes, the RadCity doesn’t come with fat tires in a smaller frame. The RadCity and the RadMission are the only 2 Rad Power Bikes currently developed that don’t have the fat tire design. Rather, this bike has a larger frame with a relative tinner 2.3’ wide tires.
Even though it doesn’t have fat tires like many other Rad Power Bikes, you will have a smooth and comfortable ride because of the front suspension and thick tires. The design makes it easy for you to adjust according to your body’s needs. The RadCity is a city bike as the name states. It is perfect for riding the city and it performs well in ways necessary for city riding. It handles well at any speed even while taking turns.
This hybrid commuter bike is a very functional feature-complete e-bike. You can use it without even buying any extra accessories. You can also turn it into a utility bike just by adding a few accessories that you can buy straight from the Rad Power website.
The bike also comes with a built-in rear cargo rack incorporated with the frame. You don’t have to buy it separately. You also get front and rear fenders, a dual-suspension saddle, front and rear lights, and an adjustable kickstand with the bike.
RadCity 4 Step Thru vs Standard RadCity 4
Elements of RadCity Electric Commuter Bike
The RadCity 4 is a well-priced commuter bike. Although to many people, the specs can be daunting, it’s worth checking out the specs if you are planning on buying an e-bike, so you can make an informed decision.
- The Radcity ELectric BIke comes with a 48V, 14 Ah battery that charges through a 48V, 2 Amp Rad Power Bikes smart charger.
- 20 mph max motor-assisted speed, but nothing stopping you from pedaling faster!
- Half twist throttle and 5 levels of intelligent pedal assistance.
- You can ride more than 45 miles with each round of charging.
- Large LCD display with a great user interface.
- Powerful 750 watt rear hub motor.
The RadCity e-bike has also a payload capacity of 275 lbs. which is great for a commuter bike. The total length of the e-bike is 7 inches and the height is 45 inches. The bike weighs 64 lbs.
Of these elements from the RadCity 4, there are a few things I would mainly focus on. Although I’m discussing these on the RadCity 4, these are items you should pay attention to no matter what e-bike you’re looking at.
Speed
Rad Power Bikes mainly sells e-bikes in the United States as they are based out of Seattle Washington, so, their e-bikes follow US laws. In many states, the US laws state that an electric bike can’t accelerate beyond 20 mph. So instead of making a bunch of different models or having people change the settings based on which city they live in. Rad Power decided to just limit the bikes to 20 mph altogether. This doesn’t mean you can’t go faster, it just means that the electric motor can’t give accelerate you beyond 20 mph. To go faster, you have to pedal harder!
Battery Range
The Battery on the RadCity 4 can ride for a range of 45 miles or more. Many people assume that when a bike says 45 miles it’ll go almost exactly 45 miles and are disappointed when it only goes 30 miles. The riding range of an e-bike depends heavily on the terrain, riding conditions and the weight the bike is pulling/carrying. If you are riding in dirt or a lot of hills, the bike has to work harder which kills the battery faster. If you’re riding in heavy wind, the bike has to work harder. These are just a few factors you have to consider when thinking about the riding range of this bike.
One good thing about the RadCity 4, is that even if the battery dies, you can still pedal to your destination with almost zero resistance from the motor. Some e-bikes have resistance from the motor when you pedal with a dead battery but with this bike, you have no need to worry.
Motor
The motor of the RadCity 4 is a 750 Watt motor. This is a high-wattage motor for a city e-bike, so you definitely won’t have any problems climbing hills on this bike. In the price range for this bike, many bikes only have a 250 Watt motor, these smaller motor e-bikes can have problems with climbing hills. With the 750 W motor, you’ll get up hills with no problem!
Features of RadCity 4 Electric Commuter Bike
There are a few features that make the RadCity 4 Electric Commuter bike a great bicycle in general.
Direct Drive Hub Motor
The RadCity 4 has a direct drive motor with no internal gears. This is a very solid design that is made to be long-lasting. There are no moving parts like a geared motor in a direct drive motor. The Shengyi direct hub motor used in this e-bike helps with smoother acceleration. There is a regenerative braking feature as well. This allows your battery to get recharged every time you hit the brake.
7 Speed Setting
This bike has a 7-speed freewheel, so you can choose between 7 different gears, depending on what you need. Having multiple gears makes it easier for you to pedal and for the motor to push you up hills and through different terrains.
You can get up to 20 mph, which is quite good for a commuter bike!
Puncture Resistant Tires
Every Rad Power Bikes e-bike comes with tires made from a special layer of aramid and ceramic particles. These tires are 26 x 2.3’. Thie low profile thread of these tires reduces the risk of you slipping in the city streets or gravel. The Kendra K-Sheild helps the tires to be puncture resistant against small particles like glass and thorns.
Reflective Stripes
The reflective stripes on the surface make it easier for you to be seen from a distance. Other vehicles on the road will notice you easily from afar, especially when you are riding at night time. Although the reflective stripes are helpful, bike lights are still very important for nighttime riding and luckily this bike comes with front and rear lights.
Integrated Rear Rack
This integrated rear rack enables you to attach platforms or baskets to carry stuff around. You can even attach a child seat!
The Pros and Cons of RadCity 4
Now that you know about this e-bike, you might be intrigued to buy it. Before you make the jump to buy it, you may be wondering what’re the the pros and cons of the RadCity 4 E-bike? In this section, we’ll discuss a few of them.
The Good
The extremely powerful 750-watt direct-drive motor is great long-lasting hardware that will barely ever have issues. The battery on this bike is made by Samsung, which ensures superior quality. The rubberized ergonomic grips give cushioning to your hands while you ride.
With that heavy battery capacity, you might think it takes really long to charge. But to our surprise, it only takes around 5 to 6 hours to fully charge the battery. This means you can charge your bike while you sleep at night and it’ll be ready by morning.
The RadCity comes with an advanced back-lit LCD display that is well lit. This ensures you can see it in darkness or any weather conditions. You will be able to see information about the battery level, power consumption, odometer, and speed. You can also charge your smartphone or earbuds through your RadCity’s 5V/1A USB charging port.
The Bad
Some people might be a bit disappointed with the fact that you can only get the speed up to 20 mph. It sure can be an inconvenience at times, but with them being a US-based company, it’s understandable they want to be compliant in all US states. These laws are there to keep everyone safe on the bike paths so, we recommend riding within the legal limits of your area if that is different than 20 mph.
Wrapping Up
Overall, we think the Radcity 4 is an incredible eclectic bike to look into if you are in the market for a new e-bicycle. The power of the motor and the comfort of the ride are sure to be an exceptional experience. We think this is a very reliable product that you can invest in without a doubt. We think this electric bike is a great bang for your buck.
