This Compact Cargo Mannequin is the SUV of E-Bikes: Rad Energy RadRunner Max Evaluation

Up to now decade or so, the RadRunner has turn out to be considered one of Rad Energy’s hottest e-bike fashions. Head to any seashore city within the U.S., and also you’ll most likely see a whole lot of youngsters and adults using round on some model of those bikes. It is sensible, too, as these “utility bikes” have historically been fairly reasonably priced whereas combining cargo-carrying functionality with a extra compact and approachable dimension. 

Again in Might, we reported on the launch of not one however three new RadRunner fashions. This refresh gave riders the choice to decide on the value level and options that finest aligned with their wants and funds. On the high of that lineup is the RadRunner Max, boasting a extra refined look, probably the most energy, the best high pace, up to date controls, extra cargo capability, and enhanced safety and security options.

I’ve been testing the RadRunner Max ($2,299) for the previous couple of months in and round Reno, NV. I’ve been driving much less and utilizing this bike as a lot as potential for the whole lot from errand runs, grocery procuring, journeys to the trailhead, and heading out for evenings in town. It’s clean, quick, and its utility and flexibility have made it my go-to for nearly all of my city and suburban wants. Plus, its comparatively compact dimension makes it simpler to deal with, and it takes up much less area in my storage than a full-size cargo bike.

It wasn’t that way back that Rad Energy Bikes was the dominant participant within the reasonably priced e-bike market in North America. In recent times, the model has had some stiff competitors from quite a few upstarts battling for the affordability crown. Rad Energy hasn’t gone wherever, after all, and the model continues to place out high quality e-bikes of every kind. Their costs have gone up a bit (what hasn’t), however the high quality of the bikes has gone up in type. The most recent Rad Energy Bikes are an enormous step up in comparison with most of the model’s earlier fashions.

Rad Energy RadRunner Max Particulars

Earlier than I talk about my expertise utilizing the RadRunner Max, right here’s a fast overview of the bike’s specs and options.

Body and Match

The RadRunner Max has a barely completely different body design than its cheaper siblings, casting off the swoopy strains in favor of a extra angular aesthetic. It appears to be like fairly just like the Radster Path and Radster Highway in that regard, and the aluminum body appears very beefy and overbuilt. The 672 Wh battery is semi-integrated into the downtube of the body, and might simply be eliminated for charging off the bike if wanted. The stout rear rack is welded onto and included into the body design. A sturdy dual-leg kickstand helps the bike once you aren’t using it.

Rad Energy states a complete weight capability of 420 kilos, and as much as 120 of that may be supported by the rear rack. The bike has a rider weight restrict of 275 kilos. Like many electrical bikes, the RadRunner Max solely is available in one body dimension. Nonetheless, it’s claimed to suit riders between 4’11” and 6’2”. The bike weighs a whopping 82 kilos with the battery, and that drops to 72 kilos with the battery eliminated.

Like different rad Energy bikes, the RadRunner Max is designed to work with a spread of aftermarket equipment. It has mounting factors for entrance and rear baskets, luggage, and cargo containers. This stuff price additional, after all, however they will let you arrange your bike to raised fit your wants.

Parts and Options

The RadRunner Max comes with an 80 mm suspension fork to take the sting off bumps within the street. It rolls on huge 20” x 3.5” wheels/tires with a “multi-surface tread sample.” It has highly effective Gemma hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors entrance and rear, and an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain with intuitive and exact set off shifters. It comes with an aluminum BMX-style handlebar, a snug seat, and sturdy alloy platform pedals.

The RadRunner comes prepared for all climate circumstances with full protection fenders entrance and rear. It’s additionally prepared for altering mild circumstances with a vivid headlight and rear mild. The headlight has an ambient mild sensor, auto on/off, and a number of other mild modes to select from. The usual brightness is 450 lumens, plus it has a “excessive beam” setting that bumps it as much as 750 lumens. The rear mild features like a brake mild and switch indicators, plus Rad Energy added a radar perform that warns you of automobiles approaching from behind. 

For an added layer of safety, Rad Energy has added passcode protections to the controls, so you’ll be able to lock and unlock the along with your cellphone or by the show. It additionally works with Apple Discover My, so you’ll be able to maintain tabs on the bike if another person is utilizing it or if it will get misplaced or stolen.

Motor, Battery, and Show

The RadRunner Max makes use of a 750 W rear hub motor that gives as much as 90 Nm of hill-flattening and cargo-hauling torque. There are 5 ranges of pedal help and a twist throttle. Pedal help is predicated on a torque sensor, which supplies clean and natural-feeling energy supply. Prime pace is as much as the consumer, and may be chosen within the bike’s menu by the controls and show. Riders can select between:

Class 1: as much as 20 mph pedal-assist solely

Class 2: as much as 20 mph pedal help and throttle 

Class 3 Restricted: as much as 25 mph pedal help, as much as 20 mph throttle

Class 3: as much as 28 mph pedal help, as much as 20 mph throttle

The controls are situated on the handlebars subsequent to the left grip, with buttons for energy, pedal help ranges, flip indicators, and the settings menu. The buttons are straightforward to achieve with the thumb whereas using and intuitive to make use of and perceive. The colour show is massive and centered on the handlebars. It’s vivid and simple to learn in any mild situation, and it has a USB-C port for charging different electronics. It reveals present pace, distance, estimated vary, pedal help degree, and headlight setting. The twist throttle is built-in into the best grip, and it prompts the throttle with a twist of the wrist.

Powering all of it is a sizeable 672 Wh battery. Like all of Rad Energy’s newest bikes, this battery options the model’s Protected Protect expertise. It is a security expertise that encapsulates all the battery cells in a heat-absorbing resin with the aim of lowering the possibilities of thermal runaway leading to a battery hearth. Moreover, the system and battery are licensed to the UL 2271 and UL 2849 requirements. The RadRunner can be suitable with the brand new RadRunner Vary Extender ($249), so riders can mainly double their vary with a battery that matches into the cargo rack.

Meeting

Rad Energy has been promoting bikes on to the patron for a few years, in order that they have the supply and meeting course of fairly dialed. The bike doesn’t come totally assembled, and there’s a small quantity of meeting remaining for the patron. Fortunately, it’s all fairly simple to finish utilizing the included instruments and detailed printed directions and/or watching the meeting video. It took me about an hour to go from the field to being able to experience. 

These days, Rad Energy additionally has just a few retail shops and works with a lot of outlets throughout the nation as retail and repair companions. So, it’s additionally potential to take a take a look at experience and/or purchase your new bike from a store that can put it collectively for you. This can be a greater choice for these with restricted area, time, or mechanical know-how.

The Trip

I’ve been using the RadRunner Max for the previous couple of months, and it has shortly turn out to be the bike I attain for nearly any time I’m leaving the home for something apart from a mountain bike or gravel experience. In comparison with the full-size cargo bikes that I’ve ridden, the RadRunner is a greater match for my wants and life-style, and it’s simpler to deal with and retailer.

To start out, this bike is sort of comfy. I’m 6’0” with very lengthy legs, and I generally max out the seat peak on related bikes, however there’s room to spare on the RadRunner. The seated place is upright and fairly informal with the BMX-style handlebars, and I get alongside simply high quality with the ergonomic grips and the seat. It’s fast and simple to regulate the bike for my 5’7” spouse, and it seems there’s ample adjustment to suit riders a lot shorter than her. The suspension fork and huge tires additionally add to the consolation, offering a comparatively clean experience over bumps and less-than-perfect surfaces.

I’m principally utilizing the RadRunner rather than my automobile, and I are likely to all the time be in a rush, so I bumped the highest pace as much as 28 mph and left it there. This was tremendous fast and simple to do by the settings menu, which may be very user-friendly. Now, I can blast at full pace to the grocery retailer on degree 5, or I can cruise at a decrease pace in degree 2 or 3. With the RadRunner’s torque sensor, it doesn’t simply overwhelm you with energy. As an alternative, it comes on proportionally along with your pedaling effort. You have to push on these pedals a bit to tear alongside at 28 mph.

The throttle response is fast, and I exploit it a bit to get began from an entire cease with a load on the again. It additionally has no drawback whisking you alongside at 20 mph on flat floor. I favor to pedal bikes after I experience them, even when they’ve a motor, so I don’t actually use all of it that a lot, however I do respect having the choice occasionally.

In comparison with a full-size electrical cargo bike just like the RadWagon 5, the RadRunner Max feels fairly a bit simpler to deal with. In accordance with the specs, the wheelbase is simply 4 inches shorter, however its turning radius is manner smaller, and it’s much more maneuverable. It nonetheless feels a lot secure at pace, and I’ve discovered it to be comfy making turns of all sizes and shapes. The maneuverability applies once you’re off the bike, too, because it’s considerably simpler to navigate a crowded storage or when parking it downtown. General, it’s a simple bike to get together with, handling-wise.

I’ve received mine arrange with the massive rear basket ($119) in addition to the “console” ($129). Each of those equipment have been very straightforward to put in, and make sure that I’ve received ample room for carrying bigger gear/cargo on the again and smaller objects that I need to maintain safe within the locking console field. I’ve carted a 40-pound field of kitty litter and a twelve-pack on the again of the bike with none points. I’m all the time shocked at how a lot stuff — mild jacket, additional layer, water bottle, bike lock, and so on. — can match into the console, too. There are additionally loads of different choices for passengers, pets, and extra.

In comparison with many cheap bikes with thumb shifters for the drivetrain, the set off shifters on the RadRunner Max are so significantly better. The hydraulic disc brakes are additionally a lot highly effective and deal with the excessive speeds and heavy weight of this bike with out situation. The huge tires have a “multi-surface tread”, which helps to provide it comparatively good floor versatility. I’ve principally been using it on pavement, nevertheless it has no situation after I enterprise down a gravel path or clean grime path. The caveat is that the tires really feel a little bit draggy when cornering on pavement, however you get used to that fairly shortly. 

The e-bike controls and colour show are additionally unbelievable. It’s very straightforward to vary help ranges, flip blinkers on/off, make modifications to the bike’s settings, and monitor the whole lot when you experience on the display screen. The lights work fairly nicely, and I’ve loved the “excessive beam” headlight on rides residence at nighttime. I disabled the radar function on the rear mild virtually instantly as a result of I discovered it to be annoying, however I can see the way it would possibly profit another riders.

Most of my journeys are comparatively brief jaunts to and from the shop or down to fulfill buddies at a bar or music on the river — wherever between 3 and 12 miles spherical journey. I’ve by no means come wherever near draining the battery, so I can’t say with any certainty what this bike’s vary really is. It has been greater than satisfactory for my wants, however I feel folks can be very hard-pressed to get wherever close to the highest finish of Rad Energy’s claimed vary of ~60 miles. Primarily based on my expertise, I’d say that round 30 miles (give or take 5 miles or so) is a extra cheap expectation.

Rad Energy RadRunner Max: My Takeaway

In the summertime, I all the time aspire to make use of my automobile as little as potential, and e-bikes have been an important different. I’ve examined tons and owned just a few full-size cargo fashions through the years, and I all the time anticipate to love them greater than I really do. I don’t have children, so the flexibility to hold two passengers on a rear rack is misplaced on me, not less than for now. That’s to not say that bigger cargo bikes aren’t superior, as a result of they undoubtedly are, however I simply don’t really want one.

That’s what’s nice in regards to the RadRunner Max. It might deal with all the load and cargo that I want it to, and its dimension is a greater slot in my storage. It handles higher, too. To me, it looks as if the SUV of e-bikes. It carries greater than your sedan, nevertheless it’s not a full-blown truck. We’re all distinctive, after all, and our wants fluctuate, however the extra compact RadRunner Max fits mine completely. I suppose now I perceive why you see so lots of them out and about. 

For those who’re available in the market for a utilitarian electrical bike however aren’t focused on committing to a full-size cargo mannequin, the RadRunner Max is a good choice to think about. You may study extra about it and the remainder of Rad Energy’s electrical bikes at:

radpowerbikes.com