Rad Power Bikes Radster Road Review | Rad’s Fastest Hill Climb Yet?
Today we’re talking about the radster road which is a brand new commuter ebike from rad power bikes this bike’s upgraded motor has more power than other models we’ve tested from rad previously so can it conquer our Hill test faster than those other bikes as well let’s take a ride and find Out Hey everyone welcome to electric bike report I’m John if you’re new to our Channel we are known for our extremely in-depth reviews of ebikes of all shapes and sizes so if you’re looking for some help in finding the best bike for you please make make sure you’re subscribed
And you have notifications turned on so you don’t miss any of our new content but on to the radster road I’ve got to say right up front that we were pretty Blown Away with this bike it seems to be kind of the spiritual successor to the
Rad City but it’s a big jump forward in a number of ways including speed power safety security and just overall feel starting off with the motor this bike uses a 750 W rear hub with 100 newm of torque and it’s it’s the first of Rad’s bikes to get the upgrade to a torque
Sensor so in comparison to previous rad models it felt a little more Punchy and a lot more natural these upgrades also hugely impacted the bike’s performance and we’ll talk more about that in our speed Hill and range test sections later in the review rad has also taken huge
Strides with this bike in terms of its safety features to start the radster and its 48v 720w battery are both UL 2849 and ul2271 certified but more importantly the battery itself uses what rad is calling safe shield technology so inside the battery pack are a series of battery
Cells that look like big doublea batteries and rad filled all the spaces between and around these cells with a heat resistant resin to create what is called a potted battery this makes the battery less susceptible to some of the potential flammability issues that all lithium ion batteries have and rad is
The first brand of this size we’ve seen to actually take this step on top of that I was really happy to see both brake lights and turn signals here which I think every commuter ebike should just come equipped with in terms of security features the radster has the option for
A four-digit passcode on Startup but it also includes a key card that you can use to bypass The Code by holding close to the display personally I think ebikes need every security dir feature they can get and I found the key card to be a much more convenient option overall
Let’s finish up the basics with a run through of the radster spec sheet the bike includes an 8-speed Shimano Acera drivetrain with a 50 to chain ring and an 11 to 34 to cassette the brakes are the seemingly ubiquitous tekro E350 hydraulic disc system with two piston
Calipers and 180 mm rotors the rer is also available in a trail version and the road version here differs primarily with its tires and handlebars the tires on this bike are the quick model from Kenda and they’re 29 INX 2.2 in with a relatively minimal Street tread pattern
This bike also has full coverage fenders and a chain guard in addition to a headlight a tail light with brake lights and those turn signals I mentioned and it also has a cargo rack with 55 lbs of carrying capacity and then up in the cockpit there are ergonomic Dutch style
Handlebars with rubber grips there’s a six button control panel with buttons for pedal assist setting adjustments turn signal activation and interaction with the display and then the display itself is also an upgrade it’s a really clean looking color LCD that might just be one of my new personal favorites I
Found it to be extremely well organized and easy to read with important ride data like the current pedalist is setting speed battery bar watt meter an estimated range and the odometer to wrap things up the radster road has two color op options including lunar white and
This bay blue it weighs a pretty beefy 78 lbs with the battery installed and 672 without the battery it ships as a Class 2 ebike that can be adjusted to class one or either a limited or full class 3 mode and then rat offers a pretty wide range of accessories for the
Bike that you can check out using our affiliate Link in the video description but that covers just about everything so let’s dive into our test data and see how the radster road performed First we’ll talk about our brake test we measured the distance the radster took to stop after we brought it up to 20 mph we tested it three times and averaged the results to get a distance of 22 FT 1 in compared to other commuter ebikes we’ve tested the radster was a little
Slower with stopping than the average but only by a few inches and overall the numbers looked really good we chocked up the small difference here to the bike’s weight as as it’s also heavier than average most commuters we have data for weighed around 60 to 65 lbs and heavier
Bikes have more inertia that the brakes have to compensate for we’ve seen this particular brake system on a lot of different ebikes and its performance has varied but in my testing this system felt very solid I noticed that the radster would kind of skate for a bit if
I really laid into the brakes which is a side effect of the relatively smooth tires but it generally felt stable and Its Behavior wasn’t anything out of the ordinary so bottom line I think the bike did a great job and I think the brakes were clearly safe and Effective I did two different speed tests with the radster one in class 2 mode with a 20 mph limit and another in the full class 3 mode with pedal assist up to 28 let’s take a look at how the bike performed in each of its five pedal
Assist settings in both of those modes and then we can see how quickly the throttle reach 20 mph all right we are here to do a class 2 speed test on the radster road uh I’m going here with no pedal assist kind of around 10 and 1/2 11 mph from the looks
Of things I’m going to kind of go between screens here just since the main display does not have tth of a mile per hour but yeah so somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 mph let’s go ahead and bump up to pas1 so I don’t know if you can even
Hear the motor I can barely hear it uh very quiet and pretty subtle level of power here you can see the power meter I’m getting only about 60 WTS or so uh so it definitely feels very similar uh very much like a normal bike and then
Moving up uh this is this bike has a torque sensor it’s one of the first of RADS to do so so I’ll keep my level of effort pretty consistent and and kind of in the mid-range so let’s go up to pas2 uh big jumping power there actually
Went up to 200 Watts for a sec uh shifting up definitely made a big difference in the ease of pedaling this is very comfortable so we’re going around 14 mph here actually going to shift up to fourth gear yeah very very comfortable at around 14 mph maybe 14 and
A2 all right let’s go to PS3 definitely feel more power there uh nice yeah shifting again picking up some real speed here so we’re going around 17 mph 16 and 1/2 17 something like that let’s go ahead and go up to PS4 and the you know increases in power
Have felt pretty consistent so far we’ll see if that is the case on your left so we’re going kind of uh around 18 and 1 half 19 miles hour something like that in pas4 and we’ll finish it off in pas5 ah got actually a little bit of a kick
There wasn’t really expecting that from A rad bike but I really like it that’s great all right and we are hitting that class 2 limit of uh right around 20 mph 19 and 1/2 20 mph all right let’s call that this speed test and I will see you
For the class 3 test all right we are here for a class 3 speed test test on the radster road and I’m kind of dialing in my level of effort here so we’re in the same starting range so all right about 10 and 1/ 12 11 mph
There yeah okay let’s go up to PS1 again similar very subtle feel just kind of rides like a normal bike a little bit easier uh so going around 11: maybe 11 1/2 mph here let’s go ahead and up to PS2 again an immediate difference shifting up to third gear and getting
You know around 200 WTS maybe a little Above So speed wise again kind of Landing in about the same place 13 and 12 14 mph or so all right 14 15 yep let’s go head up to PS3 shift up at least one gear here maybe two definitely a much bigger
Difference here again feeling the power of the motor and we’ll get around here shifting up to fifth gear yeah definitely feeling Breezy so going around 18 mph here maybe a little above let’s go up to PS4 I think it’s this PS system is pretty well balanced it seems to be
We’re exceeding the class 2 limit now which is good uh so we’re going around 22 mph I think I saw a little above 22 on the app and then let’s go up to PS5 and finish things off so it’ll shift up to 7eventh gear drivetrain seems to be really effective at uh higher
Speeds so going around 26 by the bike and the app might be catching up a little bit so yeah between 25 25 1/2 by the app and 26 on the bike all right we’re here to do a throttle acceleration test on the radster road from 0 to 20 so we’ll start
In 3 2 1 go oh got some kick there that’s nice and I guess we’ll go by the main display here building steadily and 20 to recap those results I started off with no pedal assist and hit a Max of 11.2 mph that speed was comfortable but
I could really feel the weight of the bike in the class 2 test I hit 11.9 mph in pas1 14.5 in pas2 2 16.8 in pas3 19 mph in pas4 and 20.1 in pas5 in the class 3 test my results started off pretty similar but then showed a big difference in the higher
Settings I recorded 11.5 mph in pas1 14.9 in P2 18.3 in Pas 3 22.2 in pas4 and then 25.8 mph in pas5 so I’ve got a few takeaways from the test first I think the power distribution in both tests was really well done the increases between settings felt very consistent
And even the class 2 data shows a little bit of an effect from the 20 mph limit in pas5 but overall the graphs matched the way the bike behaved very well second I really liked the span of different power levels the radster felt very natural in its low power settings
And then in PA S3 and above I really liked the punchier feel of the motor third some bikes with torque sensors don’t really have speed limits just power limits but this bike seemed to top out around the numbers I recorded I don’t really have a preference either
Way but I do like the way the radster handled things fourth I think it’s great that there’s so much customization over the bike speed it’s pretty normal for bikes to be able to switch between classes these days but not all of them go this far the radster offers limits at
Either 25 or 28 miles per hour in class 3 settings and you can really dial that in based on what you want and finally I liked the py feel of the throttle it felt powerful but not too Punchy which I think helps this to still feel like a
Rad bike bottom line I was really impressed with the bike’s performance here so huge kudos to rad for pulling off some big changes very Well the radster roads advert Iz range is 25 to 65 Mi and we measured the distance it could travel in both a low and high power test to determine how accurate that estimate was our results were 36.3 to 53.3 Mi and I think the bike did a great job but there are a
Handful of details that I want to point out first things first we tested it in the class 2 mode that it ships in so if you’re riding in class 3 mode you should expect to get less mileage in the higher power settings second we’re currently reviewing both versions of this bike we
Tested the trail version in pas1 and pas5 and we tested this one in P2 and pas5 so the roads versions data is a little bit skewed when it comes to the low power test the trail version got over 75 mil in its pas1 test with the
Same frame motor and battery so we think this bike can definitely match and exceed Rad’s advertised range but we tested it in pas2 to reflect what you can expect if you prefer a little more power than the very minimal output in pas1 another thing is that I personally
Performed the pas5 test on this bike and I noticed that once I was up to speed and moving continuously the bike actually didn’t require much power from the battery to maintain 20 mph I purposefully backed my speed down to show what would happen with the motor drawing a more significant amount of
Wattage so I think that if you’re able to travel at 20 mph without stopping regularly you could probably stretch out the battery charge quite a bit further than I did the results we measured were average to high when compared to similar commuter bikes we’ve tested but assuming
That the radster road could meet and exceed the radster trails results it should be able to perform well above average in the big picture we’d like to see rad upgrade the battery charger from 2 amps to 3 amps in the future to reduce charging time but the radster road
Definitely has a practical amount of range for long commutes or Le rides so I give it a solid two thumbs up in this Test our Hill test is a pretty intense challenge for most ebikes we were really curious how the radster road would do based on the relatively slow and steady approach that other rad bikes have taken I’ll pass you over to our test rider Justin to see how this bike did with its
Throttle and with the maximum level of pedal assist okay so we’re out here on hell hole in the redster city now so a little Slicker tires in the trail little sweat back handles we’re going to see how it does um right now about 12 and 11 feeling pretty solid through that steep section
10 9 you know they upgraded that rear hub motor um to 100 NM of torque they’ve kept it at a Max 750 watt so it’s not peeking over 750 um usually you need to peek it up to get a little more torque you know um but
100 newm of torque I can definitely feel it climbing up this hill this feels pretty solid motor is very quiet I’ll let you listen to it through this section here yeah so overall I’d say quieter ride than the trail because you you don’t have the knes you got the slick
Tires and so I can hear the motor just a little bit more um because there’s less tire noise but it’s very quiet did really well um you know 9 mph was as low as it got through that section so I think rat has done a fantastic job
Improving the torque on these um we’ll check the tape but I think this will be a pretty pretty much faster than the than the rad City would be my than the current rad City would be my guess okay we’re back out with the radster road sorry called it the redster
City last time the radster road on the pedal test now shifting once feels very Zippy um so 15 Mi 14 M hour through this section I’m not having to Pedal much I do had to Pedal some given that torque sensor but yeah it feels very natural very smooth down just about 11
12 motor noise is very well done um it is not loud not whiny at all let you listen through this section here yeah shift it down to fourth gear and as you can tell it’s a very quiet bike very powerful very comfortable climbing on your left one more time sorry thanks and just
Overall feels fantastic up the hill I do think it’s going to be quite a bit Improvement on performance thanks to that that it proov to work so let’s go check check the times So Justin’s results were really solid here on throttle he made it in 1
Minute and 33 seconds with an average of 11.7 mph and with pedal assist he shaved that down to a minute and 16 seconds with an average of 14.3 mph compared to other commuters with 750 W rear hubs this is the first of Rad’s bikes that has ended up with an above average time
And that really just comes down to the increased motor torque for perspective the motor on the rad City 5 plus had a Max of 60 newm of torque so the radster roads 100 new m is a 67% increase we usually see slightly worse performance with bikes that have torque sensors
Since their Motors aren’t kicking out their maximum amount of power all the time so I think it was a really smart move to bump that torque rating up on the radster it clearly made a difference in this test but it also didn’t drastically alter the field of the bike
Rad’s Motors don’t Peak above their nominal wattage so again that helped the radster to still feel like a rad power bike and that’s something we really value it’s one main reason we recommend Rad’s bikes to older Riders who prefer a more reserved feel I think younger
Riders will find a bit more than usual to appreciate about the radster but at the same time there’s not too much power that would turn off the older audience once again two very solid thumbs up in this Test let’s take the radster road out for one final spin talk about its ride quality and hopefully give you a better sense of what it’s like to ride I’ll add a little bit more color once we get back here in the studio all right we are here
To talk about ride quality on the radster road this is uh sort of a Dutch influenced commuter with these curved handlebars 29in wheels and a relatively upright riding position that’ll depend a little bit on your height so there are two frame sizes here for Riders from 411 up to
64 and uh when it comes to adjustability your primary adjustment points are the seat post and the rails on the saddle uh with the standard style stem here uh you’re fairly limited you can rotate The Handlebar a little bit the angle to adjust your hand position but um like
Personally I find The Handlebar height to be a little bit low so I’d probably looking at replacing that stem with something that has a little bit more rise uh there’s a front suspension Fork here from Sr Sun tour with 80 mm of travel which is what we’d expect for a
Commuter uh I don’t know that it does a whole lot just most of my weight is on the saddle um but you know if you were to replace these handlebars with some different and and have a little bit more weight there than that may change the tires themselves uh I really like the
Stability of those and with the 29in wheel size they uh reduce the impact of bumps these are the Kenda Qui model uh that are again 29 INX 2.2 and then of course the rear hub motor is uh has a torque sensor on this Spike so I’m actually going to try to
Show that off a little bit we’ll go up to PS4 so 750 WS of nominal power and yeah you can I don’t know if you can see that but yeah as I apply more pressure you know the speed of the bike is adapting very quickly um very natural feeling very responsive so let’s
Go back to the studio and wrap things up I think rad generally did a really solid job with the raders feel but I do want to discuss the fit a bit more as it wasn’t quite what I expected the regular size frame is advertised for Riders from
411 up to 58 and the large goes from 57 to 64 both frames have different step over Heights so the regular is more of a true step through with a 19.75 in stepover and the large has more of a mid-step design with a 24in stepover based on the bike’s Dutch styling I
Expected its handlebar height to be higher than it was and I found the riding position to be bit awkward because of that kind of a middle ground between Cruiser and commuter style bikes The Handlebar and stem combination on the radster trail felt more natural to
Me so for this version you may want to consider a different stem or set of handlebars if you find yourself in my shoes but that in mind everyone is different so definitely give the bike a try and see how it feels for you that aside I did find the bike and
Specifically the contact points to be very comfortable I really liked the squishy iness of the saddle and the ergonomic feel of the grips and handlebars and then again the motor power and the responsiveness of the torque sensor were honestly way above and beyond my expectations for this bike
I found the ride to be really enjoyable all around so I’ve got to give some serious kudos to rad for really modernizing the feel of this Bike I want to take a second to run through all the big differences between the radster and the previous generation of rad power bikes there’s a new frame design with a splashy color option there’s more torque from the motor and there’s totally different Behavior with a torque sensor there’s a really minimal
Contemporary display with added security and the ability to switch between different class settings and speed limits there’s a safer battery with some industry-leading technology there are turn signals to communicate better with other people on the road and then finally when it comes down to price rad brought their prices down to better comp
With other bikes on the market the radster road is currently priced around $2,000 that’s a lot of upgrades and changes and I’m really pleased to see such a big leap forward for the brand this bike did a really solid job in each and every one of our tests in general
But compared to other rad bikes the difference was almost night and day the only real points of critique that we have are with the riding position and the bikes overall weight the stem or handlebars can be changed to adjust the fit and the riding position if you feel
Like you need it and the battery can be removed to make it more manageable to lift and move around but these are still things that perspective buyers should be aware of but overall our team was really impressed by this bike and I think it’ll definitely fit the bill for anyone who
Wants a fun and responsive bike that can go a distance on a single charge if you’re looking for something that can go off-road our radster Trail review will also be going live around the same time as this we’ll leave links to our written reviews in the video description and
Then you can check out both bikes at Rad’s website using our affiliate link down there as well thanks for watching please make sure to like And subscribe and let us know what you think of this bike down in the comments section again I’m John with electric bike report and
This is the rad power bikes radster [Applause] Road
For current pricing on the Radster Road, click the link below:
Radster™ Road Electric Commuter Bike
For a full detailed written review of the Radster Road, click the link below:
The Radster Road blends elements of the RadCity 5 with big upgrades! We examine its features and performance in this Rad Power Bikes Radster Road review!
As the first of Rad’s bikes to incorporate a torque sensor, the Radster Road felt incredibly natural and responsive. It’s also one of the brand’s more powerful e-bikes, with a torquey 750W rear-hub with 100 Nm of hill-climbing power.
Rad also raised the bar with the Radster’s safety features. The bike includes a “potted” fire-resistant battery, full UL certification, and even turn signals to give riders peace of mind.
Even with upgrades, the Radster Road doesn’t stray too far from its roots; as a Rad Power Bike, it features a safe and reserved feel with an intuitive interface and a focus on easy operation.
Watch our Rad Power Bikes Radster Road review for the scoop on this cool commuter.
00:00 – Radster Road Overview
00:43 – Radster Road Overview
04:59 – Radster Road Brake Test
06:05 – Radster Road Speed Test
13:53 – Radster Road Range Test
16:01 – Radster Road Hill Test
20:38 – Radster Road Ride Quality
24:17 – Radster Road Conclusion
