Quote from: handlebar on October 09, 2023, 04:26:18 AM
If I were in your shoes, I think I'd cancel.

Ryan who runs this forum, posted a youtube video comparing the RR6+, as I recall, to Aventon's equivalent. Based on that review, I'd prefer the Aventon.

I trust him better than I now trust Electric Bike Reviews, who in 2020 persuaded me to buy a Radrunner.

I would cancel too, there is a lot of quality in the RAD BUT I keep having to replace controllers (I have a City 5 Plus HS and my wife has a step through, which is the better of the two bikes, it just, ever so slightly rides and handles better) and support is only email etc. etc. Have a look at the Wired bike, full suspension (front AND shock rear), 850w motor, super battery, steel gears and all at 2K so it's a lot cheaper and 100% as good or better frame build quality.

I have had too many little problems (mostly eating controllers) and the support being only email can be frustrating.

Others have 1,000's of miles without troubles so I don't think RAD is bad (sorry about the rhyme) I just think there is much better out there now and you can get significantly better components for the same as what you pay RAD, they are going to have to move MUCH more quickly to stay relevant.

Lastly I don't think Ryan is the "sales arm" of RAD, I mean I could be wrong, since I first started watching he's always come across as very enthusiastic and sincere.

Quote from: FL-GK on May 13, 2022, 11:03:27 AM

Quote from: david.platt@mac.com on May 08, 2022, 10:06:15 PM

Quote from: DrSmile on May 07, 2022, 08:14:37 PM
I can tell you that the stock tires are garbage, they aren't round. The rims are pretty crappy too but they should be sturdy enough to last a while. There is nothing specific about these wheel or tires (except for the motor mounted on the rear rim), they are standard 27.5 inch, which is half way between a 26 inch MTB tire and a 29 inch tire. Although it's probably the least common "standard" tire size they aren't hard to find. Just look for a 2 inch wide 27.5 inch (also called ISO 584) size.

https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/schwalbe-marathon-e-plus-performance-smart-dualguard-27.5--mtb-tyre/138048579/p

How about these tires what do you think.

Here is what I did. These tires are performing excellently. They are a 27.5 X 2.3 wide ISO (60-584) (for any tire tube questions just match ISO). They have made it a different and better bike. I did have to modify the fender attachment by widen the attachment bar, cutting it in the middle and using plastic tube attached to the fender and simply pressing the metal into that, so far works perfectly and is quite (I'll send a picture later, I don't have one with me). I have done both bike now too (one mine, one wife).

So, while I can't say it was the tires "fault" I hit some deep/loose gravel, I lost traction and broke my clavicle. Have not rode since August 19th - big sigh. I was being super careful (was all done doing my stupid stuff) but these bikes are big fast and heavy (all terms meant as compliment) so it can happen.

Quote from: JoeSoMD on August 21, 2022, 08:42:39 AM
I think it is noteworthy that the tires on the RC5+ are furnished with a tube-puncture preventing material/liner on the inside of the tire that is supposed to protect the inner tube.  An interesting thing is that the manufacturer of the "liner" states that the tire pressure needs to be reduced.  To 55psi from memory.  This is not reflected in any of the Rad Power guides AFAIK.

I was wondering about that. I still have my old tires so I'm going to double check the inside ( I'm pretty sure I already did this and found... NOTHING - LOL). I'll double check and report back if I remember.

Quote from: Ryan on August 08, 2022, 07:41:30 PM
All cleaned up - for some reason the emails are not notifying me when someone marks it as spam - otherwise, I would have taken care of it faster.

Thanks bro, I'll email direct if I see it happening again. I figured you we too busy testing ebikes (that's what  I would be doing if I were you - LOL).

Quote from: FL-GK on August 08, 2022, 08:04:00 AM

Quote from: santacruzpaul on August 08, 2022, 06:51:33 AM
Looks like Ryan will be busy this morning,

Yes, very sadly that appears to be true.

He mentioned somewhere he just upgraded his hosting package and software for this site to speed things up primarily but I wonder if  they can offer or have more advanced spamming tools, might save a bit of time.

Actually, upon looking a little further my wife and I were having a dispute so I called one of the numbers and $500.00 later I found out all I had to do was say "I'm sorry"!

Quote from: santacruzpaul on August 08, 2022, 06:51:33 AM
Looks like Ryan will be busy this morning,

Yes, very sadly that appears to be true.

He mentioned somewhere he just upgraded his hosting package and software for this site to speed things up primarily but I wonder if  they can offer or have more advanced spamming tools, might save a bit of time.

Quote from: Slowrider on August 03, 2022, 06:28:47 AM
I figured someone would be interested in this... Well it's off to storage!

You could try posting a picture, might drum up some more interest.

Quote from: david.platt@mac.com on June 30, 2022, 05:27:56 PM
The first thing I noticed after switching out from the stock VEE tire that came with the RC5+ was the increased comfort and stability I noticed.

Onto gravel or back onto pavement making a transition seems much more secure with no wobble  or floating at the side of the road. And that is with just the rear switched out.

Also I am wanting to do a little hard packed dirt roads as not all of my best routes are on only pavement. Yay now I am not afraid, as much of dirt roads.

These are the foldable ones and they were extremely easy to instal.

These tires have the exact same tread as the MARATHON E-PLUS.(e-50)
Using the exact same watts 27.5 at 60 psi and 24.5 watts at 70 psi.

They are a little lighter so only e-25 rated and not e-50 as the heavier and newer E-PLUS.
Tires are getting hard to get right now because of supply chain issues.

PS, the ENERGIZER PLUS also looks interesting too, they are a little lighter again and have even better rolling results.

And the Schwalbe Big Ben Plus HS439 27.5 inch are the ultimate OEM replacement tire.
To save money look no further

https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/schwalbe-big-ben-plus-hs439-27.5-tyre/137411681/p?_gl=1*1r3uryv*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr8XE-rrW-AIV5vTjBx07yQihEAQYAyABEgI7VfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I went with this one: Fincci Pair 27.5 x 2.35 Foldable Mountain Bike Tire 60-584 60 TPI with Nylon Protection for Mountain Enduro MTB Hybrid Bicycle - Pack of 2 27.5x2.35 Inch Tires. Strange I literally just post this on another thread here is what I said "The tires that come on that came on these are not great, heavy and are terrible on shell, gravel or grass all of which you will be riding on (intentional or not). This was a MAJOR improvement. You have to modify the front fender by cutting the bar any buying about a foot of aquarium tube. Mount 6 inches on each fender (where the bar used to be) and shove the cut off ends in, works perfect and is adjustable".

Quote from: david.platt@mac.com on July 01, 2022, 10:12:52 AM
Which exact size did you buy ?

I definitely agree that the stability issues are solved by better tread.

40-584 650B 27.5x1.50 are the only ones listed on Schwalbe web site to fit the rim

If so, I?m curious how the thinner tires are behaving?

Thanks

You have to go by the ISO size. The ones I have are 60-584, so that's 60MM wide or 2.35" (if it's different in my link, I don't know why I cut and pasted from my order). Someone on this forum post a most excellent tire size guide (I wish I could remember or find) but the #1 thing that resolved 99.9% of my tire size issues was going by ISO.

So your question of "thinner tires" I do not think applies as what I have are wider, that said these tires are behaving really well.

Quote from: thebadpoodle on June 30, 2022, 01:22:49 PM
hi all.  New to the forum. I voted No. Annoying issues but resolved.
Bought two Rad City 5 plus bikes for myself and my wife in March of 2022, have about 150-200 miles on each bike.  Both have had issues that RAD addressed as quickly as possible but there were hold ups due to parts stock.
I had a pedal unscrew and stripped out the threads in the pedal crank. Thankfully, RAD paid for that replacement part but i had to pay someone to install the new one. Then, my wife's rear tire suddenly had two cracks appear between the tread and the sidewall.  RAD send us a new tire but we had to pay for it. I had to pay someone to install it and then the controller failed.
My wife is waiting for a new controller to show up and has decided she's selling her bike as soon as it's working again. Her main issue being that the bike is too big (even though it's a step-thru). She's 5'3" tall.
My feeling is that RAD can't keep up with how fast they've grown.  It's super frustrating because we spent a lot of time researching different brands and felt pretty good about the RADs but I feel like I wish I'd saved my money and found a more reliable brand.
Thankful that we have another 10 months on our warranty in case any other parts fail.

As you can see from my post right above I feel pretty much the same. I did want to add that the part's that seem to be having problems are pretty much the same stuff you can buy on line, granted some are made for RAD and they could be specifying lesser quality but I doubt it as retooling and redesign are just expensive and problematic (I posted in other threads I work for a mfg. in mfg. operations so I speak from experience). I just joined a generic bike forum to see if other mfg. are having the same issues. I strongly suspect anyone nearing the volume of RAD is about the same. I am happy with the things RAD does claim to make and or design such as the frame, it's sturdy and the bike handles pretty well considering it's size.

I'll add this but please note I know everyone's experience is different and I'm am only trying to be encouraging. My wife too was very concerned and had some difficulty at first, same issue the bike is big and pretty heavy AND goes fast. I would strongly encourage her to give it more time or very quickly sell and rebuy with something that fits better (you will get near the full price from what I've seen). Our experience with having an e-bike has probably been the best thing we ever did, for sure the best thing to date. Don't give up.

I have the RAD City 5 Plus HS and she has the step thru.

One thing I did for both our bike that helped MIGHTITLY with the handling  was replace the tires. I went with the: https://amzn.to/3bL59KU

The tires that come on that came on these are not great, heavy and are terrible on shell, gravel or grass all of which you will be riding on (intentional or not). This was a MAJOR improvement. You have to modify the front fender by cutting the bar any buying about a foot of aquarium tube. Mount 6 inches on each fender (where the bar used to be) and shove the cut off ends in, works perfect and is adjustable.

Also make sure her seat is super low, I have to admit at 5-3 it's going to be close. One thing we did that helped a lot was forced ourselves to pedal only quite a bit (we have around 400 miles on them now).

Quote from: J3rry on June 24, 2022, 07:37:09 PM
I use the Fulltyme. It's basic, but it gets the job done. I carry a Radrunner and Radmission on it, I've driven probably 600 miles with it.

I'm paranoid so I use a ratchet strap from the top of the rack hook to my car's roof racks to take a little weight off.

I more or less do the same thing but I was able to use a old rubber coated lock cable and a strap from Husky to pull back, which pulls up a bit too. It takes a little weight off but most importantly it keeps the bikes from slamming up or down (it's the weight plus the leverage that I am "paranoid" about).

For me there was nothing to buy as I pulled out a few items I had laying around and it tuned out to be the perfect set up and SUPER easy, takes 5 seconds.

I'll take and post a picture next time bikes are up on the rack (it would probably only work if you have a rack very similar but might give an idea of what you could do as, like you, I think a little extra support is warranted).

Quote from: RJ in Tucson on May 21, 2021, 10:55:17 AM
I just bought the Fulltyme RV 1300 TWO bike rack from Walmart delivered for about $130. It is very well-reviewed everywhere online and is w-a-a-y less expensive than the Hollywood. Compared it to a friends Hollywood and they look almost identical. Finish not as good but looks every bit as strong. Holds my Radrunner no problem and locks down with no 'wobble'.
HEres a link for it an online retailer
http://www.explosivepowersports.com/fultyme-rv-hitch-mount-2-bike-rack-590-1300/

That looks good, I have to admit and since you have one and can vouch for it being good quality I would go with it. I have an older Thule that, fortunately, is fine as it was rated 120, I think it's the T2 Classic but there are no markings on it. They have the T2 Pro XT/XTR but it's considerably more expensive

Well since they are not really playing "nice" why not just buy the new battery, claim it's not charging, have them send you a warranty replacement and you now have three perfectly working batteries for $592.00?

I'll even take the one you have now for $250.00, once you have working ones, if you put it in the replacement box and ship it to me as I'm convinced it's just the fuse (my email is on my profile).

I've asked them to send me RMA or whatever for parts I've had to warranty and I've never gotten one they just say keep the parts (ended up with a spare controller for wife's City 5+ HS plus a throttle and wire harness) but they may be more strict with battery.

They are not being intellectually honest with you so first I would probably ask to speak to a supervisor (and then immediately ask for their supervisor - trust me I've worked in major company call centers) and ask them to explain how, as a company with advertising based around being environmentally friendly, you paying $592.00 plus the environmental costs of shipping and then throwing away what you know is a perfectly good battery because they refuse to warranty replace it (due to the fact they have a poor design, that is not easily serviceable in the field) is going to help anyone? And, oh, by they way, I've already expressed my frustration on the forum and to anyone else who will listen. then ask "are you sure this is how you want to handle it"?

They might come up or find they have a different idea after that.

It's worth a shot, I mean obviously my first suggestion has questionable ethics. Actually you could just tell them what you intend to do if they don't find a better solution.

I had to use a hitch extender, pretty sure this is the one I used : Draw-Tite 80307 2" x 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver Extension and one (or more, in your case) hitch tightener/stabilizers similar to this one : Hitch Tightener Anti-Rattle Clamp, Heavy Duty Steel Stabilizer for 1.25 and 2 inch Hitches 304 Stainless Steel Towing Hitch Mounts, Anti-Rust Double Coating Protective.

Also if you look from the rear most wheels of whatever your connecting those bike to imagine how high and or low that rack will be pivoting from that last wheel and that's the extra leverage you will have to accommodate for. So on your travel trailer for example if your rear most wheel is close to the hitch you will have less up down travel to accommodate for.

Also note many rack carriers are not rated for connecting to RV.

In my current set up I do not have to extend or stabilize but I've had to in the past and I also set up a simple cable strap with carbineer and strap from Husky. I still use this cable set up as it really limits the amount of movement.

Seems silly to say but I will anyway, take your batteries out and DON'T FORGET your key at home, it's almost totally useless for security but great for creating frustration if you forget them at home and now want to pop your battery out for the ride home (don't ask how I know that - LOL). 

A lot of great post and recommendations, hard to be right or wrong as everyone built a little differently, that said it's nice to have so many options.

As far as comfort on an e-bike I am 100% convinced a seat suspension is needed. The bikes are typically heavier then what most are used to and we ride them longer distances (when I say "we" I define that as someone like me who has a gravel/hybrid for trails and the like and a Electra Townie for light cruising, also what I would say is a regular rider, not going to Tour De France this year but can get on it when needed).

So my choices are a seat from ISM https://ismseat.com/ (they make a variety of applications)

For suspension I am leaning toward the dropper suspension from PNW https://www.pnwcomponents.com/collections/shop-all-droppers/products/coast-suspension-dropper-post-external. I like this because on an e-bike being so heavy I want to adjust the seat real low when I'm on trails and nice and high while pedaling but when I'm riding I find I'm on or in mixed environments most of the time and it would be AWESOME to switch on the fly.

I don't think you could go wrong with the SunTour or some of the other similarly priced high end units, it more or less comes down to what type of dampining material (spring vs rubber) at that point and I still may go this route when I upgrade due to cost. I have some relatively inexpensive ones now until I decide.

Currently I ride a RAD City 5 HS, I have modified the tires to a gravel tire at 2.3 wide (best move you could make on tire weight alone, not to mention out of round and generally poor quality stock tires). Wife has same but step through, with front basket (of course).

Lastly I'll say if money were no object I would have multiple bikes for the situation. I have to compromise comfort vs performance vs cost vs use case and most everything else.

So far I'm happy with my mods and I saw a comment somewhere on this forum that bike parts are relatively inexpensive (all relative I know, I did say relatively but it can get crazy) so it's fun to buy and try a few things and learn along the way. For me it kind of comes down to making the whole journey fun so I agree with that attitude.