Scathing blog post by a local bike shop

[andyjayhawkins]

The Daily Rider in Washington, DC had a lot of complaints about Rad Power bikes and their build quality. Big caveat here is this shop deals with two of RPB's competitors, Tern and Yuba. That said, I do know that broken spokes, especially with the RadWagon has been a problem for them. Curious what everyone thinks about this.

http://thedailyriderdc.com/thinking-of-purchasing-a-radpower-bike-read-this-first/

[fin_rad]

The Daily Rider in Washington, DC had a lot of complaints about Rad Power bikes and their build quality. Big caveat here is this shop deals with two of RPB's competitors, Tern and Yuba. That said, I do know that broken spokes, especially with the RadWagon has been a problem for them. Curious what everyone thinks about this.

http://thedailyriderdc.com/thinking-of-purchasing-a-radpower-bike-read-this-first/

How to adjust the rear brake on Rad:
https://youtu.be/3cBJIZNuPxI
No need for removing the brake caliber or wheel...

Broken (rear/front) wheel spokes are common for any ebikes that use (rear/front) hub motors. And checking the spoke tensions is important on any bicycle model and brand, especially after you have bought it. And it's part of regular maintenance, no big deal here.

IMHO one should learn doing simple maintenance tasks like these by oneself - it's also fun.

[sloppy]

300 for a rear wheel?  that seems a little high.   LOL. 

[Ryan]

Rad is pretty clear that the bikes should be assembled by a professional. This solves any of the common spoke issues (so does a spoke wrench: https://youtu.be/fqZQ-HYLFw0). And every issue I've seen with the frame breaking at the seat collar has been due to the user extending the seat too high. There is a max line and this is also outlined in the manual which everyone should read completely. I am bias because I love my RadWagon and Rad Power Bikes but I don't think this article should cause concern for any potential borrower. Rad has 100,000 owners, is the leader of ebikes in North America. They have earned their reputation through great customer service.

Can you buy a bike with more expensive components? Sure, but it's going to cost you quite a bit more. I'd rather start with a proven bike that strikes the balance between quality and price and upgrade as necessary.

The Daily Rider in Washington, DC had a lot of complaints about Rad Power bikes and their build quality. Big caveat here is this shop deals with two of RPB's competitors, Tern and Yuba. That said, I do know that broken spokes, especially with the RadWagon has been a problem for them. Curious what everyone thinks about this.

http://thedailyriderdc.com/thinking-of-purchasing-a-radpower-bike-read-this-first/

[Ballermaris]

I am a newbie to the Rad Bikes and bought the RadWagon. It was professionally assembled by a Mobile Bike Shop Tech, which including the assembly of the bike carrier that the RadWagon will be living on when sitting on the FRONT of my Wrangler, took just over 5 hours.

He did a LOT of tweaking, alignments of front and rear brakes, adjusted the spokes, and ensured that the tires and rims were trued.

It was his first RAD assembly.

I had a class I had to attend, so I did not get a chance to ride it yet, but I am impressed with it so far.

You have to take any kind of review with a grain of salt, as likely the bike shop was compensated in some fashion.

I plan on posting the Mobile Shop's information for assembly help in the Atlanta area so if anyone needs help he can do the job.

I can say that the bike at least to me is built like a tank, with critical cables protected. A well thought out design too.