New RAD Expand5 model

[NaturallyRC]

I mounted my Mini rack today, and it for sure slopes a bit. Caught my eye right away. Maybe by the time I ordered they were shipping a newer Expando version of the rack, different from the first one, but that's just wild speculation. Anyway, I'm glad I bought my Mini when I did. Having ridden wide knobbies on pavement before, I prefer the 3" smooth boaters. Glad of the front suspension, and the big display. The bolt-on Expando bell is not near as sweet as the integrated bell on the Mini, too. No buyer's remorse here. More like apples and oranges. Maybe the Expando is meant to knock the Lectric 2.0 off its pedestal.

1.  Does anyone have an opinion on whether the tires are an upgrade or downgrade?  I'll probably buy tires in 2023 but I am just wondering and taking notes.

2.  It seems the rear rack is tilted forward (lower in the front of the rack, higher in the back of the rack) compared to a Rad Mini Step Thru rack which I own and which is flat in my eyes.  It is just the picture?

3.  I don't know why, but a speedometer is very entertaining to me even when riding a regular non electric bike.  I'll miss that feature.

1.  For me, the tires would be a downgrade; they look like the wider knobby Kendas that Rad used to ship on the Minis, but when I ordered mine they'd switched over to the CST Big Boats and I was bummed.  Turns out, I'm perfectly happy with the CSTs - they ride quiet and handle much better than knobbies on pavement and packed-dirt trails, which is where I spend 95% of my time anyway.  So for me I'm glad Rad switched, but I'm sure grass, sand and mud riders would prefer the knobbies.

2.  Just a guess, but I would expect it to be the same rack as the Minis, mounted in the same location and should be level.  A non-level rack design is not a good design IMHO.  Maybe ask Ryan about it when he gets his review unit.

3.  You can use a speedo app on your phone with GPS; it'll be bigger numbers and more accurate, but it looks like the original Mini LCD display will be available as a $99 option according to the eBikeEscape writeup.  I'm with you; I couldn't stand one of those cheap-looking, uninformative LED displays.

[NaturallyRC]

I asked and was told (take it or leave it) by a bona fide Rad customer service person that Canadians (comme moi) cannot order from the US. Turning to your other questions, you might find that 500 watts is plenty. My own mini is no slug. Again, people may disagree. Folding the bike is easy. Carrying it is the hard part, since it weighs a lot. Cheers.

Hello.  I just did a test drive here in canada 500 W versus 750W , can I order from the US and get the 750W shipped?  I guess its another stupid rule in canada?  500w.  And how much is it a pain in the butt to fold and unfold this bike?  I live in a walk up apartment.  Second floor.  Would there be anyway I could walk this up?  Our bike room is a rats nest for storing and not even sure I would want to leave it there.  Sorry for all the questions.

P.S I was pretty happy with my test ride, just wish the seat post was bit higher.  I would have to buy a compatible, higher post.

[NaturallyRC]

In fact, my first thought upon unboxing it was how small it is, compared to photographs. Maybe it's a trick of eye, or maybe the product has "evolved".

I mounted my Mini rack today, and it for sure slopes a bit. Caught my eye right away. Maybe by the time I ordered they were shipping a newer Expando version of the rack, different from the first one, but that's just wild speculation.

[NaturallyRC]

Rumours of the Mini's death are greatly exaggerated, maybe. One of the top ebike Youtubers says the Expand5 is meant to "augment" the Mini, not replace it. Possible that he missed an obituary somewhere (??) but I can't find evidence either. Cheers.

That's true, but Rad has discontinued BOTH Minis in favor of the Expand5. 

[Smackums]

Rumours of the Mini's death are greatly exaggerated, maybe. One of the top ebike Youtubers says the Expand5 is meant to "augment" the Mini, not replace it. Possible that he missed an obituary somewhere (??) but I can't find evidence either. Cheers.

That's true, but Rad has discontinued BOTH Minis in favor of the Expand5. 

I saw a Rad Expander5 ad on Facebook (because it knows I've been looking into ebikes), and the Rad Power representative did say in the comments that the Expand5 is meant to replace both mini's and that they are just getting rid of the inventory at this point. They also hinted at other folding options down the line without being specific. I can only assume it will be an Expand5 Plus or something with the Suspension and better screen back, basically a new version of Mini ST. I wish I took a screenshot of the answer, but didn't think of it at the time!

[Eric7]

Last year the Mini ST and Mini were selling at $1300 or less (depending on sales).  It must be Rad is not making enough money at those prices.  Or else, why get rid of them?

[Smackums]

Actually it wasn't an ad. Just go to their fb page and go to the post announcing Expand5 and read the comments. I attached the pic of the relevant comment

[Leafy2726]

I am 6" with 30" inseam.  I tried this bike last weekend.  I liked it BUT even with the seatpost at the highest i don't think its good enough i actually think I had the post where it wasn't suppose to be.

[NaturallyRC]

Works for me. Thanks. Makes me glad I bought my mini when I did.

Actually it wasn't an ad. Just go to their fb page and go to the post announcing Expand5 and read the comments. I attached the pic of the relevant comment

[NaturallyRC]

When he states, with lack of irony, that the Mini has 'served for years' I have to laugh. Have product cycles become as short as that? I mean, I've been enjoying the Big Mac since 1970.   

Works for me. Thanks. Makes me glad I bought my mini when I did.

Actually it wasn't an ad. Just go to their fb page and go to the post announcing Expand5 and read the comments. I attached the pic of the relevant comment

[Smackums]

When he states, with lack of irony, that the Mini has 'served for years' I have to laugh. Have product cycles become as short as that? I mean, I've been enjoying the Big Mac since 1970.   

Works for me. Thanks. Makes me glad I bought my mini when I did.

Actually it wasn't an ad. Just go to their fb page and go to the post announcing Expand5 and read the comments. I attached the pic of the relevant comment

I know what you mean, I don't know how long regular bike models stick around, but with e-bikes, due to the tech, they can get away with more frequent iterations. Like a new iPhone every year. It seems Ebikes were at 36v batteries for a a while before all making the move to 48v and above. Battery technology improves yearly as well - more WH packed into smaller space, more cycles, safer designs, etc. Displays can change too, although Rad is using display tech from around 1995 so that doesn't apply here lol. Motors and controllers maybe less frequently, although the mid-drive is a relatively new thing (Doesn't apply to Rad either).

But a new model may not even always include upgrades - I think customer feedback and supply chain and other costs can force changes - like the Mini tires went through like 3-4 different iterations in a few years. 4 inch, 3.3, now 3, and the original 4 inch are now Kenda Krusades but used to be something else I believe.

I'm glad that Rad is supporting parts for a number of years though - people probably won't be upgrading to a new model with very small iterative changes, so it would suck if battery size (physical dimensions) changed every year and Rad didn't stock the older ones.

My next upgrade would have to feel like an upgrade. Basically battery or controller/motor improvements. I much prefer folding bikes so my options will be somewhat limited, and no one makes Uber powerful folding bikes yet.

[NaturallyRC]

I like your full response. And ditto on the next bike bit below.

My next upgrade would have to feel like an upgrade. Basically battery or controller/motor improvements. I much prefer folding bikes so my options will be somewhat limited, and no one makes Uber powerful folding bikes yet.

[Smackums]

I had a chance to ride the Mini4 and Mini ST2 this past Sunday on trails, and also around town on some of the other days. I'd say they ride the same, I didn't notice a difference in feel/performance. I do notice that the little metal loop thing under the center of the frame (under the pedal area), which is designed to protect the bike's sensitive bits from touching the ground when folded, is lower on the ST2. It clipped the stairs a bit when I was wheeling it down a short flight, but no biggie. The bikes both fit perfectly into the craftsman 50 gallon tote from Lowes. They both also fit perfectly into a subaru impreza hatch, but so far we couldn't fit both bikes into the same car. The distance between the wheel wells just barely allows for the 2 empty totes to fit side by side in the cargo area, but no luck when the bikes are in the totes. Mostly it may come down to figuring out the handlebar situation, because those hang off the side of the tote. But it's not a huge deal, that would just be the icing on the cake if it works.

We did get wide aftermarket seats because my gf and I both didn't like the narrow/rough stock seats. The throttle is the greatest thing ever - as soon as you want some speed, or to quickly take off from standstill, or to get over a sudden climb/challenge in the road, the throttle is your best friend. In fact, I largely ignored the gears - just kept mine at 7. The only time I think I'll need gears is if tackling a prolonged steep hill, or a challenging off-road trail full of unpredictable obstacles and stuff. Basically the PAS and throttle essentially are my gears in a pinch, and way less clunky than having a chain readjust every time you need a boost of power!

My gf is 5' and was nervous/unhappy about the bike before riding it because she couldn't firmly plant her feet on the ground while sitting on the seat. She only has the balls of her feet/toes reaching the ground. It's a heavy bike and fully reaching the ground would make her feel more secure. However, after giving it a chance and spending a few hours riding all sorts of trail conditions, she quickly got comfortable and got over her fear. I should mention I cut the seat post by about an inch for her. At the shortest seat position the ST2 (not mini4, however) still had about an inch of the seat post protruding, which meant I could lower the seat by another inch. It helped a little but didn't fully bring her feet to the ground, so ultimately she needed the trail outing to become comfortable.

Which of course made me happy because I didn't want her to avoid the bike and never ride with me! So now we're both excited and will be exploring more and more trails and challening ourselves and the bikes!

The bikes are heavy but not so heavy that a single person can't lift it if needed. 2 people are better of course. But if you have to fold and place it into a tote and put the tote in the car yourself, you can do it (my gf can do it), unless you're really petite/weak, then just plan accordingly.

Oh and for the fun stuff - the thing hauls ass. It's a beast. It tackles paved and unpaved, it goes over grass, over tree roots, over any damn thing. It goes up hills, even ones with loose gravel on them, and it feels smooth and effortless when doing so. It's so much fun to ride I absolutely can't stay away from it - I wanna take it out somewhere every day if I could, even if it's just up and down my street just to get the day's stress off of me after work (and what a de-stressor it is!). I would highly recommend a mirror (which we will prolly get) if you're going to ride on the streets, however.

[JimInPT]

It's so much fun to ride I absolutely can't stay away from it - I wanna take it out somewhere every day if I could, even if it's just up and down my street just to get the day's stress off of me after work (and what a de-stressor it is!).

Sounds like you made the right purchase; that's great.  Are you satisfied with the CST Big Boat tires on trails?  I am, and was quite happily surprised at how well they handle off-road - like you I was sort of thinking I'd swap them out for knobbies, but after it arrived and a hundred miles later, that thought disappeared.

[Radio Runner]

Same thoughts on the CST Big Boats. Plenty wide enough and way more efficient on the road. I'm getting much longer battery life after ditching the Kenda K-Rads. Also a few pounds lighter in tire and tube. I only wish they went up to 65psi.

The 4" tires on the Expand5 have to got to be absolute battery sucking slugs on pavement.

Unfortunately marketing keeps driving people twords these super fat tires without listing any of the drawbacks.  I hope the CST's don't get discontinued.