Rad alternative

[Muskie1]

 So I let my friend drive my mini 4, bad move, she wants one.
I realized not a bike to own if you're not mechanically inclined. My 30 year old Trek mountain bike never needs anything,  6000 miles
So any experience with Aveton bikes?,
we only have a couple places that sells ebikes around here.

She is not mechanically inclined, unfortunately due to ride and fix Rad is not a option.

[JimInPT]

If it's going to be that big a problem, then you should have her buy one of the e-bikes from the local shop, after making sure they're authorized to get parts and documentation to perform any service necessary.  Local shops exist partially for this need; people who can't or won't do the work themselves.  These shops need love, too; let them show what they can do to earn a sale.  Go to the shop with her if possible, since you have experience about how an e-bike should operate and perform and at least roughly what one should cost.   

My sister rode my Mini last fall and eventually wanted an e-bike, so she got a great deal on a Lectric XP from a private party with 42 miles on it.  Turns out, there's something very wrong with the PAS/throttle capabilities, but because she didn't understand e-bike designs well enough, she had no idea it was broken and thought the way it rode was the way it was supposed to be.  After she got it home and rode it, her description of its handling on the phone immediately told me there was a problem.  If I'd been a couple hundred miles closer and been invited to come along, that wouldn't have happened.  Still waiting to hear if a warranty claim to repair it is possible.

Otherwise, no matter the mail-order brand, if your friend goes that route, odds are pretty good that YOU will become the service tech.  All bikes need tuning and adjustment, even if they're working perfectly and the shop that sells it should be willing to do anything and everything.  I'd certainly try to talk them into a free 200-mile cable adjustment and fastener-torque inspection/checkup as a condition of purchase - that's worth $100-150 or so.

[Muskie1]

 I have a good bike shop neR me,they sell Avegtons, good service.
I agree, you get what you pay for.
RAD support told me to video of a noise at 12 mph, lol junk company selling junk.

[Radio Runner]

After 6000 miles I guarantee your Trek needs a new chain, new brake pads, handgrips, tires and unless your sitting on a Brooks ,,,a new seat.

[santacruzpaul]

I have a good bike shop neR me,they sell Avegtons, good service.
I agree, you get what you pay for.
RAD support told me to video of a noise at 12 mph, lol junk company selling junk.

I don't agree, Rad Support is over the top. One just needs to communicate with them In my experience with them, They have treated me well in the past.

[Rover]

I have a good bike shop neR me,they sell Avegtons, good service.
I agree, you get what you pay for.
RAD support told me to video of a noise at 12 mph, lol junk company selling junk.

I don't agree, Rad Support is over the top. One just needs to communicate with them In my experience with them, They have treated me well in the past.

I totally agree with santacruzpaul. My customer service experience with RAD has been really good. Beyond any of my other ebike brand transactions. I'm impressed by their customer service to date.

[Muskie1]

Yes  I did need a seat on my old bike, chain brakes.
I never felt I was in danger,  Rad support  is great,  unless you know about  engineering flaws.

[ericwn]

I have a good bike shop neR me,they sell Avegtons, good service.
I agree, you get what you pay for.
RAD support told me to video of a noise at 12 mph, lol junk company selling junk.

I'm shaking my head at this negativity. It's a cheap ebike that has a working support and parts infrastructure that no other brand has. The fact that you need to do regular maintenance is normal with electric bicycles as well as regular ones.

If you find a better company that sells ebikes at the Rad price point please let us know, I'll be waiting for your suggestions.

[JimInPT]

I don't agree, Rad Support is over the top. One just needs to communicate with them In my experience with them, They have treated me well in the past.

I also agree with Paul; whether ordering an accessory, calling with a question or asking for some tech support, Rad CSRs have been fantastic with me on the phone and via email (although email is slower to respond) - everything was handled by the person who first answered the call or email.  They even tossed in a few lagniappes on more than one occasion, when I didn't even consider asking for anything, and these were real-money value, not just a keychain or ballpoint pen.

They've been suffering from labor and parts shortages with everybody else (thanks, CCP!) and I think they've made some dumb decisions with the Expand, but overall one of the best consumer-product companies from the customer point of view.

[Rover]

Ebikes are now so popular and common that most bike shops can deal with most issues on most ebikes (supply chain issues for parts aside since that affects regular bikes too). I'm fortunate to live in the Portland/Vancouver area which is extremely bike friendly and offers loads of bike shops, quite a few specializing in Ebikes so repair and maintenance aren't a problem. In addition there is Velofix, a mobile service that comes to you and is very RAD knowledgeable. I realize in smaller towns the situation is different so your MMV. But in general I wouldn't worry about which Ebike to own. My Rad is my 6th Ebike (2 of the previous were Trek Verve for the record) and is my favorite.

[Hehateme]

I wonder if you are troll. Very familiar nonsense Trek loving/ Rad bashing post from 2 years ago from someone named "rady" who posted once then ghosted. See below.

Rad the worst e-bikes on the market
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2118463&share_tid=161&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eradowners%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D161&share_type=t&link_source=app


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jbfoster]

I wanted to buy local but the bike shops here didn't have much and were more expensive than RAD. I have had my Rover 5 since September of 2020. Up until a couple weeks ago I have had no issues. I am now getting Error 25. My experience with RAD support has been hit and miss. I've had both good and bad service from RAD. Bike shops here will work on the mechanical parts of my RAD but will not touch the electrical part.

Jim

[Altema]

My experience with Rad support is usually good. As far as Aventon is concerned, they make nice bikes that are really finished well, but are a bit lacking in performance. My experience with Aventon is a Sinch that was the only bike that could not make it up the hill with the rest of the group, and a pair of Aventons that were struggling up a long hill DESPERATE to stay ahead of me. They failed 😂

[Tree]

I have a good bike shop neR me,they sell Avegtons, good service.
I agree, you get what you pay for.
RAD support told me to video of a noise at 12 mph, lol junk company selling junk.

clown post.

I've had nothing short of AMAZING support from Rad. I am far from technically proficient, yet I've managed so far.

No company is going to be 100 percent perfect to 100 percent of the people, but your one experience - which by EVERY appearance is an outlier - hardly equates to a "lol junk company selling junk."

[Eric7]

Rad sells good bikes at their price point.  Of course, you have to put the bike together yourself and fix things yourself.  It is more like a kit, although the amount of work you do is minimal.  For my budget, Rad was and is the best.  The support is amazingly good.  If they cannot fix it, they paid for me to get the parts myself.

All bikes, regular or electric, need adjustments after the first 10 miles, the first 50 miles etc.  Like any hobby - backpacking, skiing, sailing, hang gliding, rollerblading, etc. - even calligraphy or painting.  Constant adjustments and maintenance are expected and required.  Keeping your equipment in good shape is supposed to be fun.

If somebody is unwilling or unable to regularly adjust their bike then it becomes difficult.  I think you need to get a bike from the local bike shop and constantly visit or just rent a bike. If a person is unwilling to learn to fix anything then life is difficult. Even with a car, you have to check the oil, pay taxes, put in the right gas, keep an eye on the fluids.  It gets worse with an apartment, house, or a pet.