Rad City 5 plus - PROBLEMS??

[Broton]

So I?ve been considering this new Rad bike. 

But I have read a number of reviews of the bike coming with faulty parts.  Battery not working after 1 use, break line broken, non functional, good for a few spins and then quits.  Replacement parts being sent out and not helping, or waiting for parts to arrive for long periods of time.   But also a number of positive reviews....  but it?s the bad ones that cause concern!   

So my question is...  is there a problem with this new bike?  Rush to produce for high demand equating to more mistakes?  Bad parts due to supply issues? 

What are the thoughts on this?   

[sputnik3]

Mine worked fine out of the box and I?m very happy with it. As usual, those of us who don?t have any issues don?t post about that [emoji6].


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[Ddaybc]

Mine worked fine out of the box and I?m very happy with it. As usual, those of us who don?t have any issues don?t post about that [emoji6].

Sputnik3, excellent post. Sometimes we forget the "issues" we read about on forums like this are exceptions rather than the rule.

Forums are a place to post good stuff about your things but they are a great place to learn about troubleshooting and/or repairs. That's what I use this one for. I was a member of the Ford Truck Enthusiast Forum and, naturally, it was filled with problem posts but I was able to learn massive amounts about repairs and maintenance.

In a forum one learns nothing about whether or not a specific brand is made superior to another one. Ford better than Chev? Rad Power Bikes better than a different brand? You won't learn it here, sorry. What you may learn is value for the price, how other owners use their bikes, the tweaks they've done, maintenance and even some repairs.

Broton, good luck on your efforts with your search in trying to locate a bike that meets your buying criteria. You've got a good start with this forum.

[Broton]

It?s really about the current production and delivery climate.  Is this new bike problematic?  Supply chain issues, high demand. They?ve already had to change out certain parts from what I gather.  The question is does this prove a general problem to the consumer?  I?ve heard great things about older models and people who bought them a couple years ago.  However I am seeing more than a fair share or woeful stories that have given me pause about buying a sight unseen bike with no local dealer. 

[R3dEagle]

My bike was DOA when I received it last week. Support put in an order for a new harness, new controller, and hardware kit(bike was also missing bolts for the bike stem)

The harness and hardware kit already shipped, controller has not. I contacted support today for an eta in the controller. They have no eta on when they?ll even get them in stock.

I requested a new bike be sent out since I haven?t even been able to try this one out. I?m supposed to hear their decision in 1-2 days.  Not everyone is having these issues but they can happen to you. Just be aware that it is a possibility.

My biggest issue currently is not having a third party option for the controller currently. I?m trying to find information on whether or not the Bolton upgrade is compatible with the five plus but haven?t found any concrete documentation stating that it is.

I really wish I would of bought a rad city 4 just for the simple fact that it has third party options for parts already.

[pjiaria]

I'm sure you seen my thread, if not YES I had issues. CS was right there for me. So far the new controller, hopefully updated, is still working. It's the problem in my opinion.

[jastewart325]

I just took my City 5 Plus in for the free tuneup (a bit late at 200 miles). They noticed some damage to the front tire, I think the sidewall, and gave me a new tire--they said it was a known quality problem. You might want to check your tires.

[Radicali]

I've detailed my issues in the forum here.  But Rad did resolve all y concerns,  They did it happily and quickly once the issue were defined properly.  The frustration for me came in tracking the real problem and cause.  At each step Rd did offer solutions and shipped parts. And once they realized I still had a problem they replaced the entire bike, the installer built it asap, and there was no extra cost to me.  There was just time spent and patience needed.  The replacement bike is amazing in so many ways that I do not regret my journey in anyway. 

The most awesome thing is that the bike teaches me every time I take it out.  I enjoy learning what I can do with it and how to operate it differently than a traditional bike.  It's a lot of fun.

I'd say have no fear.   But let's keep the collective pressure on Rad to improve. It's worth it.

[kenchang]

I voted as "sure bet" but I guess I can only speak to my own experience.  Received the bike in late April this year. Has ~200 miles.  No problems so far. Worked right out of the box.  I personally think that the rear fender is installed the wrong way from the factory, but that was no big deal.  I didn't even bother fixing it.

[FL-GK]

I've detailed my issues in the forum here.  But Rad did resolve all y concerns,  They did it happily and quickly once the issue were defined properly.  The frustration for me came in tracking the real problem and cause.  At each step Rd did offer solutions and shipped parts. And once they realized I still had a problem they replaced the entire bike, the installer built it asap, and there was no extra cost to me.  There was just time spent and patience needed.  The replacement bike is amazing in so many ways that I do not regret my journey in anyway. 

The most awesome thing is that the bike teaches me every time I take it out.  I enjoy learning what I can do with it and how to operate it differently than a traditional bike.  It's a lot of fun.

I'd say have no fear.   But let's keep the collective pressure on Rad to improve. It's worth it.

Well said, I've had issues as well. RAD has been there to correct them but their correction processes do need improvement. For example, a parts supply on the east coast would not be too much to ask (their idea of expedited is NOT the same as mine) nor would be keeping enough parts on hand to take care of problems (yes, build and sell a few less bikes if you have to). Also at some point you simply can't keep blaming someone else (supply chain here, labor problem there etc. etc.). If your in business solve your problems (I am in mfg. for a fairly large mfg, so I know it can be done) everyone has them, get it done. Yeah, for a few weeks folks were caught off guard but at some point the problems DO become your own. Yes, great bikes, they need to be pushed. I don't regret my decision, that being said I'm not sure I would rush to replace with exactly the same (RadCity Plus 5) if I had to do so today. I would give more then one mfg. a good hard look.

[thebadpoodle]

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.

[FL-GK]

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).

[david.platt@mac.com]

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

[FL-GK]

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.

[david.platt@mac.com]

Got it thanks