Prices increase on the RadExpand 5

[Ryan]

As of today the price of the RadExpand 5 is now $1,599: https://radpowerbikes.pxf.io/21E5da

It's unfortunate to see prices continue to rise across ebike brands as I know it will surely put them out of reach of some consumers.

[Radio Runner]

Seems Rad is trying to kill the momentum of this design. Starting with the Mini and now this price hike and cheaper parts load out.

[NaturallyRC]

Makes no sense at all. LOL.

[JimInPT]

Seems Rad is trying to kill the momentum of this design. Starting with the Mini and now this price hike and cheaper parts load out.

I have yet to be convinced the Contract 5 has ever had any momentum - it's a significantly-inferior bike in both design and components (a plastic chain guard?  non-folding plastic pedals?  crummy base-model display?  no more front shocks?) compared to the MiniST2 it is replacing, which could be had for US$1,150 (when buying a pair) as recently as last November.

And now they have the nerve to raise the price AGAIN, after already raising it a week or two after the model was announced?  Maybe potential new buyers haven't done their homework to assess value for money.

[CapNpole]

Rad is trying to make $ off their brand strength. Won?t last long. I?ve been researching to purchase a 20 inch bike. Lots of brands?with better specs and prices. Brand means nothing after the short warranty is expired.

[jbfoster]

I have a Rad Rover 5 but I have no way to transport it when needed. I have been looking at folding bike for a few months now. From what I have seen I can get a folding bike in either the trunk or back seat of my Camry. At least this way I can take it with me or to the shop. Being I really like my Rover I wanted to get another RAD but their prices are just to high for what you get. I have been looking at the Lectric XP 2.0. It's $600 cheaper. I do like the looks of the Expand 5 better but I think you get more bang for your buck with the Lectric.

Jim

[R3dEagle]

I have a Rad Rover 5 but I have no way to transport it when needed. I have been looking at folding bike for a few months now. From what I have seen I can get a folding bike in either the trunk or back seat of my Camry. At least this way I can take it with me or to the shop. Being I really like my Rover I wanted to get another RAD but their prices are just to high for what you get. I have been looking at the Lectric XP 2.0. It's $600 cheaper. I do like the looks of the Expand 5 better but I think you get more bang for your buck with the Lectric.

Jim

My best friend and his wife just bought a lectric xp 2.0 and it seems like a really solid bike for the money. The pedals are a little small but for a trunk bike it would be perfect.


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[NaturallyRC]

Smaller battery with the Lectric, but it's lighter, so could be a wash. Definitely competition for the Expand Jive.

I have a Rad Rover 5 but I have no way to transport it when needed. I have been looking at folding bike for a few months now. From what I have seen I can get a folding bike in either the trunk or back seat of my Camry. At least this way I can take it with me or to the shop. Being I really like my Rover I wanted to get another RAD but their prices are just to high for what you get. I have been looking at the Lectric XP 2.0. It's $600 cheaper. I do like the looks of the Expand 5 better but I think you get more bang for your buck with the Lectric.

Jim

My best friend and his wife just bought a lectric xp 2.0 and it seems like a really solid bike for the money. The pedals are a little small but for a trunk bike it would be perfect.


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[Eric7]

Pure speculation below. Guessing from me.

The Rad Mini ST2 was a hidden gem. I did not even consider it and had hoped to buy the Rad Wagon. Before I could buy it, the Rad Wagon increased in price by some $400 - I don't remember exactly, but it was something like that. So I was forced to look at the mini - and I realized it was a gem. The Rad Mini ST2 was much cheaper than the other models, and I think it climbs better and has better acceleration than all the other Rad models with bigger wheels. All of Rad's models have the same top speed limited by law so there is no penalty for top speed.

Now Rad is trying to close the loophole (the lack of correlation between price and performance). For a long time, the best-performing bikes (Rad Mini and Mini ST) were also one of the cheapest. The Rad Runner was good too - but more expensive back then. Who will buy a Rad Rover Plus if a Rad Mini outperforms it at a lower price? Rad is now trying to make the product line more rational by raising the price of the "gems" - the rare values in the lineup. With the new pricing, there is more of a correlation between price and overall value. The Rover does not perform as well with raw power, but it has suspension, better components, better display, off-road geometry, and many extras, making it more attractive relative to the Rad Expand.

Also, I think Rad is no longer going after low prices. They probably cannot compete on price and provide their excellent service.

I wish they warned prospective customers of price increases - it seems like a bad public relations move to do it suddenly. I was saving up for the Rad Wagon and the price suddenly went up beyond what I can afford. With the current move, Rad seems not to care about volume as much as profit. Maybe they want a folding model in their comprehensive lineup but are not concerned about making money on a low-margin product like Rad Expand.

It is the end of an era and a new business model. Rad used to be great value, now they want to be known for great value at a higher quality level.  I wish them great success.  I like the company but if I have to do it all again now, I am not sure they would be within my budget. I was not sure I would like ebiking so I wanted a cheaper bike to try.

[JimInPT]

Pure speculation below.  Guessing from me.

Pretty good speculation, Eric; you may very well be right.  If so, the next Contract 5 will be a resurrected MiniST in black ..... for "only" $1,899.

Like you, so glad I chose the MiniST2 last spring; now hotrodded "a little" with hybrid-hydraulic brakes, 35A controller and accessorized for my taste and needs, it's a pretty sweet ride.  Still tweaking the controller settings a tiny bit (latest is trying to dope out what C4 really does), but it's getting there.

[Eric7]

Like you, so glad I chose the MiniST2 last spring; now hotrodded "a little" with hybrid-hydraulic brakes, 35A controller and accessorized for my taste and needs, it's a pretty sweet ride.  Still tweaking the controller settings a tiny bit (latest is trying to dope out what C4 really does), but it's getting there.

I am thinking about putting in a new controller, following in your footsteps, when my warranty expires Nov of this year.  Assuming my toy budget is OK at that time.    Thank you for all your reports and you sharing your settings.

[JimInPT]

I am thinking about putting in a new controller, following in your footsteps, when my warranty expires Nov of this year.  Assuming my toy budget is OK at that time.    Thank you for all your reports and you sharing your settings.

You're very welcome; just kicking back in when I can to help repay all the help I've gotten along the way.  As I mentioned, still keeping an eye on parameter settings - the issue is that the 4-bar battery gauge dropped from 3 bars directly to 1 under load up a hill and finally returned to 2 when I got home.  Voltage dipped down to about 44v but returned to 47v at home - when just off the charger, it's about 53v.  I'm not sure, but I think C4's setting influences how many bars are displayed for a given voltage, so I'm messing with it.  Otherwise I'm happy with the other settings.

The upgrade is pretty straightforward and drops right in with all the necessary cabling correct, except that it would be a lot easier if the 10-pin cable on the controller was just an inch or two longer for the MiniST2 (this kit was designed for the previous Rover but happens to work on the Minis, Runners and maybe others).  Be careful when removing the old controller to first pop the grommet out, then pull that cable out of the downtube as far as possible before disconnecting; it should stick out of the hole at the bottom an inch or so.  The problem is that I couldn't stuff it back into the downtube through the grommet due to the length of the cable coming out of the controller being a little too short.  It's fine, just connected outside instead of inside, and tidied up with the rest using zipties.  I did a lot of looking, and could not find an extension cable for that particular pinout - it's easy to find the other ones, so it must be fairly unique.

It's a great upgrade for sure; many new and/or improved features along with the power increase - the only (slight) negative is that the battery bar only has 4 segments instead of the original 5 and preferable 10 - but it does indicate voltage for more precision, unlike the original display.