RadCity 5 Plus Tiger Orange

[Paco]

Hey...I Know this Limited edition is not out yet..besides the orange colour, the description reads "with wider handlebars for tighter turns"...does this mean a less upright riding position than with the "older" Radcity 5 plus? I tried a Radcity 5 plus and I found the handlebar a bit narrow. The ride was nice but i felt a bit "constricted" and I'm only 5'7". I almost got a used one but this upcoming release sounds interesting. Pricey (for me anyway)..opinions? I will wait for a bit before buying...thanks

[inoxa]

Hard to say.  It is probably the same stem holding the handle bars.  Is it a straight handle bar or does it have curve?  Does the bars curve back to the seat or just dip in the center? 

If it is just a straight but wider handle bar and they are using the same stem. then it may actually cause more body lean. 

You can buy a new stem that will allow you to raise the handle bar.  These are readily available and easy to install.

Good Luck

[Paco]

Hard to say.  It is probably the same stem holding the handle bars.  Is it a straight handle bar or does it have curve?  Does the bars curve back to the seat or just dip in the center? 

If it is just a straight but wider handle bar and they are using the same stem. then it may actually cause more body lean. 

You can buy a new stem that will allow you to raise the handle bar.  These are readily available and easy to install.

Good Luck

hi there. The pics of the website seem to show a lower handlebar but I can't see if it has the same curve as the current one. I'm sure it's just a simple refresher to the Radcity 5 line. Still out of my budget brand new. They don't go for sale in the used market often here in Canada. I will wait for a review next month or so. The Orange is for sure much more visible than the black model. If a bike could be made to weigh under 40lbs (just to have the public bus option available in case is needed) then I would be so crazy about buying one right away. Thanks
Thanks

[inoxa]

Finding an electric bike at 40 pounds is probably not possible.  The battery alone will be at least 6 pounds.  I do like the orange.  I saw the photos on their website.  I does look like a different stem and the bars are flat and do not sway towards the body.  I would expect it to be an uncomfortable ride for many people.  My left hand will go numb on my Rad Rover 5 often.  I could change the stem but I decided when my battery needed replacing I would swap to a different bike.  I have ordered Wired Bike.....the orange one.  Has lots of power and a bigger battery.  The larger battery was the biggest seller for me. 

Good luck getting your new ride.

[Paco]

Finding an electric bike at 40 pounds is probably not possible.  The battery alone will be at least 6 pounds.  I do like the orange.  I saw the photos on their website.  I does look like a different stem and the bars are flat and do not sway towards the body.  I would expect it to be an uncomfortable ride for many people.  My left hand will go numb on my Rad Rover 5 often.  I could change the stem but I decided when my battery needed replacing I would swap to a different bike.  I have ordered Wired Bike.....the orange one.  Has lots of power and a bigger battery.  The larger battery was the biggest seller for me. 

Good luck getting your new ride.

thanks...I found a nice deal on used Radcity 5 plus ST and I went for it..heavy for sure but I have a garage and I don't take public buses! I'll use my regular bike for short rides to the store. It has 1500km on it. But it's in perfect shape. Cost me 55% of what a new Tiger Orange Radcity would have cost me...so...black is the new orange I say! LOL...

[inoxa]

I came across this bike recently.  33 pounds

https://newurtopia.com/products/urtopia-carbon-e-bike?variant=43556895981816

[inoxa]

Good you found a good deal.  If this is your first, you will enjoy it but then you will want more speed more power more battery. 

Enjoy!!

[Paco]

Good you found a good deal.  If this is your first, you will enjoy it but then you will want more speed more power more battery. 

Enjoy!!

oh yeah..I feel the power for sure! LOL...I really like it. A good price -value ratio. I'm sure there are much better ones and stylish but I can't afford them. This bike is nice to handle...so far I only went 10 km one way and then 10back. I pedal of course-I need the exercise but I like the throttle to get me going quickly...how long do these batteries last? The previous owner put 1,500km (she took such an amzing care of this bike) but I won't worry til I see issues. I will enjoy it for sure. I'm sure something better will be out in a couple of years...for now this is my primary vehicle...til Winter (I'm in Toronto, Canada). Thanks

[inoxa]

I have put on 5500 miles on mine in 4 years. so that's about 8800 km.  All on the original battery. 
The battery on mine needs replacement now.  I only get about 20km to a charge on it now.  But I use
lots of power on it when I ride.  I have some long hills. 

Battery life they say is based on the number of charges you do.  I think it is around 600 charges maybe more.  I probably put over that on it.

I started out charging it every other ride, but I noticed that power wasn't as good the second trip.  The manual says to charge it after each ride. 

If you don't have a manual for your bike, find one and read up on the battery.  Always plug your battery in first then into the wall.  And when charged unplug from the wall first then battery.  ( BOOB = battery outlet / outlet battery )

Hope this helps......ENJOY

[RadPaco]

I have put on 5500 miles on mine in 4 years. so that's about 8800 km.  All on the original battery. 
The battery on mine needs replacement now.  I only get about 20km to a charge on it now.  But I use
lots of power on it when I ride.  I have some long hills. 

Battery life they say is based on the number of charges you do.  I think it is around 600 charges maybe more.  I probably put over that on it.

I started out charging it every other ride, but I noticed that power wasn't as good the second trip.  The manual says to charge it after each ride. 

If you don't have a manual for your bike, find one and read up on the battery.  Always plug your battery in first then into the wall.  And when charged unplug from the wall first then battery.  ( BOOB = battery outlet / outlet battery )

Hope this helps......ENJOY

hi again...well then the battery has lots of life left in it! My  city has a  few hills but nothing extreme (is not San Fran!)...thanks for the tip on how to properly charge the battery...so I guess it's best to use half of it before charging as opposed to charging after every ride? The battery charging sequence you listed here...battery in first etc. How will  this sequence prolong the life of the battery? just curious...The bike came with the manual so I will read it...finally, watching some youtube videos I watched someone change the top speed from 20mph (32kmph) to 28miles per hour. I don't think I need more speed but I wonder if doing this "hack" will make the motor died sooner or something...dunno. So far I'm just fine with the factory settings. thanks for the tips

[JimInPT]

for now this is my primary vehicle...til Winter (I'm in Toronto, Canada). Thanks

Make sure to bring your battery indoors into a heated space when temps are heading toward freezing over winter (one of those fireproof battery bags is probably a sensible precaution - I use them for my electric yard tool batteries), and try to get it to 50-75% charge level before storing it (full-charge is a bad idea for long life when storing.)  Also, the recommended range for this type of battery is 80%-20%, in other words charge to 80%, discharge to 20% unless otherwise necessary for more-demanding rides.  This will get you maximum lifetime and charge cycles out of the battery.  Also, try not to charge it right after a ride when the battery is still warm - give it an hour or two to cool down if possible.  If you care for your battery you should get at least 800 charge cycles out of it from what I was able to find when I researched it.  I log my miles and charge cycles, so for my riding and riding season that's over 10 years of battery life in a perfect world.

I know it's not easy to gauge those numbers on the charger, but I note the bars remaining, then have several Alexa routines to run the charger 2, 4 or 7 hours , plus I have 12 set up for the annual balancing at the beginning of the season (the newer semi-integrated battery designs supposedly don't need balancing).

Unlocking the higher top speed won't change a thing except your range if you run at that speed all the time; won't hurt the battery or motor, and is a routine change for most new owners - the lower values are to comply with laws, not motor capability.  "Altema" here on the forum a year or two ago actually tried to fry a stock Rad motor that he was about to remove and upgrade, so he ran it at 1,600 watts for extended periods and the motor didn't skip a beat.  He couldn't break it.

Note that if you upgrade the controller someday, you'll get (a lot) more torque for acceleration and hill-climbing, but you can't get more top speed without a higher-voltage battery and different motor.  I'm cool with about 25mph for a lightweight vehicle.

Hope you enjoy your ride!

[inoxa]

I did the upgraded controller and as I recall it only give me torque to get up hills with ease.  Adding upgraded motor gave me speeds up to 35 mph, but only briefly maybe a few minutes before it started to drain.  Both controller and motor upgrades will drain your battery faster obviously because you are pulling more power out of it.  A larger battery with higher amps and voltage will increase your range.  It will also allow you to maintain higher speeds for a longer period. 

As you read your manual you will understand more about battery storage if you aren't going to use it for 2 weeks or more.  Say like for winter storage. 

The reason for the BOOB is to NOT blow the fuses on the battery.  They are easily accessible from the bottom of the battery.  So if you take your battery off the bike.....flip it over and you will see where the fuses are located.  In the 4 years I have had mine I have not had to replace the fuses. 

My only issue is I have finally used up most of my battery life.  Down to about 15 miles per charge for my hilly area.  That said the highest mileage I have been able to get is 20 miles on a fully charged newer battery.     

[Paco]

I did the upgraded controller and as I recall it only give me torque to get up hills with ease.  Adding upgraded motor gave me speeds up to 35 mph, but only briefly maybe a few minutes before it started to drain.  Both controller and motor upgrades will drain your battery faster obviously because you are pulling more power out of it.  A larger battery with higher amps and voltage will increase your range.  It will also allow you to maintain higher speeds for a longer period. 

As you read your manual you will understand more about battery storage if you aren't going to use it for 2 weeks or more.  Say like for winter storage. 

The reason for the BOOB is to NOT blow the fuses on the battery.  They are easily accessible from the bottom of the battery.  So if you take your battery off the bike.....flip it over and you will see where the fuses are located.  In the 4 years I have had mine I have not had to replace the fuses. 

My only issue is I have finally used up most of my battery life.  Down to about 15 miles per charge for my hilly area.  That said the highest mileage I have been able to get is 20 miles on a fully charged newer battery.   

thank for the advice guys. I'm enjoying the bike a lot. I will try to cycle responsible! The bike is great. I'm sure there will be better ones in the next few years-can't wait to see what Rad will do about their e-bikes but for me this is the best compromise in terms of cost and performance. Thanks so much!