This Compact Cargo Mannequin is the SUV of E-Bikes: Rad Energy RadRunner Max Overview

Up to now decade or so, the RadRunner has develop into one among Rad Energy’s hottest e-bike fashions. Head to any seashore city within the U.S., and also you’ll most likely see a whole bunch of youngsters and adults using round on some model of those bikes. It is sensible, too, as these “utility bikes” have historically been fairly reasonably priced whereas combining cargo-carrying functionality with a extra compact and approachable measurement. 

Again in Might, we reported on the launch of not one however three new RadRunner fashions. This refresh gave riders the choice to decide on the value level and options that finest aligned with their wants and funds. On the prime of that lineup is the RadRunner Max, boasting a extra refined look, probably the most energy, the best prime velocity, up to date controls, extra cargo capability, and enhanced safety and security options.

I’ve been testing the RadRunner Max ($2,299) for the previous couple of months in and round Reno, NV. I’ve been driving much less and utilizing this bike as a lot as doable for every little thing from errand runs, grocery procuring, journeys to the trailhead, and heading out for evenings in town. It’s easy, quick, and its utility and flexibility have made it my go-to for nearly all of my city and suburban wants. Plus, its comparatively compact measurement makes it simpler to deal with, and it takes up much less area in my storage than a full-size cargo bike.

It wasn’t that way back that Rad Energy Bikes was the dominant participant within the reasonably priced e-bike market in North America. Lately, the model has had some stiff competitors from quite a few upstarts battling for the affordability crown. Rad Energy hasn’t gone anyplace, in fact, and the model continues to place out high quality e-bikes of every kind. Their costs have gone up a bit (what hasn’t), however the high quality of the bikes has gone up in type. The most recent Rad Energy Bikes are an enormous step up in comparison with lots of the model’s earlier fashions.

Rad Energy RadRunner Max Particulars

Earlier than I focus on my expertise utilizing the RadRunner Max, right here’s a fast overview of the bike’s specs and options.

Body and Match

The RadRunner Max has a barely totally different body design than its cheaper siblings, taking away the swoopy traces in favor of a extra angular aesthetic. It seems fairly just like the Radster Path and Radster Street in that regard, and the aluminum body appears very beefy and overbuilt. The 672 Wh battery is semi-integrated into the downtube of the body, and might simply be eliminated for charging off the bike if wanted. The stout rear rack is welded onto and included into the body design. A sturdy dual-leg kickstand helps the bike if you aren’t using it.

Rad Energy states a complete weight capability of 420 kilos, and as much as 120 of that may be supported by the rear rack. The bike has a rider weight restrict of 275 kilos. Like many electrical bikes, the RadRunner Max solely is available in one body measurement. Nonetheless, it’s claimed to suit riders between 4’11” and 6’2”. The bike weighs a whopping 82 kilos with the battery, and that drops to 72 kilos with the battery eliminated.

Like different rad Energy bikes, the RadRunner Max is designed to work with a variety of aftermarket equipment. It has mounting factors for entrance and rear baskets, baggage, and cargo packing containers. These items price additional, in fact, however they can help you arrange your bike to raised fit your wants.

Parts and Options

The RadRunner Max comes with an 80 mm suspension fork to take the sting off bumps within the highway. It rolls on extensive 20” x 3.5” wheels/tires with a “multi-surface tread sample.” It has highly effective Gemma hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors entrance and rear, and an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain with intuitive and exact set off shifters. It comes with an aluminum BMX-style handlebar, a cushty seat, and sturdy alloy platform pedals.

The RadRunner comes prepared for all climate circumstances with full protection fenders entrance and rear. It’s additionally prepared for altering gentle circumstances with a shiny headlight and rear gentle. The headlight has an ambient gentle sensor, auto on/off, and a number of other gentle modes to select from. The usual brightness is 450 lumens, plus it has a “excessive beam” setting that bumps it as much as 750 lumens. The rear gentle features like a brake gentle and switch alerts, plus Rad Energy added a radar operate that warns you of autos approaching from behind. 

For an added layer of safety, Rad Energy has added passcode protections to the controls, so you’ll be able to lock and unlock the along with your telephone or by the show. It additionally works with Apple Discover My, so you’ll be able to preserve tabs on the bike if another person is utilizing it or if it will get misplaced or stolen.

Motor, Battery, and Show

The RadRunner Max makes use of a 750 W rear hub motor that gives as much as 90 Nm of hill-flattening and cargo-hauling torque. There are 5 ranges of pedal help and a twist throttle. Pedal help relies on a torque sensor, which offers easy and natural-feeling energy supply. Prime velocity is as much as the person, and might be chosen within the bike’s menu by the controls and show. Riders can select between:

• Class 1: as much as 20 mph pedal-assist solely
• Class 2: as much as 20 mph pedal help and throttle 
• Class 3 Restricted: as much as 25 mph pedal help, as much as 20 mph throttle
• Class 3: as much as 28 mph pedal help, as much as 20 mph throttle

The controls are positioned on the handlebars subsequent to the left grip, with buttons for energy, pedal help ranges, flip alerts, and the settings menu. The buttons are straightforward to succeed in with the thumb whereas using and intuitive to make use of and perceive. The colour show is giant and centered on the handlebars. It’s shiny and straightforward to learn in any gentle situation, and it has a USB-C port for charging different electronics. It reveals present velocity, distance, estimated vary, pedal help stage, and headlight setting. The twist throttle is built-in into the fitting grip, and it prompts the throttle with a twist of the wrist.

Powering all of it is a sizeable 672 Wh battery. Like all of Rad Energy’s newest bikes, this battery options the model’s Protected Defend expertise. This can be a security expertise that encapsulates all the battery cells in a heat-absorbing resin with the objective of decreasing the probabilities of thermal runaway leading to a battery fireplace. Moreover, the system and battery are licensed to the UL 2271 and UL 2849 requirements. The RadRunner can be appropriate with the brand new RadRunner Vary Extender ($249), so riders can principally double their vary with a battery that matches into the cargo rack.

Meeting

Rad Energy has been promoting bikes on to the buyer for a few years, in order that they have the supply and meeting course of fairly dialed. The bike doesn’t come absolutely assembled, and there’s a small quantity of meeting remaining for the buyer. Fortunately, it’s all fairly easy to finish utilizing the included instruments and detailed printed directions and/or watching the meeting video. It took me about an hour to go from the field to being able to journey. 

These days, Rad Energy additionally has just a few retail shops and works with numerous outlets throughout the nation as retail and repair companions. So, it’s additionally doable to take a check journey and/or purchase your new bike from a store that may put it collectively for you. This can be a greater possibility for these with restricted area, time, or mechanical know-how.

The Trip

I’ve been using the RadRunner Max for the previous couple of months, and it has rapidly develop into the bike I attain for nearly any time I’m leaving the home for something aside from a mountain bike or gravel journey. In comparison with the full-size cargo bikes that I’ve ridden, the RadRunner is a greater match for my wants and way of life, and it’s simpler to deal with and retailer.

To begin, this bike is sort of snug. I’m 6’0” with very lengthy legs, and I generally max out the seat peak on related bikes, however there’s room to spare on the RadRunner. The seated place is upright and fairly informal with the BMX-style handlebars, and I get alongside simply positive with the ergonomic grips and the seat. It’s fast and straightforward to regulate the bike for my 5’7” spouse, and it seems there’s ample adjustment to suit riders a lot shorter than her. The suspension fork and extensive tires additionally add to the consolation, offering a comparatively easy journey over bumps and less-than-perfect surfaces.

I’m principally utilizing the RadRunner instead of my automobile, and I are inclined to all the time be in a rush, so I bumped the highest velocity as much as 28 mph and left it there. This was tremendous fast and straightforward to do by the settings menu, which could be very user-friendly. Now, I can blast at full velocity to the grocery retailer on stage 5, or I can cruise at a decrease velocity in stage 2 or 3. With the RadRunner’s torque sensor, it doesn’t simply overwhelm you with energy. As an alternative, it comes on proportionally along with your pedaling effort. It’s worthwhile to push on these pedals a bit to tear alongside at 28 mph.

The throttle response is fast, and I take advantage of it a bit to get began from a whole cease with a load on the again. It additionally has no downside whisking you alongside at 20 mph on flat floor. I desire to pedal bikes once I journey them, even when they’ve a motor, so I don’t actually use all of it that a lot, however I do admire having the choice every so often.

In comparison with a full-size electrical cargo bike just like the RadWagon 5, the RadRunner Max feels fairly a bit simpler to deal with. In line with the specs, the wheelbase is barely 4 inches shorter, however its turning radius is means smaller, and it’s much more maneuverable. It nonetheless feels a lot steady at velocity, and I’ve discovered it to be snug making turns of all sizes and styles. The maneuverability applies if you’re off the bike, too, because it’s considerably simpler to navigate a crowded storage or when parking it downtown. Total, it’s a simple bike to get together with, handling-wise.

I’ve acquired mine arrange with the giant rear basket ($119) in addition to the “console” ($129). Each of those equipment had been very straightforward to put in, and be sure that I’ve acquired ample room for carrying bigger gear/cargo on the again and smaller objects that I wish to preserve safe within the locking console field. I’ve carted a 40-pound field of kitty litter and a twelve-pack on the again of the bike with none points. I’m all the time shocked at how a lot stuff — gentle jacket, additional layer, water bottle, bike lock, and so on. — can match into the console, too. There are additionally loads of different choices for passengers, pets, and extra.

In comparison with many cheap bikes with thumb shifters for the drivetrain, the set off shifters on the RadRunner Max are so a lot better. The hydraulic disc brakes are additionally a lot highly effective and deal with the excessive speeds and heavy weight of this bike with out subject. The extensive tires have a “multi-surface tread”, which helps to provide it comparatively good floor versatility. I’ve principally been using it on pavement, but it surely has no subject once I enterprise down a gravel path or easy filth path. The caveat is that the tires really feel slightly draggy when cornering on pavement, however you get used to that fairly rapidly. 

The e-bike controls and shade show are additionally unbelievable. It’s very straightforward to vary help ranges, flip blinkers on/off, make adjustments to the bike’s settings, and monitor every little thing whilst you journey on the display. The lights work fairly effectively, and I’ve loved the “excessive beam” headlight on rides house at nighttime. I disabled the radar characteristic on the rear gentle virtually instantly as a result of I discovered it to be annoying, however I can see the way it would possibly profit another riders.

Most of my journeys are comparatively brief jaunts to and from the shop or down to fulfill pals at a bar or music on the river — anyplace between 3 and 12 miles spherical journey. I’ve by no means come anyplace near draining the battery, so I can’t say with any certainty what this bike’s vary really is. It has been greater than ample for my wants, however I believe folks could be very hard-pressed to get anyplace close to the highest finish of Rad Energy’s claimed vary of ~60 miles. Based mostly on my expertise, I’d say that round 30 miles (give or take 5 miles or so) is a extra cheap expectation.

Rad Energy RadRunner Max: My Takeaway

In the summertime, I all the time aspire to make use of my automobile as little as doable, and e-bikes have been an incredible different. I’ve examined heaps and owned just a few full-size cargo fashions over time, and I all the time count on to love them greater than I really do. I don’t have children, so the flexibility to hold two passengers on a rear rack is misplaced on me, at the very least for now. That’s to not say that bigger cargo bikes aren’t superior, as a result of they positively are, however I simply don’t actually need one.

That’s what’s nice concerning the RadRunner Max. It could actually deal with all the burden and cargo that I would like it to, and its measurement is a greater slot in my storage. It handles higher, too. To me, it looks as if the SUV of e-bikes. It carries greater than your sedan, but it surely’s not a full-blown truck. We’re all distinctive, in fact, and our wants range, however the extra compact RadRunner Max fits mine completely. I suppose now I perceive why you see so a lot of them out and about. 

In case you’re out there for a utilitarian electrical bike however aren’t keen on committing to a full-size cargo mannequin, the RadRunner Max is a superb possibility to think about. You’ll be able to be taught extra about it and the remainder of Rad Energy’s electrical bikes at:

radpowerbikes.com