Quote:
Originally Posted by REF
I think SteveW asked a while back what kind of folding electric fat tire bike that was, didn’t get the brand name on that in your reply. I was curious myself as we want a pair(or 3) and I’ve been doing a bit of research. Correct me if I’m wrong Geoff, I think it’s the Rad Power RadMini, a Co. out of Seattle that does direct sales, so cuts out the retailers and priced accordingly, gets great reviews. They’ve made some changes to the 2018 model but I think it’s the one I want to get. Any update on it now that you’ve had it for a bit?
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Hi, yeah, sorry I missed that question about the fat bike brand….
Yes, you're right - it's a 2017
Rad Power RadMini I bought here in Seattle. You can’t see the logos because I’m secretly vain about aesthetics I carefully painted over all the bright orange letters with matching semi-gloss black paint.
I like it. I don’t necessarily have any reason to think it’s significantly better than the others I found Googling up “electric folding fat bike” (Addmotor MOTAN M-150, Voltbike Mariner, VeeGo, Moar), but Rad Power is here in Seattle and I like the idea of being able to go to someone in person if something goes wrong. And I could test-ride it.
The 2018 model of the RadMini adds front suspension, which I wasn’t happy about because it makes the bike significantly larger – it’s wider when folded up. And with the fat tires I don’t see a front suspension being necessary – the fat front tire eats up bumps nicely just the way it is. When I went in to Rad Power Bikes to buy the bike, I was told they still had some 2017 models still in stock (no front suspension) and they offered to sell me one for $500 off. SOLD!! The 2018 does have some other minor improvements, such as a more precise crank sensor for determining when to start powering up when pedaling happens.
I’ve long dreamed of bringing some kind of little dirt motorbike with me on trips so I could do little excursions from my base camp without always dragging the big van around. But I don’t like the idea of a heavy item attached to the rear of the van when I’m bouncing around on rough roads. Just that rear-mounted spare tire is tricky enough to maintain.
Because the e-bike is inside my van, it also stays clean, and doesn’t get scratched up by the all the things I back into.
Also, Mexico only lets tourists bring in one vehicle per person (I travel solo), but the e-bike doesn’t count. [EDIT: this one vehicle per person stuff is incorrect -G]
The e-bike is a decent compromise. It certainly doesn’t have the power of a motorcycle. (It’s just one horsepower.) It doesn’t even have enough torque to spin-out the rear wheel in soft sand. But it’s so much better than pedaling. It can go up reasonable hills, and go in all but the softest sand. It goes 20 MPH on pavement for a claimed range of ~40 miles with full tire pressure (~20 PSI), and I got 13 MPH and 10 miles range when aired down (9 PSI) riding on soft stuff.
I’ve taken it up canyon washes that would normally require hiking, lifting it over a few big rocks here and there and riding the sandy stretches in between.
I knew I was asking for trouble, but I decided to try riding it stock in Baja, and quickly popped my front tube with a cactus spine. This was fixed with a can of fix-a-flat, and I added tube protectors to both wheels. I’m told removing the rear wheel is difficult, so you don’t want to have to replace the rear tube.
It fits nicely in my van with the rear lower bed removed. (I sleep upstairs). It won’t fit underneath with the bed platform left in place. It’s a bit heavy and awkward – even with the battery removed. It’s just about at upper the limit of what I can reasonably lift all by myself from the ground up into my van without hurting myself.
customizations:
-- Geoff