![]() The e-bike company’s recent sale was very popular – turns out, $500 e-bikes sell like hotcakes. Right now, the bike is sitting in our basement waiting for someone to figure out what went wrong and get it back in commission.ĭagny isn’t the only person who just bought a Rad Power bike. (No, it wasn’t dead.) Eventually, we got it going again, but only briefly before it puttered out once more and she had to ride to back without any electric assistance or lights. Dagny and I were riding with a group of other people on bikes deep in the north Portland peninsula this past weekend when all the sudden, the lights on her bike turned off and the pedal-assist stopped working. When the bike came, Dagny put it together and charged it up, excited to hit the bike path.īut she’d only had it for a few days when the honeymoon period ended. My roommate and friend Dagny Daniel was in the market for an electric bike, and when she saw Rad Power Bikes was selling their entry-level e-bike for a $500 ($700 lower than its usual price), she jumped at the opportunity to buy it. It’ll all get sorted out eventually, but there will be a lot of heartbreak in the process.” – Andrew Schnell, The eBike Store ![]() If you need to keep the bike outdoors, I would say invest in a good U-lock and read how to attach it to your bike correctly and bring the battery indoors - keeping it in a temperature controlled environment will help extend its life also.Dagny and her e-bike during the halcyon days. Nice bikes will always attract attention, so I personally keep it "indoors" for that reason since I have a balcony. You can turn off assist entirely if you want a harder workout so this isn't a downside. I find electric to me is worth it if only to get up to speed quickly from a stop, using the throttle, especially if your area forces you to share the road with cars. You could also buy a second charger too if you think you'll forget it or need it at a location (this is what am going to do - have one at my house and one at my desk at work). If you are forgetful, maybe make a checklist you go through everyday before riding. How hilly is it where you live? If you're pretty flat I would recommend going nonelectric, but if you have to go uphill often electric will mean you can enjoy the ride longer.Į-bike is definitely heavier than a comparable non-electric bike, so I would say if your battery dies it will be more effort to pedal - but I find the battery has a really long life so you'll have hours of use. I never felt out of control on the Rad, but a lighter bike will be more responsive and in my opinion a better experience. ![]() I had a RadWagon for a while, and while it was fun it felt more like a vehicle than a bike does. I really like having a light "tossable" bike. It feels great to get up to and maintain speed under your own power. ![]() ![]() There is something to be said for taking a light nonelectric bike out on the streets. I've ridden both and while the $1000+ bikes are nice I've had a lot of fun on the entry-level bikes. Bike people can be snobs too, so maybe a $500 bike is fine for you. Still good quality, and a fine bike overall, but in terms of build quality and feel it's definitely a cheap(er) bike. So things like the derailleur, pedals, wheels, frame, etc are on the lower end. They're pretty much a $500 bike with $500 of electric parts. ![]()
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