What i like most about this video is that it’s so comfortably and personally presented: no hype or overblown superlatives and all so matter-of-fact details. Your presentation has the stamp of a rider who has a lot of experience with e-bikes and who is very enthusiastic about this one. I just purchased the RadRover Step-thru and am awaiting delivery. You’ve got ME revved up and i’m excited to experience something completely new. Thanks for your great video.
@@EbikeEscape You are most welcome. … I received my step-thru four weeks ago and have already put 600 miles on it - off-road and on. Fabulous bike. Your clear review was so helpful in making the decision to purchase this bike. Thank you.
I Bought a RadRover Step-Thru Today a White one , on back order Hopfully in 6 weeks I will have it :-) I feel like a Kid again thinking about it LOL I am 66 years old
I, too, have an RadRover Step-Thru 1 on order. Should receive it on Sept 15th! I am 67 & my wife is 66. She is worried that she’ll not be able to ride it since she hasn’t been on a bike for over 45 yrs! I believe she’ll have no problems!
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation: honest, clear, and so comfortably delivered. I am awaiting shipment of my own Step-Through and can hardly wait to get on the road. Thanks so much for all your valuable information.
My friend bought the Step-Thru because he wanted something easy to get on and off. He is 83 years old and is unsteady on his feet. We assembled the bike and we were both suprised at how big and bulky it was. My friend immediately said he couldn't ride it, and he was right, it's way too big and heavy for a frail person. So I have offered to buy it from him. I love the riding position, the comfort, the easy power, and although I live in the pyrenees mountains it has proved a very capable climber, despite the European 250W restriction. My wife hates it, she calls it "macho" but fine, I get the bike all to myself.
Love hearing stories like this because it helps people better get a sense of the bike if they can't ride it in person. It definitely is a big and bulky bike, but they sure are fun. Glad that you were able to buy it from him and it worked out for both parties. Is he considering a different brand or model?
@@EbikeEscape He wishes now he had gone for the Rad Mini. But I think it's also a question of confidence, he needs to convince himself he can still ride a bike! His balance is not good, so he is going to work on that before buying another bike.
Yeah it is tall and bulkier with the fat tires. I was just riding down a trail last night and one guy with his (presumably) girlfriend yelled out "I thought that was a motorcycle for a second!" Lol. I also found it's kind of tricky to make very sharp turns while moving very slowly (like going downhill where the trail bends and curves sharply), because of the weight and the size of the bike.
I love this bike, had it a couple of months. Some things I found: Tires are VERY slippery on wet surfaces Front headlight is pretty much useless, not enough light and focuses the light into a smaller rectangular beam Has twice the torque than direct drive motor models, like RadCity or RadWagon. Which is very important for climbing hills if you're a heavier person. The bike weighs a TON. I have to push it up 3 flights of stairs every day to my apartment. Which takes considerable effort. The fat tires are not only wider than normal tires they are also a lot TALLER which makes the bike feel a lot bigger than what you might be used to. I'm 49 years old, 6' and 280 lbs. I get about 20 miles out of the battery on pedal assist 5. If you adjust the wheel size in the settings to the smallest wheel, it basically turns it into a Class 3 e-bike, and can reach ~28 MPH with pedal assist.
Orion, thanks for sharing your experience. Agreed on all points though I actually found the front light to be adequate. Fortunately Rad just made the premium headlight available and I went ahead and purchased it so I can see how bright it is: radpowerbikes.pxf.io/R5Bmvv
@@EbikeEscape I just installed the premium headlight, it's definitely bright enough, but it still focuses the light into a narrow rectangle. So it's not useful as a front headlight, accept as a secondary light. I use it pointed down as a focused light closer to me so I can see details in the ground better. Then I use my "TANSOREN 4000 Lumen headlight" as my main light attached to a handlebar extender bar in the center. It might be good enough in well lit streets, but this city doesn't have enough street lights, and recently I've been taking the hiking trail home, which is pitch black at night. I definitely need the 4000 lumen light for the dark trails so I can avoid running into spiders hanging off trees, snakes, frogs, etc. The trail has a section with no gravel so it gets really muddy with a lot of ruts from all the bikes going through. I really appreciate the fat tires there because they glide right over it. On my Trek 7.2 it would be like going over railroad tracks and I would be bouncing all over the place and probably lose control of the front wheel/handlebars.
@@EbikeEscape Edit: I realized the reason for the isosceles trapezoid shape of the light. It's meant to be pointed forward really far away. The higher lumen and focused light also helps to reach farther away. However in the installation instructions it says "be sure to point downward" (presumably to prevent people from being blinded by the light). But it's designed to be pointed upward. As it extends further out the size of the trapezoid light coverage increases. So it's pretty good when cast really far away. Which is exactly what you want when you're going faster on an e-bike, is being able to see further away sooner. However I'd still use my other 4000 lumens light to get more even light coverage.
Just ordered the Lectric XP Step-thru, after much investigation. It's 600 dollars less, for essentially the same bike...and includes the fenders. Also when you watch reviews on both them and the Rad bikes, the general consensus seems to be the Lectric XP despite having a 500W motor, is more powerful then the Rad with the 750W motor. Also the menu can be unlocked on the Lectric to allow Class Three peddle assist up to 28 mph. The battery is a little smaller then the Rad, but not enough to matter, and is much less money to replace.
I have both a RadRover and a Lectric XP Step Thru. The Lectric XP is a great bike bang per buck and can easily be accessorized and modified However the Lectric XP has a 60 newton-meter torque motor and the RadRover has a higher 80 newton-meter torque motor. The RadRover is more capable of going up steep hills and it's faster for a heavier person. The RadRover itself does not have a true 750 watt Bafang motor and Bolton ebikes has the more powerful motor with a better more capable controller and panel. I have also found another source as well.
Great video! One question.... by removing the bracket for the back light when you got the back rack, did it lower the seat height? If you dont mind can you, with the seat all the way done, measure the seat height to ground? Im short, but lovin' the Rover but am concerned about the seat height. Thank you very much! Bruce. ( does your wife use it and how tall is she?)
Unfortunately I don't have the bike still. If you post on the forum at RadOwners.com someone else might be able to help you with that exact measurement. Have you checked out the sizing chart based on leg length? www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/sizing My wife is 5' 3", 5'4" and she was comfortable on it. I have to imagine if you have the seat all of the way down it just isn't going to be as a comfortable ride as for instance the Mini given the geometry of the bike. Someone on the forum actually shared that they found the Mini much more comfortable and they used to have a Rover (he was 5' 6"). I also don't think the removal of the light bracket is going to make much of a difference.
Thank you for the information. Enjoyed the video. I am wondering, will the RadRover ST be too much for a smaller woman like me to handle? I hear these bikes and other ebikes weigh a. lot. I know lifting the ebike can be heavy but how about the handling with such a big bike?
Apologies for the delay Mary! It's hard to say, I'd maybe lean towards the RadMini if you're worried about it but even that is a heavy bike. Best bet is to try one if at all possible.
I have purchased the Rad Rover Step through Fat Tire E Bike. Any suggestions on how to transport it with a Kia 2015 Soul! I have a 1 1/4 in receiver. The HollywoodRack specifically says use only a 2 inch receiver.
Hi Jill, you'll need to really look at the weight ratings of your hitch but there are 1 1/4" options. Out of stock, but from Hollywood Racks: hollywoodracks.com/collections/e-bike-racks-for-suvs-and-trucks/products/sport-rider-se-hitch-bike-rack-for-electric-bikes-1-1-4?variant=31846335807557 There is also the rack from KAC but your Rover might just be above the weight limit with the battery removed. You'd have to decide if this would work for you: amzn.to/3fUlLzP
Ebike Escape Thanks for your response. I thought there’s a way to get it past 20m/hour. One might not be able to keep up with traffic at 20m/h. It’s just that Juice bike is so expensive.
@@davoncci you can override it and get 23/24. Or get a Bolton controller. There are other Class 3 ebikes as well you can check out. The Ariel Rider X Class I just got can get me to 26 without pedaling. Just one example
Ebike Escape The Ariel rider vs Juice Ripcurrent S. I am actually looking at a RadMini which offers the similar performance as the RadRover. How’s pedaling on the Ariel rider because one reason I am choosing an Ebike over a scooter is the exercise benefit.
@@davoncci Hey David. I would not buy the X Class if you want to pedal. It's not conducive to pedaling and I'd imagine neither are the other ebikes that have similar styling save for maybe that RadRunner which you can adjust the seat. Don't get me wrong, the X Class is a blast - I did 18 miles today, but I was pedaling very little.
Thanks for the video. I've been think about an e-bike lately. For most of my life my masculine pride would not ever let me consider a "girly" step-thru bike much less get one. Now at 75 years of age... well lets just say my machismo has been tempered some with common sense. [But don't ask my wife as she'd probably argue with that. 🙂]
The idea of a girls bike vs a guys bike is a thing of the past in my opinion. It's more about the fit of the bike anyway. Trust me, this bike can be ridden by anyone and no one will give it a second thought. Like I said in my video this is a beefy bike.
@@gothamghost1236 Updated RadRunner is my guess. Perhaps either a RadRunner 2 to replace the current model or somewhat of a plus model at $1,499 with all the fixings of the other bikes. If they keep the same price point it would be a game changer. I'll try and do a quick video with my thoughts tomorrow.
What i like most about this video is that it’s so comfortably and personally presented: no hype or overblown superlatives and all so matter-of-fact details. Your presentation has the stamp of a rider who has a lot of experience with e-bikes and who is very enthusiastic about this one. I just purchased the RadRover Step-thru and am awaiting delivery. You’ve got ME revved up and i’m excited to experience something completely new. Thanks for your great video.
Thanks for the kind words!
@@EbikeEscape You are most welcome. … I received my step-thru four weeks ago and have already put 600 miles on it - off-road and on. Fabulous bike. Your clear review was so helpful in making the decision to purchase this bike. Thank you.
I Bought a RadRover Step-Thru Today a White one , on back order Hopfully in 6 weeks I will have it :-) I feel like a Kid again thinking about it LOL I am 66 years old
Yep! These bikes tend to do that no matter the age. Enjoy - they are so much fun!
Me as well ! 60 and love my Step through Fat Tire ! Now to figure out how to transport it with my 2015 Kia Soul. 1 1/4 inch hitch.......
I, too, have an RadRover Step-Thru 1 on order. Should receive it on Sept 15th!
I am 67 & my wife is 66. She is worried that she’ll not be able to ride it since she hasn’t been on a bike for over 45 yrs!
I believe she’ll have no problems!
Awesome, enjoy your new ebike! I hope your wife has no issues but I love that ebikes are getting more folks out on bikes. Happy riding!
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation: honest, clear, and so comfortably delivered. I am awaiting shipment of my own Step-Through and can hardly wait to get on the road. Thanks so much for all your valuable information.
Awesome! Glad you found it helpful
My friend bought the Step-Thru because he wanted something easy to get on and off. He is 83 years old and is unsteady on his feet. We assembled the bike and we were both suprised at how big and bulky it was. My friend immediately said he couldn't ride it, and he was right, it's way too big and heavy for a frail person. So I have offered to buy it from him. I love the riding position, the comfort, the easy power, and although I live in the pyrenees mountains it has proved a very capable climber, despite the European 250W restriction. My wife hates it, she calls it "macho" but fine, I get the bike all to myself.
Love hearing stories like this because it helps people better get a sense of the bike if they can't ride it in person. It definitely is a big and bulky bike, but they sure are fun. Glad that you were able to buy it from him and it worked out for both parties.
Is he considering a different brand or model?
@@EbikeEscape He wishes now he had gone for the Rad Mini. But I think it's also a question of confidence, he needs to convince himself he can still ride a bike! His balance is not good, so he is going to work on that before buying another bike.
Yeah it is tall and bulkier with the fat tires. I was just riding down a trail last night and one guy with his (presumably) girlfriend yelled out "I thought that was a motorcycle for a second!" Lol.
I also found it's kind of tricky to make very sharp turns while moving very slowly (like going downhill where the trail bends and curves sharply), because of the weight and the size of the bike.
I'm a small skinny Nintey pounds almost sixty years old and love this bike, I have no troubles with it at all, but I do call it Hank the tank.
I love this bike, had it a couple of months. Some things I found:
Tires are VERY slippery on wet surfaces
Front headlight is pretty much useless, not enough light and focuses the light into a smaller rectangular beam
Has twice the torque than direct drive motor models, like RadCity or RadWagon. Which is very important for climbing hills if you're a heavier person.
The bike weighs a TON. I have to push it up 3 flights of stairs every day to my apartment. Which takes considerable effort.
The fat tires are not only wider than normal tires they are also a lot TALLER which makes the bike feel a lot bigger than what you might be used to.
I'm 49 years old, 6' and 280 lbs. I get about 20 miles out of the battery on pedal assist 5. If you adjust the wheel size in the settings to the smallest wheel, it basically turns it into a Class 3 e-bike, and can reach ~28 MPH with pedal assist.
Orion, thanks for sharing your experience. Agreed on all points though I actually found the front light to be adequate. Fortunately Rad just made the premium headlight available and I went ahead and purchased it so I can see how bright it is: radpowerbikes.pxf.io/R5Bmvv
@@EbikeEscape Nice. I'll try that one out. I would rather use the bike's integrated light so I don't have to keep recharging a different one.
@@EbikeEscape I just installed the premium headlight, it's definitely bright enough, but it still focuses the light into a narrow rectangle. So it's not useful as a front headlight, accept as a secondary light. I use it pointed down as a focused light closer to me so I can see details in the ground better. Then I use my "TANSOREN 4000 Lumen headlight" as my main light attached to a handlebar extender bar in the center.
It might be good enough in well lit streets, but this city doesn't have enough street lights, and recently I've been taking the hiking trail home, which is pitch black at night. I definitely need the 4000 lumen light for the dark trails so I can avoid running into spiders hanging off trees, snakes, frogs, etc.
The trail has a section with no gravel so it gets really muddy with a lot of ruts from all the bikes going through. I really appreciate the fat tires there because they glide right over it. On my Trek 7.2 it would be like going over railroad tracks and I would be bouncing all over the place and probably lose control of the front wheel/handlebars.
@@orionxavier6957 Totally agree - that was my conclusion as well.
@@EbikeEscape Edit: I realized the reason for the isosceles trapezoid shape of the light. It's meant to be pointed forward really far away. The higher lumen and focused light also helps to reach farther away. However in the installation instructions it says "be sure to point downward" (presumably to prevent people from being blinded by the light). But it's designed to be pointed upward. As it extends further out the size of the trapezoid light coverage increases. So it's pretty good when cast really far away.
Which is exactly what you want when you're going faster on an e-bike, is being able to see further away sooner. However I'd still use my other 4000 lumens light to get more even light coverage.
I just love my Rads. Thanks for posting. See you on the Rails to Trails.
Just ordered a Rad Rover step thru.
Awesome, enjoy! Great ebike
Ditto,63 ..Never had all surgery 🙏
Rad mini is still my favorite
I just got the new radwagon. I found an easier way to remove the battery. Love the bike so much got 50 plus miles on it so far.
What's the easier way? Glad you're liking it! We couldn't imagine our lives these days without ours, especially with our son.
Great review, im looking to get one soon
Thanks! The RadRover is a great bike.
Just ordered the Lectric XP Step-thru, after much investigation. It's 600 dollars less, for essentially the same bike...and includes the fenders. Also when you watch reviews on both them and the Rad bikes, the general consensus seems to be the Lectric XP despite having a 500W motor, is more powerful then the Rad with the 750W motor. Also the menu can be unlocked on the Lectric to allow Class Three peddle assist up to 28 mph. The battery is a little smaller then the Rad, but not enough to matter, and is much less money to replace.
The Lectric bikes are hard to beat price wise. They are more comparable to the RadMinis frame wise.
@@EbikeEscape Agreed, I seem to have transformed the RadRover into a Rad-mini in my mind....sorry about that:)
I have both a RadRover and a Lectric XP Step Thru.
The Lectric XP is a great bike bang per buck and can easily be accessorized and modified
However the Lectric XP has a 60 newton-meter torque motor and the RadRover has a higher 80 newton-meter torque motor.
The RadRover is more capable of going up steep hills and it's faster for a heavier person.
The RadRover itself does not have a true 750 watt Bafang motor and Bolton ebikes has the more powerful motor with a better more capable controller and panel. I have also found another source as well.
Great video! One question.... by removing the bracket for the back light when you got the back rack, did it lower the seat height? If you dont mind can you, with the seat all the way done, measure the seat height to ground? Im short, but lovin' the Rover but am concerned about the seat height. Thank you very much! Bruce. ( does your wife use it and how tall is she?)
Unfortunately I don't have the bike still. If you post on the forum at RadOwners.com someone else might be able to help you with that exact measurement. Have you checked out the sizing chart based on leg length? www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/sizing
My wife is 5' 3", 5'4" and she was comfortable on it. I have to imagine if you have the seat all of the way down it just isn't going to be as a comfortable ride as for instance the Mini given the geometry of the bike. Someone on the forum actually shared that they found the Mini much more comfortable and they used to have a Rover (he was 5' 6"). I also don't think the removal of the light bracket is going to make much of a difference.
@@EbikeEscape thanks! Appreciate the quick response
Thank you for the information. Enjoyed the video. I am wondering, will the RadRover ST be too much for a smaller woman like me to handle? I hear these bikes and other ebikes weigh a. lot. I know lifting the ebike can be heavy but how about the handling with such a big bike?
Apologies for the delay Mary! It's hard to say, I'd maybe lean towards the RadMini if you're worried about it but even that is a heavy bike. Best bet is to try one if at all possible.
Ordered today!
Awesome! Congrats
I have purchased the Rad Rover Step through Fat Tire E Bike. Any suggestions on how to transport it with a Kia 2015 Soul! I have a 1 1/4 in receiver. The HollywoodRack specifically says use only a 2 inch receiver.
Hi Jill, you'll need to really look at the weight ratings of your hitch but there are 1 1/4" options. Out of stock, but from Hollywood Racks: hollywoodracks.com/collections/e-bike-racks-for-suvs-and-trucks/products/sport-rider-se-hitch-bike-rack-for-electric-bikes-1-1-4?variant=31846335807557
There is also the rack from KAC but your Rover might just be above the weight limit with the battery removed. You'd have to decide if this would work for you: amzn.to/3fUlLzP
Thanks for the review. Whats the max speed for this bike thats easy to reach and maintain?
20 isn't hard to reach especially in the higher pedal assist levels.
Ebike Escape Thanks for your response. I thought there’s a way to get it past 20m/hour. One might not be able to keep up with traffic at 20m/h. It’s just that Juice bike is so expensive.
@@davoncci you can override it and get 23/24. Or get a Bolton controller. There are other Class 3 ebikes as well you can check out. The Ariel Rider X Class I just got can get me to 26 without pedaling. Just one example
Ebike Escape The Ariel rider vs Juice Ripcurrent S. I am actually looking at a RadMini which offers the similar performance as the RadRover. How’s pedaling on the Ariel rider because one reason I am choosing an Ebike over a scooter is the exercise benefit.
@@davoncci Hey David. I would not buy the X Class if you want to pedal. It's not conducive to pedaling and I'd imagine neither are the other ebikes that have similar styling save for maybe that RadRunner which you can adjust the seat. Don't get me wrong, the X Class is a blast - I did 18 miles today, but I was pedaling very little.
Good information.
Great adult beginner bike
I'm 5'2 female.28 inch inseam. Could I ride this?
Yep! My wife is 5' 4 and she was fine. Just keep in mind it's a hefty full size bike. May also want to consider the RadMini.
Ebike Escape forget about the height. It’s the inseam that you should consider.
Anyone with a customer working referral code? Tried one but it won’t work as I’m trying to order a step-thru. Thanks in advance.
@@EbikeEscape b1bbuckster@msn.com
Thanks for the video. I've been think about an e-bike lately.
For most of my life my masculine pride would not ever let me consider a "girly" step-thru bike much less get one. Now at 75 years of age... well lets just say my machismo has been tempered some with common sense. [But don't ask my wife as she'd probably argue with that. 🙂]
The idea of a girls bike vs a guys bike is a thing of the past in my opinion. It's more about the fit of the bike anyway. Trust me, this bike can be ridden by anyone and no one will give it a second thought. Like I said in my video this is a beefy bike.
@@EbikeEscape I hear you and understand. You did notice that I mentioned I'm 75 years old?
@@BillKisel Age is just a number. E-bikes are the great equalizer :)
@@EbikeEscape Any idea what the big announcement Rad has planned for tomorrow? They tease it on their website
@@gothamghost1236 Updated RadRunner is my guess. Perhaps either a RadRunner 2 to replace the current model or somewhat of a plus model at $1,499 with all the fixings of the other bikes. If they keep the same price point it would be a game changer. I'll try and do a quick video with my thoughts tomorrow.
I need a bike that allows me to stand on while eating a banana 🍌
The vocal fry makes it hard to listen.
I'll work on that 😉
@@EbikeEscape - You da' man!