2019 Rad Rover Review
Credit to Author: Jennifer Sensiba| Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2019 04:36:42 +0000
Published on September 29th, 2019 | by Jennifer Sensiba
September 29th, 2019 by Jennifer Sensiba
I recently had an opportunity to get my hands on a 2019 Rad Rover, by Rad Power Bikes. While I did get this bike as part of a collaboration with a third party, I’m glad to have the opportunity to give our readers an independent review of the bike. So far, it’s been a great ride!
Photo by Jennifer Sensiba
While CleanTechnica and most other places covering eBikes do their best to bring readers objective reviews, there’s often a small conflict of interest. Journalists can’t afford to buy everything they review, so manufacturers often send samples to us to help get the word out. Sometimes we are given these samples to keep, and other times we are loaned them for a few weeks or months to evaluate them. Whenever we are loaned or given anything, we disclose that fact, as does every reputable outlet.
The good, honest companies send their products with no strings attached, and don’t blacklist journalists in the event a product gets a bad review. The average company doesn’t attach conditions to review samples, but may hesitate to send more if you don’t write favorably. The most unscrupulous companies require reviewers to sign a contract committing to say nothing unfavorable about the product, or to have right of review for articles, prior to sending any samples. CleanTechnica doesn’t work with any of the latter, as that would compromise our ethics and betray our readers’ trust in us.
I do want to be clear that Rad Power Bikes has always been the no-strings-attached type of company when sending samples, and we’ve never had anything bad to say about their products, so I’m not really side-stepping any ethical problems in this case. I just wanted to clarify the situation.
I do want to disclose that I did get this bike as part of a collaboration with Fenix Power, which I’ve been covering closely. I’ve written in the past about its upcoming products for electric vehicles, like the Nissan LEAF, but the company plans on offering battery modules for a variety of other products down the road, like electric motorcycles and electric bikes (e-bikes). As prototypes are available for testing, I’ll be writing some articles about those as we test them on the Rover.
There are also going to be some more articles in the near future covering some exciting developments with Fenix, so stay tuned!
Like any customer, I got the Rover just a few days after it was ordered. To be perfectly honest, I was shocked at the size of the box. It wouldn’t have fit in the back of my Nissan LEAF, even with seats folded. It turns out, though, that the big box was a very good thing. Many manufacturers would ship you a bike that’s not very assembled, but Rad already had most of the hard work done. I didn’t even have to attach the rear wheel.
The remaining assembly was basically “so easy, a caveman could do it.” Rad has great video instructions, included all tools, and everything else needed to assemble the bike. [Editor’s note: We’ve reviewed a number of electric bikes here on CleanTechnica, and they often cost a pretty penny to get professionally assembled.]
One small part broke in transit. Photo by Jennifer Sensiba.
The only problem I encountered was some small shipping damage. The pedal assist sensor’s magnet disc somehow managed to get caught on the chain in transit and broke. This meant that the bike’s pedal assist capability is dead until the new part arrives and I put it on, but the bike still has a throttle, so it was very useful. It may be a good idea for Rad to fit its bikes with a stronger disk made from thicker plastic or aluminum, as this appears to be a common complaint online.
In Rad’s defense, though, it immediately sent me a replacement part and offered to pay for a local bike shop to install it on the bike. I’m mechanically inclined, so I’ll probably not take the company up on that, but it’s good to know that anyone with problems can get professional help as if it was purchased locally.
While this is my first electric bike, it’s far from my first bike. I used to ride dozens of miles several times a week on a Trek mountain bike years ago, until I got in an accident that left me unable to ride for a number of months. During that time, my asthma flared up and I gained weight. Without giving exact figures, let’s just say that my entry-level Trek couldn’t carry the load without problems.
Other than the electric drive systems, the bike itself seems to be comparable to what you’d find at the entry level at most local bike shops for around $500–600. Shifters, brakes, gearing, derailleur, and everything else is on that level. The difference in this case is that they built the frame and wheels for much more stress, and added on the parts needed for electric drive.
In other words, don’t get a Rover expecting the quality of a regular non-electric bike in the $1500 range, but you can expect decent build quality like you’d get at a local bike shop, and far better than you’ll find at Walmart or other big box stores.
One thing I really came to appreciate is the puncture-resistant tires. Like any bike I’ve ever owned, or any I got for my kids, slime is not an option. It’s an essential thing living in the desert. Between the ludicrous amount of slime I put in the tubes, and the puncture-resistant tires, I’ve managed around 30 miles so far on any trail of my choosing without any flats or even leaks.
The Rover on a paved bike trail. Photo by Jennifer Sensiba
This isn’t the first fat bike I’ve tried out, but it is the first I’ve done more than a mile or two on. I have to say that I’m completely sold on fat bikes now. With the arroyos and sandy hills common around the Chihuahuan Desert, it can be tough to get even a somewhat beefy mountain bike around unless you head into the mountains to escape the sand. There’s almost nothing the Rover can’t get through, though. By dropping into a low gear and pedaling hard or by turning the throttle, you can zip through even deep sand and come out the other side.
This is also the heaviest bike I’ve ever spent any real time on. Despite the weight, it’s still fairly easy to ride without electric assist. I often find myself trying to avoid using electric to test my endurance and get better exercise, and can easily avoid “cheating” under most circumstances. But, since I’m not in the shape I was once in, and since I’m struggling with asthma at times, I always have the option to get some help and keep the ride going.
I haven’t spent a lot of time at the bike’s maximum assist speed of 25 mph (I went into the settings and increased it from the default of 20), but when I have, it’s still very smooth and stable. Initially, I noticed problems with tire balance over 10 mph, but it turned out to be my own fault, as I had not seated one of the tires on the bead properly when adding slime to the tubes. Once I corrected my mistake, the bike sails smoothly at any speed.
Between all of this, the Rover is not only going to be my primary bike for the next few months, but I’m going to need to scrape together some money to buy my partner a second bike just like it. They’re that good.
It might seem like a small thing, but the brakes and tail light are a big help on this bike. Normally, you’d need to keep spare batteries for a headlight or tail lamp for most bikes. The Rover (and some other Rad models) runs all of this on the same battery as the bike runs on. It comes with a very bright LED headlamp that I can use to ride at night even in dark rural areas with ease. The tail light is the same, and even brightens when braking just like a car.
It may sound silly, but the bike comes with a bell included. They assume that you might use it for commuting on roads, and know that many places require a warning bell or horn to let slower riders and pedestrians know you’re coming. Instead of making us buy one separately, they include it from the get go.
Now that I have a Rad Rover I can use without limitation, I plan on doing some thorough testing of the bike in a variety of conditions in the coming months. I plan on a lot more desert riding, some mountain trails, and even near some dormant volcanoes in my area. Follow CleanTechnica to see how the new Rover (and the second one I’m planning on picking up soon) handles all of this.
Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.