
That means we get a simplified LED dot display to tell us the battery capacity, pedal assist power mode, and the headlight/tail light status. The display/remote is borrowed from Rad’s other economical bikes, namely the RadRunner and RadMission. This folding handlebar setup instantly drops the bars lower and means you can easily slide the RadExpand 5 into shorter areas, no tools required. But it’s not great for the bike because you can wear down those threads over time with repeated tightening and loosening. That allows the bike to become short enough to stand up in most SUVs or minivans. On other bikes, I’ll often have to loosen the bars by unbolting the four bolts that hold the bars to the stem and letting them flop down. That’s also a great trick to use when loading the bike in the back of an SUV or minivan.


#Rad power plus
Plus the handlebars even fold down, which makes it easy to stick the bike against a wall or behind a couch and have it take up less room since the bars lay flat against the fork instead of sticking out sideways like, well, bicycle handlebars. I’m also a big fan of that high handlebar setup as it helps give the bike its upright seating position and comfortable geometry. Seriously, they’ve got so many e-bike accessories that they even have things for your dog. Though if you want to deck the bike out, Rad of course does have an industry-leading selection to choose from. All of that equipment comes standard so you don’t have to start adding accessories. I’m definitely glad to see the built-in lights stick around for this model, as do the fenders and the rear rack. As much as I’d love to see a Class 3 Rad bike that gets up to 28 mph (45 km/h), we’re set at 20 mph until Rad’s lawyers let us go faster. That’s plenty of range for most everyday riders, whether you’re using the bike for leisure, commuting, or local errand running. That means 20 mph (32 km/h) on either throttle or pedal assist, and 25-45 miles (40-72 km) of range per charge. The RadExpand 5 of course brings the same Rad performance we know and love from the company’s other e-bikes. Extras: Sturdy kickstand, LED display, 7-speed shifter, integrated head/tail/brake LED lights, bell, 4 pedal assist settings, half-twist throttle, mounting for front and rear racks/accessories.Range: 45-72 km (25-45 mi) depending on user input.

Then read on for my complete thoughts on this new electric bike model! RadExpand 5 video review

To get a down-and-dirty sense of the new e-bike, check out my video review below and join me on my rides. That design direction though, taking RadRunner-like traits and applying them to a folding e-bike, means that the RadExpand 5 offers huge utility in a package that is more convenient for anyone who regularly transports their e-bike or needs to fold it to fit in a tight space. I’ll start by saying that it’s going to be hard for Rad Power Bikes to top their own RadRunner e-bike, which holds a special place in my heart as such an innovative and high utility design.īut the cool thing about the RadExpand 5 is that it’s almost like a folding version of the RadRunner, though with some key differences I’ll cover soon. But now that I’ve spent some good time in the saddle, I see exactly what Rad was thinking, because the folding RadExpand 5 e-bike draws on some of the best parts of every other e-bike in the company’s wide lineup. When the RadExpand 5 was first unveiled, I was surprised to see the company go in this direction and replace the RadMini with a new model.
