Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 1 eBike Review

In-Depth Review

Frame

The RadRunner 1 is constructed with a 6061 aluminum frame, which is the same aluminum alloy used to construct structural components for boats, cars, and even aircraft. The 6061 aluminum alloy is rather sturdy, but it does make the eBike a bit heavy since its total assembled weight is about 65 lbs. While this isn’t the heaviest eBike we’ve reviewed, it is definitely on the heavier side of things, especially if you try to lift it up with its rear wheel. The motor and many electrical components are concentrated in the rear wheel, so show extra caution when handling the back half of the eBike.

One other major concern we have with the RadRunner 1 electric bike is that it is currently only available in one frame size. Due to a highly adjustable seat and some customization in the handlebars, you do have a wide range when it comes to the recommended height, stretching from 4’11’’ to 6’2’’. However, while very short or tall riders might be able to use the RadRuner 1, they won’t feel as great on it as they otherwise would be if they had multiple frame sizes to choose from. Be that as it may, it is a capable and sturdy design, with the RadRunner 1 able to support over 300 lbs with a little proper weight distribution along the eBike frame.

Motor & Battery

The Rad Power RadRunner 1 is a class 2 eBike with throttle and pedal motor assistance up to 20 MPH.

Like several other Rad Power Bikes, the RadRunner 1 is built with a custom brushless Bafang 750 Wh / 80 Nm rear gear hub motor. At 80 Nm torque, you have a ton of power that not many other eBike motors can match with a stock model, and will be able to pedal or throttle your way up the toughest hill climb challenges out there. However, the strong motor also has the downside that, on a full charge, you can only travel 40 to 50 miles. This is about the range as many other entry-level eBikes, but is a number we would like to see improved with a future RadRunner electric bike.

The lithium Samsung 675 Wh battery is mounted just beneath the saddle, or on the back side of the center tube. This battery is fully removable, so you can charge it either while it’s still mounted or take it inside and leave it charging on your desk. A standard 2 amp charger is included with the RadRunner 1, and while it is rather basic it does help keep the RadRunner price down. The 2 amp charger can recharge the eBike battery from 0% to 100% in about 5 to 6 hours, although if you stay on top of your charging it usually won’t take you more than 3 to 4 hours to fully top off your eBike battery. So, while it is on the slower side of things, it’s still fast enough that you can top off your battery before heading home on a typical work day.

Display/Assist Modes

The RadRunner 1 has an extremely simple LED display mounted on its left handlebar, and is both good and bad in its simplicity. For some, the fact that it only takes one or two button presses to prepare your eBike trip is a good thing, including that it doesn’t weigh down or take up much space on your eBike. For others, one of the exciting things about eBikes is that it tracks your distance, average speed, watt generation, and more, with almost none of these metrics included with the RadRunner 1 LED’s display. If you prefer something simple, or just want to save money, the RadRunner 1 LED display should more than suffice for the average rider.

The primary function of the LED display, outside of monitoring your speed and battery life, is to help you set your power assistance level. The RadRunner 1 is a Class 2 eBike, so you can use the throttle to activate the electric motor. You can also make use of the cadence sensor pedal motor assistance system, which will provide you power to help you maintain your cadence and go faster even as the terrain changes. The eBike is capped at a 20 MPH speed limit, at which point the motor shuts itself off automatically and won’t turn on again until you fall below 20 MPH. The reason for this speed cap is that if you went faster, this would no longer classify as just an eBike and would require additional licensing to operate.

There are four power assist levels on the Rad Power RadRunner 1 electric bike, along with a walk mode by holding the – button for several seconds. Lower power assist levels will take longer to get to 20 MPH, but will also use up less power so you have a greater travel range before your battery runs out of juice. Alternatively, high power assist levels have the opposite proposition, as they will help you get to 20 MPH faster and provide greater power over steep terrain, but require more energy and drain your battery quicker because of it. Make use of the proper power assistance levels, and you’ll be able to balance having a fun time with the motor powered assistance while also extending the overall range of your eBike.

Bafang LCD Display Metrics

• Battery percentage
• Current Speed
• Power Meter
• Trip Distance
• Odometer
• Max Speed
• Average Speed
• Trip Time
• Assist Level (0 to 5)

The five assist levels will help you prioritize and balance whether you want greater motor power and speed against battery life and range while you ride. Lower assist levels will help you travel farther, but won’t provide as strong of a push as you make use of the pedal cadence sensors. Higher assist levels help you get to 20 MPH quicker, but drain the battery faster and often cause you to waste power because of it. As a class 2 eBike, the Sondors X does come with a throttle as well that will allow you to turn on the motor with your thumb, but it is unaffected by the assist level and will provide the same push every time you press it.

While a powerful motor is included with the Sondors X, it will shut off once it hits 20 MPH in order to make it legal to operate the eBike without any additional licensing or age requirements. If you are unfamiliar with eBikes, you will be pleased to know they ride just like normal eBikes even when you aren’t using the motor or the battery runs out of power. Additionally, you can also pedal faster than the 20 MPH speed cap, relying on the motor to help you build your speed or cushion you if you find yourself tiring out or slowing down. Just make sure you use the proper pedal assist level, or you might wind up wasting power and running out of juice before you reach your destination.

Handling

• On Streets- The RadRunner 20’’ by 3.3’’ tires make it a good option for those traveling through cities, even if it isn’t the best. Your overall city riding experience is going to be greatly determined by the PSI you set your tires to, ranging from 5 PSI to 30 PSI. Pick the lower PSI if you have loose dirt, gravel, or multiple patchy sections to cross on your commute, or you can stick to the 30 PSI limit if it is just normal concrete and asphalt that you intend to ride on.
• Turn Radius- One of the benefits of having shorter 20’’ tires isn’t just that it’s more accommodating for shorter riders, but that it makes it easier to turn as well. Whereas the other Rad Power bikes tend to struggle making sharp turns, the RadRunner 1 is able to do so with ease, even if it’s a sharp or sudden turn. This is a good eBike for those who have to navigate narrow passageways, though be aware that it isn’t a great option since it still weighs 65 lbs.
• Low Speed Handling- While it may be on the heavier side of things, there are actually a couple of ways to take advantage of the motor for superior low speed handling. First, there is a walk mode programmed into the RadRunner 1, which will provide minimal motor assistance to push the RadRunner 1 along the ground without mounting the bike. If you are still in the saddle, set the power assistance to 1, and you’ll get a small amount of power assistance while you pedal that will make low speed handling much easier. The throttle provides a more jerky and powerful push even at low settings, so we would advise against using the throttle to help with low speed handling.

Gears/DriveTrain

The RadRuner 1 features the most basic drivetrain of the Rad Power Bikes lineup, as it is just a single speed DNP 16T connected to a 16-53 T Chainring with a eBike KMC Z7 chain. Because it’s a single speed eBike, there is no shifter, and the derailleur is just a single speed chain tensioner. With no gear shifting, casual or beginner cyclists who may otherwise feel overwhelmed or don’t care about precise gear control will be able to enjoy the RadRunner 1 enve more! Alternatively, dedicated cyclists who do spend a lot of time riding their bicycle may feel let down by the lack of gear shifting, and will want to consider a more advanced Rad Power Bike, like the RadRover 4 instead. For what it is though, the simple drivetrain means it is an eBike that requires very little work and maintenance throughout the year, and you’ll hardly ever have to worry about your chain falling off due to the great tensioning system.

Brakes

The RadRunner 1 features Tektro Aries MD-M300 mechanical disc brakes, with 180 mm front and rear rotors. This is a very capable braking system that is great for coming to a quick yet steady stop in the city, and is even able to help you come to a smooth stop while traveling downhill on a mountain bike trail as well. The brakes are connected to the motor system, shutting off the motor immediately so they don’t compete against each other when you need to slow down. Integrated braking systems also caused both the motor and brakes to last longer, while also reducing the risk of causing one of the components to short out from improper use. Lastly, the RadRunner 1 has a tail light that, when the motor is active, will light up when the brakes are applied as well. There’s a lot to be impressed by with the RadRunner 1 braking system, especially since it outdoes the brakes you’ll find on some other mid-level and even premium-level eBikes.

Suspension

There isn’t much when it comes to overall suspension support in the base model of the RadRunner 1. The front fork is rigid, so you get more shock absorption from the fat tires rather than the actual frame fork. The base stem and saddle don’t have any suspension support either, but they can be easily upgraded to add suspension support to your eBike. One of the official accessories from Rad Power Bikes for the RadRunner 1 is even a suspension seat post! The RadRunner 1 will be great for city riding, but if you are hoping to challenge anything other than a light biking trail, you probably will want to swap out the saddle and seat post for something that provides suspension support.

Pedals

The RadRunner 1 has rather basic wellgo composite platform pedals, although they do benefit from reflectors for a safer riding experience. The plastic composite pedals help you save even more money when buying the RadRunner 1, and they do get the job done and provide solid traction support for your typical riding shoe. However, plastic pedals tend to break far more easily than your average aluminum platform pedal, and struggle with heavier weight loads as well. If you are a casual or beginner cyclist, you can get away with the plastic composite pedals for a while, though you will eventually want to swap them out for superior aluminum platform pedals. This is especially true if you intend to ride the RadRunner 1 on an almost daily basis, or plan on loading your RadRunner 1 up with a lot of cargo when you ride.

Grips and Saddle

The RadRunner 1 features Velo made durable, ergonomic rubber grips that will allow you to ride for several hours straight without tiring out or developing blisters on your hands. Besides looking nice, they also match the large moped style Velo saddle, with an integrated seat post plate for easy mounting or swapping out if you make the upgrade to a suspension style stem and saddle instead. This is an eBike that is very comfortable to ride, and there’s no single part that stands out as being particularly annoying and clashing with the overall accommodating feel of the RadRunner 1 electric bike.

Wheels and Tires

The RadRunner 1 has Kenda Custom K-Rad 20’’ by 3.3’’ (84-406) tires, which are mounted on double wall 36 hole aluminum alloy rims with 12 gauge stainless steel spokes. The tires have a recommended PSI inflation range from 5 PSI to 30 PSI, with lower inflation providing a better riding experience over loose terrain while the higher PSI is meant more for city exploration. The tires do have K-Shield puncture protection, so combined with the wide design it should be very rare that you suffer a flat while riding the RadRunner 1. Rad Power Bikes also made sure to include reflective taping on the RadRunner 1 tires as well, further improving the overall visibility and profile of the rider.

Accessories/Upgrades

One of the key draws of the RadRunner 1 is that it is an eBike built from the ground up with accessories, add-ons, and upgrades in mind. If you visit the Rad Power Bikes product page, you’ll see just a few of the over 330 official accessory combinations offered for the RadRunner 1 electric bike. There are a ton of great accessories, but it’s also notable that it’s still a great, feature heavy eBike even if you don’t buy any additional accessories at all. With a headlight and taillight system, rear cargo rack, and a dual leg kickstand, the only obvious accessory you might want to buy right away are some fenders or a suspension stem post. Otherwise, here are just a couple of the other eBike accessories you’ll want to consider for the RadRunner 1:

• SR Suntour SP12 NCX Suspension Seatpost
• Rad Power Bikes Front Rack
• RadRunner Center Console
• RadRunner Full Fenders
• RadRunner Display Upgrade
• ABUS Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500 Bike Lock
• Rad Power Bikes Rad Mirror
• Fremont Pannier Bag
• Rad Power Bikes Basket Bag
• Rad Power Bikes Delivery Bag

Recommendation

*For up-to-date pricing on the Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 1 click here

The Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 1 is an electric bike that all kinds of cyclists can enjoy. The 65 lbs weight is a lot, but is also a testament to the strength and durability of the 6061 aluminum frame construction able to support over 300 lbs. The rear gear hub motor provides a strong 80 Nm push, and combined with 14 Ah lithium battery you can expect to travel between 40 to 50 miles on a single charge with the right power assist mode. The DNP 16T single speed freewheel may be limited, but the lack of gear shifting means that its a very simple eBike to ride that also suffers minimal chain drops and lock ups, especially with the easy to use Rad Power Bikes LED display. While it may be an entry-level priced eBike, there are a number of other great features as well, from the fat 20’’ by 3.3’’ Kenda K-Shield puncture-resistant tires to the ergonomic handles and saddle. For those who are willing to spend a bit more, this is one of Rad Power Bikes most customizable eBikes, with over 330 accessory combinations to choose from that will also compliment the head light, taillight, kickstand, and cargo rack included in the base model. If you’re brand new to eBiking or are hoping to get a new, entry-level priced eBike, you should definitely take a look at the Rad Power BIkes RadRunner 1 hybrid electric bike!

Would you like to see an in-depth look at the RadRunner1? Let us know in the comments below!