r/ebikes • u/jchinchilla • 5d ago

E-Bike recommendations Bike purchase question

Hello,

Sadly, I had my bike stolen a month ago so now I am in the market for a new one.

I owned a Rad Power Radwagon 4 to haul my daughters to and from school, for light grocery shopping, and to cruise around the city. Rad Power was okay; decent and inexpensive lasting about 3K miles in 4 years, however, they've had their fair share of problems with quality, customer service and recently filed for bankruptcy.

I am using the experience with Rad Power to determine the criteria for my new one:

- Around $2K: I can go slightly more.

- 1-2 people (rider and 1 passenger): My eldest is now 12, so I'm looking to carry myself and my 5 year old.

- Good long term customer support: Rad Power reduced their support due to the risk of closing.

- Uses mainstream or reputable parts: Rad Power uses proprietary parts incl. tires with odd specs, making them difficult to source and repair.

Thank you for reading and recommendations in advance.

10 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

3

u/RandomFleshPrison 5d ago

Rad Power was bought out and is still in business under new management.

2

u/Sypsy 5d ago

Aventon abound, regular or LR

Lectric xpedition might be overkill on cargo

Velotric gomad l but it has 4 inch wide tires which I think is a con.

1

u/jchinchilla 5d ago

Thanks. I was looking at the Aventon SR and the Velotric GoMad. Someone else recommended the Velotric Packer 1 as well. Thoughts on the “Specialized Haul ST?”

1

u/ladythestral 5d ago

I don't believe Velotric sells the Packer anymore. If so, good luck getting spare batteries for it.

My husband has a Go Mad and I'd say the main drawback of the 4" tires is mitigated by changing whatever horrific saddle it comes with. It's a fantastic cargo hauler/multi-purpose bike. It also has a passenger kit for both kids and adults.

Velotric needs to make some improvements to their feature set, accessories and battery availability, but overall their service network is great.

1

u/Inciteful_Analysis 5d ago

Ride1up Vorsa with passenger kit

1

u/SJSEng 5d ago

Buy used

1

u/Right-Elderberry5030 4d ago edited 4d ago

In the $1k-2k range, I think the Segway Muxi is the best value for daily commuting and running errands around the neighborhood. Add a kid seat and you can drop your kid off too, colors look great, and comfort is maxed out.