RadTrike Electric Tricycle • Hacker News Board

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#61

Post by enragedcacti » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:36 PM UTC

darzu wrote: post #35

jeffbee wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I usually recommend electric bikes from actual bike companies, like Specialized, because there won't be any weird surprises, you won't have to assemble it yourself, and it will last forever. But everyone I know, other than myself, has gone with a newer electric-only company like Rad or VanMoof. I assume price is the reason.

I've a friend with an electric Specialized, and while his bike looks cooler my Rad is faster, half the price, with much better millage, and I can still hang it from the wall in my apt. One thing I've noticed is that pretty much every established bike company is placing the motor on the pedal crank, whereas Rad uses a much bigger (750w in my case) in-wheel hub motor. The acceleration with a hub motor is so much better…

mid-drives are usually a higher-end option for more serious recreational riding where predictability and responsiveness is more important than raw acceleration or long range. Basically the goal of the mid-drive is to make you feel like you are riding an analog bike but as a much more fit rider. Sending the power from the bottom bracket helps to keep you and the motor in sync, balances the weight distribution, keep unsprung/rotating weight low, etc. and the small battery keeps the bike light and maneuverable.

> The acceleration with a hub motor is so much better and doesn't depend on what gear I'm in.

I have a 750 watt radbike and I always find this a little bit bothersome in that I end up in situations where I feel like I'm being dragged forward when I don't want to be because my cadence got just a little bit too fast and the motor starts dumping power. I end up treating the pedal assist as another set of gearing to manage so it doesn't start giving me too much power when I am pedalling in a low gear. Higher end hub drives and pretty much all mid-drives solve this by using a torque sensor so the motor responds to the wattage you are putting down rather than the cadence.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#62

Post by stevehawk » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:37 PM UTC

This seems like a horrible idea. Three wheelers were outlawed for a reason, motorcycle trikes/sidecars aren't super stable either. I'm surprised someone would opt for this instead of a two wheels up front design.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#63

Post by UncleOxidant » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:39 PM UTC

dohdhdaa wrote: post #52

I am a decently experienced NYC cyclist. Not Terry Barentsen or anything, but pretty decent at biking both in fitness terms and in practical urban NYC riding. The biggest problem with e-bikers, and general e-thing riders, as a population, is that they haven’t built the bike skills equivalent to the speed that they can go at. I can ride 20mph if I want to, but it took a long time for me to be able to do that. I had to…

What does 'salmon' mean here? The first time I read it above, I thought you meant 'slalom' but then you repeated 'salmon' several times so it seems deliberate.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#64

Post by UncleOxidant » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:40 PM UTC

paulpauper wrote: post #18

The big advantage of a bike is it's faster and can be used for sidewalks and roads easier. A trike is too wide and heavy. You cannot use it for commuting

My dad is 82. He can't ride a 2 wheel bike anymore as he's a bit shaky, but he can ride a trike.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#65

Post by flatiron » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:43 PM UTC

I’m unsure why nobody releases a compact electric 4 seater car with a 60 mile range for running the kids to school and grabbing some random groceries. Basically a beefed up golf cart. That’s all I need to drop my kids off at school each day which is 95% of my weekday driving.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#66

Post by pnathan » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:45 PM UTC

stevehawk wrote: post #62

This seems like a horrible idea. Three wheelers were outlawed for a reason, motorcycle trikes/sidecars aren't super stable either. I'm surprised someone would opt for this instead of a two wheels up front design.

Yes, that's an interesting choice. I remember when trikes were pulled in the late 80s- very risky. Two wheels up front made a return in the last decade.

I'm going to be following this. I think a Trike will be enormously popular because of the stability, but it has to be stable. Rad tends to design for low cost... I hope this wasn't a terrible choice.....

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#67

Post by BoorishBears » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:47 PM UTC

UncleOxidant wrote: post #63

dohdhdaa wrote: post #52

I am a decently experienced NYC cyclist. Not Terry Barentsen or anything, but pretty decent at biking both in fitness terms and in practical urban NYC riding. The biggest problem with e-bikers, and general e-thing riders, as a population, is that they haven’t built the bike skills equivalent to the speed that they can go at. I can ride 20mph if I want to, but it took a long time for me to be able to do that. I had to…

What does 'salmon' mean here? The first time I read it above, I thought you meant 'slalom' but then you repeated 'salmon' several times so it seems deliberate.

Go the wrong way up a one way street. Dangerous because people are generally not expecting things to come from the wrong way.

(Technically going on the wrong side of the road is also salmoning, but in NYC it was almost always wrong way on a one-way

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#68

Post by bityard » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:48 PM UTC

endisneigh wrote: post #27

Trikes are dangerous at high speed. Anyone seriously considering this should understand how to properly turn with this style of trike. I'm surprised they didn't do the inverted triangle style. I understand the market for not DIY, but someone considering this should also consider buying a Schwinn Meridian and a conversion kit (front wheel hub) and saving $1500. Speaking of which, it would be interesting to see someone…

Some years ago, I followed a YouTuber who did exactly this and it turned out he had no end of reliability issues with the bearings, wheels, and frame because it turns out pedal-powered trikes just aren't built for the significantly higher speeds and weight of a motor-powered trike, especially when used for multi-mile trips as a daily commuter.

Range was not great either, due to the extra weight of the wooden box he made to hold everything but the rest probably applies to many lower-end two-wheeled bikes too.

I suspect this is the reason that most higher-end electric bikes more closely resemble electric motorcycles than bikes, in terms of wheel size and frame build.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#69

Post by justinator » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:49 PM UTC

flatiron wrote: post #65

I’m unsure why nobody releases a compact electric 4 seater car with a 60 mile range for running the kids to school and grabbing some random groceries. Basically a beefed up golf cart. That’s all I need to drop my kids off at school each day which is 95% of my weekday driving.

Plenty of Moms moving around town with a few kiddos in the back of their long trail eBikes. They seem to fit two rugrats on those things.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#70

Post by bagels » Tue, Dec 06, 2022, 10:49 PM UTC

flatiron wrote: post #65

I’m unsure why nobody releases a compact electric 4 seater car with a 60 mile range for running the kids to school and grabbing some random groceries. Basically a beefed up golf cart. That’s all I need to drop my kids off at school each day which is 95% of my weekday driving.

Nissan leaf? BMW i3?