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RadTrike Electric Tricycle

radpowerbikes.com

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Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#111

Post by 0xCMP »

Gigachad wrote: post #108
mgrthrow wrote: post #39

Electric bikes are an order of magnitude more efficient than cars and several times more efficient than bikes. (Measured as calories/electrical power). People who ride electric bikes still get the benefits of exercise (elevated heart rate, muscle use) though obviously less than regular biking. I ride mine year round in Seattle, it's incredible. I deliver cargo, go grocery shopping, visit the library. This should be t…

The problem with ebikes is they cost several thousand dollars and are impossible to secure against battery powered grinders. Cars are relatively hard to steal, and regular bikes are relatively cheap to replace. Escooters are so popular probably because it's so much easier to bring them inside and on elevators unlike this clunky trike.

Yup I suspect the same thing. I love electric longboards because they're even easier to keep by you at all times, but they're much less safe than an escooter.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#112

Post by johnfernow »

bjourne wrote: post #92
mewse wrote: post #80

@dang: This submission links to a PR site written by the company producing the product. As per the new policy introduced here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33884441 , should this url be replaced by a third-party site we just googled? For example, here's one I just googled which provides useful extra context about the company and the safety record of their previous products: https://www.geekwire.com/2022/rad-p…

It's just commercial spam. Electric trikes are not news.

There are not many companies that make etrikes, especially none remotely as big as Rad. It is quite big news for one of the largest ebike manufacturers to start making one, as it up until now has been a tiny niche with only expensive models from small companies. Doesn't mean that the URL shouldn't be replaced by a third-party site, but I certainly consider this newsworthy.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#113

Post by uoaei »

bityard wrote: post #71
UncleOxidant wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I want to know what it means to "shoal" on a bike. There are just too many marine references here.

It's an analogy, and a pretty straightforward one at that.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#115

Post by johnfernow »

squarefoot wrote: post #84

Trikes with upfront single wheel are dangerous; I would any day take a bigger one that has two wheels upfront and is street legal in the EU to use in place of the car for longer trips. Health issues, many steep hills and the need to take highways rule e-bikes out completely. I'm in love with the Arcimoto Roadster which, high costs aside, sadly isn't street legal here.

There's the Mylo etrike, which has a tadpole design (two front wheels), so it's far less likely to tip over than a delta style (two rear wheels). Unfortunately it doesn't have any pedals, so not sure if that's street legal in the EU (also unfortunate if the battery dies, though you can attach two batteries to it.) If I hadn't already bought an ebike earlier this year (not knowing about the Mylo etrike), I'd probably consider it though, as it folds up nicely, can carry a passenger, and seems a lot less likely to tip over (straights or turns) than a regular ebike. Hopefully with Rad making etrikes now, they'll consider something like that but with pedals in the future.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#116

Post by mgrthrow »

nomel wrote: post #97
mgrthrow wrote: post #39

Electric bikes are an order of magnitude more efficient than cars and several times more efficient than bikes. (Measured as calories/electrical power). People who ride electric bikes still get the benefits of exercise (elevated heart rate, muscle use) though obviously less than regular biking. I ride mine year round in Seattle, it's incredible. I deliver cargo, go grocery shopping, visit the library. This should be t…

Where I am, it's illegal for bicyclists to ride on the sidewalk, so you're left with a couple of feet of space beyond the white line, in the unprotected shoulder, with a speed difference of around 30mph, and often a curb to make sure you eat it if you're pushed beyond. With the number of people I've seen weave into the shoulder, biking being the default would be a blood bath.

If the city won't provide infrastructure, take the whole lane.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#117

Post by yellow_postit »

jeffbee wrote: post #24
gorgoiler wrote: post #3

My 2021 radrunner plus has some serious defects. The charging port is prone to weather corrosion. Charging is a risky action that may or may not blow some very sensitive fuses. The mechanical disc brakes suck and are very hard to balance. The discs were supplied warped. I pretty much had to suck that up because of the misery of returning a faulty machine to an online bike company. The seat is a notorious bum numbing…

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.

Rad in Seattle for example has a dedicated shop location. I’m not sure what makes it an “actual bike company” vs not but I expect more and more electric first/only brands to emerge over time.

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#119

Post by dghlsakjg »

jeffbee wrote: post #24
gorgoiler wrote: post #3

My 2021 radrunner plus has some serious defects. The charging port is prone to weather corrosion. Charging is a risky action that may or may not blow some very sensitive fuses. The mechanical disc brakes suck and are very hard to balance. The discs were supplied warped. I pretty much had to suck that up because of the misery of returning a faulty machine to an online bike company. The seat is a notorious bum numbing…

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.

What makes Rad not a bike company? They don't make high end bikes, but they do design and build their own bikes and run a network of shops.

If you go by share of profit from bikes versus other sources I would not be surprised at all if they get more than trek or specialized. Trek/Bontrager and Specialized are notorious in the bike industry for requiring dealers to move accessories if they want to stock bikes. They make a TON of money of accessories at this point

Re: RadTrike Electric Tricycle

#120

Post by stefan_ »

dylan604 wrote: post #101
stefan_ wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And.. what's taking so long? We are not talking about some custom-made part to fix some frame defect or another. Rim strips and tires are plentiful. They could pay neighborhood bike shops a flat fee to get this recall out of the way for their customers.

What takes anything in today's world to take so long?...It's manufactured in China. They discovered the problem. Waited long enough to see how extensive the problem was. After whatever investigation process there was, it was determined that they were just manufactured poorly. Design error or manufacturing error? More testing. Now that the true issue is understood, how to fix it. Iterate changes to make new replacemen…

You are kidding, right? As the poster above already noticed, this is a common as mud problem on bicycles and you should be able to replace these parts (and just about any non-electrical part on it) with a variety of choices from a variety of vendors. And "you" being "any bike shop" given this is a recall the vendor is expected to perform (or delegate) and pay for.

If you can't, the reality is you didn't buy a bike, you bought a bicycle-shaped object with proprietary components designed for the landfill.

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