RadExpand 5 Review: Rad Power Bikes newest folding electric bike

⛑️ My safety gear:

🎥 My filming gear:

🚲 My favorite e-bikes:

🛴 My favorite e-scooters:

[DoingThingsInPlaces]

I wish you had spent more time on the folding aspect- Whether it fits in a trunk and how long it takes to fully fold and unfold. I feel like most people who are watching this review are most interested in that feature

[mrslcom]

If they kept the price at $1299 it would be a winner.

[suzettecalleja]

Do you have a chart of some kind of the bikes . There are so many bikes and so many options that my mind is swimming. I know it would be a long one but maybe one that did it in categories, like one for folding bike, one for pass through, one for rear motors you get the idea. I always look forward to your videos and learn something every time. Thank you for taking the time to do them, even though I'm sure your having fun doing it.

[douglassmith]

I just purchased this bike, and I am generally very happy with it. I should note that I could not attach the RPB “Fremont” pannier to the rear rack on the RadExpand the fittings on the Pannier, were not in positions that could be adjusted to prevent heel striking And the lower fastener could not be attached to the rack. I am curious if other rad expand customers have figured out a solution to the pannier problem on this particular rack. The folks at the Berkeley Rad Power shop were of zero assistance on this and said no one had ever pointed this out to them. I am hoping there is some sort of hack for this, because I hope to use panniers.

[retiredfederalie]

It’s interesting both our Rad 5 expands have Techtro brakes with the integrated bell. Both were manufactured in 2023.

[BigBoysWorkshop]

I ride my Expand 5 about twice a week, pretty much entirely on the beach where I live, on the Oregon coast. This bike does an amazing job in the sand but I only get about 9 miles on the beach before I've lost the first 2 bars, at which point I turn around and head back. By the time I get home, I've lost the 3rd bar but that's as far as I've ever gone. I have noticed a substantial loss of torque as each bar disappears so having a second battery installed would be a big plus, not just for range but for maintaining power and speed on a shorter or standard ride. I've seen no issues at all driving it through freshwater streams up to a foot deep, as well as through the salt water along the coastline. I've had mine for about six months and have put a little over 200 miles of beach riding on it and everything is still working perfectly. I just keep the mechanicals lubed and hose it off after each ride. I run the tires at 15 psi and have added a real thumb throttle which I feel is a vast improvement over the lame twist throttle that comes on these bikes. I also recently upgrade to a suspension seat post which I thought was hokey before I bought it but wanted to try it out and surprisingly it works really well. You just have to adjust the tension so that it does not compress at all when you sit on the seat, only when you hit bumps. This is the perfect amount of compression, otherwise, you'll be bouncing up and down all over the place and it is really distracting.

[melindawiens]

The most important feature to me wasn’t mentioned. The handle bars fold in towards the rider or out.
I love that I can sit straight up if I choose. 🚴

[TheJournier]

I own this bike and I've put a few hundred miles on it. Yes, I think it's overpriced. It should be about $1200, but I love riding it. I'm 5'1" and it's perfect for me. I don't miss front suspension. It's very comfortable up front, but you'll need a suspension seat post. Swapping out the freewheel to a wider spread is the only change I plan to do. Mine came with Tektro brake levers with an integrated bell. The brakes work fine. It's a fun bike, though it should have come with a full display for the price. Overall, though, I love it!

[teresafranklin]

The front fender mounts to the bottom of the fork. Therefore caution is advised when attaching the front wheel because the quick release can interfere with the fender support.
Just be careful the lever doesn't end up in an improper position. My other bikes attach to the fork tube so it doesn't interfere.

[VinnyAndSweetPea]

When will bike manufacturers wise up and invent a folding bike that when folded, you can easily wheel it to where you want it, instead of having to pick it up. Or, have it come with a lightweight folding hand truck to move the folded bike around. The hand truck can then be attached to the bike rack while riding.

[thetds]

Sadly, I prefer the double top tube of the Mini. It's still a sweet ride for the price. And EXCELLENT REVIEW, as ALWAYS!

[barryrudolph]

I bought my Mini for $1499. At that price it came with fenders, a suspension fork, better brakes, better derailleur and an LCD display. The Expand 5's price has jumped to $1599 and I have to say it is a bit disappointing to see Rad downgrading their folding bikes and jacking up the price. But buying a Rad bike does come with decent support so IMHO it's still worth buying the Expand 5 if you want a folding bike.

[philbear]

Adjustable handlebars...very interesting idea...small wheel diameter, step through, folding, fenders, rack, lights...lot's of things to like. I don't know if it is generally well built for high mileage use, but the presence of physical service locations is also a very good point.
@Electrek very nice camera location for the suspension sequence!

[papajohndavid]

No suspension system at all? Hmm🤔 not good, but I like the way the handle bars come up to meet you instead of leaning forward so much. Folding is a plus.

[kevinzinser]

Me too. When I try to fold the chasis, the elec cord seem to tighter so much that Im afraid to continue the folding process.

[tommieboi]

I'm concerned about the durability of the hinge that folds the bike. Hope there are no issues later down the road.

[mjmde]

My wife is 5 foot 1 inch. Do the handlebars turn back so is’s less distance to reach for her?

[millanferende]

I loved the RadRunner when I saw it. Will likely DIY some lockable box at the back, that acts as a back-support.

But I've always been wondering... how come the chain is not protected? Won't that increase the risk of dirtying your pants or have all your oil wash away, unnecessarily, when under the rain?

[ericswitzer]

Just curious, how tall are you?? At 6ft tall I'm curious if this bike may be too small

[thcrw]

I've been looking at 1k-1.5k folders for like 2 months when it comes to total everything quality, performance, etc including US based support, letric still has the market with the xp 2.0