Okay, so I got an email from RadPower Bikes yesterday announcing their new Radwagon 5. As an avid rider of what I like to call the Radwagon 4.35, a modified version 4, I wanted to share my first thoughts on the design and what they’ve announced. These are just initial thoughts, and they don’t take into account having actually had hands on the bike or a butt in the saddle. But here we go.

Likes:

1. The Brakes – Rad has announced that they’re using hydraulic brakes in the new bike. That’s a major step up as the old brakes weren’t hydraulic and were pretty well understood to be terrible. A cargo bike laden with 375 lbs of cargo (read kids) really needs reliable stopping power.
2. Upgraded Software – Rad has also announced that the controller they’re using has new features. Notably, it has built in speed settings for 20mph, 25mph, and 28mph. Presumably that means that this is now a class 3 ebike. I highly doubt the bike will do 28mph under throttle which really would put it into moped territory. But the ability to more easily keep up with traffic is a game changer.
3. Suspension – Some front suspension is a nice change of pace.
4. The Saddle – Rad specifically mentions an improved saddle. That’s a nice touch given how awful the standard one on the 4 was, but I wonder what the margin is on it for them. I’m pretty happy with the saddle I’ve purchased. The new one would have to be extremely impressive for me to forgo buying something as important to comfort as a good saddle.

No Likes:

1. The Frame – The new frame is supposed to be shorter, and easier to handle. But it also moves the main battery into a more vertical position deeper in the frame. This change is a big one as it removes the ability of the rider to modify their bike in the same way many of us have by adding a second battery in a secure location.
2. The Battery – Speaking of the battery, I’m not sure it can be moved off the frame. So does that mean you’re always charging on the bike?
3. The Tires – Not mentioned are the tires. Are they still the custom ones Rad has been using on the 4? If so, they’ve been a source of major problems for the whole community. This would have been a great opportunity to go with a standard size.
4. Turn Signals – Meh. They’re way too close together. From any distance those are going to be worthless, but I think people are going to trust them too much.

Overall, is the bike an improvement? I don’t know. Time will tell. There are the couple of things where I think they’ve done well for themselves if the parts actually live up to their marketing hype. The last bike had a lot of hype as well, and ended up having a lot of problems. This is their fifth iteration. Hopefully they have worked out the manufacturing kinks.

Am I going to replace my 4.35 with the new 5? Hell no. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/sWCJDHQXq_I