Our Rating - 4/5
The RadMini is an exciting electric folding bike that will save you a lot of space in the garage. It comes with a variety of practical features that allow you to go on off-road adventures without fear. It also allows you to extend your ride into the night without compromising your safety.
RadMini - In-Depth Review
As the excitement around electric bikes continues its steady rise, the number of people looking to buy their first electric bike is also on the upward trend. But with so many options flooding the market, this can turn out to be an overwhelming endeavor for the uninitiated enthusiasts.
Even on appearance only, the RadMini electric bike from Rad Power Bikes has the potential to grab your attention. It’s entry-level price further ensures that you won’t overspend on your first purchase. But how well does the RoadMini fare when the rubber meets the road?
This unbiased review looks at the various specs and overall performance of RadMini to see what it’s made of!
Key Specs | |
Weight | 8.7lbs |
Frame | 6061 Aluminum Alloy |
Tire Size | 20" X 3.3 |
Motor | Bafang, RadMini Specific 750W Rear-Mounted Geared Hub |
Battery | 672 Wh Samsung 18650 35E 3500mAH |
Range | 25-45 miles |
Max Speed | 20 miles per hour |
Brakes | Tektro Aries Mechanical Disc With 180mm Rotors |
Frame
The RadMini is held together by a folding 6061 aluminum alloy frame that is both light and sturdy. The bike can comfortably support a maximum rider weight of 275lbs and the frame features a telescoping handlebar stem that allows you to adjust the height to suit your body shape.
You can also fold the bike into a conveniently small size when you want to store or transport it. The mid-step frame of the RadMini makes it easy to get on and off the bicycle while the faux leather ergonomic grips look and feel good for relaxed handling.
The Velo Plush seat is just wide enough to keep you comfortable while riding without chafing your inner thighs. It also has a lifting handle that can be adjusted according to your preference. Multiple safety redundancies on the frame’s primary folding hinge help to keep the bike in one piece by preventing accidental unlatching.
A heavy-duty aluminum kickstand with a plastic foot has also been included for whenever you want to park your bike and run a quick errand. Another urban-friendly feature found on the RadMini by default is the front and rear fenders, which are wide enough to ensure you remain dry when it rains.
What’s amazing about the Mini is that unlike other folding e-bikes, it doesn’t flex even when you are carrying a load. This is thanks to the main tubes on the frame, as well as a reinforcement gusset at the seat tube, which keeps the bike solid. This also means that your ride won’t be wobbly at high speeds.
On the downside, the bike is quite heavy! Don’t be fooled by the name, it weighs a little more than 68 pounds, so don’t expect to carry it on your back just because it can be folded into a compact size.
Engine
The Bafang 750W geared hub motor will help you up those small climbs and get you to a top speed of 20mph. It is only powerful on flat surfaces and when you start the bike. Even though it produces 80Nm of torque, you’ll have a tough time trying to clear long or steep hills.
The motor does produce a little bit of noise but it ramps up smooth and steady. It is just what you need to navigate smooth terrains without breaking a sweat. The Kingmeter LCD panel mounted in the middle of the handlebar is fairly huge and features adjustable backlight brightness for clarity.
It comes with a full-size USB charging port at the bottom, which allows you to charge your phone on those long rides if it is running low on battery power. The controller is also easily accessible and easy to operate. With a three-button control, you simply press up or down to increase or reduce the assist.
Additionally, a variety of crucial information is shown on the display such as pedal assist level, battery life, speedometer, wattmeter, odometer, etc.
Battery
We like that the battery pack used on the RadMini is compatible with all the other bike models produced by Rad Power Bikes. This means if you have several of these bikes, you can always use the batteries interchangeably if you forget to charge one. Similarly, you can bring an extra battery if you want to spend more time on the trail.
The 672Wh battery also uses Samsung lithium-ion cells. This is a good quality battery and comes with a one-year warranty. It can power you as far as 72km before running out of charge. However, it will require around 5-6 hours to fully recharge, so you might want to bring an extra battery for non-stop fun.
The battery allows you the convenience of charging it both on and off the bike. This means if you have an extra battery, you can leave one charging at home as you go for your off-road adventures. Furthermore, the battery slide rack is attached to the frame using three bolts.
This holds the battery firmly in place, keeping it from rattling as you ride or try to work your way through bumpy terrains. This is better than what you find on cheap e-bikes models where the battery mount features only two bolts.
Brakes
The RadMini uses 180mm Tektra mechanical disc brakes for its braking power. These do a decent job on the trail, especially with the smaller 20-inch wheels. Nevertheless, we would have preferred a hydraulic disc set because the levers are more responsive and don’t need to be pulled hard.
Also, their reach can be adjusted to suit riders with very large or very small hands. We suppose this is one of the RadMini features that was compromised to keep the bike's price affordable.
Rims
The aluminum-alloy wheels on the RadMini offer sturdy performance that will keep you stable on the trail. They also come with a double-wall design that helps to enhance their strength.
Tires
The bike runs on a pair of 3.3-inch Kenda K-Shield fat tires that are chunky to keep your ride comfortable. The tires offer a 5-30 PSI range and feature puncture-resistant casing that protects you from inconveniences on the road. They will remain in one piece even when you have to ride on trails filled with thorns, glass, and similar debris.
The durable tires also have a large total reflective surface that offers better visibility compared to regular spoke mounted reflectors. With the Kenda 3.3” tires, you’ll easily plow through muddy, snowy, sandy, and various other tricky terrains.
What Do We Like About RadMini?
There are several features on the RadMini that make it so practical. Firstly, the folding frame design allows you to collapse it into a compact size for convenient storage. The same comes in handy when you want to transport in the trunk of your car.
The bike also features a headlight with a bright 80-lumen beam that allows you to see far ahead when riding in the dark. This is coupled with a secondary LED ring that ensures you remain visible from the sides.
The puncture-resistant liner on the Kenda K-Shield tires prevents any possibilities of a flat tire on the trail. This makes for durable performance and saves you the nuisance of your adventure being interrupted.
You also get multiple mounts on the RadMini that you can add racks to enhance carrying capabilities when you embark on an adventure. This enables you to bring along a water bottle, mini-pump, and other important accessories.
PROS
What Don’t We Like About RadMini?
Since the battery pack on the RadMini mounts behind the seat tube, you’ll be forced to loosen and raise the saddle and seat post whenever you want to remove it from the bike. This is not the kind of trouble you go through on the full-sized Rad Power bikes like the RadCity and RadRover.
The bike is quite heavy at 68lbs, and an effort to ride without pedal assist. Also, the motor’s torque will only come to its own on flat roads but underwhelm when you have to scale a substantial hill.
Cons
Advice to Buyers
If you are looking for a practical electric bike that can clear off-road terrains, the RadMini will make an excellent candidate. It comes with plenty of useful features that comes in handy on the trail and enables you to keep on riding comfortably during the daytime, as well as at night.
What you’ll like most about the bike is that it is quite affordable and probably within your budget. Not to mention that you can easily transport it when you have to.
Conclusion
Overall, the RadMini electric folding bike is a powerful machine that will take you anywhere you want to go. It offers decent power on flat terrains and a battery that will keep your adventure going on and on. The durable fat tires also enable you to ride smoothly on tricky road surfaces.
Except for a few negatives, this bike will be a worthy investment for any adventurer. Considering just how cheaply you can buy it, we feel you can probably not afford to overlook them!