Rad Power Bikes: Welcome, new West Seattle Blog sponsor

| Transportation | West Seattle news

Today we welcome Rad Power Bikes as a new WSB sponsor. New sponsors get to tell you about their businesses; here’s what Rad Power Bikes would like you to know:

Mike Radenbaugh built his first electric bike in his parents’ garage in 2007 as a way to get to and from high school. For years, Mike worked solo, converting his friends’ traditional bikes into electric bikes and customizing each to fit their riding style. He joined forces with childhood friend and college roommate Ty Collins, and in 2015 they relaunched Rad Power Bikes as a direct-to-consumer company with their flagship model — the legendary RadRover electric fat-tire bike.

What started as a passion project is now the largest e-bike brand in North America, with more than 100,000 owners of all ages riding Rad across 30 countries.

Electric bikes give you all the fun, freedom, and flexibility of traditional bikes with just a little extra oompf when and where you need it. Whether that means crushing hills with pedal assist from the electric motor or freeing yourself from your car commute a day or two a week, e-bikes make getting there easier.

You’ll never have to pick out the right neon-colored spandex for weekend rides, or hang out in a bike shop pretending to know what you’re talking about, or even show up drenched in sweat when you bike to work.

It’s an e-bike revolution — one that makes it easier than ever to ditch your car.

At Rad Power Bikes, we envision a world where transportation is energy-efficient, enjoyable, and accessible to all. Ride with us and you get an unrivaled customer experience with radical electric bikes that are built for everything and priced for everyone.

With flexible financing options, you can start riding for as little as $39 a month — less than a cup of coffee a day (or a twelver a week ;).

Our judgment-free product-support team is available 7 days a week to answer any questions you might have. Seriously. They’ve heard it all.

Most of all, our e-bikes make getting around fun and environmentally friendly. When every trip’s an adventure, you may even start to look forward to your commute.

You can contact Rad Power Bikes through their website.

We thank Rad Power Bikes for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

ACG May 27, 2020 (12:44 pm)

Cool read! Thanks for the backstory!

Go gull May 27, 2020 (1:09 pm)

👍 Welcome Rad Bikes!

Alki May 27, 2020 (1:40 pm)

Loved this read – welcome! And so smart for advertising with WSB. I like in Alki and love reading this blog. I trust it!

WS resident May 27, 2020 (2:09 pm)

Whenever I see someone on an electric bike it reminds me of the humans in wall-e.Don’t get me wrong, for older less mobile people they are great and people with injuries that make traditional bikes not an option. Even beginners who want to get into biking. But for anyone else just get a analog bike. Better exercise, cheaper, great at building leg strength and good for the heart.Sorry if this enrages anyone but its true.

Jess May 27, 2020 (3:34 pm)

Do you wait to judge people and label them as “Wall-E people” until you ask them personal questions about their medical history? Old doesn’t automatically mean less mobile, and young doesn’t automatically mean healthy. As a young person with a rad bike and wrecked knee I hope you fall off your analog bike.
- WS Resident May 28, 2020 (8:13 am)
  
  Thanks Jess. I’ve actually fallen off my analog bike lots of time. Seeing that you are so offend by my comment I bet you are a wall-e type person.
- WS Resident May 28, 2020 (8:29 am)
  
  I’m just stating personal option of this type of bike. If this enrages you so much that you wish me personal injury you should stay off comment boards.
Elton May 27, 2020 (3:46 pm)

Not sure how much you know about e-bikes, but this is not necessarily true. Yes, for hub powered bikes you can throttle and go (Rad Power Bikes are all hub power) but not for mid-drive powered bikes. They cost a bit more and are typically lighter, but you do have to pedal the bike. The motor is simply to help give you a boost while you pedal, it’s still every bit as good of exercise except that if you’re not an athlete the hills in Seattle won’t kill you (actually, if you turn off the power it’s maybe a an even better exercise as you’re pedaling with more weight than an analog bike). There’s certainly a place for both kinds of e-bikes (and even within hub-power there’s direct drive and geared), they’re good for different things. It’s fine if you think that e-bikes aren’t worth the cost or don’t interest you, but at least get your facts straight.
- Elton May 27, 2020 (3:57 pm)
  
  Small correction: it is possible apparently to have throttle on a mid-drive e-bike, but it’s not typical from what I’ve seen.
Joe Z May 27, 2020 (4:08 pm)

E-bikes and analog bikes serve different purposes. Nobody gets an e-bike for exercise, they get it to replace car trips.
- WS resident May 27, 2020 (8:19 pm)
  
  I agree with that. However if you’re using it for commuting to/from work, might as well get some exercise while you’re at it.
- Smittytheclown May 27, 2020 (9:14 pm)
  
  100,000 of them!
KM May 27, 2020 (9:16 pm)

If ebikes make you think of the people in Wall-E, what do you think of people in cars?
- Justme May 28, 2020 (6:05 am)
  
  I have a RAD bike and love it, I do ride for exercise which is what I love about it. I can be in control of how much assist I want to use and therefor STILL get exercise without injury or wearing myself out too quickly.
cwit May 28, 2020 (1:18 pm)

Darn, I was going to get an e-bike but WS Resident has decreed that anyone that is physically able to ride a traditional bike should not get an e-bike. So I won’t.
AJPP May 28, 2020 (5:10 pm)

Bike snobs are worse than car snobs. Get over yourself and be glad someone chose a bike instead of a car, for whatever reason. Also, read this and quit judging people. https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/study-finds-e-bike-riders-get-much-exercise-riders-regular-bikes.html
- Tsurly May 28, 2020 (6:15 pm)
  
  From the “study” you quoted:“It should be noted that this study looks at European pedelec e-bikes like my Gazelle, where people have to pedal a bit to get the 250 watt motor to kick in. Results probably don’t apply to overpowered throttle-controlled American e-bikes or scooters. Because, as the study authors note, with a pedelec, “using an e-bike requires moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, depending on topography.””
  - AJP May 28, 2020 (9:04 pm)
    
    Both of my e-bikes, one of which was Japanese, the current one is American, are pedelecs. Lots of e-bikes sold in the US are pedelecs. Again, don’t be a bike snob. Bike snobs and their attitudes about having the “right” kind of bike and the “right” kind of gear (more expensive than I could afford, of course) squashed the joy of biking I had when I was a kid. I finally realized biking is biking no matter what your gear is, and I got back in the saddle and enjoy it again. With my two kids on the back and my e-assist so I don’t have a heart attack and die trying to ride them around West Seattle. Those of us who bike for transportation don’t always want to show up to our destination super sweaty.

AlexC May 27, 2020 (2:10 pm)

Have been looking a lot at different electric bikes lately. Already had a few buses skip me due to being full on my way to work. Can anyone who has a Rad Bike tell me how well they do on hills and what the battery is like. I need to go about 7 miles each way with a lot of up hill to get from West Seattle to my job in downtown/Capital Hill area. The pricing is great but I am worried they weight too much and won’t have enough power to get me to work without getting very sweaty.

Joe Z May 27, 2020 (2:52 pm)

If you get one with regenerative braking it has ~50 mile range in hilly terrain. No shortage of power on the uphills either. We got a step-through commuter in March after the bridge closed and have been really happy with it. It takes less than 15 minutes to ride downtown from West Seattle. The bike does weigh about 70 lbs so it’s not one that can easily be thrown in the back of the car or carried up a staircase.
Happy Biker May 27, 2020 (3:20 pm)

I got a Rad bike 3 weeks ago. Love it! No bus, no detour to 1st Ave S bridge, no traffic. I live near the South Seattle College. I ride it to Alki and back and I ride it to the downtown core (6 miles each way) and back. Each of the trips only requires half the battery life. It works fine for 175 pounds. The bikes are heavy, so I leave mine in the lowest assist setting and that compensates for the extra weight of the bike. It goes slowly up steep hills, but you can always peddle harder if you want to go faster. They are fun to ride. Better get one before they sell out!
Jess May 27, 2020 (3:54 pm)

I rode mine downtown to work a long time. I had to ride it up the big hill on 30th and Brandon St and it would make it! If you don’t want to get sweaty you can make it do all of the work for you, or you can turn the power down (or off) for a good workout. It is a great bike.
Elton May 27, 2020 (3:56 pm)

(I have no affiliation with Rad Power bikes, but I did look into them as I was bike shopping as they seem to be popular around here)You can see weights and other specs like battery life here: https://www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/compareMost of them seem to last at least 45 miles. I haven’t specifically tried a Rad Power bike, but the weight is mainly an issue if you need to physically carry your bike around a lot – with the motor’s help you’ll be able to deal with the added weight. If you specifically want a bike you don’t sweat a lot in, I believe all the Rad Power bikes have throttles and I wouldn’t be specifically concerned about their ability to get you around without sweating. I know they do test drives, you can try out their bikes and also check out other shops and try out different bikes and see what feels better. There are non-Rad Power e-bikes that are lighter, but will cost a lot more and may not have the same features (and I’m not sure how light a hub-power bike can realistically be – I know there are lighter mid-drive bikes, but you’ll be sweatier as there’s typically no throttle, as most only assist your pedaling). I think all the local e-bike shops are reputable and curate a good selection.
Jamie May 27, 2020 (4:01 pm)

I own a RadRover and absolutely love it! The bike handles hills well and I can easily ride up Admiral from Alki without breaking a sweat.If you intend to use this as your daily ride to/from downtown, you may want to invest in a second battery so that you can swap them once you’ve reached your destination. It takes a few hours to completely recharge the battery.
Azimuth May 27, 2020 (8:48 pm)

The RadWagon still makes you work up our West Seattle hills a bit because of its size and weaker “motor” but the RadRover is much closer to “flattening” the hills as many e-bicycles promise. There’s a new Wagon coming out later this year that will probably be more powerful if the cargo bicycle is important to you. Rad has several other models catering to various needs. The nice part of all these bicycles is you can change assist level on the fly so if you feel like peddling harder you can… or not.

mark47n May 27, 2020 (2:13 pm)

I don’t wear neon spandex…for bike riding. I save that for running and jumping from roof to roof while fighting crime in our fair city. I’m Major Meltdown! I can throw tantrums at lightning speed! I can hurl a withering gaze and off leash dog owners at 100 yards and sniff out organic vegan fair trade lattes with gluten free scones like no ones’s business.But I digress. No neon. For biking, I mean.

OBC May 27, 2020 (2:59 pm)

I own 2 RAD cargo bikes and before COVID 19 did a 14 mile round trip commute with a total elevation gain of around 900 ft (385 / 515 ). I could almost go 2 days without a charge, so range wasn’t a problem, and I got as sweaty as I wanted to. Which most days was not at all :)

I use it as an alternative to a car. I do kiddo dropoff at daycare and shop for groceries. I’m so glad to have this option! It makes the mundane more fun. There is no way I could do all I do on my bike without the e-boost.

tsurly May 27, 2020 (3:58 pm)

I personally wouldn’t be caught dead riding an Ebike, but absolutely support anyone who does, particularly those who use them in place of a car.

Smittytheclown May 27, 2020 (9:16 pm)

Me too! Fewer cars on my commute the better!

Also John May 27, 2020 (4:54 pm)

Very smart to advertise in West Seattle…especially with the upper bridhe down. I rode my bike to downtown for 19 years… 12 months a year. An electric bike will make it a snap for those that work in downtown. Super simple.

Jonah May 27, 2020 (5:10 pm)

And with the gear you can carry with these you don’t need a gas guzzling motor home to go camping. E-bike will get you there!

AJP May 28, 2020 (5:12 pm)

I’ve done that, twice! Super fun!! Planning on more when campgrounds open again someday.

The truth May 27, 2020 (8:39 pm)

I have a rad runner for my wife that arrives tomorrow! She work Downtown and is scared of the upcoming commute. Being a good husband I bought one for myself… $200 off when you buy two!

Stuckathome May 28, 2020 (5:14 am)

What is the connection to West Seattle ?

Jort May 28, 2020 (8:29 am)

Riding an e-bike will easily be the most reliable and quickest way to get in and out of West Seattle in the months ahead. People will think that driving their $40,000 car is the fastest method, probably since they spent $40,000 on it, but the reality is that riding a bike will always be faster and more reliable. Time to get on a bike and get over it!

george babaloo May 29, 2020 (12:21 am)

Pedelec bikes can be a lot more expensive, but often just a little bit more. They are much lighter, climb hills better, are more intuitive. Wait means less under power, true, but sooner or later, and maybe twice a day, your are going to have to muscle one through a door, or into an elevator and turn it around. Saving 20 to 30 pounds, makes a huge difference.

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