In 2018, one of our vehicles was nearing the end of its rusty life. As we considered our options, my wife and I came up with a wild idea: save money and get exercise by replacing our vehicle with two wheels. Transfixed by this concept, we said goodbye to our clunker and hello to our very first ebike: the Rad Power Bikes RadWagon. It was powerful enough to transport two adults and large enough to carry all of our groceries and garage sale finds. Our beloved 2018 RadWagon is the reason we first fell in love with ebikes and the catalyst for our Ebike Escape website.
Although at this point our RadWagon is the oldest ebike we own, we still use it the most consistently. With the addition of our small human to our family, the RadWagon is handier than ever in transporting precious cargo.
We wanted to share with you answers to the most frequently Rad Power Bikes questions below to make your ebike search a little easier. Another great place to scope out answers, suggestions and a Rad community is our Rad Owners Forum.
Do Rad Power Bikes Ever Go On Sale?
Not really. Pre-sale orders or Black Friday (and end of year send-off sale) are the only times I have seen any markdown. The company even moved away from its various discount codes though they do still offer a refer a friend discount at the time of writing. As a direct consumer company, they pride themselves on fair pricing.
How Much are Rad Power Bikes?
Models range in price from the single speed $1,099 RadMission Electric Metro Bike to the $1,699 RadWagon Electric Cargo Bike Version 4. The RadRunner Plus also comes in at $1,699.
Who Makes Rad Power Bikes?
Mike Radenbaugh and co-founder Ty Collins are at the helm of Rad Power Bikes. Radenbaugh was an early ebike adopter when as a teenager he added a motor to his bike to get to high school. People were interested in his bike and began asking Radenbaugh to convert their bike too. Using his last name to brand his operation, Radenbaugh began Rad Power Bikes as a one-man bike conversion business. He has also mentioned that the word Rad means wheel in German as an origin for the company name.
Radenbaugh and Collins were childhood friends and college roommates. Radenbaugh brought Collins in as a co-founder when he wanted to expand Rad Power Bikes from a one-man bike conversion business to a company with its own line of ebikes. If you want to get to know Rad Power Bikes more, check out this excellent podcast with NPR’s How I Built This episode featuring Mike Radenbaugh.
Are Rad Power Bikes a Publicly Traded Company?
No. Rad Power Bikes is a privately owned company. The company raised $25 million in investment funds in 2020 and $150 million in 2021. As of 2021 they are the largest seller of electric bikes in North America.
Who Sells Rad Power Bikes?
Rad Power Bikes is a consumer-direct company based in Seattle Washington. They do not sell through third parties, dealers, etc. You can only buy their bikes through their website or their one retail location in Seattle. More retail location openings are slated for 2021.
This allows Rad Power Bikes to eliminate the markup needed to sell through third parties. The downside is that test driving opportunities are limited if you don’t live in Seattle. You can check if there is a rental fleet location near you or take a chance on a purchase and rely on their 14 day free trial.
Where are Rad Power Bikes Built?
Rad Power Bikes is a Seattle based company. Their bikes are designed in the USA and built in China.
Where do Rad Power Bikes Ship From?
The bikes are made in China and then shipped to their East Coast fulfillment center to be tested before sending to consumers.
Do Rad Power Bikes Come Assembled?
Partially. Some assembly is required, but it won’t feel like you are building the bike from scratch. Rad Power Bikes offers assembly videos on each of their models to make it a breeze to put together out of the box. If you would rather not deal with assembly though, you can pay your local bike shop to do the grunt work. You might also lucky enough to be located in a Rad Mobile Service area for assembly, delivery, and maintenance service.
Are Rad Power Bikes UL Certified?
All of Rad Power Bikes ebikes are EN 15194 certified. It is a goal for the company to certify all of its bikes to UL 2849 standards as they are released in the future. This process takes time but the quality team is working on it. (12/19/22)
How Do Rad Power Bikes Work?
All Rad Power Bikes have a rear hub motor and are powered by a rechargeable battery that uses high quality Samsung cells. There is also a controller (think of it as the brain of the bike). Information from the controller is shown on the LCD screen included on most models. The motor is engaged by a twist throttle or the pedal assist sensor. The pedal assist sensor works with magnets that determine when the pedals are spinning. Engaging the brakes on your Rad Power Bikes will immediately cut power to the motor.
How Fast are Rad Power Bikes?
Rad Power Bikes have a top speed of 20 mph with throttle or pedal assist. Rad Power Bikes are considered a class 2 federally regulated ebike in the U.S. No registration is required.
Which Rad Power Bike is Best?
Read our in-depth article and video on ‘Which Rad Power Bikes Model Is Best for You?‘. Since writing the article, we added a review for the new Radwagon 4. The Rad Power Bikes fit guide is also helpful to determine which models will fit you best.
Are Rad Power Bikes Any Good?
Yes! Our 2018 RadWagon has over 4,000 miles on it. Since then we have only replaced the brake pads. We have never regretted going down to a one-car family as our RadWagon serves our needs well. We ride it most of the year with the exception of subzero temperatures and epic snowstorms of our climate. Several of our family members have become Rad owners as well. Now over 200,000 people own Rad Power Bikes across the world.
When will my Rad Power Bike Arrive?
Shipping ranges from 1 to 6 business days depending on your distance from the Northwest. Once your bike ships, a confirmation will be sent via email. You’ll want to keep track of where the bike is as Rad Power Bikes requires a signature at time of delivery. If you aren’t home, Fedex allows you to manage your delivery including setting a vacation hold or holding it at a location.
Which Accessories Should I Buy for my Rad Power Bike?
Rad sells many accessories for the various models of Rad Power Bikes. You can check out this video of some of the most popular Rad Power Bikes accessories or check out all of the accessories offered by Rad Power Bikes. Here is a full list of all of the accessories we currently use on our electric bikes. You can also view our entire catalog of ebike accessories.
RadMini Step-Thru 2 
Unboxing my Brother’s RadWagon 4 
RadRover Step-Thru 1
Thank you to our sources for this article: Seattle Times, NPR, Rad Power Bikes
This website uses affiliate links to support the creation of new articles and more.
