Review: Rad Power Bikes RadRunner Max

In a market that is becoming increasingly more crowded (for the better, as getting more people on bikes is good for all of us), Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes has planted its flag as a brand that offers the fun and utility of an ebike at a lower cost than its competitors, thanks in large part to its direct-to-consumer model.

What started as a single-product brand quickly grew into what it is today: North America’s largest ebike manufacturer, with a line that includes off-road bikes, cargo bikes, folding bikes, and even a trike. The RadRunner Max takes one of the brand’s cornerstone models and jacks it up with plenty of upgrades, new styling, and cutting-edge battery technology aimed at keeping its owners safe.

Some Assembly Required

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

As a certifiable bike nut and a bit of a wrencher myself, I was not very concerned about assembling the bike when its massive, cartoon-adorned cardboard box arrived on my doorstep a few months ago. Armed with my portable bike shop (a fishing tackle box full of small bike tools and parts), my trusty torque wrench, and a rag or two, I cut open the box and emptied everything onto my garage floor and discovered that a Rad bike is no different than a piece of Ikea furniture. All I needed to build the bike was a trio of Allen keys and a small adjustable wrench, all of which were included in the packaging. Of course, a torque wrench wouldn’t hurt, as the bike’s assembly guide offers helpful torque recommendations for anything a user needs to tighten.

Going from a sealed box to a rideable bike took about 25 minutes, since all that required assembly was mounting the handlebars, front wheel, kickstand, front fender, and 450-lumen headlight. Everything else was ready to go straight out of the box.

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

The only knock I had during assembly is how, in an effort to protect the bike’s paint while in transit, much of its frame was covered in masking tape. While the tape did its job perfectly, it did leave plenty of residue on the RadRunner’s stunning hunter green finish (unfortunately the bike’s only color option). That left me reaching for my bottle of Goo Gone to scrub away all those would-be magnets for dirt and grime once out on the road.

Eager to try the bike, I forgot to add air to the tires once I had it fully built. I thought what's what led to the overly cushy ride feel, but then I realized that the bike came loaded with a front suspension unit that boasts 80 millimeters of travel. You may feel different, but unless I’m riding off road, I hate suspension. The first thing I did on realizing this was lean over and click the suspension setting to rigid. I did this while rolling down the street—that’s how easy it is to change the fork’s setting. Then I turned back up to my garage and added air to the tires.

Speaking of the tires, the only big issue I had with the rideability of the RadRunner was the absolutely massive fat tires that give the bike bit of a lumbering feel, especially when riding with any bit of speed. Granted, between the massive amounts of rubber beneath the bike and the front suspension, you can easily dial the RadRunner so as to not feel anything beneath you as you roll around town.

Fire Ban

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

A major concern for ebike owners (current and prospective alike) is the notion of thermal runaway, which is the official terminology for “lithium-ion batteries catching fire.” It’s been a concern for some time. Rad Power Bikes has been at the center of at least a few of these incidences over the years, but the RadRunner Max has the brand's Safe Shield batteries, which debuted last year and which remedy any potential for thermal runaway.

Safe Shield earns the batteries a UL-2271 certification. It encapsulates the batteries’ cells in a heat-absorbing resin so that any fire remains localized and will (hopefully) extinguish itself. The battery is also semi-integrated into the frame, giving the bike a much sleeker and more high-minded look than iterations past.

The bike’s Dutch-style step-through design, combined with its telescoping seat post, makes it an easy family vehicle, as both my wife (5’6”) and I (6’4”) can easily adjust and climb on the RadRunner Max. That said, when I adjust the RadRunner Max to my riding specs, it requires pulling the seat tube to its maximum height setting. Even then, my legs felt a bit jammed in during rides. If only I had checked before heading out, I would have taken note of the range—from 4’11” to 6’2”. Still, I was able to cover plenty of miles with no pain or discomfort. Still, I would not recommend the RadRunner Max to anyone taller than me.

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

Where it might fall short in height accomodation, however, the 750-watt, 90 newton-meter motor housed in the bike’s rear hub—which can power the bike to a maximum 28 miles per hour—provided plenty of juice to get me and all of my 260 pounds easily up and over any of Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s endlessly undulating bumps. With a combination of pedal assist and hand-grip throttle, an eight-speed rear derailleur covering a wide-enough 11- to 34-tooth cassette, the RadRunner Max handled riding around with aplomb over the few weeks I spent testing it.

The pedal assist features five modes that range from completely off to full power, but there were definitely times where I cranked the throttle and treated the RadRunner more like a moped than anything else. Though it’s scientifically impossible to prove, this is probably when the smile on my face was at its biggest.

Of course, the more power used, the faster I watched the battery run down on the RadRunner’s massive, full-color display. Hoping to get anywhere near the bike’s claimed 60 miles of range, I did my best to keep the motor set between 1 or 2 on flats and completely off on descents. Thanks to the bike’s manageable thumb buttons, switching between settings became second nature within seconds.

And, as stopping is equally important as riding, the RadRunner’s massive 180-mm rotors, which boast 2.3 mm of thickness and are operated by hydraulic brakes, gave me plenty of stopping power, even as I was rolling down a 12-percent hill one rainy afternoon.

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

On the safety and security front, the RadRunner Max features two major upgrades beyond its new battery. First, its rear light not only boasts turn signals but also radar, which alerts riders to traffic coming up on them within 100 meters, even displaying the vehicle’s speed. It also alerts drivers: Its rear light will blink when it detects traffic.

Second, the RadRunner Max is loaded with redundant safekeeping measures which include a key fob, Bluetooth connectivity to your phone, an option for passcode unlock (and the ability to assign multiple passcodes for multiple users), and even a built-in Apple Find My feature, which will help you track down your bike if anyone lifts it. Me? I’m old-school, so I simply wound my U-lock and cable through the bike’s rear rack, which not only boasts a reported 120-pound capacity but also has an additional battery mount, where a second unit can double the bike’s claimed 60-mile range.

Is the RadRunner Max perfect? Hardly. Then again, no bike is (other than, of course, a hand-painted Dario Pegoretti, but I still can’t convince WIRED to let me test one of those. While it may fall a bit short in height (no pun intended), ride feel (at least for me), and color options (though the hunter green finish with Rad’s signature orange badging certainly pops), the RadRunner Max more than compensates in utility, ease of use, cool new safety features, and, perhaps most importantly, fun factor.