Two of our team members got their hands on the RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru Electric Commuter Bike and decided to take it for a spin around Calgary and the surrounding area. 10Adventures founder Richard Campbell is a frequent biker who had never ridden an electric bike, while co-founder Lynn Campbell hadn’t been in the saddle for nearly 10 years, making this an interesting test to see how the bike would fit with different experience levels and how the style would work for each type of rider. Read on to discover how each of them fared and whether they enjoyed their adventures on the RadCity 5 Plus!
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Testing and Verdict
Looking to ditch the car for a more enjoyable commute? The RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru Electric Commuter Bike is an excellent option with all of the features you need. RadCity boasts an estimated range of 45-80 kilometers depending on the terrain and conditions, and while we didn’t push the battery completely to its limit, our testing team determined that those numbers were likely not far off.
With a sleek and sturdy design, both Richard and Lynn felt confident that the bike would be able to handle everything they could throw at it. Richard thoroughly tested the RadCity 5 Plus in his neighbourhood, before taking it further afield to get groceries and tackle his morning commute. Lynn on the other hand decided to take the bike for a series of rides on dedicated bike paths and through nearby parks.
Our verdict: The RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru is a practical electric bike that gives you the freedom to explore on your own terms, pedaling when you want to and utilizing the motor when you need a break.
Overview
The RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru is a great option for anyone who does a lot of city biking or is actively looking for an greener alternative to driving their car every day. This bike has so many features that make it a joy to ride, while also avoiding a design that is too complicated/bulky. The result: a sleek bike that is as fun as it is practical.
Key features
The RadCity 5 Plus has a tonne of great features that are worth highlighting – outside of those we’ve already covered, of course!
Motor
For anyone who dreads climbing up hills – particularly if there are lots of them! – the RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru has a custom 500W motor that is more than capable of traversing inclines with ease.
Display
The RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru has an incredible backlit LCD display that is easy to use and provides plenty of information at a quick glance, including:
- Battery level
- Pedal assist system level
- Headlight-on indicator
- Wattage meter
- Clock
- Speedometer
- Odometer
Battery Life
As mentioned above, the 589-672Wh battery of the RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru can provide an estimated range of 28.0mi–49.7mi, making the bike ideal for computers and those needing to ride around town without recharging.
Sizing
The RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru accommodates an inseam of 25-33 inches, making it ideal for riders between 4’8” and 6’0”.
Payload Capacity
If you are looking for a workhorse bike that can help you carry groceries or other cargo, then the 275 lb capacity of the RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru will be more than enough to handle whatever you can throw at it.
Accessories
While the RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru has plenty of built-in features, there are also a bunch of accessories you can add to fully kit out your ride, should you so desire. Check out the list of compatible RadCity accessories.
Pros and Cons
Our team members detailed the pros and cons of riding around on the RadCity 5 Plus in a number of different locations and situations:
Pros for Richard
- First off, this was so much fun that I was smiling right from the get go.
- Super easy to control speed.
- It’s so quiet. I think that is something unique that makes the experience of riding much more fun.
- Made going up hills on my commute so easy!
- Every possible gadget was on this bike, so no need to figure out where to get a light/bell/kickstand/etc.
- Easy to set up. I’m not super good at playing mechanic, but this only took about 90 minutes. The only challenge was getting the light on (which was actually super simple once I figured it out).
Pros for Lynn
- As a designer, I really liked the look of the bike.
- Easy to ride and control.
- Super fun to use. Completely different from the slog of riding a bike.
- It’s fun to be able to go out after dinner on a ride without worry that I’ll get too tired.
- Ability to keep up with Richard on longer bike rides, ideally progressing to a bike tour next summer on car-free roads.
Cons for Richard
- Only negative is that it is heavy, so you’ll want to have an easy way to get this bike from your home to the road without steps.
- I am so used to my road bike that this was almost too easy. I would sometimes find myself just enjoying the electric ride and not pedaling.
- I found going down narrow twisty downhills is not a natural skill, so I ended up taking these very slow. I even walked one notoriously narrow switchback just to be on the safe side.
Cons for Lynn
- None, I love riding this bike. I also love that it has everything I need on the bike.
Conclusion
The RadCity 5 Plus Step Thru Electric Commuter Bike is an excellent ride that can fill a number of different roles, even swapping out for your car to avoid the busy morning commute. While it is a bit on the heavier side for a bike, it does come with all of the bells and whistles, and even has a good amount of storage that our team considered to be a fair trade-off.
If you are in the market for a durable bike that blends the pleasure of riding a traditional bike with the ease and comfort of going electric, then the RadCity 5 Plus should definitely be on your radar!
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