Radster Trail Review: The Ultimate Blend of Utility and Adventure

I would like to thank you for your review. I think it was well done and fairly concise. I do have to mention something that does concern me though. At about 6:27 in the video you show something that if followed, could (and has happened many times to unknowing owners) cause the bike to fail. The battery charge port should NEVER be accessed by using the key. The rubber cover should only be opened with your fingers. If you use the key and accidentally touch the plug contact, it WILL blow the internal fuse. This will cause the battery to stop functioning until the fuse is replaced. The fuse on these semi integrated batteries are not easy to replace and has caused much consternation with owners who don't possess the skills to fix it. I am not sure if you can edit the video (or add a warning to the video at that point in the review) so that viewers (who don't read the comments), follow your advice in the video, and end up causing major problems for themselves. Keep up the fine work.

nice work

Great review. I’m buying one

I was quite concerned about Rad and the future but I'm happy they had the capital and leadership to put out this one and the other 2 new models, they are a real solid choice for a company that was lagging behind.

Heat-absorbing is the term Rad uses. It’s to pull conduct heat away while providing both protection from and to contain mechanical shock (external or a cell whose own fail-safe didn’t prevent thermal runaway if the BMS didn’t prevent it) and additional protection against water intrusion and corrosion from condensation.

I hope these four new/updated models do well for Rad. They’ve addressed the lackluster motor issue while keeping them well within legal restrictions. I’m not aware of any other 100Nm hub motor that does it while keeping peak power draw at 750W. And they went beyond almost all other brands as far as battery safety with ternary lithium chemistry. I think Luna is the only other brand to pot their batteries. And they went through the effort and expense to obtain both UL 2271 for the batteries and 2849 for the entire e-bikes. As far as the Trail, I think the front fender is too short. I use a clip-on fender that provides more coverage and it still works well when riding off-road. However, I’m glad they went with tires skinner than the typical sluggish 4in. All that said, you sure seemed to enjoy riding the Radster Trail! Bummer you got tossed off the natural trails though. One characteristic almost never mentioned about torque sensor e-bikes is how much control they give you in slow twisty stuff. Cadence sensor e-bikes are very likely to make you lose control, if not fall off the bike, due to the jerky on/off nature of the motor assist (especially ones with speed-setting PAS), so you have to navigate that stuff without power or get off and walk the bike through it. When you mention you don’t notice a drop-off in performance when the battery is half-depleted due to how well the BMS manages power, I wonder if their electronics (in the battery or controller) are regulating voltage supplied to the motor while monitoring the actual battery voltage. It could be a side benefit if they’re capping power supplied to the motor at 750W by regulating voltage at the high end - they can also boost and regulate it when the battery drops below that regulated voltage. If that’s what they’re doing, they should advertise it as voltage sag impact on performance is noticeable with most e-bikes.

Another great review, Tyson! Your review of the Aima Big Sur was a major deciding factor for me when I bought the bike, and I've been very happy with it! And I didn't know that you live in Fort Collins, what a great place to ride bikes, my sister lives nearby in Wellington!

That was an excellent review. Hoping the Rover gets the same upgrades in the near future. I need the fat tires where I ride.

I really enjoyed your video. I love the area that you rode. There aren't any walking/biking paths next to the roads where I live in Ohio. That is nice.

Very nice, detailed review. Really appreciate the ride testing! I'm trying to choose between this bike the Ride 1 Up Rift. The 750w limitation on this bike is the one thing that sticks out to me. Really wish they would allow it to peak up to 1000w. Really like the 100nm of torque though, but the Rift has 95nm of torque, so I think they are pretty similar in this area.

Great review. Does anyone know if you can unlock the bike to class 3 in Canada? I have a 2023 Radrover 6 plus in Canada and the advanced settings let you bring the bike up to 40km/h. Wondering if the same can be done with this bike?

Great review and ride test, thank you. Can you remind me how tall you are? And how was your leg extension while riding? (During the on-road, one handed riding it looked like perhaps your legs were still fairly bent when at “full” extension, but you tell me.) I’m 6’2” with a 33” riding inseam and I want to ensure the large version of this bike isn’t too small.

Great review, I have ordered a Rad Rover 6 plus 2024. But I now wonder if this model might have been a better choice.

3 inch tires are the best for all applications all-around.

Heavily considering picking one of these up. Quick question, with polarized sunglasses are you able to see the display?

Hi, pretty interesting, im hesitant between this Radster trail and the Aventon Level2 , what would you recommend? Thanks

There should be an option to get a bigger battery! 14 Ah is a thing of the past.

I have a 5+ ST and the torque deficiency and general feel of lacking frame rigidity is off putting so I'm going to upgrade. have not ridden this one yet to see if they improved enough to consider. I still can't figure out what sort of sorcery they used to get 90 nm out of a 750 hub. I enjoyed your review but I really wish there was a national publication like there is for cars where bikes were put on a dynamometer. Area 13 is the only reviewer I know with a dyno. That's the only way to really know if manufacturers claims are accurate.

I wonder if those wheels and tires would fit my RadCity 5 plus?

How well do you believe the Radster Trail will do on sand at the beach?