The 2021 Rad Power eBike Lineup + Our Take On Each Model

First launched as a custom eBike startup by Mike Radenbaugh in 2007, Rad Power Bikes was at first a small conversion shop in Seattle, Washington. When Mike’s friend Ty Collins came to work at the shop, the brand was relaunched in 2015 as a direct-to-consumer business with easy online ordering and a wide selection of models.

As of 2019, Rad Power Bikes is one of the largest eBike brands in the world, with over 100,000 bikes sold in North America alone. In 2021, Rad Power Bikes was listed in the annual Time Magazine TIME100 Most Influential Companies, for revolutionizing the eBike industry and keeping thoughts focused on consumers first with new designs.

Rad Power RadMission Metro

The RadMission Metro is the eBike for the everyday commuter that wants no fuss, no frills, no gimmicks, just pure reliability. Styled like a “fixie bike” (fixed-gear ratio), a 500 W electric rear hub motor provides more than enough torque on demand when you start pedalling, giving up to 45 miles or more of pedal assist.

Pair that motor with a high capacity, 48 V, 10.5 aH, 504 Wh lithium ion battery pack that weighs less than 7 lbs, and you have a lightweight bike that will get you there and back. Twist-grip throttle, much like a moped or motorcycle, allows you to add a little power to the pedal assist, or you can open it fully if you need to cruise on the electric motor alone. It’s the power of choice that makes the RadMission Metro one of the best commuter bikes from Rad Power.

Rad Power RadRunner Utility

The Rad Power RadRunner Utility is the kind of eBike that no one thought they needed, but turns out to be one of the most versatile vehicles around. Capable of being classed as an electric moped due to having a 750 W geared rear hub motor and a 48 V, 14 aH lithium ion battery, the RadRunner can be customized into over 300 different combinations of accessories.

The seat can be mounted low and flush like a scooter, high like a pedal bike. The rear cargo shelf can be used as a pannier rack, a tie down rack, or have a cushion attached to turn it into a passenger seat. The bike has twist-and-go electric throttle capability and with pedal assist, it can reach well over 45 miles of range. And on top of that, with the wide tires, sliding out on gravel or dirt won’t happen, keeping you and your cargo (human or otherwise!) upright and going.

Rad Power RadMini Fat Bike Version 4

The RadMini Fat Bike is designed to be the affordable commuter’s dream folding bike. A 750 W rear hub motor, with 7 speed gearing for the pedal assist, and twist-and-go throttle if you need to have the electric motor take over. Front and rear fenders keep the rocks and dirt off of you, while the front suspension makes the ride comfortable and pleasant.

Using a robust locking hinge, the RadMini Fat Bike easily folds in two for under-desk storage at work, or will fit in most storage closets in change-rooms should your work have one. An integrated headlight and tail light also help if you have to ride home in the dusk or after dark. A backlit LCD display showing you the remaining power, current speed, and other vital information to keep you going, easily readable day or night.

Rad Power RadMini Step-Thru Fat Bike Version 2

Take the award winning design of the RadMini Fat Bike, remove the top tube, reinforce the bottom tube, and put an even more robust and durable locking hinge in. That’s what you need to make a RadMini Step-Thru Fat Bike. The same battery and motor, namely 48 V, 14 Ah, and 750 W rear hub, return, with the battery relocated to have better central balance.

The Step-Thru version of the RadMini Fat makes it even more convenient to use as a commuter bike, as it allows for easy mounting and dismounting. The handlebar stem is also reinforced so as to be able to take more of the bumps that the top bar in the standard version would help absorb, so that you have Rad Power reliability in an easy commuter style.

Rad Power RadCity Commuter Version 4

New for 2021, the fourth iteration of RadPower’s most popular bike, the RadCity Commuter, features upgrades and new motor and battery materials, making it the most powerful, yet lightest, version of the bike yet. A 48 V, 14 Ah lithium ion battery powers the rear hub 750 W motor, while the new aluminum alloy mixture for the frame sheds almost 2 lbs from the Commuter V3.

The RadCity Commuter also features a fixed rear rack for panniers or as a tie down rack, and an optional front basket or front rack can be fitted. The bike itself has 5 levels for pedal assist, up to 45 miles of range, and twist-and-go throttle up to 20 MPH. The fixed rack can carry up to 60 lbs, and the bike is rated for riders that are 275 lbs or less, giving you a total of 335 lbs combined carrying capacity, very robust for a commuter bike!

Rad Power RadCity Step-Thru Commuter Version 3

Unlike 95% of other Step-Thru designs, the RadCity Step-Thru Commuter does something interesting: it moves the handlebars closer to the rider. Most other designs are simply removing the top tube and reinforcing the bottom tube, but with Rad Power, they realized that with the reinforcement and having to angle the seat stem back a little, the handlebars could become difficult to reach.

When you’re talking about powered bikes, that can become a problem if you are grabbing for the handlebars and accidentally twist the throttle. So Rad Power took their RadCity Commuter bike, made it Step-Thru, but brought the handlebars back the same amount they raked the seat stem back. Thus, the RadCity Step-Thru commuter is everything you love about the RadCity Commuter, but with easier mounting and dismounting!

Rad Power RadRover Fat Bike Version 5

If the name wasn’t hint enough, the Rad Power RadRover Fat Bike is designed from the tires up to be a rough-and-tumble, no-nonsense trailblazer bike. And by “from the tires up,” they have done just so, lining the inside of the fat tires with aramid fabric (commonly known as Kevlar) and ceramic-particle impregnated fabric (known in the motorcycle world as SuperFabric). This makes the tires extremely puncture resistant.

180 mm mechanical disk brakes, 80 mm of travel on the front suspension, a long-duration 48 V, 14 Ah battery, and a 750 W rear hub geared motor that shares the 7-speed gearing with the 5 level pedal assist makes the RadRover able to handle the roughest roads and terrain. With over 100 accessories you can add, you can realistically make the RadRover Fat Bike into a true pathfinder, a bike to smash through the woods and down rough trails as easily as it smashes the Monday to Friday commute.

Rad Power RadRover Step-Thru Fat Bike Version 1

While technically not as rigid as its full framed brother, the RadRover Step-Thru Fat Bike is still quite capable of tackling the off-road trail, albeit with a much easier mounting and dismounting style. Like its cousin the RadCity, when Rad Power made the bike into a Step-Thru, the handlebars were brought back closer to the seat, due to the higher rake of the seat stem.

The same puncture-resistant, aramid and SuperFabric lined tires keep the RadRover Step-Thru rolling. The same 48 V, 14 Ah battery and 750 multi-speed rear hub motor also give pedal assist and twist-and-go throttle capability. It really is possible to have a comfortable, step-thru style off-roader!

Rad Power RadRunner Plus

Rad Power asked themselves a question: “What if we took our RadRunner Utility eBike, but added the most often selected accessories, and made the whole thing out of premium materials?” The answer: The RadRunner Plus. With an inspired retro step-through design, sweeping fenders that wouldn’t be out of place in the 1950’s, and the brightest premium LED headlamp in the eBike marketplace, the Plus is everything you want and more.

The same 48 V, 14 Ah lithium ion battery returns, as does the 750 W rear hub motor. However, a passenger seat is fitted as standard, and the bike has been subtly reinforced with more aluminum alloy struts and bars to bring its total passenger capacity to 300 lbs. With the rear seat removed, the Plus can take up to 350 lbs total payload including the rider. It also features the same type of puncture resistant, aramid and SuperFabric lined tires that the RadRovers use.

A premium bike for the eBike connoisseur.

Rad Power RadWagon 4 Electric Cargo Bike

Rad Power asked themselves another question after the success of the RadRunner Plus: “What if we made a RadRunner, but built stronger, longer, and meant for carrying even more stuff?” The answer is the RadWagon Cargo Bike, the first of its kind in the eBike marketplace. Using the same battery as RadRunner, what sets the RadWagon apart is twofold. Firstly, the 750 W rear hub motor has been reworked, delivering over 80 Nm of torque to get the bike moving. Secondly, the frame is capable of a gross total payload of up to 350 lbs if using two riders, and 400 lbs if used for low-slung cargo.

With reinforced aluminum tubing throughout, the RadWagon is a delivery rider’s dream. The rear cargo platform can be set up in hundreds of different ways, from two passengers, a widened cargo frame, oversized pannier lockers or saddlebags, and more. The frame is also intentionally low slung, with tires designed to reduce rolling resistance and help keep the center of balance at the crank level, giving the RadWagon exceptional stability. It truly is a bike that no one thought would be needed, but has sold well and is used throughout North America by both companies and customers alike.