Ebike Industry Updates

I found the Radster’s motor to be one of its best features; with 750W of power, the ride felt exhilarating! The torque sensor was remarkably responsive, which created a smooth, fun, and natural experience.

I also liked that the bike had such flexibility in its speeds; where the previous generation of Rad’s bikes were limited to a Class 2 setting, the Radster offers the ability to switch between Class 1 (no throttle), Class 2 (throttle and PAS up to 20 mph), Class 3 Limited (PAS up to 25), and full Class 3 (PAS up to 28) speeds. In Class 3 settings, the throttle functions up to 20 mph.

The Radster Road is offered in two frame sizes: a Regular that fits riders from 4’11” to 5’8” and a Large for those between 5’7” and 6’4”. In terms of comfort, the bike checked most of the boxes that we look for. Our test riders (who are mostly in the 6’ range) were generally comfortable on the Large frame; we thought the saddle felt soft and supportive, while the handlebars and grips themselves were shaped well. With that in mind, the handlebar height and riding position felt somewhat awkward, blending Dutch/commuter styling in an unexpected way. To compensate for this, I found myself lowering the saddle and reducing my leg extension to balance out the fit, but this was not ideal.

For the record, we tested the Radster Road and the Radster Trail simultaneously, and found that the Trail’s low-rise handlebars felt much better, and more suited to the bike’s geometry. Fit and comfort are personal factors, so we recommend trying the bike to determine if changes are needed; the Radster Road’s stem and handlebars can be replaced if needed with relatively minimal cost and effort (though this is still an extra step).

The Radster’s frame design varies between sizes. The Regular offers a true step-thru design and a sub-20” standover height, while the Large features what I would dub a mid-step frame with a 24” standover. Prospective owners using a bike rack should consider its weight, as even with the battery removed, the bike’s 67.5 lbs is above average for a commuter. We liked the bike’s design overall, however, as it follows the industrial styling of 2023’s RadRunner 3 Plus.

While the handlebars do not have an adjustable stem, you can adjust the tilt of the handlebars towards or away from yourself along with the seat post height to dial-in a fit that you find comfortable.

The cockpit has a full-color LCD display that has a smart take on e-bike security, in the form of a proximity key fob. This adds another layer of theft protection as the bike’s motor cant be activated without either a 4-digit passcode, or a swipe of your key fob.

Aside from updated theft tech, the LCD display shares quite a bit of other handy information. Of course, It can show the basics like current speed and PAS setting, and the odometer, but it shares even more, like current wattage being used and the estimated range left until empty, so you can plan accordingly with no surprises.

The Radster Trail does have a Suntour SR front hydraulic suspension fork with 80mm of travel. I found this fork to feel pretty good when dropping off curbs or going over the occasional rock. However, due to the upright riding position here my center of gravity is positioned mostly on the seat post, it did not offer much shock absorption in day-to-day paved path rides.

When it comes to ride quality of the Radster Trail, it’s hard not to talk about the tires. The tires on the Radster Trail are made by Kendra and measure at 27.5 x 3.0” with an off-road tread pattern. Aside from looking great with their tan sidewalls, the choice to go with a 3 inch tire over the more commonly seen 4.0 (or bigger), in our opinion, was a great choice. The handling of the 3 inch tire just feels better in cornering and handling overall while still being wide enough to inspire confidence when tackling the trail off the beaten path. Sure, there is a little road noise when you are on paved surfaces, but that’s to be expected with any off-road tire.

Its Dutch-inspired design offers an upright, relaxed riding position for excellent visibility. While the Beaumont Rev 2 lacks suspension (common for its class and price), the wide, leather seat provides surprising cushioning and absorbs bumps better than you might expect.

The Compass 27.5 x 2.4″ tires feature a semi-slick tread we found to be quiet when rolling and the traction felt reliable. Retrospec suggests this bike is ideal for riders from 5′ to 5’10” – likely due to the non-adjustable stem. Interestingly, at 5 ’11”, I still found the Beaumont comfortable throughout my testing.

Also, the low step-over frame height of just 19.35 inches makes mounting and dismounting much easier – a welcome touch for any rider..

The Beaumont Rev 2 boasts practical features for daily commuting, including front and rear metal fenders, a rear rack rated for 22 lbs, and AA battery-powered front and rear lights.

Staying true to its budget-conscious nature, the bike forgoes an LCD display. Instead, it has a simple indicator panel on the left handlebar showing battery and pedal assist levels, with corresponding adjustment buttons. Unfortunately, the thumb throttle’s placement is a bit awkward. I found myself instinctively reaching for the throttle when intending to change assist levels, requiring a conscious effort to ensure I hit the correct button. A revised control layout would improve this aspect of the user experience.

The Sixthreezero EVRYjourney 250W Electric Tricycle comes with an unbranded front cable v-brake and in the rear, a drum brake. Since we don’t see rear drum brakes (or v-brakes for that matter) often, we were interested in how this setup would score in our brake test.

Once the bike reached 15 mph, Griffin, our brake tester, applied the brakes over 3 runs and the EVRYjourney 250W E-trike scored an average stopping distance of 21’ 7” (or 259 inches). Now, at first glance, that’s a really good score as our average across all the bikes we have tested is right around 21 feet. Well, if you filter that data to account for only e-trikes, the average stopping distance is 13’ 5”.

For context, the max speed of the e-trikes we have tested is around 14-16 mph as opposed to the other classes we test where nearly all others are tested at 20 mph. So, when you look at the filtered data, the result of the EVRYjourney 250W E-trike falls really short for its performance in this e-trike class.

With that said, in my testing this week, I did notice the front v-brake only offered minimal stopping power, even at a full pull of the brake levers all the way back to the grip. The rear drum brake felt better, but only brought us to a rolling stop, without any immediate stopping power as you would want to see in a scenario where you had to make an unexpected stop.

When I dig more into how this could be fixed, I took a look at other bikes in the trike class. I found that nearly all of them offered disc brakes, including Sixthreezeros own Easy Folder trike, which at only $300 more in price came equipped with front and rear disc brakes.