Have you had a chance to check out our new electric tricycle yet?
Since we announced the RadTrike last week, it’s garnered a lot of attention as Rad Power Bikes’ first three-wheeled model — and the folks at Electric Bike Review have even described it as one of the best electric trikes being produced.
While Rad riders will have an opportunity to take one home next month, we wanted to give you a quick behind-the-scenes peek into this latest model’s tech and specs.
More Stability
We knew that turning capabilities were going to be one of our riders’ biggest concerns, and our team took that into account with our design decisions.
If you look closely, you’ll see we've built a wider rear axle and capped the top speed at 14 mph to help riders ease into corners.
Still, we know that riding an etrike can feel different than riding a two-wheeled ebike. For added peace of mind, the RadTrike comes with a quick-reference card that gives our riders instructions for best handling turns.
For even greater detail, you can check out the Turning and Maneuvering section in the owner's guide. Like with any model, you should still ride 100% responsibly, but there’s a method to our Radness!
(P.S.: To see more on how it handles turns, check out this write-up from the experts at the Verge.)
More Comfort
Comfort goes beyond our large adjustable saddle and backrest. Our designers sought out to ensure the RadTrike can provide maximum ease throughout every interaction with the etrike.
Here are a few of our favorite new features:
The Parking Brake
A model this unique calls something never-before-seen on any of our previous models: a parking brake.
“It cuts off the power, even if the etrike is still on,” Industrial Designer Trevor Knapp told us. “If you need to park your RadTrike on a hill, you can be confident that it'll still be there when you come back.”
Reverse Functionality
“We didn't want customers navigating in tight spaces to have to get off the trike and push it backwards,” Knapp explained. “One feature that we were really excited about was the reverse function.
To backtrack, all riders have to do is hold down the PAS button, twist the throttle, and the RadTrike will steadily move backward – no pedaling needed.
Simple Storage & Transportation
Want to take your etrike on a road trip? Or store it in-between rides? No sweat. The RadTrike features a fold-down stem that makes it more convenient for transport and storage.
Plus, if you don’t plan on storing it in a garage, its width was specifically designed to fit through standard household front doors.
More Wheels
One of the most important goals for the team was to simply make sure that the RadTrike was a joy to ride.
“The RadTrike is about getting out and staying active, so it was important for us to design something that looks and feels adventurous and exciting, and is fun to look at as well as fun to ride,” according to Senior Product Manager Sarah Bruce Courtney.
This meant making it accessible to more riders than ever before, which can be seen in the smaller details, like the low-step frame and a carrying capacity that complemented riders of varying weights.
“If you ever get to hang out at our retail store, it's super fun to watch customers ride our ebikes for the first time and see them come back with a big grin on their face, which we like to call the RadGrin,” Courtney said. “The most I can hope for is that we've got a whole new rider base that comes in, tries this bike, and has that grin when they step off it.”
And speaking of which, the RadTrike is available for free test rides now at Rad Retail locations.
Our electric trike is available for preorder now and will start shipping January 17th.
