The RadWagon 4 is Rad Power Bikes best option if you're looking for an e-bike to replace your car. It has a long-tail cargo frame that can be outfitted to haul just about anything, even two small human passengers! The RadWagon 4 is, obviously, the fourth generation of this model, and by this point it's a pretty polished product. It's cheaper than most competing cargo bikes, which means it's also equipped with more basic components than most competing cargo bikes. That's right, no responsive mid-drive motor here; the RadWagon 4 is rocking a 750-watt rear hub motor, with pedal assist activated by a simple cadence sensor. That means the pedaling experience won't be as responsive and will take some time to activate the motor, so you'll definitely be leaning on the half-grip twist throttle to get moving from a dead stop... especially if you're carrying a full load of cargo!
Although the components are basic they are feature complete. Bright integrated lights and full coverage fenders allow for safe and clean operation in the city, and the bike is highly adjustable thanks to a long seatpost tube and a tool-free adjustable stem. The frame is a sort of mid-step or "mixte", with two lower bars that allow for easier mounts and dismounts, but still provide good frame strength; that's important for a cargo bike! That's also why there is no front or rear suspension. When you're hauling lots of weight suspension doesn't perform as well, and usually it's more important to have the extra frame strength.
Unlike many cargo e-bikes the RadWagon 4 is equipped with a unique tire size of 22" in diameter by 3" wide. This gives them a bit more rolling efficiency than the typical 20x4 tires, which I'm a fan of. Unfortunately, this also makes them difficult tires to replace, because they're custom made by Rad Power Bikes; you're not going to find inner tubes of that size at your local bike shop.
General
Frame and Contact Points
Electronics
Bicycle Components
What Other Experts Are Saying
Before purchasing a personal electric vehicle costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars, it's important to do your research to make sure you get the right one! Even though we'd love to personally review every single EV out there, there's just too many out there for us to possibly cover them all. That's why we've worked hard to curate reviews from other experts in the industry. We only show an excerpt of each review here; please use the "Read Full Review" button to get the full story on their website and support their excellent work!
"Weighing in at 76.2 pounds and with a total bike length of 78.7 inches, the RadWagon 4 qualifies as being both heavy and long. These factors directly influence the bike's handling characteristics, giving it excellent stability at speed and a smooth, steady feel through long and medium-radius turns. It doesn't exactly have the shortest turning radius, and it can feel a bit bulky and sluggish at lower speeds and in tig..."
"Another feature that I didn’t even consider at first is the double-leg kickstand. The steel kickstand is more for a moped than a bicycle, but given that the RadWagon is already pushing 100 pounds, it’s nice to have a hearty kickstand to hold the thing up. It keeps the bike’s center of gravity upright and is a heck of a lot easier to put my child in the bike seat without having to lean to one side. The only thin..."
"This is the 4th generation RadWagon product! It was a solid product before, with all of the kinks having been worked out, but they completely updated it for gen 4 with a custom wheel size. The tires are small enough to keep it stable and make loading the racks easy, but large enough (and with special 3″ fat tires) to offer comfort, stability, and a lower attack angle for comfort. I would rate some of the hardware c..."
"Our least favorite thing about the RadWagon 4 is the custom 22 inch wheel size — we really wish they’d gone down to the more common 20-inch size, or had found some way to step up to 26-inch or another common size (or pair a 26-inch front with a 20-inch rear as on some competitors’ models. As things stand, the odd size makes replacement tires difficult to source since local shops are unlikely to carry anything..."
"As discussed later, the rear section has a number of potential set-ups, with various racks and running boards available to suit your needs. The standard build has a regular width wooden board running along the top of the frame rack, with a pair of wood-topped running boards located towards the rear, just below the height of the rear derailleur. Rad Power says that the rear rack has a 54kg weight limit, each running ..."
"One thing we feel could benefit the bike is harder gearing than it has. While the 1×7 gearing provides plenty of range, all the gears are quite easy and it doesn’t take long before it feels like you’re spinning out in your granny gear due to the assistance. A bigger front chainring paired with the 1×7 would help you push the bike up to speed, and would help maintain that speed more than the current 46t setup. T..."
"As I mentioned, the ride is better than ever thanks to the smaller wheels and redesigned frame. The previous RadWagon was already a pretty good ride, but could feel a bit gangly when the high rear rack was loaded down with an adult-sized passenger or lots of cargo. I found that while riding the RadWagon 4 without cargo on it, it basically felt like a typical e-bike during pretty much all scenarios outside of low-spe..."
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