Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 E-Bike Review – 2024

The RadExpand’s 48V, 14Ah (672Wh) battery is of Rad’s standard size; pretty much every Rad e-bike we’ve ever tested has used a battery this size (with the exception of the RadMission 1). It also seems to be the battery size of choice for most of Rad’s competitors, so we expected to see a fairly standard result from our range testing of this bike.

We did three range tests on the RadExpand, the first in PAS 1 to get an idea for how the bike would go if you were to use the motor very sparingly, and the second in PAS 4 to get an idea of the range if you were to ride the bike aggressively – but we ended up doing this one twice since we had some strange results.

Originally we saw a little over 18 miles which is what we recorded in the video review. After seeing that result, Rad reached out to see if we wouldn’t mind running it again as that is well below what they’ve tested and received. Sure enough, it performed much better on the second go around. It’s possible we had a misleading full battery readout on the LED display since there is no percentage indicator. However, we’re plenty happy to see a better result.

In PAS 1 the RadExpand lasted for 43.83 miles before dying and in PAS 4 we were able to get 33.4 miles before the battery tuckered out.

Those are good results that we’ve come to expect from the several new e-bikes from Rad we’ve tested recently. While we typically like to see a 1:1 motor wattage rating to a battery’s watt-hours, this goes to show to not count something out till you’ve seen how the tests come back. I’d wager this one is going to serve the average rider very well for multiple trips.

Uphill, the RadExpand 5 performed very nicely.

To sample its climbing ability we did two timed tests on the bike up our designated test hill Hell Hole, once using just the throttle and again using PAS 4.

At a third of a mile long with pitches over 12 percent, Hell Hole is a substantial hill that frequently bests the e-bikes we pit against it. Nevertheless, in both our tests, the RadExpand 5 did just fine.

In the throttle only test, typically the toughest because the bike is relying on motor power alone, the RadExpand 5 cleared the top in 1:33.00 with an average speed of 11.7 mph. Switch that to PAS 4 and add the help of my legs, and the Rad bettered its time to 1:17.00 at an average speed of 14.1 mph.

Neither of those times are blazing fast, but they are quick, especially when compared against other Rad Power Bikes e-bikes we’ve reviewed. Its throttle only time is just four seconds off the quickest Rad in that test, the RadMini 4, which is worth noting is a time set by a former colleague of mine who weighs a good 20 lbs less than me — giving that bike a likely advantage.

The RadExpand 5 is specced with a set of mechanical disk brakes from a brand called Radius.

This is the first set of mechanical disk brakes we’ve seen from Radius and only the second set of any type of brake from that brand we’ve tested. We first saw them in hydraulic form on the Vvolt Proxima, where they performed well in our testing.

That trend has continued with their mechanical model fitted to the RadExpand 5. In our brake test, where we bring the bike up to 20 mph five times and slam on the brakes as hard as possible to get an average stopping distance, the RadExpand 5 and its Radius brakes performed above average. Coming to a stop on average in 13-feet 9-inches.

That’s several feet better than our current all-time average stopping distance of 15-feet 6-inches.

One thing that’s notably missing on the RadExpand 5 that we saw on the RadMini 4 is a suspension fork. This new version of Rad’s folding bike is rigid. Aside from the fat tires, there’s nothing to take that edge off rough patches.

After testing this bike, I think there’s some pros and cons to the decision to nix the fork.

On the cons side, the ride is a little rougher. On nasty asphalt or when hitting a bump you can feel more. Tire pressure is going to be key here, as those fat tires can work as a sort of suspension when inflated correctly, but don’t set the pressure too low or risk getting a flat.

On the plus side, it does simplify the bike and remove one of the most failure prone components, especially among low-cost e-bikes. Suspension is complicated and expensive — reliable suspension is even more complicated and expensive. The best front suspension forks on the market right now cost almost as much as this entire e-bike, and the cheap stuff can sometimes fail. Which means you either need to replace it or your bike becomes an ornament for the corner of your garage.

For me, I take the latter perspective. I ride lots of e-bikes for lots and lots of time, and I’ve seen some of the budget forks fail or degrade in performance to the point that they’re just not really doing anything anymore — and that degradation in performance can happen a lot quicker than you’d expect. To me, its lack of a fork makes me think this is an e-bike built for the long run (it also helps keep cost down).

Next I want to point to this bike’s cockpit, where there is another thing missing that you normally see on electric folding bikes. But this time, there’s no point in talking about pros and cons. This time, it’s a definite pro.

There’s no handlepost.

The handlepost is this big adjustable stalk mechanism we see on folding bikes that allows the bars to move up and down and be folded next to the frame. They work, but they can also be flexy, rattly and often use narrow handlebars that quicken the already notoriously quick folding bike handling.

Instead, Rad has fitted the RadExpand with a set of BMX-style riser bars. They still fold — Rad appears to have come up with a handlepost-inspired folding mechanism — but it’s far better than the handle posts I’ve used in the past.

That simple change has made this bike probably the best handling folder in its class in my opinion.

Lastly, I want to talk a bit about how this e-bike handles off-road. It’s marketed as an off-road capable e-bike, this style of folder has become very popular with the RV and National Park-hopping crowd, it uses fat knobby tires and I know many of you watching this are probably envisioning some sort of adventure in the dirt on this thing.

So can this go off-road? Yes, but like nearly every other e-bike sold at this price point, there are limitations and some things to consider.

To put it short, I’d assess this e-bike as ready for smooth dirt roads and maintained gravel paths. Basically anywhere you could take a standard Subaru Outback.

The tires do grip fairly well in dirt and they do help with bumps, but the lack of suspension means this bike really transmits bumps and vibrations directly into your body. You can feel a lot when riding it.

Whether that’s a pro or a con is up for debate. Some people will appreciate being able to “feel” the ground beneath them, others might not.

Aside from the opener of this review, I haven’t spent a lot of time talking about this bike’s folding abilities. And I’ve actually done that on purpose.

That’s not for any bad reason or because folding is an afterthought, but, unlike some of the Euro fast folders, this isn’t designed as a compact folding bike that also rides nicely, it’s designed as an e-bike that rides really nicely but also can fold.

Rad appears to have put the ride quality first, which is a really, really good thing for this particular e-bike. The folding mechanism does work nicely — the whole thing gets pretty compact and the latch is sturdy and holds the frame together securely — but what makes this bike shine is its performance while riding.

Rad has done a good job here of breaking the mold and moving away from some features of affordable folding e-bikes we’d previously considered as standard-issue. Things like handleposts and folding pedals, which do serve a purpose, but arguably aren’t needed in the more American-style of folding e-bikes.

They went out on a limb by excluding those things, and I think it paid off.

I like the new RadExpand 5, I think Rad did a great job of making a low-budget folder that performs very, very well. Its ride quality is spectacular, it still folds nicely and they’ve done a nice job of balancing cost effectiveness with performance.

If you’re interested in the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5, you can order the bike from Rad’s website and have it shipped to your door. Or, if you prefer to have it built by a professional (I’d highly recommend this), Rad will ship your bike to a partner dealer that will professionally assemble your new ride.

‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5.