Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru Electric Bike Review Part 2: Ride & Range Test [VIDEO]

The Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru is a compact and comfortable folding eFat bike with 750 watts of kick!

The 4″+ wide compact road tires make the RadMini Step-Thru a sporty, stable, and fun eFolder with a highly maneuverable ride feel. 

And the low 16″ step-thru area makes it very easy to get on and off. 

With a 48V 14ah high capacity battery, the RadMini Step-Thru recorded impressive mileage in the range test. 

Adding to all of that is the ability to fold this eBike for storage and transport. 

In this second part of the full review you will get an idea of the ride characteristics, range test results, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this electric bike.

Make sure you check out part 1 of this review with large pictures and specifications to get a detailed look at this e-bike.

What you can expect from the RadMini Step-Thru:

To get acquainted with the Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru, checkout this video:

Rad Power Bikes also makes a step-over frame RadMini >with 4″ wide off-road fat tires. The step-over model fits riders from 5′-2″ to 6′-2″.

The RadMini Step-Thru is designed to fit a range of rider sizes from 4′-10″ to 5′-10″.

Riding the RadMini Step-Thru:

Overall there are some characteristics of the RadMini Step-Thru that really stand out when riding this electric fat bike. To summarize they are:

• Stable fat tire ride feel with nimble handling
• Sporty & fun 750 watt motor with pedal assist & throttle
• Long range with high capacity Samsung cells battery

The Look & Feel of the RadMini Step-Thru

The RadMini Step-Thru is a unique looking eBike with its compact design, swooping step-thru area, and road style fat tires. 

And when you look closely the folding elements further add to its standout design. 

The 20″ x 4.25″ Kenda Krave tires are a big highlight in the looks and ride style of the RadMini Step-Thru.

Rad Power Bikes has partnered with Kenda to create specific tires for their eBikes and the Kraze tires have a bold look that almost looks like a motorcycle tire with its huge width and relatively slick tread pattern. 

The large tread patch that contacts the ground gives the bike a very stable ride feel and the large air volume of the tires provides a bit of built in suspension to smooth out the ride. 

The 20″ wheels with the low 16″ step-thru area gives the bike a very approachable look and design that make it easy to get on and off. 

In addition, the compact wheels have a very fun nimble ride feel that is helpful when maneuvering through busy areas. 

Generally compact folding bikes have narrow handlebars that can have a twitchy ride feel but the RadMini Step-Thru has a fairly wide handlebar for a more stable ride feel. 

Speaking of the handlebar area, the handlebar mast has 3″ of vertical adjustment so that you can dial it in to fit your riding style and height.

The RadMini Step-Thru has a focus of being a more upright and comfortable ride style eBike. 

The seat also has 7″ of vertical adjustment with the bike fitting riders in height from 4′-10″ to 5′-10″.

The handlebar grips have a comfortable ergonomic grips shape that adds some wrist support to further the bikes stable ride feel. They did rotate slightly during rides which could be helped by possibly glueing the grips to the handlebar or you could upgrade to grips that have lock on collars.

In addition to the large air volume tires smoothing out the ride, there is also the RST spring suspension fork that provides 2.4″ or 60mm of travel. 

This suspension fork has a very active feel that does help to absorb some of the larger bumps and cracks in the road. 

The spring rate is adjustable to fit your riding style and weight and there is also a lockout dial.

This is helpful for overall riding efficiency when riding on smooth roads because you can maximize your pedal power by preventing the suspension from moving. 

Now let’s take a closer look at the step-thru folding frame.

6061 aluminum has been shaped and reinforced to create a frame that provides the low 16″ step-thru area, fitting the 4.25″ wide fat tire, a central battery location, and foldability.

That is all pretty impressive and the result is that the RadMini Step-Thru has a stable ride feel with very minimal side to side flex. 

It has also been designed to carry cargo with the optional front and rear racks that can also be outfitted with baskets and/or bags. Rad Power Bikes has a number of optional accessories.

There is some internal cable routing in the frame for clean looks and cable protection. 

Not only does the RadMini Step-Thru have a compact size for riding it also folds down to be more compact for transport or storage. 

Once you get used to the process of folding it takes about 30 seconds to fold. 

There is a quick release lever at the handlebar mast the folds the handlebar assembly down, then the pedals are folded, and then the frame is folded in half. There is also the option of lowering the seat with the seat post quick release. 

The seat has a handle on the back that is useful for maneuvering the bike in the folded and unfolded configurations. 

Folding is good for storing at home and/or work and it also makes it easier to transport in a car or mass transit.

At 68.7 pounds the Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru provides a workout when picking it up! When the battery is removed it weighs 61 pounds. 

Now let’s take a closer look at the drive system.

The kick of the RadMini Step-Thru is provided by a 750 watt Bafang geared rear hub motor that has a max torque of 80Nm. 

It provides assist up to 20 mph with pedal assist or throttle which makes this a Class 2 electric bike. 

In the higher assist levels (4 & 5) the RadMini Step-Thru can really fly! That includes steeper hills and accelerating quickly from a stop. 

Level 3 pedal assist provides a mellower ride but it still provides some kick. Its a good all around riding mode.

Levels 1 & 2 are easy going pedal assist levels for casually cruising around the neighborhood and maneuvering through crowded areas. 

The pedal assist system is based on a cadence sensor that provides assist when it detects that you are pedaling. 

The assist is added in about a half turn of the cranks revolution and it stops the assist when you stop pedaling.

There are sensors in both brake levers that will stop the assist as soon as either lever is engaged.

The other assist option is the twist grip throttle that can be used when pedaling or not. In the lower pedal assist levels it is also a way to get an extra boost when climbing a steep hill or for getting through an intersection quickly. 

There is an on/off button for the throttle so you can disable it. This is a good safety feature so that the bike won’t take off if you accidentally twist the throttle. 

In addition there is the walk mode that moves the bike at a few mph which is helpful when walking uphill or up stairs. It is activated by holding the down arrow on the control pad. 

Like many geared hub motors, the Bafang does create some noise that is mostly noticeable at the lower speeds. At the higher speeds the noise dissipates due to wind noise.

The high capacity 48V 14ah 672Wh lithium battery pack with Samsung Cells is a big highlight of the RadMini Step-Thru because it provides impressive range that you will see in the range test results below.

It is centrally located in front of the seat tube which is good for overall bike handling and the balance of the bike. 

The battery can be charged on or off the bike with full charging from empty in about 5.5 hours.

The 7 speed drivetrain for the bike is pretty straight forward with it’s 48 tooth chainring driving back to the 11 tooth to 34 tooth cogset.

The Shimano shifter and Shimano Altus rear derailleur have a light action shifting style that makes shifting gears easy and quick.

Most of the gear range is focused on the higher speeds while there is a significant jump to the low gear for climbing steeper hills. 

Okay, now let’s take a look at the control center on the of the RadMini Step-Thru.

The LCD display provides information on:

• Battery level
• Odometer & trip distance
• Current speed, average speed, max speed
• Pedal assist level. There are 5 levels of pedal assist.
• Watts the motor is providing

Under the display is a USB charging port that can charge a smartphone, tablet, or other USB device. 

The display has a backlit option for easy visibility day and night and it is activated when the lights are turned on.

The control pad on the left side of the handlebar adjusts the pedal assist levels with the up and down arrows and the center mode button turns the bike on/off and cycles through information on the display.

Slowing the RadMini Step-Thru down is handled by the Tektro Aries mechanical disc brakes with 180mm rotors front and rear. 

They have a solid and powerful feel that has a broad spectrum of braking power. 

The power of these brakes is very good and they can bring down the speed very quickly if needed.

Each brake lever has a rubber grip surface that makes grabbing the brake lever easier in wet or dry conditions. There are no brake lever reach adjustments for smaller hands.

There are sensors in each brake lever that will stop the motor assist when the brakes are engaged.

In addition, the rear light also has a brake light feature. Much like a car, when you engage the brake the rear light becomes the brake light.

Speaking of the lights, the front light casts a good beam of light for seeing the road and for help with being seen on the road. 

The rear light has a solid mode, flashing mode, and the brake light feature.

Both the front and rear lights run off the eBike battery so you don’t have to worry about charging separate batteries for the lights. 

Rounding out the stock accessories is the bell that is built into the left brake lever and the kickstand mounted to the frame near the rear wheel.

Rad Power Bikes offers many more accessories for the RadMini Step-Thru that includes fenders, racks, baskets, bags, and more. 

Okay, let’s see how the Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru did out on the open road!

RadMini Step-Thru Range Test Results:

Here is the real world information on how the RadMini Step-Thru electric bike performed on a riding circuit that includes hills, flats, traffic, wind (when available) etc.

While testing these bikes I like to put them through the toughest conditions to see where their bottom line is in regards to range and speed. I tested the RadMini Step-Thru in the highest pedal assist level (Level 5) with average pedaling on paved roads.

Range: As you can see from the GPS info that I recorded, the RadMini Step-Thru traveled 32.0 miles and did a total elevation gain of around 2,600 ft. Considering that I weigh 190 lbs and I pedaled with average pedaling this is good range for a eFat bike with a 48 Volt 14 ah battery pack (672 Watt Hours) with a 750 watt motor assisting up to 20 mph.

Watt hours are the total energy in a battery pack and it is based on the volts x amp hours of a pack. This is a way to compare the size of the “gas tank” of electric bikes.

Please keep in mind that if you pedal more, weigh less than me, ride slower and/or you use the bike in terrain that is not as hilly you will get more range. These results are from tough testing.

Speed: The RadMini Step-Thru will assist up to 20 mph with pedal assist and/or throttle.

Weight: The RadMini Step-Thru tips the scales at 68.7 lbs which is on the heavier side for an electric bike. Removing the battery brings it down to around 61.0 pounds.

The weight distribution of the RadMini Step-Thru is somewhat back heavy because the motor is in the rear wheel while the battery is just in front of the seat tube of the bike.

Pros:

Fun Compact eBike: The RadMini Step-Thru is a fun, stable, and highly maneuverable eBike thanks to its 4″+ wide compact tires. The step-thru design makes this a very easy bike to get on and ride. And its compact foldability is good for storage or transport. 

High Performance: The RadMini Step-Thru has a lot of kick from the 750 watt motor and it gives this compact eBike a high performance ride feel in the higher assist levels. It also can give a mellower ride in the lower assist levels if desired. 

Good Range: The high capacity (672 Wh) battery with Samsung cells provided 32 miles of range in the tough range test (highest assist level) with elevation gain of 2,600+ ft of climbing. You can expect to get more range in more moderate riding conditions.

Cons:

Heavier: At 68.7 pounds this is a heavy electric bike which can limit the ability to pick it up when its folded or unfolded. Removing the battery brings it down to 61 pounds which helps a little.  

Motor Noise: The Bafang geared rear hub motor does create a whirring noise at the lower to medium speeds but it dissipates a bit at the higher speeds due to wind noise. 

Conclusion:

Overall the Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru is a fun, sporty, and highly maneuverable eBike that also has the folding capabilities for storage or transport.

The 4″+ wide compact tires are a big highlight with the stable and comfortable ride feel and with the low 16″ step-thru this eBike is very approachable for easily getting on and off.

The high performance Bafang 750 watt motor and high capacity Samsung cell lithium battery pack offer a zippy eBike with impressive range.

Additionally, the components from RST, Shimano, Tektro, and Kenda are a good quality selection.

Please keep in mind that this is a relatively short term test. This testing can’t really give you the long term review of durability and reliability. My thoughts on the quality of this bike are from previous experiences with similar bikes. If you own this bike and have some input on the long term durability, please share your comments with the Electric Bike Report community below.

Do you have any questions about the RadMini Step-Thru? Do you own a RadMini Step-Thru? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks!

-Pete

Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you.

P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!