CitiBikes are, frankly, not great for a long commute.
Rowing even a good one for eight and a half miles one way over two bridges is not ideal.
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And thats when I got spoiled.
They take the effort and the sweat, that pesky exercise part (but maybe not really?
), out of biking completely.
After riding e-bikes almost exclusively, anything else is just…meh.
Plus I never have to bring a change of clothes, since I never get sweaty.
The bike is doing all the work.
I had to buy my own.
My budget was $2000 or less, and I wasnt looking to replace my regular analog bike.
of ebikes, but its not bad looking either by any means.
Perhaps this is the Subaru ofebikes?
Despite mini being in the name, its not small.
Side by side the RadMini makes my hybrid look downright puny.
It also weighs almost 70 pounds.
Madonna del GhisalloI dont live in a walk-up.
Puzzling enough, more than a few people in other reviews online called it effeminate.
Fit
Is it comfortable?
I was right at the limit for this model.
The seat though, as nice as the leather looks, is honestly not the most plush.
Kinda hard and painful on long, all-day rides.
Electronics
The bike comes with a battery-integrated front and rear light.
The rear has a brake light function so that it illuminates steadily when you brake.
you might also set it to blink continuously, like a traditional bike light.
I usually ride with both my detachable high-lumen lights from my other bike to supplement.
The bike has an LCD readout with speed, odometer, voltage meter, and a battery indicator.
Its legible in the bright sun, and is backlit when the lights are on.
How mistaken you are!
If I want to ride conservatively for a longer range, the first and second levels are recommended.
It doesnt really go until level 3, which I mostly stick to.
So far, Ive never ridden it till it died.
(Minus the battery, it is a regular, seven-speed bike, after all.)
Honestly, its plenty fast as it is on factory prefs.
The battery is removable, and secures to the bike with a key.
My dad got me someTimbuk2 tandem panniers, but the rack itself is too wide for them.
The thing with RadPower as a company, is that all these parts are off the rack from China.
Ive seen plenty of them as components on other bikes in passing, including that shitty headlamp.
Thats a good thing most of the time, but sometimes the build quality is not the best.
Rads support was great.
Just be mindful that some things might be damaged on delivery.
Finally, and this is the pettiest of quibbles, I know, but I hate the kickstand.
But since owing this, there really isnt a point.
Well, most of them anyway.
I just have to remember I still have my regular bike.
This article is originally published on Medium and is reproduced with the permission of the author.
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