The RadMission Is An Attractive Electric City Bike Option At $999
This week, Rad Power Bikes rolled out an all new addition to the family, the RadMission metro bike. The new bike enters the Rad Power Bikes family at an impressively approachable $999 introductory price point, putting a quality electric bike within reach for even more people.
Rad Power Bikes announced the new member of the family with a new blog post and is calling the single speed RadMission a “metro” bike, with a simple yet effective crossover design. “Interestingly enough, when we used to ride bikes around as kids, we called it ‘missioning,'” Rad Power Bikes co-founder and CMO Ty Collins said. “That was really the inspiration for this bike. That, and the no-frills bike culture I saw while living in San Francisco’s Mission District in my early 20s.”
The RadMission sports a clean crossover design that pairs a single speed drivetrain with a slimmed down 500 watt geared hub motor. The result is a clean, no-frills electric bike that Rad Power Bikes expects to appeal to the masses. “This entire time we’ve been trying to make ebikes that are built for anything and priced for everyone,” Founder and CEO of Rad Power Bikes, Mike Radenbaugh said. “We finally got there.”
The RadMission comes in a high-step and mid-step frame to suit a wider range of riders. Geared towards a wider range of customers, the RadMission also sports more color options than any of Rad Power Bikes’ other offerings, with the high-step being offered in steel blue (North America only), black, and grey. The mid-step RadMission is available in black, white, and red (North America only). The high-step frame features a 31” standover height that makes it better suited for riders from 5’10” – 6’5”, while the mid-step frame’s 28” standover height makes it a good choice for riders between 5’2” and 6’2”.
The RadMission tips the scales at 47.5 pounds for the mid-step frame and 48 pounds for the high step frame for a total package that’s at least 15 pounds lighter than most of Rad Power Bikes’ other ebike offerings. Those extra 15 pounds are significant as they make it much easier for city riders and other humans to hoist the bike up a few sets of stairs, haul it up onto a bike rack, and more.
The RadMission might be the most affordable Rad Power Bikes offering ever, but that doesn’t mean the company skimped on features. It features an integrated front and rear light setup that gives riders confidence to safely venture out on the town at all hours. As a class 2 electric bike, the RadMission is capable of ripping around town at up to 20 miles per hour with the integrated pedal assist function, or at the twist of the throttle. Control over the pedal assist level is handled via the streamlined LED display up front. Its minimalist design does what you need, with few frills to weigh you down.
When it’s time to rip around town, whether on one of Ty’s missions or not, the slender profile of its 26″ x 1.95″ Kenda K-shield tires won’t hold you back, but still pack enough grip to keep you connected to the road when it matters. Most Rad Power Bikes feature some variant of Kenda’s K-shield tires and it’s worth mentioning that this lineup has a bit of added protection from punctures built in from the factory. That’s a nice bit of reassurance for any commuter that doesn’t want to be left stranded on the side of the road with a flat. I still add Slime and tire liners to any bike I take out on the town, but your mileage may vary depending on how your city cares for its bike lanes.
You may be asking what the point of a single-speed electric bike is and that’s completely fair. We’ve found that the addition of an electric motor with pedal assist and a throttle can fill in most or all of the function of a 7-pack of gears out back. When it’s time to climb the mountain back up to the house, a few taps on the controls scales up the amount of assistance provided by the battery. Similarly, it can be throttled all the way down to zero when you’re feeling fresh or blasting down a hill. When it’s time to calm things down a bit, the 180mm mechanical disc brakes are more than up to the task and provide sturdy, reassuring stopping power.
For those looking for a full set of gears and the electric powertrain, Rad Power Bikes already offers the RadCity and a host of other bikes kitted out with a more robust feature set. The RadMission impressively boasts a carrying capacity of 275 pounds on its aluminum frame, thanks to the extra strength of the steel fork up front.
The RadMission went on sale this morning, with the first bikes expected to be delivered to customers in October. A host of accessories specific to the RadMission are available, including a rear rack and a fender set. A new front basket was rolled out in parallel with the RadMission that’s compatible with the rest of Rad Power Bikes’ line up. The new front basket integrates the mounting points into the basket, eliminating the need for a separate front rack to get a basket.
Head over to the new home of the RadMission to learn more or to drop in an order.
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