Rad Power Bikes RadTrike Review

Rad Power Bikes is well-established as a leading e-bike brand having made and refined a large stable of affordable e-bike models over the past several years. But with our Rad Power Bikes RadTrike review, we have something entirely fresh to evaluate from the e-bike giant; creating an electric trike means Rad will be forging ahead on a new frontier for them on the greater e-mobility landscape.

So the question has to be asked, why make the RadTrike? Sure, electric bikes and trikes share handlebars, pedals, tires, motors, batteries, and more, but they have as many differences as they do similarities. There is a pretty large contrast in the way you ride and operate either one which requires experienced e-bike engineers to start from square one when going to develop a trike. So again, why did Rad Power Bikes do it?

“[The RadTrike] is something that the world hasn’t had but really needs. A low, stable, comfortable, and accessibly-priced micromobility product that can be pedaled,” chairman and founder Mike Radenbaugh told us during a review Q&A phone call.

If done right, an e-trike such as the RadTrike has the potential to make e-micromobility more available to all – especially those who aren’t comfortable on two wheels by providing the stability of three.

The RadTrike was built with people who have mobility or balance limitations in mind. Trikes have long been a favorite of seniors thanks to the platform being simpler to mount, and by their nature, they favor slower speeds that are easier to manage.

E-trikes are also highly useful as an alternative means of getting around thanks to higher payload capacities, basket attachments for storing all sorts of gear, and the stability three wheels provide to load and haul it all. E-trikes can be small but mighty, sort of like a “small pickup truck” as Radenbaugh went on to say.

In the world of e-bikes consumers have no shortage of options, but it’s fair to say that the models offered in e-trikes are fewer and further between, and oftentimes finding a quality one means higher prices. The RadTrike is aiming to be one of a small number of less expensive, quality electric trike options that could truly be relied upon in a daily capacity.

Clearly, the RadTrike is a worthwhile endeavor on many levels, but was the brand able to deliver a quality trike that would feel safe, useful, fun, and perform well? We spent the last three weeks riding and reviewing the Rad Power Bikes RadTrike to find out.