Rad Power Bikes RadWagon 5 e-bike review: a versatile anything hauler

By Bruce Brown Published October 16, 2024

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If you’re looking for an e-bike to carry children, groceries, tools, or supplies regularly, the Rad Power Bikes RadWagon 5 cargo e-bike might be the perfect choice. Regular e-bikes are shorter, lighter, and easier to handle, but they aren’t designed for carrying a lot of stuff or more than one child. Cargo e-bikes make it much easier to transport heavy, bulky loads.

The RadWagon 5 is a solid starting point if you carry children or cargo regularly. You can easily attach child seats, hard-shell top cases, panniers, and different racks and boxes to suit your needs. If you’re using the e-bike frequently, investing in proper accessories rather than just tying things on is essential. These additions will make the e-bike more practical and safe for regular use.

If you’re considering a cargo e-bike, check out the latest version from Rad Power Bikes, the RadWagon 5. It has many improvements over the popular RadWagon 4. Let’s dive into what makes it great.

The RadWagon 5 is designed for carrying cargo and passengers. It’s best for smooth, paved surfaces and isn’t intended for riding off-road. Also, it’s not the best commuter or city e-bike because it’s heavier and more unwieldy, which makes it more difficult to move or lift over curbs or other obstacles than standard e-bikes.

Its strengths are versatility and carrying capacity. The rear rack can hold up to 120 pounds, and the e-bike has a total carrying capacity of 375 pounds, 25 pounds more than the previous model, the RadWagon 4. This makes it perfect for carrying two children in kid seats or heavy items in panniers, baskets, or racks.

The RadWagon 5 is a starting point to which you’ll want to add accessories to suit your needs, whether for transporting kids, doing grocery runs, or carrying various cargo.

When discussing e-bikes, the numbers that matter are motor power, torque, battery capacity, and maximum range. The RadWagon 5 has a 750-watt rear hub motor with 90 Newton meters of torque. Torque is crucial for smooth starts, especially when carrying kids or heavy loads. It helps get you moving from a standstill, and 90 Nm is impressive, making it easier to start at stoplights or on hills.

The e-bike’s 720 watt-hour battery provides an estimated range of 20 to 60 miles per charge. Range depends on factors like speed, weight, terrain, and temperature. If you’re riding fast, carrying a lot, or dealing with hills and extreme weather, expect to be on the lower end of the range. However, using lower pedal assistance levels and maintaining lower speeds can extend battery life.

The RadWagon 5 allows you to select from Class 1, 2, or 3 settings and adjust the top speed to 20, 25, or 28 mph.

Rad Power Bikes’ experience with cargo e-bikes is evident in the RadWagon 5.

The RadWagon 5 features a seven-speed Shimano gear cassette and shifter, making pedaling smooth and easy. Pedal assist has five levels, with higher levels requiring less effort from you and more from the bike. The new cargo bike has a torque sensor, which responds to how hard you push on the pedals and offers a more natural riding experience than the previous cadence sensor, which responded only to pedal speed.

If you’re riding in Class 3 and want to go over 20 mph, you’ll need to pedal, as the half-twist throttle only works up to 20 mph. I found that 20 mph to 22 mph is a comfortable speed for this bike, even though it can go faster.

Rad Power Bikes’ experience with cargo e-bikes is evident in the RadWagon 5. It’s about 3 inches shorter in length and wheelbase than the RadWagon 4, but has a higher carrying capacity of 375 pounds (compared to 350 pounds). The shorter wheelbase makes handling more agile.

The RadWagon 5 features an adjustable RST front fork to smooth the ride over bumps, BMX-style handlebars for added comfort, and a fairly comfortable standard seat. I upgraded the test e-bike with an optional deluxe comfort seat with big springs for long-term use.

The e-bike has a user-friendly 4-inch color display that shows the current speed, assistance level, distance traveled, current wattage, and battery level. You can also use the display and its small control pad to adjust settings such as Class configuration and light brightness. The display also has turn signal light indicators, although they will keep blinking until you remember to switch the turn signal off.

A built-in center stand stabilizes the e-bike while loading cargo or children, and the integrated rack, which is part of the frame, has multiple attachment points.

All new Rad e-bikes come equipped with Safe Shield batteries filled with resin to manage thermal issues and reduce the risk of overheating. The e-bike also includes an auto-on headlight and taillight, brake light, and rear turn signals. A full rear wheel cover prevents shoelaces, clothing, or feet from getting caught in the wheel, adding an extra layer of safety.

Although the e-bike doesn’t have a standard mirror, I requested Rad’s optional mirror, which attaches to the handlebar. Since cargo e-bikes often transport children, dual mirrors should be standard.

One option I highly recommend is Rad’s tire lock. It secures the front wheel to the frame, making it difficult for anyone to move the e-bike or remove the front wheel. What’s great about this lock is that it also has an optional security cable. For added security, you can wrap the cable around a fixed object, like a utility pole or a large e-bike rack. People often overlook security when purchasing an e-bike, but this feature is worth considering when ordering your e-bike.

It handles well, with good braking, and the front fork suspension and comfort seat soften the ride. I noticed that items in the optional hard cases bounced around and were noisy, but that could be solved with better packing. Overall, it’s a comfortable ride. I felt safe riding at 22 mph to 25 mph, though I wouldn’t go much faster than 20 mph with kids on the back for safety reasons.

I opted for a few key accessories for the test e-bike: a mirror, a deluxe extra-comfort seat, and a front tire lock with the optional security cable. I also chose a set of locking hard case panniers and a locking hard case for the top of the rear rack.

The Rad Power Bikes RadWagon 5 should be on your short list for a cargo e-bike. It has plenty of power and a sturdy frame for heavy loads. The e-bike offers plenty of capacity and top-notch safety features, particularly when considering the battery design. Plus, it’s versatile — a bare scaffolding you can customize with accessories to fit your needs. The RadWagon 5 starts at $2,399, although it’s easy to spend another $1,000 on options and upgrades to fit your cargo needs. Another cargo e-bike to consider is the recently reviewed and classy-looking Pedego Cargo, although it costs about a thousand dollars more than the fully optioned-out RadWagon 5.