RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike review: An expensive e-bike made for the rugged terrains

Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike is an excellent electric bicycle with a robust build that can handle multiple terrains while pedaling or not.

The RadRunner 3 is meant to be used as an electric bike but still offers the traditional bike necessities to pedal when the battery is drained, or you want to get your leg workout in.

While being able to tackle every hill and terrain in its path, the RadRunner 3 performed very well, but it may be hard to tackle its steep hill in price when wanting to purchase one.

Assembling RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike

When you first receive the RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike, you will be greeted with a vast box converted in bold artistic designs printed all over it. The design truly makes the "Rad" part of the title come to life.

Opening the box will introduce you to a bunch of environmentally-friendly wrapping to protect the bike in transit. There are a lot of tiny cardboard boxes that will hide in every corner of the bike, which are secured by zip ties that have to be removed.

You will also notice that most of the bike is assembled straight out of the box. With this, it made the assembly time move quicker and able to use the bike sooner.

All required tools are included, so you don't have to worry if you have the right equipment to assemble the bike completely.

The instructions help complete the assembly of the RadRunner 3, but if you need any more information, there are videos online to help you. The whole assembly process should take an hour at minimum.

While it is possible to build the bike on your own, it is suggested that you have the help of another person -- especially when installing the front tire and pedals.

You should keep the bike in a cool place, like a garage, and keep the battery at around 50% when you don't plan on using it for a while. Tools are included to keep maintenance up on the bike, and you can also bring it to a regular bike shop if needed.

RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike design

The design of the RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike resembles a traditional unit with a sleek design and elements of a mountain bike. The battery is easily accessible in the front, and the information displayed on the screen is simple to read and understand.

Weighing in at 75.5 lbs for the whole bike (with the battery weighing 7.6 lbs and the motor weighing 8.5 lbs on their own), the total length of the entire bicycle is 72.5 inches (184 cm), and the height up to the handlebars can range between 42.5 to 45.3 inches. In addition, the weight is evenly distributed throughout the design, so one side does not feel heavier.

Anyone between 4'11" to 6'2" can comfortably ride the bike, which can carry up to 350 lbs. The handlebars tilt forward and back to accommodate people of different heights and sizes.

You will find an insert to plug in the bike's battery on the left side of it. In the front of the battery is a button that you can press to see how much juice is left inside the bike without needing to turn it on and look.

Next to the charging port is an insert to put in the keys that come with the bike. You would think you would need the keys to start the RadRunner 3, but they are used to detach the battery from the bike's body.

The aluminum alloy handlebars -- consisting of a bell, light and pedal assist panel, informational display, gear throttle, and pedaling gear setting -- measure 27.9 inches in width. Attached to the handlebars are two brake levers equipped with a motor cutoff switch.

The RadRunner 3 is built with full-coverage fenders for the front and rear tires. The tires are 3.3 inches wide (20 inches all around), and the double-wall aluminum rims are 57 mm wide.

The pedals on the bike are very wide with standard 9/16 inch by 20 TPI threading and styled in a forged aluminum platform with reflectors.

A KMC Z7 chain with 132 links is attached to the pedals. It has a 48-tooth steel chain ring with an aluminum alloy guide, protecting the teeth and sensitive parts of the bike if you go over a significant obstacle or off-road. It also protects your pants from getting caught in the chain when riding.

When choosing the height you want the seat to sit at, you can choose between 28 to 37 inches. The seat is cushioned and measures 390 mm by 27.2 mm.

Behind the bike's seat is a rack that allows you to place materials to travel with (which you will want to tie down), or someone can sit back there and put their foot on the included footrest on the right side of the rear tire. The length of this back rack allows you to connect various accessories to the bike -- sold separately.

Underneath the rack is the rear tire that supports the motor used to power the bike. The engine stays quiet until you set the RadRunner 3 to the highest level in pedal assist.

The side-mounted kickstand is on the left side, and the connectors and wiring harness of the RadRunner 3 are water-resistant.

The RadRunner 3 does not fold, so storing it in the car may be tricky when you want to bring your bike when traveling.

RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike features

The RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike is built around a 672 Wh battery that can last an estimated range of 25-to-45 miles per charge. The battery charges from a 48V, 2 Amp Rad Power Bikes smart charger -- which operates on 100V-240V AC power outlets.

The semi-integrated battery pops in and out easily without any interruption to the build of the bike.

The RadRunner 3 includes a 750W brushless Rad Power Bikes geared hub motor. However, actual power-to-ground wattage is under 750W to ensure the bike complies with bike regulatory rules -- which may vary depending on riding conditions.

Compared to previous RedRunner models, the motor is 10% faster when climbing hills.

Located on the front and rear of the bike are lights that can automatically turn on. The headlight is LED, and the taillight is an integrated brake light. A button on the left-handle panel allows you to power the lights manually.

On the same panel, you will find the pedal assist operational buttons that allow you to increase or decrease the level you want it at. In addition, there are five intelligent pedal assist levels -- with 12 magnet cadence sensors -- that detect the pedals' movement to activate the assistance.

Pedal assist helps you move faster when pedaling. The higher you set the level, the more the motor will boost you when pedaling.

In the center of the handlebars is an LED display that offers different sets of current information while you are riding. For example, it can indicate the current battery level, includes a speedometer to see how fast you are currently going, an odometer to track the distance you have gone (either by trip or through the bike's entire lifespan), a trip odometer, indicates which pedal assist level you are at, the motor wattage currently being used, if the headlight and taillight are on or off, calculates how long your trip has been, and a clock to tell you the current time.

You will find the half-twist throttle on the right-side handlebar to activate the motor. You can easily use the throttle to ride the RadRunner 3 without pedaling. It is nice to do when riding down a path on a sunny day when the weather is not too hot or cold.

Riding with the RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike

The RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike is a smooth-riding bike that can handle nearly any terrain and groundwork with easily accessible buttons; changing speeds and gears while riding is also no hassle.

While riding up and down hills, the RadRunner 3 handled inclines reasonably well, with little to no trouble tackling them. Though, with steep slopes, the bike slowed down, it did make it to the top of the hill.

The hydraulic disc brakes on the bike also worked very well and immediately brought the RadRunner 3 to a halt when needing to brake quickly. This was very assuring when approaching intersections or stop signals on busy roads. They also work in all different weather conditions to ensure safety when coming to a halt.

The motor throttle quickly responds when twisting it and only activates the motor when enabled. If you do not twist it, the engine will not stay on unless you use the pedal assist feature.

Pedaling was also smooth, and when pedal assist is on, you will hear the engine activate to help you resolve your pedaling difficulties.

When riding over bumps and cracks in the sidewalk, the bike's suspension absorbed the shake and jump from each unleavened surface and continued to excel with a sturdy riding experience.

Going from different terrains also found no trouble for the bike when switching from pavement to wet grass, dirt, and even through puddles. The tires could continue to push through each trial and never slowed down or got caught in it.

The only difficulty the bike saw was when going through mud, where the RadRunner slipped a little out of control, but once out of the muddy area, the bike continued to ride as usual.

Taking control of the extra features

While riding, it is essential to keep your hands on the handlebars to steer the bike in the direction you want it to go. Due to this, it is crucial to have buttons to control the bike that are easy to reach and manage while still having a good grip on the bike.

The RadRunner 3 makes the buttons you need to reach easy to do, so you can control different settings while still having a good grip on the bike when steering it.

To control and set the pedal assist level, there are large colored buttons to increase or decrease the rank. On the same panel are the headlight and taillight power button. The bell is easily accessible to alert anyone that you are approaching or to move out of the way.

On the other side, the gear setting for mountain biking can easily be switched, and with one press of the vast lower button, it resets itself one level.

Keeping your eyes on the path in front of you is as essential as keeping steady steering the bike, and with an electric bike, you may want to see how fast you are going. Overall, the RadRunner 3 offers a wide and bright screen that allows you to see with a single glance how quickly you are going with either MPH (miles per hour) or KPH (kilometers per hour).

With the large display to see how fast you are going and the easily accessible buttons accompanying it, the RadRunner 3 allows you to safely set and view different components of your biking activity while still safely engaging on the path in front of you.

Elevate your ride

The RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike is a great electric bike for riding on different terrains and inclines.

While riding the bike up and down hills and over multiple different terrains that went from smooth to bumpy, the RadRunner 3 could hold up splendidly without worrying about it being unable to handle the path in front of it.

The throttle worked well when wanting to power the engine, and the breaks were flawless when wishing to come to a stop. There was no delay between the motor and the brakes, and when they were activated, the bike listened and stopped moving pronto.

To experience the full benefits of an e-bike, you must be able to control it while riding it, and the RadRunner 3 makes accessing the buttons needed for pedal assist and lighting easy to reach and manage. The screens are also significant and bright enough -- with bold numbers included -- so you can easily glance down quickly and know how fast you are going or which level of pedal assist you are tuned to.

The downside is that it is less portable than many may want. While Rad Power Bikes offers a foldable bike, it is not this one. This means that people with limited space or who want to transport the bike in the car with them cannot do so with the size of the RadRunner 3.

Another disappointment is that there is no accompanying iPhone app to connect to the bike. A specialized app would be great to see the information from the odometer or see how much juice is left inside the battery.

It would also be awesome to see a bottle holder added to the bike without needing an attachment. This is typically seen in mountain bikes, and since the RadRunner 3 offer a similar mountain bike build, it makes sense to include one for easy storage for your bottle on long and intense bike rides.

The price is the overall downside of the bike, nearing almost $2,500. While the RadRunner 3 offers impressive features, you can find many other electric bikes for cheaper -- and even at half the price.

While the RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike runs well and is efficient when going up hills, the price that Rad Power Bikes asks for may sway many people away.

If you like the design and can afford the price, the bike will be delightful, but if you want a standard e-bike, there are many other cheaper options.

RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike - Pros

Stylish design

Auto-on headlight and taillight

Easy throttle use

Easily accessible buttons

Large displays

Great suspension

Very responsive breaks

RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike - Cons

• Does not fold
• No bottle holder
• No accompanying app
• High price tag
• Only available in one color currently

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy the RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike

You can purchase the RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike from Rad Power Bikes' website for $2,299. It is currently only available in charcoal.