New RadRunner e-bike is hefty enough to carry a second rider
This new electric bicycle can do a lot more than carry pizza around.
The RadRunner is a new e-bike that was announced Thursday and is expected in September from Rad Power Bikes, the bicycle company supplying Domino's pizza delivery workers with courier bikes.
The new bike is like the SUV of e-bikes: it can carry up to 300 pounds with a rear deck that can handle another person or a heavy load of cargo and supplies.
The bike's wide 20-by-3.3-inch tires look massive but make for a more stable ride, especially with a person riding on the back. The single-speed bike is fairly simple with fewer moving parts and not much maintenance required.
The lithium-ion battery can last up to 45 miles on a charge, depending on how you ride it. Without it, you've got a regular old bike on your hands. Good luck speeding along with a heavy load without the electric assist.
The bike was made for delivery and business use in mind, so companies like Domino's could decide to use the new hefty two-wheeler for its delivery business.
You don't have to own a business to use the bike, which goes on sale in the U.S., Canada, and Europe in September for $1,299. For the passenger seat, retractable foot pegs, and wheel skirt it's an extra $99. But you double the riding capacity and don't have to buy a tandem bicycle.
For a similar price you could buy a pedal-powered bicycle made from 300 recycled Nespresso aluminum coffee pods. No electric boost is available on the traditional bike out of Sweden, but the caffeine should kick in right when you need it.
Topics Electric Vehicles
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
