Experimentar Bicicletas Eléctricas

Trying out Electric Bikes

Electric bikes were on our list of things to buy once we got settled in Portugal. And our interest became keener once we moved to Cascais and saw the bike trail along the coast. But with so many options, what is a girl to do?

Internet Research

Independently, Denise and I began our research on the internet. I wanted to understand the differences between a motor in the tire hub and one in the middle of the bike near the crank. I also was keen to find an electric bike that was “crank-forward”, as the Townie I owned in the states was the most comfortable bike I could find after my knee surgeries.

Denise focused on which bikes were available in Portugal and fairly quickly zeroed in on a Rad. I was familiar with Rad, an American company, as I had heard an NPR interview with its founder a few years earlier.

Friend’s Testimonials

We also reached out to friends that we knew had electric bikes, both in the US and in Europe. A Scottish friend, with artificial knees, liked her Trek Townie Go. Unfortunately, I can’t find anywhere in Portugal to buy one. Another had purchased her bike at Decathalon, a large, European sporting goods chain. As there was a Decathalon store nearby, that offered hope.

Overwhelmingly, our American friends recommended the Rad. One friend commented:

Nancy----I have a Rad Step through----it is heavy but the only time I need to lift it is to put it in the back of the Prius to take to NM. Have almost 3800 miles and no problem but a stretched brake cable and 2 flats after which I put Slime in the tires. RAD is the best bike for the money, in my opinion.

Test Drives

We assumed the bike rental shops were closed due to coronavirus restrictions. But during a walk one day, someone on a rented bike whizzed by us. That night, Denise was online contacting bike shops that were permitted to serve customers by appointment. Over the next week, she tested four different electric bikes. The first, a Rad Rhino she took all the way to Sintra. It was a beast…with 4” tires…weighing about 70 pounds.

Meanwhile, I found a nearby bike shop and tested a Riese & Müller, the Mercedes-Benz of electric bikes. The next day, Denise and I went there together and she rode it as well. There was no doubt it was a beautiful bike. But as we left the store, simultaneously, we commented that we could buy a good used car for what we would spend for two of those. We tested two more bikes at another store. As we discussed available options with the shop owners a consistent theme emerged … demand had outpaced supply. One could wait as long as a year to get the bike they wanted unless they were willing to pay 4000Euros or more.

It’s a Rad

The weight of the Rad Rhino was a serious concern. However, Denise learned they had another step-through model (RadRunner Plus) that due to its low center of gravity didn’t seem so unwieldy. The bike shop had some on order to use in their rental fleet as many of their female renters had the same concern as Denise with their fleet of heavier Rhinos. A few days later Denise had scheduled a test drive. I went along, hoping it would work out for me as well. It did. So as I write this, two are on order from Holland and should arrive within 10-14 days. Since Rad only sells direct to consumers, we ordered the bikes on the Rad website with instructions to send them to the local bike store. There they will assemble them and will be available to maintain the bikes in the future.

As it turns out, the Rad also fits my more frugal side. You could buy nearly three Rads for the price of one Riese & Müller. While we can take a free bus to the golf course (when it opens) it will likely take us the same amount of time on electric bikes. We also look forward to exploring restaurants that have been recommended to us outside of Cascais, where prices are more reasonable and we can avoid the crowds once tourism returns. Or of course, we could always just head to the beach.