Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors
  3. News

Why we love the updated Rad Power RadRunner 3 ebike

RadRunner 3 review: It's kind of e-great with a little bit of e-verything

By

Rad Power has been consistently on my radar ever since the beginning of the recent ebike revolution. The brand has quickly made a name for itself, producing the best ebikes that are practical, customizable, versatile, and, well, rad. If you live in a city, one of its sleek showrooms is quite possibly near you.

The company produces several electronic bike lines intended for different purposes — commuting, cargo hauling, off-roading, and more — regularly updating each as the tech progresses. Now it’s released the RadRunner 3 — a versatile rider that has go-anywhere capability thanks to its fat tires — and I’ve had the pleasure of taking it for multiple whirls. And I do mean pleasure. While it leans into its role as a working bike, it’s also a lot of fun.

Rad Power RadRunner 3
Rad Power Bikes

What’s new about the Rad Power RadRrunner 3 ebike?

First and perhaps most notable, the RadRunner 3 is the first Rad release to be compatible with the company’s battery range extender, which is in development and should be released relatively soon. Once available, this will increase its range to over 100 miles.

Recommended Videos

More immediately, you’ll notice that the RadRunner 3 has improved hill-climbing capabilities. The previous edition’s 750-watt motor was already no slouch, and now the upgrade absolutely charges up hills. It’s also been upgraded with an extended rear rack (upon which you can mount all manner of add-ons — more on that below), a better saddle, and a front suspension fork that really smooths the riding experience.

The overall design has also been improved. While the previous version of the RadRunner was a bit clunky looking, the update is more streamlined.

Rad Power RaRrunner 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Extremely customizable

One of the best qualities of Rad Power ebikes in general involves their superior customizability. Rad offers a slew of accessories: cargo boxes, front baskets, lock and bottle holders, netting, bags, racks, safety equipment, passenger seats, and canopies, and now even trailers and pet carriers.

In the case of the RadRunner 3, you can either choose your own options or select one of several pre-designed kits. I’ve been riding the “Around Town Kit,” which comes with an extended passenger seat, rearview mirror, front-mounted basket, and an uber-tough ABUS Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500 folding lock. It’s great — I can carry a friend around with me and still have a place to put my stuff up front.

Rad Power RadRunner 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Final review

Starting at $2,299, the RadRunner 3 isn’t a cheap ebike (on par with competitors like Juiced), but it’s worth the investment — particularly if you’re looking for a workhorse of a bike that will replace a car for running errands near home.

But it’s not limited to urban riding. I’ve taken mine over loose gravel surfaces and some moderately bumping trails, and the fat tires and new suspension make it highly capable.

An all-around solid bike — this is one of the best grocery store (and sometimes off-road!) cruisers yet.

Buy at Rad Power Bikes

Nick Hilden
Nick Hilden
Former Contributor
Nick Hilden is a lifestyle and culture writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Afar… Read Full Bio
Topics
Outdoors
Arc’teryx x BEAMS: The blend of Alpine tech and Tokyo style
Arc'teryx x Beams

The new Arc’teryx x BEAMS collection celebrates the brands’ 25-year collaboration and the blending of technical function with street-savvy style. The line highlights a re-creation of the 1998 Arc’teryx Theta hardshell, a Gamma softshell jacket, and Jogen bouldering pants. All come in the signature Kōyō color palette, modeled after Japan’s autumn leaves. 

I wore the Gamma Jacket and Jogen pants during the fall changeover in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley, testing for warmth, wind resistance, and style. Here’s my take.

Read more
Outdoors
More than a name: Meet Eddie Bauer, the true-life explorer behind your outdoor brand
Clothing, Hat, Face

From the time I was a little man, I excitedly tugged at the shirt tails of my father and grandfather every time they left the house to do anything relatively outdoorsy. They would leave the house hauling gun cases, fishing poles, camping gear, hiking packs. The men of my life loved everything adventurous, and they would do it every chance they could. When I was big enough, I would be allowed to come with them. I got my own boots. I procured my own active wear that could resist the weather. I opened my own parka for Christmas. Not only was I now in the same boat with them, in the same tent with them, and in the same deer stand with them. I also wore the same brand as them. Eddie Bauer was their go-to, and it had become my go-to.

But what was it about that brand? What was it about the man behind the brand that became the man’s best friend in the wilderness? Well, here is what you need to know about the guy who ditched the work world to open an outdoor brand simply so he could go outdoors all the time. And made it possible for my grandfather, my father, and then me.

Read more
Outdoors
Plug In, Ride Out: KTM’s Freeride E Gets Sharper for 2027
2027 KTM Freeride E

Austrian motorcycle company KTM’s dirt bikes have a reputation for ripping horsepower and world-title-winning performance. Across the world’s motocross tracks and enduro courses, the brand’s orange bikes win titles and provide the thrill of riding off-road. But for the most part, those bikes use 2-stroke and 4-stroke combustion engines. 

Now, looking toward the future, the organization’s latest electric off-roader, the 2027 Freeride E, optimizes power, handling, and range, with a variety of improvements over prior versions. Here’s the rundown on the bike’s improved specs.

Read more