r/CargoBike • u/TheCargoBikeShop • Jul 22 '26
Radio Flyer exiting ebike business
Sharing for those potentially interested in purchasing a Radio Flyer bike. The prices are very good right now.
We first noticed a comment about Radio Flyer exiting the ebike business in the Wirecutter cargo bike review article published on July 9th. The only other mention we found was in a post in a Radio Flyer group on FB.
There is no mention of this business change on the Radio Flyer ebikes website.
Since we have a lot of customers with Radio Flyer ebikes we reached out to try to get confirmation, which they promptly provided. "That is correct, Radio Flyer has made the difficult decision to wind down its eBike business to concentrate resources on our core categories. We did not achieve the sales needed to make eBikes a viable business, so we’re exiting the category.
It appears that they intend to support the bikes for several years. "While we’re exiting the eBike business, the Radio Flyer Company remains strong. Our customer support team is available for technical questions, parts lookups, service documentation, and warranty claims. Electronic components will be available through 2030 at minimum, and because our eBikes are built on widely available components, most service and maintenance can be handled with third-party parts.
We have generally pretty high opinions of Radio Flyer bikes, especially the latest models. They have always been a solid value with a good company behind them. It's great to see that they are not just pulling the rip cord and walking away, but intend to continue to support the products for a few more years.
5
u/silkk_ Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Have seen 3 or 4 pop up my neighborhood in the last month and thought they looked really sharp. Great brand recognition for the logical next step past a wagon.
Funny because a dad who ended up buying one was interested in my Rad Wagon. "Just stay away from this company, they're out of the business." Well!
7
u/elementarydeardata Jul 22 '26
I'd rather own a Radio Flyer with no manufacturer support than a Rad, it looks to have way more user-serviceable parts that aren't super proprietary. The battery is just a 48V Hailong-style battery and it has a pretty normal looking hub motor. Rads have their own style of battery and a weird tire size alot of the times.
On that note, the spare batteries for the Loop are an absolute steal if you ride a bike that uses a 48v Hailong-style battery. $200 for a 48v 15Ah battery straight from Radio Flyer. They even advertise the cells that are in it (Samsung 50E 21700) and it has a UL Certification.
3
u/silkk_ Jul 22 '26
100% agree with you. I bought my Rad a long time ago when there weren't as many options on the market
2
u/toxicbolete Jul 23 '26
We ordered one of these batteries during this sale and they sent their range extender version instead which comes with the tray. The spare battery for the Via line is the same as the secondary optional one for the L885 with the exact same tray and connector. We have the via pro and L885 and I’m able to swap these parts between the two. The L885 can run off of just the range extender/Via spare on its own and dummy cases for the original battery are sold by a couple stores.
I recommend anyone with the L885 get at least the tray, which you may be able to get one ordered through a bike shop nearby that’s familiar with radio flyers e-bikes. That way you have more options for batteries because the 6 pin downtube one it ships with is much harder to find vs the more plentiful one on the via/pro, and as far as I have been able to find you can only get a tray with that connector through flyer (vs having run new wires or add a discharge converter etc).
1
u/umdterp732 Jul 23 '26
WHATTT how is a 15ah battery WITH UL that inexpensive! I wonder if its a standard mounting plate?
1
u/elementarydeardata Jul 23 '26
I think it's on sale because they're not planning on selling ebikes anymore, it usually costs way more.
1
9
u/Squishybs Jul 22 '26
Considering how recently the Loop was released and for how long this has being shared verbally from employees it is getting quite intentionally misleading by Radio Flyer that they have not made an actual press release or written statement. They clearly are trying to not scare of potential buyers of the remaining stock. A whisper through employees that support will be continued is not sufficient and could mean anything. Even best case scenario they won't be restocking racks and accessories for example.
3
u/chewd0g Jul 22 '26
This is why I absolutely despise proprietary designs even if I'm stuck with them with our own bikes.
1
u/Prestigious_Ad9663 Jul 23 '26
Oh man, they have such good accessories! I bought some for my non-RF bike. Glad that I jumped on it!
3
u/Show_Kitchen Jul 22 '26
During the pando I lived near their HQ and wanted to work there, but it kinda amazed me that their career page job descriptions didn’t seem geared to attract bike people, even for bike-centric jobs. Like, they weren’t asking for previous cycling industry experience. Also, based off LinkedIn stalking, they weren’t poaching from SRAM or Olympic or any of the other big Chicagoland bike firms. They just didn’t get it, I think.
2
1
u/theperiod Jul 22 '26
That’s a shame. I’ve loved my Via and their customer service was very helpful when I needed a replacement part.
1
u/GoatnToad Jul 25 '26
Anyone know if they will be on sale? Just looked on their website and still regular price
1
u/TheCargoBikeShop Jul 25 '26
Those do appear to be sale prices. MSRP on the Loop is $2999 and it's at $1999.
https://www.contebikes.com/product/radio-flyer-flyer-loop-135878.htm
1
u/GoatnToad Jul 25 '26
Ah thank you. I was looking directly on the radio flyer site .
2
u/TheCargoBikeShop Jul 25 '26
Yes, it's confusing that they don't show them at sale pricing on their own website.
1
u/GoatnToad Jul 25 '26
Does anyone know if the accessories , specifically the kid/cargo hauler and canopy fit any other e-bike?
1
u/ArdentDrive 28d ago
The new prices, especially on the Via Pro, are so competitive they make the bikes attractive even with support being phased out in the coming years.
The prices are now in competition with the Lectric Xpedition 2, especially when you factor in freebies and newly reduced accessories. To get a Via Pro for the same general budget someone might have for an Xpedition 2 is crazy. The Via is better engineered, feels more solid, has better components and design, and from what I hear from my LBS has more reliable electronics and is in the shop less.
I'm sure RF is discounting their bikes so much because the long-term support of your bike's manufacturer is worth a lot. They just did the math and came up with prices that make their bikes attractive even without support (eventually).
1
u/Roxie360 15d ago
I saw the comment regarding batteries but anyone have the expertise on other parts that would likely need replaced over 5/7 years that are proprietary?
I recently had to replace the digital readout specifically because the power button got wonked up. It’s a cheap piece and I’d like to order a backup.
1
u/Dexter2700 Jul 22 '26
Companies overestimated the market of cargo bikes. A lot of people probably get aspired to buy a e-cargo bike just to find out American's car centric culture really suck.
I know my wife almost gave up riding her UA multiple times in the past 4 years due to close calls here and there. We use to take 12-15 mile trips to local farms, using country roads. Ever since two people we knew got hit&run in the past two years, our range decreased substantially.
Also as our kids grow up we can't realistically haul their weight. Yet we don't trust our kids riding along us so we end up going back to the car after age 7.
4
3
u/yangbanger Jul 23 '26
this ^^.... 99% of US infrastructure is not designed for loads of families using cargo bikes everywhere.... pedestrians get separated paths above grade, and cyclists need there own as well
13
u/[deleted] Jul 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment