Radio Flyer Flex Cargo E-Bike Review

If you want a high-quality, sleek, and rugged cargo e-bike, you’ve come to the right place! I just had the pleasure of testing Flyer’s Flex Cargo electric bike. It was a treat to ride and look at. Flyer is the adult line of electric bikes from the iconic American manufacturer, Radio Flyer, best known for their Original Little Red Wagon. With over a billion Radio Flyer wheels on the road, Flyer has a century of experience building beautiful rides. I agree that Flyer e-bikes are a great everyday solution that infuses fun and function into micromobility. Read our comprehensive review below to see how this model stacks up against the fierce competition among other cargo e-bikes.

Founded in 1917 by Antonio Pasin as the manufacturer of the Original Little Red Wagon, Flyer is now branching out into the world of adult mobility. Their fleet now includes scooters, cargo bikes, cruiser bikes, and commuter bikes. We previously tested their 860 folding cargo electric bike.

What Size is the Flex E-Bike Available In?

The Flex comes in two sizes – S/M which fits adults 5’ – 6’ and M/L which fits adults 5’5” – 6’5”. Ordering one is simplified by the free shipping and the 30-day free trial. Customizing the bike is easy whether you want to choose the frame color, add a kid carrier, pet carrier, phone holder, or safety features such as a bike lock or mirror. One of the best parts of ordering is that the bike will ship in 2 business days.

The Folding Cargo retails for $2,299 which is slightly above the pricing of fellow high-quality bikes from Aventon or Rad Power. Flyer’s partnership with Affirm makes setting up a payment plan a breeze. Payment plans start at $208/month.

Frame Shape

The bike’s step-through-esque frame makes hopping on and off for errands effortless. The frame can carry an astonishing 330 pounds. The frame weighs 68 pounds on the M/L tested. Based on how easy it was to push around the house, you’d never guess it weighs that much. The quick-release seat post makes it easy to share the bike with friends as well as do on-the-fly changes. Surprisingly, the lack of suspension is well compensated by the comfy seat and wide tires. Together, these features do a decent job absorbing vibrations whether from cracked city streets or grassy park shortcuts. We previously wrote about the value of dual-leg kickstands and the Flyer team answered our prayers.

Our favorite feature on the frame is the spring connecting the fork and the frame. The spring helps minimize handlebar whipping that can occur on bumpy roads. One thing the team did notice was that the pedals can strike while taking turns sharply. I wonder if this is due to the uneven roads in our town or if the bike has lower pedals than other bikes in the category.

Motor and Battery

The battery is easily located behind the seatpost while the brushless motor is hidden in the rear hub. The 500W brushless hub motor provided less oomph than anticipating. This could be because of the brisk fall temperatures I tested the bike in. The bike did a good job of maintaining it’s top speed of 20mph when I used the throttle. For those interest in pedal assist, the bike has four pedal assist levels (one being the least assist and four being the most assist).

Our staff liked the peppiness of the pedal assist. We were stoked with how the motor seems to slowly fade off when you stop pedaling as opposed to laggingly staying on like on some of the other bikes we’ve tested. We’d ask the Flyer team double-check the motor’s performance at top speed. We thought we felt it juggling between different power levels whilst we were pedaling at 20mph i.e. we’d be pedaling at a consistent pace and torque yet it felt like the motor was occasionally lurching us ever so slightly forward. Possibly the wind, but worth investigating.

The battery is a 48v 9.8Ah (458wh) Lithium-Ion UL-2271-tested removable Samsung battery. The battery’s position behind the seatpost adds to the bike’s overall stability and low center of gravity. When pedaling, the battery provides 20-40 miles of range. The range claim stood up to our testing in chilly fall temperatures – I went 2 miles using just 8% of the battery. As for charging the bike, the battery charges using a standard wall outlet.

Components

We previously tested a single-speed Flyer bike and we’d love to see them consider that simplicity with the Flex. That said, the Shimano shifting on this bike worked without a hitch. The hydraulic disc brakes also worked flawlessly. This is great news as I frequently test e-bikes that have shipped with damaged components.

One of the safety features I liked on the Flex was the automatic brake lights. I also liked the turn signal buttons which let us keep our hands on the handlebars, but signal our turning intentions.

The bike tech doesn’t stop at the battery and motor. The well-designed LED display on the left side of the handlebars shows speed and battery level.

Radio Flyer Flex Cargo E-Bike Pros & Cons

Pros:

• High-quality and sleek design
• Rugged all-around utility e-bike
• Great safety features included

Cons:

• Higher pricing compared to some competitors.
• Motor may feel lacking in power occasionally.

Overall Impression

The Flyer Flex Cargo E-Bike ($2,099) is a high-quality, sleek, and rugged all-around utility e-bike with great safety features. Perfect for families looking to ride together into town, running errands and especially for trips to the local farmers market!

Updated From Flyer “We recently reduced the base bike price to $2,099. With this, we also now offer an Extended Range battery option, which offers 50% more range than our standard battery. The bike price with the extended range battery is $2,299. ”

Related Cargo E-Bikes

1. Fiido T2 Cargo E-Bike
2. Heybike Hauler Cargo E-Bike
3. Xtracycle Stoker Cargo Style Family E-Bike
4. Nomad 1 Commuter E-Bike