Test: The Radon Relate 9.0 CX 625 Lady already impresses with its key data; A closer look at the sporty e-bike from Bonn reveals other good aspects that make the low price all the more interesting.
Anyone who thinks that the price of a premium trekking bike has to start with a four should take a look at Radon. The house brand of the Bonn mail order company H&S is rightly considered to be aggressively priced and consistently offers a lot of technology for the money - and in the field of e-trekking bikes the Relate is a good example of this.
Radon Relate 9.0 CX 625 Lady – Sporty and powerful
The first thing that strikes you is how sporty Radon approaches the topic of “e-trekking”. With a short head tube and the very high-quality adjustable stem, the seating position can be adjusted flat and stretched; the riser handlebars are reminiscent of MTBs, and the equipment also goes with them. Radon specifies the most powerful Bosch motor, the Performance CX with a torque of 85 Nm, plus the largest battery of the current model generation with 625 watt hours - everything made for long tours over demanding terrain, where the powerful motor pushes reliably and persistently even on steep sections .
Radon takes the brakes and gears from the classy Shimano XT group; as usual today, twelve sprockets from 10 to 51 teeth are operated at the rear. In addition, the manufacturer installed an air suspension fork with 100 mm travel, which also goes with the mountain bike theme. Both wheels are attached with quick-release axles; the rear derailleur carries a direct-mount derailleur hanger.
Radon Relate 9.0 CX 625 Lady – top-level attachments
So far, so sporty - the Relate becomes a trekking bike thanks to the solid 36-spoke wheel set with smooth-running "Schwalbe Marathon Plus" tires, a B&M front light with a full 70 lux and of course the special frame with a permanently attached rear carrier. This is a stable and very elegant solution, especially since the rear fender can be attached without additional struts; Mounted on it is a Racktime attachment for system accessories such as baskets, which is equipped with side struts for bags.
Anyone who decides to jump on the Relate (which is of course also available with a diamond frame) will not experience any surprises at first: As expected, the motor pushes extremely hard and does not let up even on long, steep climbs; the widely graduated shifting works excellently, although you never actually need the very large sprockets given the powerful support. The steering behavior is neutral, the comfort thanks to the air suspension fork and spring support is high. Of course, the Nyon on-board computer with the large color display, which is easy to use thanks to the touch function and has a very large range of functions, deserves a special mention. Routes can be uploaded for the purpose of navigation, with the remaining range being displayed on the map en route – not just taking into account the route, of course, but also the topography. The riding data displayed includes the meters in altitude climbed and a performance comparison between the rider and the bike, which indicates the respective percentage of the propulsion. Of course, there is also an app, as well as paid premium functions.
Speaking of costs: Radon offers all of this for 3.699 euros, so you're still a good way away from the magical four thousand. There is also the Relate 8.0, which is another 500 euros cheaper and can do almost the same thing as the top model: the same drive, the same battery, also twelve gears and air suspension fork, albeit a bit simpler, plus the Intuvia display. One shouldn't be surprised at the popularity of Bonn's bikes.
