Bike_on said:
cycleops612 said:
Or so it seems?
So many want more range and speed, but seek answers ~only in more power and weight.
Fairings, lycra, aerodynamic panniers, bigger wheels ... seem treated as minor issues with ebikes, when in fact it is the biggest issue at approaching car type speeds, and increases exponentially beyond a certain point. Then there are days you face a headwind.
Anyhoo, preamble aside, a heretical? suggestion which one would think may suit many who want fast and range, is a simple traditional (post mig welding manufacture seems wise?) road bike with drop bars, 28" racing wheels & tyres ? and a simple front hub motor.
I often had a total load of 100kg (i am 75kg) on my 12.5kg chromoly? racing bike. Never was grip an issue with so little weight.
If you have a long commute, there is the option of; cheap, light, slippery, more effective pedal input, and smaller/lighter/cheaper battery.
Drop bars can seem intimidating, but you get used to the two hand positions. A thumb throttle sounds best to be reachable from either.
I bought a nice road bike @ bikesdirect and put a Falco high speed hub on it and road for a couple years. 28mm tires.
It was fast. Shifting with Ultegra components and a 50/34 front rings were fine and could maintain 25+. The issue is high speed wear on the frame/spokes/drops. I even used torque bar. The front carbon fork lasted, but the comfort at higher speeds on bumpy roads was poor.
It is a way to get there. 40lb bike. 500W hub, 36V/11.6ah battery. 22-24mph averages.
ta for sharing, no substitute for having done it
yeah well, 500w, theres your proble aybe
dunno
specifically, it was a triathlon bike if that matters
how about, a 12kg bike, 3kg Xiongda dual speed hub - 350w,
battery is tricky. If its a commute app, its good to fine tune it. personally, i ~never use more than 25%, which is really ~1/3rd of my battery, so 2/3 is dead weight.
spending longer than an hour on a bike seems a bit much to me. so assuming an hr max & a charger at work
180w for 25 mins (60wh) for steady 25-30kph, allow 350 watts use for 15 mins of the hour (=60wh~)& 20mins for coasting and stuff
=120wh total for an hour commute trip of under 25km, conservative, and not even pedaling.
a 220wh lipo i looked up as a sample was 1.5kg - just saying - its 220 wh is all. we may get by with 1kg.
a rider not much more than 80kg
then 16kg total is not bad with the dual speed.
I do see the problem, its a more delicate frame, but i am not convinced that if the motor etc. are minimalist, a ~100kg gvm bike and rider, could still achieve fun and practical power to weight ratios. For lighter riders, even exciting.
The reality is that the main of reasonable sustained speed is wind, and drop bars can achieve as much as considerably more weight, power and expense.
i repeat, its a pedal when u r ready strategy. Thats great, but optional. you dont have to be fit or rich.
maybe save a kilo with a lighter hub and more pedaling. If the native gearing is right, a single speed hub is v cheap, light, & could blend well with the now much easier pedaling.