Background:
--I currently commute 70 miles per week, year-round on a CAAD4 and I average ~21-23 mph (leg power, including traffic, stop and go, etc.--topping out in the high 30's, climbing in the high teens.) The calculators that I've looked up show my average output as around 300-350W, which seems in line with what I've read.
--I just got a new assignment that's 25 miles away, and I'd like to build an electric bike to help me make this commute in an hour. To account for traffic, I figure that I need to average 30 mph to make that happen. Calculators show that I need around 700W to achieve this, or less than 400-500W average additional power. I plan on cruising in a 53/11 in the flats at 100-110 rpm. I realize that these speeds on a road bike may make some folks nervous, but to me it's just more of the same.
Will reliability and drivetrain wear be a problem with 700W+ coming from a mid-drive (BBS02) 10 hours, 250 miles a week? This will be how I get to work day in, day out, so I need it to be a workhorse. Should I consider a hub motor instead?
--I currently commute 70 miles per week, year-round on a CAAD4 and I average ~21-23 mph (leg power, including traffic, stop and go, etc.--topping out in the high 30's, climbing in the high teens.) The calculators that I've looked up show my average output as around 300-350W, which seems in line with what I've read.
--I just got a new assignment that's 25 miles away, and I'd like to build an electric bike to help me make this commute in an hour. To account for traffic, I figure that I need to average 30 mph to make that happen. Calculators show that I need around 700W to achieve this, or less than 400-500W average additional power. I plan on cruising in a 53/11 in the flats at 100-110 rpm. I realize that these speeds on a road bike may make some folks nervous, but to me it's just more of the same.
Will reliability and drivetrain wear be a problem with 700W+ coming from a mid-drive (BBS02) 10 hours, 250 miles a week? This will be how I get to work day in, day out, so I need it to be a workhorse. Should I consider a hub motor instead?