How Fast is your Ebike versus How Fast do you want it?

broloch

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May 10, 2008
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How fast is the top speed of your ebike, and how fast do you want to be?

I guess I top out at around 28-30km/h (Legal), but I would like to push it to maybe 50 km/h, or a bit less, mainly cruising at around 35-45km/h, but have the higher speed available when I need it. How about the rest of you guys?
 
My bike averages around 50km/h on a 48v battery pack...

however if i use a 72v pack it tops out at around 70km/h... pretty stable although aussie roads don't let me feel stable (too bumpy). Although I think for a hardtail bike like mine thats the fastest i'll do on it...

If i had a dual suspension or downhill bike... i think it would be capable of much much more... also need fatter tyres than 2.5inch!
 
Top speed 48kph, but I very rarely go over 32-34kph on this particular mountain bike unless the road is brand new black top. Just feels too darn fast above that.
 
hahah...

gotta admit i am a bit of a speed demon and feel privalidged that my way to work (which is what i use the ebike for) is filled with either bike tracks or bike lanes on the road.

Have to say that if i do choose to go fast... i do have a sports car sitting the garage waiting to play with :)
 
Travelling in the city most all the time with traffic (bike lane) and people so around 22 mph feels safe to me.
 
I ride at 20 to 35kph. 35 is the top speed of my bike and I am pretty happy with it. I had recently hooked up a 30amp ecrazyman to Nicads and a golden motor. It went pretty fast 45-50kph but that speed is not necessary for me. I'd rather just cruise and pedal to get some exercise! :D
 
My moped-EV goes 45 kph @ 36 volts right now, 30 kph if I only hook up two of the SLAs.

I could go to 48 volts and I guess it would be 60 kph but that's a bit fast for a little old Italian moped.

Right now, I'd rather go for range and am trying to figure out what I should do -- go NiMH or go LifePO. Problem is (as always) the funding is limited.

Karen
 
nutsandvolts said:
Yeah 22mph is 35kph, that's the speed I'm usually riding.

More enjoyable too.
 
Mine tops out at ~50kph (47-52kph depending on how much I'm pedalling and how topped out the batteries are). To be honest, this feels just about right to me. Most of the time I go a bit slower than this - usually around 35kphh - but it's nice to have speed when I need it.
 
I like going fast but I also like to keep my legs moving to get some excercise. On the flats my ebike tops at 24mph (39kph). Each morning, on the way to work, with freshly charged batteries I fly down a 5% grade at 31mph (50kph). It's fast but the ride is still comfortable and very stable. The only thing I worry's me at those speeds is not having enough stopping power. I guess I'm comfortable with my ebike's speed for now until I can get some better brakes. :mrgreen:
 
One tops out at 31mph, the other at 26. The 31mph one is good, but I'd like to see the 26mph one do 45mph for the short stretches where I have to ride in traffic. It'd keep up with traffic then and I'd be safer.
 
Mine tops out at 20, its fine for most parts, but felt unsafe mixing it up with cars. So I don't do that no more. I'd want at least 30 for that.
 
My does 35mph and I'd really like to get it up to 45mph (70kph), because I really only feel safe in traffic when I'm matching their speed. In combination with the speed increase, I must add better braking which is already inadequate at 35mph. My plan is to add plug braking (eventually regen), along with a brake light and turn signal. At the same time I'm making a lower more rearward and far more comfortable saddle that will be somewhere between a motorcycle type seat and the old banana seat I had on my bike as a kid.

I'm not after more speed for the thrill of it, just to match traffic speeds better. For thrills in the form of a big boost in acceleration, and to reduce motor heat while hill climbing, I'm adding a geared rear hub whose assist will top out at about 30mph. I've had motorcycles and sports cars and always found thrill in great acceleration more than in high speed, and I just want my ebike to leave all the little gas scooters and small motorcycles that weave to the front at stoplights eating my silent in silence, maybe sometimes throw in some leisurely pedaling to fool them. I feel that's the best role I can play in making EV's popular, which are currently non-existent in this country.

John
 
I've already had a boinger dude, in full regalia and no mud, ask me if the Xtracycle was motorised after he caught me at a stop-light at the top of the pitch on which I'd just recently smoked him.

Adding the 5304 rear hub has slowed me considerably going uphill.

I expect that to change when I get the batteries hooked up.

If you can keep up your cadence the magnetic drag diminishes and on the flats the heavy hub motor is something like a flywheel. It's easy to keep the thing rolling at higher than previous average speeds, just not against gravity.
 
nutsandvolts said:
If I go 70kph around here, my bike will end up in the trunk of a police car eventually. I will probably shoot for 50kph as a target on next motor upgrade, but will likely still ride in the 35-45kph range most of the time.

Just because you can go 70 doesn't mean you have to. How often do you drive a car at top speed? With my booster pack now getting me to 55 or so, I find myself not riding at WOT 100% of the time like before.

John
 
Downhill - 55 mph - 88 kph

Flat - 42 mph - 67 kph

Uphill (6% - 8% grade) - 20 mph - 32 kph


...I'm building fairings to help improve the aerodynamics and tack on some more speed. My bike is specially designed with a long wheelbase (52") so that high speed feels just fine, at the highest speed the bike is smooth as silk. :)
 
On the flat the fastest my ride has gotten on a warm summers day is 36km/h,going down a hill the fastest is ~45km/h.I usually cruise around at about 26km/h with peddling.I'd like to have the bike go to about 40 to 45km/h max.but I've gotta improve the brakes abit and get a bigger crank chain ring before that happens.

Eric
 
My one bike will do 43 KPH, the other 35 KPH. My 35KPH is a good mountain bike with quality components and is used mostly on dirt. I seldom go full speed on the dirt with it though, because of traction in the corners. The other bike is a folding mountain bike with 20 inch wheels run at 60 volts on a geared hub. it climbs hills really well, and maybe because of the lower center of gravity, seems more stable and safer at higher speeds than my full size bike.

One thing everyone should do, is to practice some panic stops on your e-bike. I was pretty surprised how hard it is to stop quickly without getting out of whack from over 40 KPH. You 70 KPH guys are nuts!
 
1:1
 
On my daily commute I go about 40 mph (64 kph) on a long, straight rural road. I have a personal rule of not going faster than 25 mph in bike lanes / paths, since that's about what I'd do on my regular old road bike.

At that speed I wear a full face helmet and a motorcycle jacket. Crashing would not be fun...
 
50KPH on the flat... and thats fast enough for me on a bicycle. Brakes are the limiting factor, for me at least. BTW, no one has mentioned the time it takes to get to top speed. That's important also.

I'd love to build a 70mph motorcycle, but don't have the mulla to spend right now. Maybe next year. Definitely on my wish list!

SteveCA
 
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