Balmorhea said:
How do you find the handling of the BikeE versus the Cannondale? When I tried the BikeE (non-suspended version) many years ago, I found it bothersomely unstable. I haven’t tried the Cannondale.
The bikeE with it's stock handlebars is super skittish at lower speeds. I replaced them with some cruiser bars and it made the steering dramatically more confident. It's notably more nimble than the cannondale due to it's shorter wheelbase, and also 10lbs lighter, so this is no surprise.
I also peak out at 1mph faster on the bikeE. My human top speed on flat land is 24mph on this bad boy.
The front wheel not having suspension isn't as big of a deal as i thought. I'd be wary of a pothole at high speeds though, so i'd never design it to run at >30mph.
The Cannondale is like driving a big luxury car. It floats over busted surfaces. It's steady and confident. It steers more like a bus.
rowan said:
It’s my regular grocery run now, and I’m leaning towards putting the Bafang G311 on the front to see what it does for me.
Be aware that being a dual geared motor, the G311/G310 has a maximum wheel RPM limit of around 350rpm. In a 16" wheel, you will easily exceed that at very low speeds. 40mph translates to something like 1000rpm, That'd put your maximum top speed around 15mph or so - well below how fast you can pedal it.
Putting it in a 20" rear wheel is better but still limits you to something like 20mph.. it's very unfortunate :/
Also, welcome to the forum!!!
thundercamel said:
Ahoy! You are a far stronger biker than I am
I've been ordering lots of affordable parts since I've been stuck at home.
I've been practicing riding up hills while my tibia was held together with metal pins. The second i had my frame removed, i started aggressively pedaling the exercise bike at the gym. The second we hit April, i've been on the road every day, clobbering hills again. No need to be jealous of me.. go out there and challenge yourself and build some wicked cardio capacity ( it'll help you in bed too, hehe )
goatman said:
if I google, wide bicycle bottom bracket, there seems to be quite a selection. I don't know if you can get a bracket that moves each of the cranks outward a 1/4 or 1/2 inch, so the battery can go forward..
That's an idea. However, i've read several studies that show that pedaling is more efficient the more narrow the cranks are.
The front of the bike is a great place to put a battery for weight balance reasons, and would prevent the bike from wheelie-ing from pedaling, as it's prone to do. But dangit, i want that pedaling efficiency!
I'm considering mounting a battery halfway between the crank and the seat or so.