so many choices

[hugh21]

I just recently got involved in the the e-bike world, in fact since we still have snow on the ground here in Winnipeg i haven't even had a chance to take my new ride out yet. Reading through the topics here is fascinating, I had no idea the EV world existed on the level it does. My comment is it appears to me the E-bike world seems to be where autos were back when they started. There seems to be a huge array of bikes and systems out there and it may take a few more years before a few major players emerge. There is a lot of innovation going on at this time. Now that I have 1 ebike I am thinking it would be nice to build another. Something for backwoods riding. Much research needed though. Possibly mid drive, a fat tire and suspension would also be nice and not too many gears. Any suggestions?

 

[craneplaneguy]

Your situation is the same as mine was just a couple months ago, (discovering E bikes plus this site was like turning over a rock and seeing ants scurrying around, the innovation and activity in play blew my mind) and in short order I transitioned from my first buy (a ready to ride 36 volt hub motor), to a BBSO2 mid drive conversion to a mountain bike I already owned, to my third (and last, at least for a while???) build. A fat tired brand new bike with the BBSHD drive. I am also in the middle of hot rodding up the 36 volt hub motor first ride just because it sucks so bad as compared to my other two rides. All three then will have 52 volt batteries, interchangeable. If I had it to do over again....I would have passed on the first buy, but I didn't know what I was doing, and really it's OK it's just that the other two are so much more then OK. The so far brief (still a lot of snow here) riding with the fat tired BBSHD shows it to be capable of almost vertical climbing, I haven't tried any stairs yet but feel they won't be a problem! Less then 30 mph top speed due to it's low gearing, my "town ride" with the BBSO2 is geared higher, and easily gets over 30 plus is lighter and feels more bike like over all.

I have not taken the fattie into town yet, no reason to, but I think I may not like it riding around on pavement, as compared to my smaller tired MB, I mean why drag all that extra rubber around, just to look cool? You may ( I assume the funds are unlimited :? ) want to aspire to a full blown low geared trail rider, AND a higher geared small tired much faster town bike, anything less involves a lot of compromises, make sense? And don't even consider anything less then the increasing common (for me anyway) 52 volt packs. Two bikes and two batteries, so you can take both on longer rides, but on shorter rides not be packing the extra weight of a monster single pack, that's my plan anyway.

 

[LockH]

Hi Hugh (now up to 20 other Hughs here now? Good stuff!)
Urban Guy here (Toronto). Had to look up "backwoods riding"... Maybe:

1. wooded or partially uncleared and unsettled districts.
2. any remote or isolated area.

Ummm... So carrying some gear? Sounds like more torque less speed for clambering around and up/down grounds "off road" eh? Need to pull a trailer? Or add "stuff" in baskets on the vehicle itself maybe...

(I get to imagine camping gear and weapons. So a heavier vehicle generally including... "stuff".)












(Weapons like fishing gear I mean.)

 

[hugh21]

I have had many motorcycles, the last ones were trials bikes so slow over rough terrain is very appealing, just carrying some water and maybe a light lunch is all I want. The Canadian Shield country is nearby and that means lots of rocks and trails. My biggest concern would a few water crossings where the water would likely be be up to or maybe just over the hub for a few seconds

 

[dogman dan]

The many choices are actually pretty easy. After you build your new garage, you choose bikes till it's full.

I was serious about that too. It can get expensive experimenting, but it's fun and as hobbies go, cheap. Eventually you settle in on types you like best. I just put a new 10x10 shed up to protect some of my bike junkyard from the weather, but the e bike fleet is just 4 bikes I like. One fast, and one slow street cargo bike, and one fast, and one slower dirt full suspension bikes.

 

[USAEBIKECO]

Having 2 ebikes is great. Im not rich but I sometimes feel like it when I can switch between my bikes for daily riding. Its fun to build and customize your own ebike.

 

[dogman dan]

I just meant to say, you are not married for life to an e bike. Especially if you have a kit that can migrate from one bike to another. Of course, once you go fat tire, then the stuff kind of has to stay on some kind of fat bike.

But to start with, you can get by with a very cheap rear hub motor kit, on a very cheap bike. Don't go cheap on the battery though. Then as funds appear, the same battery can run multiple bikes, and both the bikes and the motor equipment can improve over the years.

One bike that can kind of do dirt, and ride street is a good starting point. Not a fat bike, but put some wide tires on it. The usual steel hardtail mtb, or an affordable FS bike. Then as more money is found, go for a really good FS, a good fattie, or whatever, and still ride street on the older bike.