What is your WH per mile?

[recumpence]

Hey Guys,

Just curious, what your watt-hours per mile is and at what speed?

The most efficient bike I ever had averaged 12wh per mile at 20mph. That was my Catrike 700.
My black bike averages 33wh per mile at 26mph (I still need to test it at 20mph).

What are you guys averaging?

Matt

 

[LockH]

Related ES thread maybe "Cost PER MILE = "real" cost?"
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=68191

Good point though about "at what speed".

 

[Warren]

I did my 7.1 mile loop, three years ago, at 25.2 mph average, and 12.3 Wh/mile. I did 102.8 miles that year at 20.8 mph average, 9.1 Wh/mile. I did 14.7 miles at 20.4 ave, at 11.1 Wh/mile on Sunday.

These were all good efforts, I don't have a freewheeling crank. I probably averaged 100 watts to the wheel. That would be like 130 battery watts. So if I took my feet off the pedals probably another 6-7 battery Wh/mile at 20 mph. You are in the midwest where I grew up. I'm in central Virginia, and there is no place flat around here. You are either going up a hill, or coming down one. I love it!

If I'm taking it real easy, it's more like two weeks ago. 50.4 miles at 18.7 mph, and 11.5 Wh/mile.

 

[recumpence]

I need to add, this is without any pedaling at all. That keeps the numbers even.

Matt

 

[LockH]

And headwinds/tailwinds? Sitting up? Or recumbent?

 

[recumpence]

And headwinds/tailwinds? Sitting up? Or recumbent?

Long enough rides pretty much eliminate wind as a factor unless you are going long distance in one direction only.

 

[LockH]

Hehe... Sorry R., old time sailor here notices stuff. Like often light winds first thing AM (trip/commute to work?) then "freshens"/change directions by afternoon/evenings (trip home?). Back in bad/dumb old daze driving (20th. cent. gas powered "automobile") once got terrific "WH per mile" on trip home from Wet Coast (sp?) coming out of the Rockies towards Calgary, AB. Stopped to recharge... sorry, "gas up"... and opening the car door just about blew the door off from katabatic "tail wind". Crazy Greeks.

 

[Warren]

"Long enough rides pretty much eliminate wind as a factor unless you are going long distance in one direction only."

Nope.

"out-and-back time trial, a tailwind does not make up for time lost riding into a headwind of the same speed."

http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/wind.html

http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2010/02/28/the-wind-giveth-a-little-and-t/

In 25 years of doing my 7.1 mile loop, on over a dozen different bikes, my fastest times, on any given bike, have always been in dead calm.

 

[LockH]

Ya. Watt he said. Sailors call it a "compass rose":

... which varies from place to place and with the seasons... and times during the day. In theory (since I went "recumbent"), Wh's per mile/km should be... "improved"/lower. A bit.

 

[recumpence]

"Long enough rides pretty much eliminate wind as a factor unless you are going long distance in one direction only."

Nope.

"out-and-back time trial, a tailwind does not make up for time lost riding into a headwind of the same speed."

http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/wind.html

http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2010/02/28/the-wind-giveth-a-little-and-t/

In 25 years of doing my 7.1 mile loop, on over a dozen different bikes, my fastest times, on any given bike, have always been in dead calm.

The point I'm getting at is; I don't want someone posting 6wh per mile in one direction with a 30mph wind at their back.

 

[LockH]

"out-and-back time trial, a tailwind does not make up for time lost riding into a headwind of the same speed."
http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/wind.html

Uuuurp. Sailors (racers) commonly race triangular courses, with start and finish lines one and the same, set about midway across "leg" of the triangle between the "first leg to the "weather mark" (bouy), then a "reach" to the second mark set about parallel to the start-finish line, then "rounding" the 2nd mark to race to the 3rd "down wind leg" , rounding that then headed for the finish line. W/variations, but like this:

Anyway... Starting might be analogous to getting up in the morning and headed off to work, then headed home later aka "the finish line"?

Tactics (and speeds) for racers are quite diff. depending on which part of the course is involved. On shore, riding a bike I wouldn't hesitate to seek out parts of trips where ambient air flows are "favorable", depending on winds that day (and rains and snow) and knowing that winds commonly change directions (and strengths) during the day. So "trips home" likely are totally different that "trips to work" some days and some times of the year. "Fair weather sailor" cyclists might only travel NOT in the "dead" of winters. Other cyclists might "dress for the weather".

Anyway... Suggest when tapping about "WH per mile" etc that folks express averages (of course) but also indicate whether they cycle "year `round" plus their rough locations ("cities") re "wind rose" as above.

- From an old ex-Olympic class "Tornado catamaran" sailboat racer. (Decades of sailing and racing all sorts of boats, w/only "solar-assist".)

(PS. "Top 5 Windiest Cities in the World"
http://shawnvoyage.com/top-5-windiest-cities-in-the-world/

 

[Warren]

I am pretty sure nobody here is going to beat Bill Bushnell's Wh/mi numbers. This is 18.2 mph average, 19.3 Wh/mile averaged over two runs on the mid-drive setup without pedaling.

http://mrbill.homeip.net/bikeBlog.php?2015#hubMotorHillsTesting.2015.02

And with some pedaling.

http://mrbill.homeip.net/bikeBlog.php?2011#megamonster_enduro.2011.02.12

 

[cal3thousand]

This seems like a "Best" Wh per mile thread. I'm no where near that category, but I spend about 35-40Wh/mi on a 35mph commute depending on the lights and how much time I spend above 35

 

[recumpence]

I am pretty sure nobody here is going to beat Bill Bushnell's Wh/mi numbers. This is 18.2 mph average, 19.3 Wh/mile averaged over two runs on the mid-drive setup without pedaling.

http://mrbill.homeip.net/bikeBlog.php?2015#hubMotorHillsTesting.2015.02

And with some pedaling.

http://mrbill.homeip.net/bikeBlog.php?2011#megamonster_enduro.2011.02.12

my best at 20 mph is 12wh per mile without pedaling. That was consistent on my catrike.

 

[Warren]

I know there is not much climbing in your area, but I suspect that with your setup being 15-20% more efficient than the Chinese stuff most of us are running, even climbing below your most efficient rpm, you are as efficient as my MAC in the right gear.

As Luke (liveforphsics) has said, a really efficient motor/controller/battery doesn't need a transmission.

Have you checked out Terry's Zero? Currently running a 27 kWh pack, 22 kW onboard charging, 120 Wh/mile average at 75-80 mph average, 75K miles in three years, so far.

 

[DaDo.Bzz]

9,08 Wh/km

On a 68.8km trip, very high meters uphil (1670 m), quite a lot peddaling, but also with high power for acceleration (up to 1100W) batt 625 Wh

 

[Marc S.]

On my 33km commute, my ICE Sprint recumbent trike with Infineon 12 FET, 20s battery, MXUS 1307 hub in 24" wheel, regulary uses between 24-25 Wh/km (38-40 Wh/mile) at 38km/h (23.6 mph) average and 65-68 km/h (40-42 mph) top speed. Thats without taking care about battery consumption, riding in traffic in a mayor city at rush hours and lots of stop and go's.

Last summer I made a trip from Hamburg to Lübeck and back for testing the new set-up. Battery was used in 10s configuration.
162 km (100 miles) in total at a 25.4 km/h (15.8 mph) average. Total consumption was 1300 Wh plus change or 7.9 Wh/km (12.7 Wh/mile).

I use a front fairing, but as far as I can tell, it offers no measurable gain in top speed or battery consumption. Keeps the rain away, though.

 

[www.recumbents.com]

I average about 15 wh/ mi on my commuter, with fakey pedaling. Cruising speed about 30. Mostly flat with some hills and stops. On this bike: http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/e-bent/rc_drive/default.htm

 

[r3volved]

My old gng kitted bike at 1.5kW peak (48V) was hitting around 25wh/km 'unlimited' and 22wh/km 'reduced/Eco (800W peak)'

My new bike with LR kit at 5kW peak (72V) I am getting around 35wh/km 'unlimited' and 28wh/km 'reduced/eco (2.5kW peak)'

 

[LockH]

Oh oh. Just curious? This whole thread cover stuff used in motion included like use of sound signaling devices, lighting, heating/cooling, etc.? (Plant leaf burner use of electricity as heater aka "cigarette lighter".) "House Loads" so to speak.