AvalancheRun
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
It’s well past time you were banned. Almost every day you contribute pure negativity.
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8+ months of research, 100s of hours, know what I need & want but can't find it
- Thread starter BurroBabe
- Start date
BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
Kevin, I'm a bit confused. By "her" do you mean me? I think it sounds like it. Please clarify what you mean by "camel it". and what a "light weight bike booster" is. Since Mike V's reply suggesting adding a motor to a bike I already have I've really been trying to figure out if I could add the motor he suggests to my Trek 200 hybrid. (post with a question above somewhere regarding this). I just need to figure out if the grip shifters could be changed out to a short throw trigger shifters for the 3 x 7 altus derailleurs. So far, no one has helped me on that except for a suggestion about a possible electronic shifter ? I've been talking about that with my engineer son (who questions the reliability of a Chinese motor), and I would have to find someone to put the bike together, no shops nearby and the only traveling bike mechanic has never worked on electric .
I didn't think I was looking for a "grail", just a bike with shifters that my hands can use and a weight that's reasonable, ie. not too far above 50#. My Trek 520 meets those needs with bar-end shifters but has really narrow tires, the Trek 200 just needs different shifters.
BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
BTW, I learned from similar episodes, and now an allergic dermatitis to Mugwort that is even worse, that Technu, the original, applied after exposure as instructed, will remove the oils from your skin and prevent (if done soon enough) or significantly lessen, the reaction. I swear by it. Some call it pricey but one bottle lasts me a whole season and I use it often. Even if you do break out it still helps lessen the reaction. Get it!
indianajo
Well-Known Member
All the bike motors are Chinese even bosch. Mahle is swiss but at 250 watts is fairly useless. Mahle quit selling conversion kits in 2018, mahle now comes only with bikes. I got 4500 miles out of a 1300 w ebikeling geared hub (gears wore out), burned the wire harness off a Mac in the rain due to the pins being too close together on an ASI controller, and found 36 v 350 w bafangs were too small to lift 330 lb up 12% grades (burnt the winding by over-volting). Have replaced the harness on the Mac12t and am using it again. Don't every buy an ASI controller except for desert racing. ASI came in a kit with the Mac12t from luna. The first ebikeling controller lasted 4 year before erroring out, the 2nd 500 watt controller was fine for the 350 w bafang but errored on the 1000 w bafang, and am now on a 2nd 1000 w controller from ebay. I've been through 4 throttles and 3 PAS pickups. I keep spares in the garage so I am not immobile when something fails. I bought the bodaboda bike in the avatar unpowered, then added ebikeling kit with lunabike battery 10000 miles & 5 years ago. 25 mph wind in my face can make my 27 mile commute take 6 hours without power. Best motor for carrying cargo on hills is mac12t 48 v but you have to buy them from alibaba now, no US vendor will stock them. 2.5 mm spokes that fit motors have to come from china now too, I buy them from ebay. Used to you could buy a good motor in a wheel built up. Now it is bafang bafang bafang bafang, no matter that 10 winding motors are great for top speed but wimpy climbing hills with groceries. ]
I built my battery mount and controller mount out of aluminum angle from home depot. I put the controller under the seat for rain resistance, with the wires pointed down. Use SS machine screws with elastic stop nuts that will not back off. (mcmaster.com or grainger).
BTW use a 3 or 4" torque arm on the MAC, they are torquey and can spin out and tear the harness off without. I made mine out of 4" of bed frame rail sawed flat, with a loop of box fan sheet metal to tether it to the fork. The odd shape for the axle is two 5/16" holes connected together with a nicholson triangle file. Don't put a front hub motor in an aluminum, carbon fiber, or suspension front fork.
I have my motor in the front to not over load the rear which carries the groceries, tools, water, spares. Front motor not useful in grass over 6% grade, but I ride in grass rarely, mainly to fix my tractor when stuck out in the field. Took a chunk of concrete to throw in the sinkhole 2 weeks ago, tire slipped on the upgrade coming back so won't do that again.
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Taylor57
Well-Known Member
I am a 66 year old vertically challenged man, (5'6") and have several ebikes and the one I probably enjoy riding the most is my Ride 1 Up Gravelster. It is 35lbs with battery and I can lift it on and off my bike rack with ease. Belt drive is quiet and I cruise comfortable in PAS 2 anywhere. It only has one gear and I like that. If I need to go up a hill, I may bump up to PAS 3-5. I get tired of lifting my 60 and 70 lb ebikes up onto the rack.
m@Robertson
Merciless (on the inside)
- Region
- USA
A couple of observations from a cargo biker and someone who builds ebikes in general frame-up, who also has a lifelong cycling background:
1. Suspension forks on cargo bikes are generally considered undesirable. The reason is the weight on the bike when loaded. You get both compression at rest, and some instability with the extra weight. Spending a bundle on finding just the right suspension fork can eliminate the issue (for me it was a Wren Inverted) but generally its a whole lot easier to find alternatives to a suspension fork. In particular I make good use of the Kinekt suspension stem, with the upgrades of a super heavy spring (so you can never bottom it) and their bumper upgrade. Couple that to bars that position my wrists at a more natural angle, shod with thick silicone grips (Wolftooth Fat Paw in particular) and the improvement is dramatic (I have issues with severe wrist pain after getting hit by a car a few years ago). Next, throw in a wide rim with the biggest tire you can fit. A 20" Stranger Crux XL has a 35mm internal width and with the right fork, can easily fit a 20x3.0 tire inflated to only 20 psi. That feels like riding on a pillow compared to a 2.0" tire and because of the increased air volume, 20 psi is sufficient both for ride comfort and cargo loads on dirt.
Speaking of which, a 2.40" Maxxis Minion will, thanks to its relatively supple casing and knobs, be a really REALLY good cargo tire and get you through quite a range of terrain, including pavement, comfortably. Just keep it aired to 45 psi and not the 65 its rated up to.
2. I know the outsider's view on the reliability of Chinese products is understandably jaundiced, but bear in mind the Chinese ebike market is literally an order of magnitude larger than the rest of the world combined. Further, Chinese bike riders tend to be utility oriented, and lower income, so they prize economy and reliability. What you end up with from Chinese motor manufacturers tends to be not-sexy but also highly reliable and long-lived. Effective blunt instruments, if you will. I would not extend that rosy assessment to anything else used in the domestic Chinese bicycle/ebike market.
@BurroBabe Your physical requirements coupled to your cycling needs are, to all intents and purposes, forcing you into a 20" platform ... whether you're ready to give in and agree to this yet or not. You are just not going to find a motorized 700C touring bike with a Blackburn rack in the back and low riders up front. Even if you try building it. (speaking of which, you could do that with an older touring bike frame and a BBS02 motor, where you dial the amps back on that '02 to account for lesser frame strength). Your range requirements coupled to your terrain are putting you right at the outside edge of what is do-able on a production bike, without carrying a spare battery along (bearing in mind EVERYONE who sells ebikes is lying like a rug when it comes to range estimates).
Something has to give here. Really, more than one something I think because to get the range you need you'll have to cave on the light weight requirement and use a nice big brick of a battery. My Bullitt has a 35ah pack built into a box under the cargo floor and that gets me into the kind of range you are asking for (I am assuming mostly downhill one way but uphill on the other, so you really don't need a full powered 70 mile range).
1. Suspension forks on cargo bikes are generally considered undesirable. The reason is the weight on the bike when loaded. You get both compression at rest, and some instability with the extra weight. Spending a bundle on finding just the right suspension fork can eliminate the issue (for me it was a Wren Inverted) but generally its a whole lot easier to find alternatives to a suspension fork. In particular I make good use of the Kinekt suspension stem, with the upgrades of a super heavy spring (so you can never bottom it) and their bumper upgrade. Couple that to bars that position my wrists at a more natural angle, shod with thick silicone grips (Wolftooth Fat Paw in particular) and the improvement is dramatic (I have issues with severe wrist pain after getting hit by a car a few years ago). Next, throw in a wide rim with the biggest tire you can fit. A 20" Stranger Crux XL has a 35mm internal width and with the right fork, can easily fit a 20x3.0 tire inflated to only 20 psi. That feels like riding on a pillow compared to a 2.0" tire and because of the increased air volume, 20 psi is sufficient both for ride comfort and cargo loads on dirt.
Speaking of which, a 2.40" Maxxis Minion will, thanks to its relatively supple casing and knobs, be a really REALLY good cargo tire and get you through quite a range of terrain, including pavement, comfortably. Just keep it aired to 45 psi and not the 65 its rated up to.
2. I know the outsider's view on the reliability of Chinese products is understandably jaundiced, but bear in mind the Chinese ebike market is literally an order of magnitude larger than the rest of the world combined. Further, Chinese bike riders tend to be utility oriented, and lower income, so they prize economy and reliability. What you end up with from Chinese motor manufacturers tends to be not-sexy but also highly reliable and long-lived. Effective blunt instruments, if you will. I would not extend that rosy assessment to anything else used in the domestic Chinese bicycle/ebike market.
@BurroBabe Your physical requirements coupled to your cycling needs are, to all intents and purposes, forcing you into a 20" platform ... whether you're ready to give in and agree to this yet or not. You are just not going to find a motorized 700C touring bike with a Blackburn rack in the back and low riders up front. Even if you try building it. (speaking of which, you could do that with an older touring bike frame and a BBS02 motor, where you dial the amps back on that '02 to account for lesser frame strength). Your range requirements coupled to your terrain are putting you right at the outside edge of what is do-able on a production bike, without carrying a spare battery along (bearing in mind EVERYONE who sells ebikes is lying like a rug when it comes to range estimates).
Something has to give here. Really, more than one something I think because to get the range you need you'll have to cave on the light weight requirement and use a nice big brick of a battery. My Bullitt has a 35ah pack built into a box under the cargo floor and that gets me into the kind of range you are asking for (I am assuming mostly downhill one way but uphill on the other, so you really don't need a full powered 70 mile range).
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Wrong.
Bosch motors are made in Hungary, and Bosch batteries are made in Poland.
Brose/Specialized motors are made in Germany.
Mahle/Specialized motors are made in Germany.
Yamaha/Giant motors are made in Japan.
Fazua and TQ motors are made in Germany.
Why do you spread false information?
m@Robertson
Merciless (on the inside)
- Region
- USA
Plus suspension forks tend to have a longer axle-to-crown for a double whammy on that score. Although if a step thru frame is in play, standover might never be an issue.
indianajo
Well-Known Member
Wind runs my pulse up about double what weight does, and I cross 70 hills on my weekly commute. September 2017 before power, I fought a 25 mph wind on 30 miles back to town, and it took me 5.7 hours at 120-168 bpm pulse. Exhausting. I added on a motor & battery that winter.
With electricity, outbound Friday I fought 25 mph in my face the 27 miles. It is an ebike: I burned 53.2 to 47.5 v on that leg. Only half the distance was unpowered. Back Sunday was 7 mph in my face, only used 53.9 to 51.5 v. About 80% unpowered.
I keep the weight low on my bike, which means weight does not matter much to me. Tools and supplies to handle 95% of unfortunate circumstances weigh about 20 lb, are carried on the footrest of my bike, 14" above the road. At age 73, 67" tall wth 28" inseam and 158 lb (this week) I am no giant and no Paul Bunyan. I do not take the bike for rides on my non-existant motor vehicle, so the 94 lb the combo weighs light does not strike me as unweildy. It is important to me that weight is balanced front to back, carried low. With the front basket mounts built into the frame, the 9 lb battery is mounted up front, and the 8 lb motor is on the front wheel too. When I had a 12 lb DD motor on the back, the weight on the rear waggled me around too much. Hard to control from the handlebars when pushing into the garage or maneuvering around to line up with the lock structure - power poles, gas meters, or shopping cart racks. One advantage of weight carried low, when the wind gusts to 35 mph from the side, I am not as likely to be blown over. Just because the wind is up does not mean I do not need to go buy groceries, visit my physician, or whatever my errand is.
BTW I rode steel 26" wheel bikes of 60 and 75 lb when I was age 11, 48" tall and weighed ~70 lb. Mother's 1946 Firestone safety bike was heavy, but had great gyroscopic stability. She was 63" and 125 lb, probably lighter when she bought it. My 1961 Joske's cruiser was the lighter bike. I did not have to climb hills in Houston.
With electricity, outbound Friday I fought 25 mph in my face the 27 miles. It is an ebike: I burned 53.2 to 47.5 v on that leg. Only half the distance was unpowered. Back Sunday was 7 mph in my face, only used 53.9 to 51.5 v. About 80% unpowered.
I keep the weight low on my bike, which means weight does not matter much to me. Tools and supplies to handle 95% of unfortunate circumstances weigh about 20 lb, are carried on the footrest of my bike, 14" above the road. At age 73, 67" tall wth 28" inseam and 158 lb (this week) I am no giant and no Paul Bunyan. I do not take the bike for rides on my non-existant motor vehicle, so the 94 lb the combo weighs light does not strike me as unweildy. It is important to me that weight is balanced front to back, carried low. With the front basket mounts built into the frame, the 9 lb battery is mounted up front, and the 8 lb motor is on the front wheel too. When I had a 12 lb DD motor on the back, the weight on the rear waggled me around too much. Hard to control from the handlebars when pushing into the garage or maneuvering around to line up with the lock structure - power poles, gas meters, or shopping cart racks. One advantage of weight carried low, when the wind gusts to 35 mph from the side, I am not as likely to be blown over. Just because the wind is up does not mean I do not need to go buy groceries, visit my physician, or whatever my errand is.
BTW I rode steel 26" wheel bikes of 60 and 75 lb when I was age 11, 48" tall and weighed ~70 lb. Mother's 1946 Firestone safety bike was heavy, but had great gyroscopic stability. She was 63" and 125 lb, probably lighter when she bought it. My 1961 Joske's cruiser was the lighter bike. I did not have to climb hills in Houston.
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m@Robertson
Merciless (on the inside)
- Region
- USA
This may be totally not what @BurroBabe wants to hear, but her needs and requirements are far enough outside of the norm that manufacturers cater to that I would pick a bicycle she likes that does what she wants, and convert it to an ebike. Bearing in mind that the weight requirement is likely to still go out the window thanks to the need for range, which in turn will crank up the weight.
My daily driver's battery weighs more than my entire road bike, which with its magnesium-alloy 59cm frame weighs in just a hair under 20 lbs.
Not saying you have to go so big on the battery just making an amusing (to me at least) observation.
I'm going to have to admit I didn't pore over the entire saga of this thread. Hopefully I've skimmed it closely enough to not commit too many mortal sins in the following recommendation. Maybe there's somewhere to go here with a conversion, because for a manufactured ebike... you can forget it I think. A conversion is going to get you VERY close to your desired result out of the gate with the motor and battery coming in after the fact very nicely if you do the bike right.
So starting off, it seems what is desired is a gravel bike that can do duty as a touring bike, with panniers. Since a suspension fork is desired, I'll write off the front rack and panniers (which served me very well I might add before I went to dedicated cargo builds, but lets walk before we fly). Next we need something that is very nearly unheard of in the ebike world: A frame sized for the smaller rider. This will get us out of the 20" wheel size, ideally.
Surly bikes are built with really strong chromoly frames, and quality components. I have a BBSHD-powered Big Fat Dummy which I use for bikepacking, but thats obviously an insane choice not on the menu here. What Surly DOES have that is smack in the ballpark is the Grappler.
surlybikes.com
A dedicated drop-bar trail bike with 27.5" wheels and 2.5" tires. And a frame that is sized down to XS which is suited to riders whose height starts ad about 4'7". The size SM is rated for 5'0". Standover is 2.2 to 2.5 feet. So we've come up with a bike that actually fits the rider (something ebike manufacturers as a general rule don't do) and have thus bypassed the circus-clown-bike wheel size. Check the frame geometry for stuff like reach, but for my money, you should always expect to change stem length and maybe even swap the seatpost to deal with a different (or zero) setback.
The Grappler uses the inexpensive Microshift Advent X drivetrain, which is extremely reliable and has an 11-48T hardened steel rear cluster, which will be really important when it comes to working in the motor. I use Advent X on my own Bullitt hill climbing cargo bike where I am dealing with 500 lbs of total system weight and hills as steep as 16%. So if it can handle that and shift smoothly it sure can handle this lighter duty. The frame has M5 bosses upper and lower so you can mount a serious rack on it (an Axiom Streamliner rated for 50 kg would be my choice), and do panniers of any sort without issue. The front fork is a standard Surly with barnacles everywhere so you can also mount a front rack (I use a Blackburn Outpost on Surly forks), but I expect that fork is going to be expendable in favor of a suspension fork, sadly. The WTB rims used have a 40mm internal width which will let you easily handle a 3.0" tire (the bike comes with 2.5's which might be plenty for you).
For something a little closer to a road-tourer (and a little less happy with washboard) there's the Surly Disc Trucker. For a flat bar version of the Grappler, there's the Bridge Club, although neither of those have drivetrains I would trust with the next step: Adding a mid drive motor.
Again assuming the Grappler is the choice, my personal pick would be a Bafang BBSHD, which you would then adjust to turn it into an ideal cyclists' configuration. I wrote that up here and using all of the settings I list in that article, you would adjust the one setting noted in that article to ramp the overall pedal assist output up or down. My minimum setting feeds a maximum of about 450w peak to the motor so its quite tame, which in turn extends range by quite a bit. I suspect you would pick something in the middle, or go all out and just use the lower PAS levels, which is what I do in hills.
You could also skimp a little and use a BBS02, which is cheaper and less robust. For a bike I want to depend on, I would always choose the BBSHD. Its a trooper and you can't break it. Not so with a BBS02 which can be fried if you beat on it too hard (which you are very unlikely to do but still...). Dialed back the BBSHD will be operating at 20-50% of its capacity which just means it will never stress itself and last forever.
Since these bikes all have triangles without shocks in them - and they are actual triangles - I would pick the battery from USA-manufacturer Bicycle Motor Works after I have acquired the frame and know the dimensions. An in-triangle battery bag would hold it (do NOT put it on the back rack). Triangle size on an XS frame may make it a lot smarter to pick a Small size instead, or even a step up from that to Medium if you can get away with it. Check the frame geometry charts to see about that.
As for a suspension fork... well like I said before I would personally go for a suspension stem from Kinekt first, and keep the fork as-is at least to start. But the axle-to-crown on the Grappler is 420mm. Surly says thats the max height for a suspension fork, but I think you can fudge that a little. I'll leave fork choice to you.
If you don't convert a proper, quality bike yourself I think the list of compromises and things you find undesirable will be a lot longer.
My daily driver's battery weighs more than my entire road bike, which with its magnesium-alloy 59cm frame weighs in just a hair under 20 lbs.
Not saying you have to go so big on the battery just making an amusing (to me at least) observation.
I'm going to have to admit I didn't pore over the entire saga of this thread. Hopefully I've skimmed it closely enough to not commit too many mortal sins in the following recommendation. Maybe there's somewhere to go here with a conversion, because for a manufactured ebike... you can forget it I think. A conversion is going to get you VERY close to your desired result out of the gate with the motor and battery coming in after the fact very nicely if you do the bike right.
So starting off, it seems what is desired is a gravel bike that can do duty as a touring bike, with panniers. Since a suspension fork is desired, I'll write off the front rack and panniers (which served me very well I might add before I went to dedicated cargo builds, but lets walk before we fly). Next we need something that is very nearly unheard of in the ebike world: A frame sized for the smaller rider. This will get us out of the 20" wheel size, ideally.
Surly bikes are built with really strong chromoly frames, and quality components. I have a BBSHD-powered Big Fat Dummy which I use for bikepacking, but thats obviously an insane choice not on the menu here. What Surly DOES have that is smack in the ballpark is the Grappler.
Grappler
Grappler is a drop-bar trail bike built for single-track sessions, all-day dirt rides, and bikepacking excursions.
surlybikes.com
A dedicated drop-bar trail bike with 27.5" wheels and 2.5" tires. And a frame that is sized down to XS which is suited to riders whose height starts ad about 4'7". The size SM is rated for 5'0". Standover is 2.2 to 2.5 feet. So we've come up with a bike that actually fits the rider (something ebike manufacturers as a general rule don't do) and have thus bypassed the circus-clown-bike wheel size. Check the frame geometry for stuff like reach, but for my money, you should always expect to change stem length and maybe even swap the seatpost to deal with a different (or zero) setback.
The Grappler uses the inexpensive Microshift Advent X drivetrain, which is extremely reliable and has an 11-48T hardened steel rear cluster, which will be really important when it comes to working in the motor. I use Advent X on my own Bullitt hill climbing cargo bike where I am dealing with 500 lbs of total system weight and hills as steep as 16%. So if it can handle that and shift smoothly it sure can handle this lighter duty. The frame has M5 bosses upper and lower so you can mount a serious rack on it (an Axiom Streamliner rated for 50 kg would be my choice), and do panniers of any sort without issue. The front fork is a standard Surly with barnacles everywhere so you can also mount a front rack (I use a Blackburn Outpost on Surly forks), but I expect that fork is going to be expendable in favor of a suspension fork, sadly. The WTB rims used have a 40mm internal width which will let you easily handle a 3.0" tire (the bike comes with 2.5's which might be plenty for you).
For something a little closer to a road-tourer (and a little less happy with washboard) there's the Surly Disc Trucker. For a flat bar version of the Grappler, there's the Bridge Club, although neither of those have drivetrains I would trust with the next step: Adding a mid drive motor.
Again assuming the Grappler is the choice, my personal pick would be a Bafang BBSHD, which you would then adjust to turn it into an ideal cyclists' configuration. I wrote that up here and using all of the settings I list in that article, you would adjust the one setting noted in that article to ramp the overall pedal assist output up or down. My minimum setting feeds a maximum of about 450w peak to the motor so its quite tame, which in turn extends range by quite a bit. I suspect you would pick something in the middle, or go all out and just use the lower PAS levels, which is what I do in hills.
You could also skimp a little and use a BBS02, which is cheaper and less robust. For a bike I want to depend on, I would always choose the BBSHD. Its a trooper and you can't break it. Not so with a BBS02 which can be fried if you beat on it too hard (which you are very unlikely to do but still...). Dialed back the BBSHD will be operating at 20-50% of its capacity which just means it will never stress itself and last forever.
Since these bikes all have triangles without shocks in them - and they are actual triangles - I would pick the battery from USA-manufacturer Bicycle Motor Works after I have acquired the frame and know the dimensions. An in-triangle battery bag would hold it (do NOT put it on the back rack). Triangle size on an XS frame may make it a lot smarter to pick a Small size instead, or even a step up from that to Medium if you can get away with it. Check the frame geometry charts to see about that.
As for a suspension fork... well like I said before I would personally go for a suspension stem from Kinekt first, and keep the fork as-is at least to start. But the axle-to-crown on the Grappler is 420mm. Surly says thats the max height for a suspension fork, but I think you can fudge that a little. I'll leave fork choice to you.
If you don't convert a proper, quality bike yourself I think the list of compromises and things you find undesirable will be a lot longer.
Private Site
talesontwowheels.com
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If SWYTCH didn't have the "Pay us and we'll build it when enough orders are placed" model I would suggest one of those kits. I would love one for my wife's Rat Fink chopper bike, just for a bit of assist on windy days or slightly longer rides. She can keep her dream bike (yes, she LOVES this monster bike) and have a bit of assistance when needed.
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BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
Thank you, Stefan, for educating everyone on this! Even though I am surprised Bosch is making their motors in Hungary; I thought they were a German company. I guess the US companies aren't the only ones outsourcing. I don't believe anyone here is intentionally spreading false information, though. It just happens to be the case that, in my experience (arguing with store owners over where their products come from), most Americans are convinced that "nothing is made in the US anymore" and that " everything is made in China now". I personally think that is because they are all looking for the cheapest price and shopping at Walmart.
Would you happen to know if any of the manufacturers you listed make motors for conversions?
BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
BikerG,
Could you please tell me what OP stands for?
As for stack heights, that is not a problem for me, nor for anyone whose body proportions are short inseam & long torso. In fact, it is an advantage.
As for stack height having anything to do with standover height, it doesn't. I have a mountain bike with a triangle frame and a shock fork, with plenty of standover height. I also have a hybrid with a shock fork, same thing.
BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
Thanks for checking your xl program for me. Perhaps I didn't mention however, I do not want a fat tire bike. To me, 1.95" is fat enough, for a hybrid or for a mountain bike. Fat tires=too much road friction. I want to roll on the road, pedal without assistance most of the time. I don't want to add rolling resistance.
Taylor57
Well-Known Member
Life is too short to spend this much time trying to figure out what Ebike to purchase. I heard someone say once, paralysis by analysis. Buy a bike. If you don't like it sell it and buy a different bike. I'm sure I will get grief from the softies here, but jeeze louise, s*it or get off the pot...
BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
Hey Indianajoe, most of the building and electronic talk was above me (except for understanding the stuff about insufficient torque) but I found another thing we have in common... tractors! If I get stuck, run out of fuel or something, I just walk. If I've got heavy stuff to carry back, I take my pack donkey.
easier than hauling on a bike on the hills and through brush on the farm.
BurroBabe
Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Chemung, NY
I hope no one gives you s*it about saying it. It's valid. But I'm trying to learn what my options are, get suggestions that I can investigate, and have already been given some options I never would have thought of. I need to know what options there are. I live far from any bike shops, over 100 mi from anywhere that has shops with a selection of ebikes, and I don't own a car or live anywhere I can even get a bus. So, as long as there are people willing to share their knowledge or experience, I'm listening. Isn't that what a forum is for?
indianajo
Well-Known Member
A donkey or mule would be real handy for toting garbage cans of wood to throw in the sinkhole. I spend half my summer doing that. OTOH I would have to live out at the summer property to take care of the donkey in the winter. I would have to rake up & store hay. No packaged food for diabetics out there, and I do not ride the bike on 12% hills on ice. No car either. The donkey probably could not drink from the lake unless I break the ice in 6 deg weather. My Amish neighbor is touting the utility of his horses, but his $12 an hour helper cannot keep a horse in town where he lives. I'd have to send a Amish taxi to go get him to help me change a door. I cannot keep horses/donkeys/mules either at my city house 2 blocks from the grocery & bank. And a donkey could not keep up with me on 27 miles on my bicycle. I average 9 mph late summer, & cross 6 lane highways at 23 mph. Donkeys & horses are sprinters, except the special long range runner breeds. Even those have to train regularly for distance.
Roger forums are for opinions. Read first, then later shop. I learned about bike motors that way. After my 6 hours for 30 miles trip 2017, I started looking up bike motors that you had to mount low on the frame to drive the chain, that ran off 24 v lead acid batteries. Clunky. Then searches found me LiIon 36 & 48 v motors built into the wheel, that I could add to my existing bike. First I found was hilltopper, then I found ebikeling who was a lot cheaper, more powerful, and bought. $300 wasted on garbage batteries, but the $840 for power wheel & mounts was a good investment. Got 4500 miles out of motor, 9000 miles out of the controller. The $640 battery has lasted 6 years & 12000 miles. The Mac12t has the torque to pull me +60 lb groceries up any hill to 15%, but on damp grass the front tire slips at 4%.
What are you using for internet in the country? Starlink is about the cheapest non-wire service I know of but you cannot turn it off 5 months a year. When I had DSL on phone wire in town dancing ads made websites take forever to load. In town ATT has fiber to within 3 blocks of my house, speed is amazing. I'm dark out at the summer property, except one bar cell phone service. I could not see a smart phone, I use a flip phone that I don't need to see. It is always in my pocket if I fall off the bike, or worse a car knocks me into the ditch.
Roger forums are for opinions. Read first, then later shop. I learned about bike motors that way. After my 6 hours for 30 miles trip 2017, I started looking up bike motors that you had to mount low on the frame to drive the chain, that ran off 24 v lead acid batteries. Clunky. Then searches found me LiIon 36 & 48 v motors built into the wheel, that I could add to my existing bike. First I found was hilltopper, then I found ebikeling who was a lot cheaper, more powerful, and bought. $300 wasted on garbage batteries, but the $840 for power wheel & mounts was a good investment. Got 4500 miles out of motor, 9000 miles out of the controller. The $640 battery has lasted 6 years & 12000 miles. The Mac12t has the torque to pull me +60 lb groceries up any hill to 15%, but on damp grass the front tire slips at 4%.
What are you using for internet in the country? Starlink is about the cheapest non-wire service I know of but you cannot turn it off 5 months a year. When I had DSL on phone wire in town dancing ads made websites take forever to load. In town ATT has fiber to within 3 blocks of my house, speed is amazing. I'm dark out at the summer property, except one bar cell phone service. I could not see a smart phone, I use a flip phone that I don't need to see. It is always in my pocket if I fall off the bike, or worse a car knocks me into the ditch.
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