Hello From the Antipodes

[ausGeoff]

G'day from downunder...

I live in rural South Gippsland in the state of Victoria, right down
on the southernmost tip of the Aussie mainland, next to Bass Strait.

I've owned three two-wheelers, and now have a tricycle. I was,
I guess, happier riding those, but I'd fallen off a couple of times
on two of those bikes, which led me to this trike.

I do have a couple of questions about the drive train. The trike has 3-speed internal
twist-shift gears, mid-drive motor, and 5# PAS selector. So... I ride primarily on smooth
flat gravelled trails and sealed roads, and I'm a bit confused about the gears v. PAS
settings and/or their ideal combos. I'm a lazy bloke LOL so I tend to nearly always stay
in PAS #2 and 2nd gear.

I don't really understand the power/torque figures for the various PAS/gears combo,
or if I'm treating the trike kindly.

The trike weighs 35kg and I weigh 99kg, with the motor being a Bafang 250 watt (max
legal here). Should I be utilising the gear ratios more, and or different PAS settings as
I ride on gentle grades or against the wind etc? Or is my lazy man's way good enough?
It doesn't have a throttle (again, illegal here) other than a 6km/h walk assist.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Mid-drive motors tend to be most efficient at higher cadences (pedaling rates) — say, above 70 rpm. More efficient here means that more of the applied electrical power goes to forward propulsion and less to heating the motor. So for given ground speed and conditions, more efficient also means greater battery range.

Every rider has their own preferred cadence as well — usually in the 60-100 rpm range. Pedaling at your preferred cadence is generally more powerful and less tiring. Also easier on the joints.

On mid-drives, the gears are largely there to help you pedal at the best cadence compromise between the motor's happy place and your own. If you maintain a fixed speed of, say, 10 mph, changing gears changes only your cadence. Why not make it one you and your motor both like?

So one approach to try: Start out in a lower gear to limit the load on your drivetrain. (Same idea as not lugging a car engine.) Then coordinate the gears and assist levels to keep a good cadence as conditions change.

With the focus on cadence, you'll soon figure out how to play the game. I tend to ride at low assist and use first the gears and then assist level to keep my cadence. But the other way around also works. Matter of taste at that point.

 

[ausGeoff]

Thanks so much for this informative—and timely!—response Jeremy. I'd never
thought about any relationship with cadence, so I'll give it a go tomorrow.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Welcome from Vancouver Canada mate!

 

[ausGeoff]

Thanks Dave. I've often thought over the years I'd
probably choose Canada as another country I could
easily live in if things got crook downunder. We only
travelled as far as Niagara Falls when we toured North
America many moons ago, and should've made the
effort then and there. We're too old for international
travel now. Cheers.

 

[JGcycle]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Thanks so much for this informative—and timely!—response Jeremy. I'd never
thought about any relationship with cadence, so I'll give it a go tomorrow.

Curious, what's to stop the good people of Australia and New Zealand from referring to the British Isles as the Antipodes?

 

[ausGeoff]

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you kindly JG. I'm guessing from YouTube cycling videos
I've watched that the main population centres in Canada are well
served with decent paved bike paths. Oh that we had those here!
My trike has 4" fatties to cope with the gravel tracks we often have
to ride on.

 

[ausGeoff]

Curious, what's to stop the good people of Australia and New Zealand from referring to the British Isles as the Antipodes?

LOL... I guess it's an old tradition pushed by the Brits as their former
colony of Australia was considered to be literally the end of the world.
If anybody—particularly crime writers of playwrights wanted to send
someone far, far away, often in disgrace, then Australia was it!

Never been a two-way thing, but you make a good point.

 

[kevinmccune]

my antipode is 200 miles out from Perth in the Indian ocean( did they ever find MH 370?) I actually bought a special water valve( Jobe) made in New Zealand from a friendly group in Australia the valve will let you draw down your reservoir any given amount you want until it refills the tank( keeps the water fresher and helps save the pump) so far its been flawless had it for years. Have considered moving down under looks like solar would work good in the outback to keep those low wattage ebikes going.