Coolbob
Well-Known Member
I've been asked what's the 'real life' battery range on the Transend and I thought I'd share my reply here for others. I'm riding a 2020 Transend E+ with a 375-watt battery.
Everybody's 'real life' range is different because there are so many variables that impact battery range on an eBike; terrain, road surface, tire type, tire pressure, ambient temperature, weight and fitness or the rider, gear selection, bike assist level, speed, accessories attached to the bike, cargo weight, cadence, wind, etc.
Because we are both talking about the same bike, we know some of the variables. Here are some of my variables: I weigh about 155lbs; I'd say that my fitness level is better than most 60-year olds; 55psi feels like a good balance between comfort and efficiency with the tires on the Transend (I've replaced the OEM tubes with Slime brand heavy duty tubes); I try to keep my cadence above 60rpm; my town is very hilly; most of my riding is on paved surfaces; I have a seat bag, handlebar bag, water bottle and rear rack on my bike all the time; so far ambient temps have been between 55-95f.
My rides may be a little atypical, I live in a hilly neighborhood with a gradual downhill ride for the first mile, then two steep hills followed by an up-hill section in thick, loose gravel along the shoulder of a 2-lane highway for about 1/4-mile and then another mile or so uphill on a smooth paved back road just to reach the city limits. Once I'm in town, I have lots of options, but every ride begins and ends with this challenging section. This is why I quit riding my non-electric bike, I was too pooped to go very far once I made it to town. I'm sure this part of every ride takes it's toll on battery range.
According to the RideControl app, I've put 415.7 miles on my Transend and accumulated 97,446-ft of elevation gain. 95% of my riding has been on 'auto' assist level, but I crank it up to '5' to make it up my steep driveway and a couple of other hills here and there. My shortest ride is 3.5 miles and my longest is 24. My average speed tends to be around 12-15mph and my average cadence runs between 50-70.
I usually charge up to about 80-90% and run the battery down to 20% or so between charges. I charge up to 100% about every 5 charges or so and just ran the battery down to 2% for the first time last week as recommended in the manual. It's really amazing how much hills, speed and assist level affect the battery. I started my last ride with the intent to run the battery down from 20% by riding a loop through my hilly neighborhood. Starting at 20%, the app estimated a range of 12-miles, so I thought I'd ride three or four laps. I cranked the assist level up to '5' and set out keeping my speed well above 15mph, occasionally in top gear and peddling as fast as I was able. Riding at this assist level and speed, I made only one lap, 4.5-miles, before the battery level had dropped to 2%.
Short answer - I get two or three rides out of a charge totaling about 45-miles to a charge.
Everybody's 'real life' range is different because there are so many variables that impact battery range on an eBike; terrain, road surface, tire type, tire pressure, ambient temperature, weight and fitness or the rider, gear selection, bike assist level, speed, accessories attached to the bike, cargo weight, cadence, wind, etc.
Because we are both talking about the same bike, we know some of the variables. Here are some of my variables: I weigh about 155lbs; I'd say that my fitness level is better than most 60-year olds; 55psi feels like a good balance between comfort and efficiency with the tires on the Transend (I've replaced the OEM tubes with Slime brand heavy duty tubes); I try to keep my cadence above 60rpm; my town is very hilly; most of my riding is on paved surfaces; I have a seat bag, handlebar bag, water bottle and rear rack on my bike all the time; so far ambient temps have been between 55-95f.
My rides may be a little atypical, I live in a hilly neighborhood with a gradual downhill ride for the first mile, then two steep hills followed by an up-hill section in thick, loose gravel along the shoulder of a 2-lane highway for about 1/4-mile and then another mile or so uphill on a smooth paved back road just to reach the city limits. Once I'm in town, I have lots of options, but every ride begins and ends with this challenging section. This is why I quit riding my non-electric bike, I was too pooped to go very far once I made it to town. I'm sure this part of every ride takes it's toll on battery range.
According to the RideControl app, I've put 415.7 miles on my Transend and accumulated 97,446-ft of elevation gain. 95% of my riding has been on 'auto' assist level, but I crank it up to '5' to make it up my steep driveway and a couple of other hills here and there. My shortest ride is 3.5 miles and my longest is 24. My average speed tends to be around 12-15mph and my average cadence runs between 50-70.
I usually charge up to about 80-90% and run the battery down to 20% or so between charges. I charge up to 100% about every 5 charges or so and just ran the battery down to 2% for the first time last week as recommended in the manual. It's really amazing how much hills, speed and assist level affect the battery. I started my last ride with the intent to run the battery down from 20% by riding a loop through my hilly neighborhood. Starting at 20%, the app estimated a range of 12-miles, so I thought I'd ride three or four laps. I cranked the assist level up to '5' and set out keeping my speed well above 15mph, occasionally in top gear and peddling as fast as I was able. Riding at this assist level and speed, I made only one lap, 4.5-miles, before the battery level had dropped to 2%.
Short answer - I get two or three rides out of a charge totaling about 45-miles to a charge.
