Bike for a Big Guy

[Joe Yeti]

Hello!!

I posted my intro thread, and wanted to post some more details, I would REALLY appreciate your feedback!!! I may be wrong on my assumptions.

I have been doing a ton of reading. So many choices. First off, I am 57, 6'5" 400lbs. I got fat when I broke my back and slid into some very bad years. I am trying my best to get on the other side of that now. I road my very old Trex around a little bit and know I can now get on a bike and ride. Making a lot of progress, lost enough weight where I can probably ride much longer. I used to LOVE to ride. Here in Maryland, we have a decent length riding season.

I need a bike that can handle me. I need something that if it all goes sideways can get me back to my vehicle without me pedaling. I plan to ride trails, maybe logging roads, real roads and nothing extreme or brutal. I am thinking at least 60v with a well rated AH and well rated speed controller. I understand the whole 750-watt limit for motors and also understand there is no way for them to test that or for that matter any manufacturer guarantee that specific watt rating, not worried about that, I want to just exercise safely.

So far here are the bikes that seem to fit the bill, I would APPRECIATE any feedback....

- The Magicycle Deer
https://www.magicyclebike.com/produ...-full-suspension-ebike?variant=49227199054106

- The Wired Freedom
https://www.magicyclebike.com/produ...-full-suspension-ebike?variant=49227199054106

- The E-cells Triple Crown (A little pricey for me but doable if it is the best option)
https://ecells.com/product/e-cells-super-monarch-triple-crown-awd-offroad-e-bike/

I know this is all subjective, I was just hoping to borrow from your experience.

THANKS!

Joe

 

[indianajo]

Welcome to the site. I have Army knees, and while I ride fine 50 weeks a year, a couple of times I twist my knee and cannot hardly walk. Throttle is a must those weeks.
I do not see the need for 60 v. I burn enough connectors and wires with 48. Two last week. Ebikeling quit selling 48 v kits, he is into 36 v now. If you are climbing long steep hills, 36 provides the amps without overheating the windings.
A 400 lb capable bike with 2.4" tires that are still 55 psi rated for low drag, is the blix packa. https://blixbike.com/products/packa-electric-cargo-bike. This is fine for 100' grades, but do not go climbing the Rocky or Sierra mountains with a geared hub motor. I climb 75 hills of up to 100' and 12% grade with a similar motor and battery, twice weekly when it is warm. The advantage of stretch frame bikes, it puts much of the rider's weight on the front tire. Cruisers and MTB's with vertical seating tend to put 70% of rider weight on the back tire. Limit on a 2.1" 26" tire about 220 lb.
Heavy rider bikes with mid-drives that cool better and will climb 1000' slowly, are giant momentum pakyak and yubabikes kombi https://yubabikes.com/cargobikestore/kombi-e5/. I have the predecessor yuba bike, the bodaboda, and I have about 12000 miles on it. I am not big, but I carry up to 80 lb groceries or ag supplies on the back. Disadvantage of stretch frame bikes, they will not fit on the front rack of a Louisville bus. Also about 8-10 lb more than MTB or cruiser frame.
I've lost 55 lb since I quit work and started riding the bike everywhere. I am ravenous, and satisfy the urges with a certain amount of vegetables with plenty of fiber. I'm using guacamole dip and hummis dip 2 meals a day, on mission zero calorie tortillas I cut up into squares for dipping. Dip does not rot the day after I buy it the way real avacados do. Sometimes parmesan and spinich dip. I eat 2 salads a day with lettuce, onion, sometimes tomatoes and mushrooms. Dressing is low sugar ceasar and greek. I started losing when I dropped to 12 g sugar per lunch or dinner, by watching lables. Wonder bread for sandwiches is 4 g sugar a slice, italian is one and and still does not fall apart like that 40 cal diet garbage. I eat a sugar free peanut butter (krazy richards crunchy) and sugar free jam sandwich 2 meals a day, when I am not eating fruit like cherries or nectarines. Breakfast is 2 to 4 g sugar, 6 days a week bite size shredded wheat with no-sugar almond or soy milk. One breakfast, flour only pancake with sugar free syrup and olivio.
By dropping the sugar, limiting the calories some, cutting meat to 50 g lunch & dinner except a weekly restaurant binge, and riding the bike everywhere, I've dropped 55 lb. A1c from 8.0 to 6.3 (no wonder drugs, just 1g metformin), cholesterol 213 to 150, rest pulse 88 to 72, in 16 years. Enjoy your health quest.

 

[6zfshdb]

A few comments:

Are you comfortable working on your bike yourself?
Are the bikes you linked above supported by a local dealer?
Parts and service can sometimes be difficult to get for bikes ordered online.
Keep in mind all the bikes you list have a 450# capacity, leaving just 50# for gear. A spare battery, tools, water, clothing, etc., can easily exceed that.
All are hub drive with throttle, which is the best setup for getting home without pedaling if you have a drivetrain problem or medical issue.
You might want to check the regulations on the roads & trails where you plan to ride. The third bike listed is definitely not street legal in most locations.
All the above bikes are heavy. How do you plan to transport them? Have you looked at racks for your vehicle? Getting a heavy bike onto a rack can sometimes be difficult.

Good luck with your search for a suitable ride!

 

[m@Robertson]

I would not trust the E-Cells claimed load capacity numbers. They claim enormous load capability on full suspension bikes where you can look up the rear shock weight limit and find out it is WELL under the E-Cells sales claims. You generally don't see full suspension ebikes with super high weight capacities simply because the shocks can't handle the weight.

It looks like the E-Cells bike you are citing also uses a Rockshox Monarch RL shock. This is a great shock, but it being a name brand means you can look up its specs. Rockshox says you plug in 1 psi per 1 lb of rider+gear. So a 160 lb rider plus backpack (or stuff carried on the bike rack) = 160 psi. The Rockshox Monarch RL shock itself has a max psi of 275. So do a little thinking on what that tells you about the E-Cells claim of "450 lbs carry capacity not including the bike".

 

[Imchud]

Joe... I'm also a big guy. 6'3"- 310/lbs and I used to have a 48V 750W hub drive, that I did ok with, but started to have motor issues when climbing hills. So, I then purchased a 48V, 750W Mid Drive, with 120Nm of torque, which to me, seems twice as strong especially hill climbing. On the hub drive, it was a 21Ah battery, and on the Mid drive, I have a 14.7Ah battery. Which I get just as much distance with the 14.7 as I did with the 21Ah battery. So It might be worth your time to check out Mid Drives vs. hub Drives.

 

[Joe Yeti]

WOW! I am truly lucky to have found this great resource - THANK YOU! I apparently have some misconceptions! In reality, it is not the volts that matter it is really the amps, that is where the power comes from. I mentioned 60 volt only because the ones I looked at had high amp controllers. I see that hub drive may not be the way for me to go. I had not even thought of a cargo bike!

i can work on pretty much anything, I have just about every automotive/mechanical related tool known to man , have been a hot rod/bike builder for years. i too was concerned by ecells claims, they ALMOST come off as a little fly-by-nightish to me. The weight capacity of the shock had me concerned as well.

I plan to transport this on a receiver hitch bike or light motorcycle rack with ramps on the back of my truck or Jeep. If not I can always get a motorcycle trailer that holds 2 bikes (my wife will want to ride with me at times I am sure). i will post when I have more info!

THANKS AGAIN!

Joe

 

[CanNik]

First of all I used to be 22 stone, I am now 13st 6lb.

1. Exercise, you will not get a bike top carry you at that weight.
2. Cutting down on food does NOT work, you need to change the way you eat.
3. I started with the stepper at 100 steps and eventually did 10,000 a day
4. It is the SPOKES that matter on the wheels of the bike that take the weight.

IF YOU ARE UK THEN ANYTHING OVER 250W IS ILLEGAL.

 

[Joe Yeti]

The stepper is an interesting gizmo. I am in the USA, while some states have a "watt limit" (750 in Maryland) it is totally bogus and not enforceable in any way. There is no stated load of work, is it continuous operation, is it peak, is it nominal? There is no way to measure this mythical number on the bike trail. What load is it under? How many amps is the controller?

My thinking is as long as I do not ride like an idiot and are truly at it for the exercise, I will be fine. I want to exercise safely and cause no danger to anyone, but I also need the power to get back when the medical issue inevitable strikes. The lighter I get the less likely it is BTW....

I have also toyed with the idea of building my own bike

 

[indianajo]

The trouble with the legal watt limit is that the 1000 watt geared hub I had previously, is now only available directly from the factory in Shanghai. Had 12 windings instead of 10, for more torque at low speed. Max speed 23 mph. Nobody will import them anymore. There are thousands of direct drive 2000 watt desert racers available, but no grocery getters with 80 nm torque at 10 mph. You buy groceries, the state wants you to have to have a SUV or pickup truck. Burn up the planet, defrost the ice caps, raise the ocean, the state wants their fuel taxes.
My 500 w controller would not work connected to the 1000 w motor after I replace the connector that burnt up, so I installed a 3000 watt 45 amp controller. When the Mac motor clutch failed, I went back to a 500 w motor I could actually buy, MXUS. In the 6th mile, 2 phases dropped out, and when I reflexively maxed the throttle, the 48 v battery & controller melted the shank on a TE connectivity crimp terminal. So plenty of amps available from 48 v. TE connectivity, previously AMP, invented the crimp terminal, and they used to be capable of 40 amps, At least the Thom and Betts copies I used worked fine on the 40 amp ignition circuit on my 62 Fairlane. I just put the 500 w controller back on, but am thrashing around trying to connect the blue phase pin to to the winding. Going to cut the Julet connector off today, hope the disconnect is in there. Repairing the bundles of wire inside the motor wouldl be very difficult.
Imchud, I require a throttle for days when my knees will not work. 90% of mid-drives do not have one. The ones that do, 90% of those you spin the motor with your feet after some sort of failure. I have plenty of failures, like rain shorting out wiring on the ASI controller, and do not relish the idea of dragging the motor with my feet alll the way home after the electric gives up. And I do not like the idea of the mid-drive pushing me up the hills at 2 mph. The Mac12t could maintain a 9 mph average over 70 hills, as did the ebikeling 1300 w geared hub before that. Cannot buy those in USA anymore. Besides mid-drives are 5" lower than hub drives, and I ride through high water sometimes. I am a 365 day a year bicyclist.

 

[mrgold35]

I'm 6'3", size 14 shoe, +325lbs (+350lbs with rack bag , commuter backpack, gear/tools, water/lunch, etc...), and very long arm (6'10" wing span). I just upgraded my 2016 Radrover 4" fat tire 750w rear hub to a 4.8" Himiway Cobra Pro 1000w mid-drive full suspension 20 Ah battery 10 speed tq sensor with throttle. The Himiway fat tire ebikes are rated to 400lbs and 2X the tq of a rear hub ebike. I live in NM and the extra tq mean serious hill climbing abilities and I'm using a lower PAS at level 1-2 (and less battery power) compared to my 750w Radrover at PAS 2-4 for normal riding.

I also had to upgrade to fit me correctly:
- saddle to Cloud-9 cruiser 11"X10" seat
- Sunlite 0-60 Degree adjustable bike stem (raise the handlebars to helped with numb hands)
- large and wider MTB platform bike pedals
- a longer 420mm Kinekt suspension seatpost (the standard 350mm was causing left knee pain)
- stiff bottom Northwave MTB riding shoes for waaay easier pedalling because my Nike running shoes were too flimsy and flexed too much. MTB shoes will almost last forever since you only wear them on the ebike.

 

[Joe Yeti]

mrgold35!!!! Thank you VERY MUCH! SUPER helpful, the Himiway is on my short list, I only have 2 hesitations. 1, the shock in the center is clearly not rated for a huge amount of weight, the suspension is levered so I know it is not 1:1, but does the shock seem adequate for your use? What psi did you set it up with?​

Then #2, I have read the mid drives put a lot of strain and cause fast wear on the cassette and main crank gear. I am not sure if that is just if you are power shifting through the gears (something I am not going to do). I appreciate any thoughts on these 2 concerns. There is a near by dealer that can get Himiway.

 

[mrgold35]

I have a pump for the center suspension and forks I keep in the rack bag. I set the center shock to around 275 psi and around 100 psi for the front forks. I also have the suspension seatpost and Cloud-9 cruise seat with springs along with the 4.8" fat tires set to around 30 psi. Very comfy, stable, not a lot of road noise from the tires on paved surfaces. I'm not maxing out the suspension with technical downhill runs, jumps, steep hill climbs, or black diamond trails.

You can adjust the motor cut off to 20 mph if there are restrictions in your area. I did a paved road speed run and had it up to 31-32 mph on the odo at top motor cut off. Extremely comfy ride on paved roads or doing single track near the Rio Grande river in NM (throttle comes in handy when pedalling would strike the ground/stumps/vegetation). The Cobra Pro is a heavy ebike at +90lbs out the box and probably +100lbs with all my accessories (rack+bag, suspension seatpost, Cloud-9, aux light+battery). The 160 Nm of tq moves the Cobra Pro way easier compared to my 80lbs Radrover with 80 Nm of tq.

Having both mid-drive (tq sensor) and rear hub (cadence sensor) are different experiences. For me, rear hub is like having an automatic transmission; while, a mid-drive is like having a manual transmission. I took me some time to adjust to a mid-drive and always anticipate the terrain to shift into the right gear before to reduce the strain on the chain. No more being in 7th gear at a stop and using the throttle to start like I could with my Radrover rear hub. The Himiway mid-drives also cuts the power everytime you shift gears to lessen the tq/strain on the chain. That would be something to check for if you look at other mid-drives other than Himiway.

I didn't have a Himiway dealer in NM with a Cobra Pro for me to test ride. I had a trip to Denver and was able to do an hour test ride on the Cobra Pro and purchased it on the spot (I had my QuikRstuff Mach2 bike rack on the back on the vehicle just incase for the trip). The full suspension Himiway Cobra/D7 is a 750w rear hub 7-speed version of the mid-drive 10-speed 1000w Cobra/D7 Pro.

 

[indianajo]

b to a 4.8" Himiway Cobra Pro 1000w mid-drive full suspension 20 Ah battery 10 speed tq sensor with throttle. The Himiway fat tire ebikes are rated to 400lbs and 2X the tq of a rear hub ebike.

The CST Roly-Poly 4.8 tire on the himiway cobra pro is a 30 psi max tire. https://shop.csttires.com/products/roly-poly You run the battery down, you will not want to pedal it home. Call a tow truck.
The 2.4" tires on a Blix Packa are 60 PSI rated. Harder ride, much less drag. I ride 2.1" tires at 60 PSI on the back and find the ride okay. But I have never broken my back, and have no trouble with it even though I am age 74. I do get pain in my hips due to no fat there anymore, and ride a Selle Royale Explora seat with a Cloud9 rubber pad on top.

 

[mrgold35]

I'm old school and I don't run out of gas in my vehicles and don't run out of power when riding my ebikes.

 

[indianajo]

I'm old school and I don't run out of gas in my vehicles and don't run out of power when riding my ebikes.

My 840 wh battery shuts off low volt the controller in the 25th mile, the 8th from the last hill which is 12%. Nearly every time. I should have bought 1100 wh, but the charts were predicting 60 mile service from 840 wh. My commute was 30 miles, now reduced by a new road to 27. 1100 wh was extremely rare in 2018, except from the fakirs on Amazon, Ali, Ebay.

 

[Joe Yeti]

I also like the Wired Freedom, it has 2 batteries and plenty of power, just wish I could ride it before I buy it. I seem to be a little tall for the Blix bikes.

 

[Imchud]

The trouble with the legal watt limit is that the 1000 watt geared hub I had previously, is now only available directly from the factory in Shanghai. Had 12 windings instead of 10, for more torque at low speed. Max speed 23 mph. Nobody will import them anymore. There are thousands of direct drive 2000 watt desert racers available, but no grocery getters with 80 nm torque at 10 mph. You buy groceries, the state wants you to have to have a SUV or pickup truck. Burn up the planet, defrost the ice caps, raise the ocean, the state wants their fuel taxes.
My 500 w controller would not work connected to the 1000 w motor after I replace the connector that burnt up, so I installed a 3000 watt 45 amp controller. When the Mac motor clutch failed, I went back to a 500 w motor I could actually buy, MXUS. In the 6th mile, 2 phases dropped out, and when I reflexively maxed the throttle, the 48 v battery & controller melted the shank on a TE connectivity crimp terminal. So plenty of amps available from 48 v. TE connectivity, previously AMP, invented the crimp terminal, and they used to be capable of 40 amps, At least the Thom and Betts copies I used worked fine on the 40 amp ignition circuit on my 62 Fairlane. I just put the 500 w controller back on, but am thrashing around trying to connect the blue phase pin to to the winding. Going to cut the Julet connector off today, hope the disconnect is in there. Repairing the bundles of wire inside the motor wouldl be very difficult.
Imchud, I require a throttle for days when my knees will not work. 90% of mid-drives do not have one. The ones that do, 90% of those you spin the motor with your feet after some sort of failure. I have plenty of failures, like rain shorting out wiring on the ASI controller, and do not relish the idea of dragging the motor with my feet alll the way home after the electric gives up. And I do not like the idea of the mid-drive pushing me up the hills at 2 mph. The Mac12t could maintain a 9 mph average over 70 hills, as did the ebikeling 1300 w geared hub before that. Cannot buy those in USA anymore. Besides mid-drives are 5" lower than hub drives, and I ride through high water sometimes. I am a 365 day a year bicyclist.

I have found that I can climb hills at 9 -11 Mph with no issues (mine does have a throttle) - On hills, I rarely need to go higher than PAS 3, with 90% of my ride being in PAS 1. I am not a fan of riding in bad weather, I own and ride the bike for some fun and to get me out and moving. Also, my ass can only take about 30 miles until I call it a day. I am no lightweight, so for me, the mid-drive has much more power than my Hub drive with the same size 750w motor.

 

[Imchud]

mrgold35!!!! Thank you VERY MUCH! SUPER helpful, the Himiway is on my short list, I only have 2 hesitations. 1, the shock in the center is clearly not rated for a huge amount of weight, the suspension is levered so I know it is not 1:1, but does the shock seem adequate for your use? What psi did you set it up with?​

Then #2, I have read the mid drives put a lot of strain and cause fast wear on the cassette and main crank gear. I am not sure if that is just if you are power shifting through the gears (something I am not going to do). I appreciate any thoughts on these 2 concerns. There is a near by dealer that can get Himiway.

I assume the Mid-drives can cause a little more chain and gear wear, however, I'm 67, so I don't beat on my bike or go trailblazing through the woods. I'm just a boring "easy-rider"... and I have regular maintenance done so if anything seems out of wack I have them fix it. I can do small stuff, but any electrical or gear-related issues, I stay away from.