cross current s question(s)

[Rueben]

I have a question before I make a decision on the juiced cross current s. I live in Seattle and the hills can get ridiculously steep. With that in mind, how does the cross current s handle climbing up hills with certain gradients reaching 19% or more. This is especially important to be since I won't be able to circumvent the hills.

My regular type of hill is in the ball park between 10 to 15% gradient for some reference. It's just some outliers that are extremely steep.


Additionally, will the TAB turbo boost feature help me climb hills like the one that is 19%?

Thanks in advance.

 

[michael mitchell]

I have a question before I make a decision on the juiced cross current s. I live in Seattle and the hills can get ridiculously steep. With that in mind, how does the cross current s handle climbing up hills with certain gradients reaching 19% or more. This is especially important to be since I won't be able to circumvent the hills.

My regular type of hill is in the ball park between 10 to 15% gradient for some reference. It's just some outliers that are extremely steep.


Additionally, will the TAB turbo boost feature help me climb hills like the one that is 19%?

Thanks in advance.

I've taken my 350w first gen CC Air up Cougar Mountain, and all over Seattle. You will have to work, but you won't work up a sweat.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

These motors are prioritized for speed, so I get better results by speeding up before the incline begins and then keeping the speed as high as I can.

 

[Rueben]

These motors are prioritized for speed, so I get better results by speeding up before the incline begins and then keeping the speed as high as I can.

Have you tried the throttle assist boost feature?

Throttle-Assist Boost (TAB)
Instantly add up to 1,000 Watts (20 Amps) of boost when pedaling and simultaneously holding down the throttle. TAB available in any assist setting from 0 mph up to 20 mph.

Can you verify whether it produces up to 1000 watts of boost while riding up to 20mph? The RadRover cuts off at 750 watts regardless, and wanted to know.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Have you tried the throttle assist boost feature?

Throttle-Assist Boost (TAB)
Instantly add up to 1,000 Watts (20 Amps) of boost when pedaling and simultaneously holding down the throttle. TAB available in any assist setting from 0 mph up to 20 mph.

Can you verify whether it produces up to 1000 watts of boost while riding up to 20mph? The RadRover cuts off at 750 watts regardless, and wanted to know.

Yesterday I happened to look at the LCD while using TAB, and it read 965 watts that moment. I had it cranked all the way up. It cuts off at a little over 20 mph on my CCS.

I rarely use it this wide-open. Sometimes I just "feather" the throttle to get a little more speed for a brief moment.

 

[Chris Hammond]

I have a question before I make a decision on the juiced cross current s. I live in Seattle and the hills can get ridiculously steep. With that in mind, how does the cross current s handle climbing up hills with certain gradients reaching 19% or more. This is especially important to be since I won't be able to circumvent the hills.

My regular type of hill is in the ball park between 10 to 15% gradient for some reference. It's just some outliers that are extremely steep.


Additionally, will the TAB turbo boost feature help me climb hills like the one that is 19%?

Thanks in advance.

There is a hill that I occasionally ride on my commute that peaks at 16% grade, I ride this at ~10-11 mph on my CCS, I can't carry speed into this climb as there is a 4 way stop at the bottom, (it was 5-6 mph on my road bike). I am pedaling hard in first gear on this hill. It probably 500 yards or so with 12-16% grade. A lower first gear would be helpful for anything this steep on a CCS. If your climbs are longer than this and steeper, you should look to getting a smaller front chainring, or ask @john peck as he has put a double front chainring on his bike to give him the option of lower gearing when needed.

 

[Chris Hammond]

The CCS comes with 11T-32T rear sprockets.

Quick Google search came up with this result.. here's the one for MTB, 11T-50T

That is an 11 spd cassette. The CCS comes as a 9 spd setup. There are several members on this forum who have converted to 10spd derailleurs/ shifters/ cassettes. This has primarily been for the advantage of a clutched rear deraileur to reduce chain drop. @Reid did a nice write up of his conversion a while back, and IIRC he went to an 11-42 cassette, he also went to a 56T narrow/wide chainring.
In case you are wondering, No you cannot just swap out a 9 spd for 10 spd without changing all the parts; shifter, derailleur, and cassette. This is due to a different indexing ratio between them. I have not heard of anyone trying an 11spd conversion, but I'd love to hear if someone has made it work.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Yeah that ought to work. The stock chain is probably plenty long enough to handle it as well. Many people have shortened the stock chains due to slack and chain drops. It would definitely give you a nice low first gear.

 

[john peck]

The problem is, on a steep grade, an ebike becomes just a pedal bike below 9 mph. The only cure for that
is a walk mode. The walk mode on my CCS is set more at a dog trot. Anyone know how I can tune it down a bit?

 

[Asher]

The problem is, on a steep grade, an ebike becomes just a pedal bike below 9 mph. The only cure for that
is a walk mode. The walk mode on my CCS is set more at a dog trot. Anyone know how I can tune it down a bit?

Yeah I thought the same exact thing, the walk mode is too fast, so never even tried to use it more than twice.

I and others made some obvious, simple firmware suggestions but I don't think they've been implemented. Zero assist mode, always on lights, setting a default assist besides 1, battery switch turns on bike.

 

[Steve L.]

Unfortunately, when we upgrade to a 10 speed derailleur we absolutely have to fit also a 10 speed shifter and a 10 speed cassette.

This is basically because the index ratio of 9s to 10s is different, that is the movement-per-shifter-click of the 10S derailleur is inherently different in the derailleur, itself. It cannot practically perform 9S indexing, no matter what shifter is used.

I chose:

$31 for a Shimano SLX 10s trigger shifter, with visual indicatorsimilar to the 9S Altus it replaces.
$30 for ZTTO wide range 11T-42T 10s cassette.
$22 for KMX X10.93 10s chain
$65 for this 10s Shimano (get the long cage!) Shadow Plus derailleur. Other Shimanos are candidates, too. Mine is 2014 vintage and found discounted because 10s stuff is years out of style already. Bear in mind, too: our rear hub motors cannot accept 11s cassettes. 11s requires a wider cassette and an 11s hub (or otherwise some fancy custom machining of the 11s cassette) and wider rear frame. However, we save money when upgrading by buying this outdated 10s stuff that still works every bit as good as the newest 11s and 12s gear we as ebikers don't need at all.

It was all easy to install, using YouTube videos for guides. I had no previous experience with this stuff and enjoyed the learning process. Changing out the cassette was the most challenging. But not really hard at all with YT videos.

Reid, what is your reasoning for suggesting the long cage Shadow Plus? The info I saw suggests using a medium cage for less than 3 chainrings.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Reid, what is your reasoning for suggesting the long cage Shadow Plus? The info I saw suggests using a medium cage for less than 3 chainrings.

When you are using a wide range rear cassette, (ie 11-42 or more), the long cage gives better ability to absorb slack in the chain in the highest gear (11t rear cog).

 

[Steve L.]

When you are using a wide range rear cassette, (ie 11-42 or more), the long cage gives better ability to absorb slack in the chain in the highest gear (11t rear cog).

Ah, yes, thanks. I see that now. I had the stock cassette numbers stuck in my head.

 

[jinim]

I have a question before I make a decision on the juiced cross current s. I live in Seattle and the hills can get ridiculously steep. With that in mind, how does the cross current s handle climbing up hills with certain gradients reaching 19% or more. This is especially important to be since I won't be able to circumvent the hills.

My regular type of hill is in the ball park between 10 to 15% gradient for some reference. It's just some outliers that are extremely steep.


Additionally, will the TAB turbo boost feature help me climb hills like the one that is 19%?

Thanks in advance.

I live in San Francisco and there are lots of steep hills. I haven't ridden on any of the very steep hills yet (24% grade or higher), but my route to work and the gym has 10-15% grades but over distances of less than half a mile or so. I have the bike in 9th gear most of the time, but will downshift occasionally on when the hills get steeper. I'm also in Sport mode almost exclusively since I just want to get to and from work or the gym as quickly as possible. I generally maintain a speed around 12-15mph as the hills gets steeper. If it's a smaller incline I can maintain 20mph or better. I have the 19.2 48V battery pack. I pretty much never use the throttle. I feel like the CCS has plenty of power for the hills in SF, but the CCX seems like an interesting option. Had that been out when I purchased the CCS, I probably would've purchased that instead. I don't know how much better that would be for the hills around here.

 

[john peck]

SF is a serious challenge For any ebike, as Seattle can be. I think they both need a bike lift like a ski lift, so that once at the top,
one can coast any place in the city. Granted, I personally avoid cities like the plague & therefore cannot speak with authority.

 

[john peck]

Yeah I thought the same exact thing, the walk mode is too fast, so never even tried to use it more than twice.

I and others made some obvious, simple firmware suggestions but I don't think they've been implemented. Zero assist mode, always on lights, setting a default assist besides 1, battery switch turns on bike.

About the walk mode thing. I think I've figured it out. It was probably pre-set to 6 kph, but when you change the odo to miles, the
walk mode goes to 6 mph. That's my theory anyhoo, the specs do say walk mode is 6 kph. A fix? Maybe setting odo back to kph, but
that could be inconvenient.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

I only use the walk mode under some kind of load. Going up stairs, or on a grassy incline, or with a bunch of stuff in the baskets. It's too fast just to walk on level ground with no load. But with some kind of load, it works great!

 

[john peck]

Good to know if I ever actually have occasion to use it. I confess I've only tried it on the flat out of curiosity. It dragged me half
way down the block.

 

[Rob02150]

I got a rear flat (on my Marathon tires!) about 3 miles from home. I used the walk mode the entire way home. There was a difference between using it and not using it. It was helpful.

 

[john peck]

Fun changing that rear tire this first time, huh? Haven't had a flat, but I've done it four times now for various reasons.
Starting to get the drill down.