eBike for the Big Man?

[grench]

As a big guy myself...I feel your pain with spokes. A couple of thoughts...if you see the potholes coming unload your weight on the pedals...this is tough to do on an upright body position bike like the RW. A second option would be a suspension seat post...they will take some of the initial impact off the spokes...it is hard to find anything for us heavy guys. Body float is supposed to be coming out with a heavy man option???

Using your knees, a suspension seat post and keeping spokes properly tensioned are the best options I have found.

I may try going with a heavier gauge spoke at some point.

Cheers!

 

[MLB]

Seat post doesn't change anything for the spokes, the impact goes to the wheel the same, it's just stopped at the seatpost from getting to you.

 

[MLB]

Buchanon Spoke and Wheel is THE player in motorcycle wheels. If there's something more hd that can be made to work, they'd know about it in all likelihood. They make all their own spokes and do lots of custom work making weird hubs work with non oem setups. Might be worth a check.

I remember reading that one side of hub motors places more stress on the spokes than the other side. And that they "dished" or similar somewhat offcenter to help with that. FWIW

 

[grench]

Seat post doesn't change anything for the spokes, the impact goes to the wheel the same, it's just stopped at the seatpost from getting to you.

Lol sure it does...when your bike drops your weight falls, the stop of the weighted impact is softened by the cushion...think about fall protection - exactly how it works.

The same is true for a bump, the spoke doesn't have a shock load of your seated weight...the cushion softens the impact...this is ONE of the reasons you have shocks on your car...simple physics!

With my dirt track car we call this difference 'sprung verses unsprung weight'.

 

[Berry78]

What grench said is what I was thinking. When you hit a pothole, it throws your body up, then your body comes down with a thump. The spokes have to deal with stress coming from 2 directions. With the seatpost shock absorber, it buffers the bike from you, as well as vice versa.

 

[MLB]

LOL The moment of impact that throws you up is WAY more than the small load of you comign down. You are comparing your body weight dropping to your body weight (and bike weight) impacting at the SPEED you are going. Physics says MOMENTUM is a significant factor

Shocks don't absorb bumps, springs do.
Shocks act to dampen (control) the SPRINGS movement of absorbing the impact.

 

[Gigantor]

The truth is I'll try anything short of a tinfoil helmet if it keeps me on the road -- so, whether it works or not, I'll continue to try avoiding potholes when I can, and getting up out of the saddle when I can't. Thanks for the suggestion regardless.

I have looked at moving up to 12 gauge spokes, but the holdup there is that I'd need to have a different rim (with a different hole set-up) to accommodate the change. Currently, replacing spokes only costs me $1.50 a pop. If I can keep them working by tightening (Which HAS been working so far), I'm going to stick with it.

Be Well,

Gigantor

 

[miracle_ring]

48V 500W 10.4AH 26" Mountain Electric Bicycl.
I think this bike may be for you. Here is the link for it: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
Also it is with video:

My brother just bought one. Seems it's very cool!!

 

[MLB]

Stromer will haul you for sure. I had an ST1 platinum when I was 260lbs and it was a rocket. Their frames are SO overbuilt that you could probably take it offroad.

 

[MLB]

48V 500W 10.4AH 26" Mountain Electric Bicycl.
I think this bike may be for you. Here is the link for it: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
Also it is with video:

My brother just bought one. Seems it's very cool!!

Not the frame design for 300lbs IMO.