ebikes and headwinds

[DDBB]

My 5 year old Haibike w/ Yamaha 60 NM of torque bike performs poorly in a strong wind, either that or I'm really weak. Enter my new Rize RX bike with bafang ultra motor and now headwinds don't exist as presented to the bike. It's a wonderful thing.

 

[juggernaut]

Yep, headwinds and hills are a thing of the past with the Ultra

Truth be told, the terrain and winds still affect the Ultra powered bike, but at a higher speeds.

 

[DDBB]

They do but the difference is 12 mph all day long instead of 6mph into the wind. I need earplugs just for wind noise now

 

[juggernaut]

They do but the difference is 12 mph all day long instead of 6mph into the wind. I need earplugs just for wind noise now

Agreed, people complain of the noise of the Ultra and eMTB tyres. At my cruising speeds of circa 38 to 43 klms/hr (PAS level 1) I don’t hear a thing because of the wind noise. Only going through a bike path tunnel do I hear the tyres echoing off the walls. I don’t wear ear plugs though.

 

[DDBB]

I'm losing my kenda knobbies for schwalbe moto x street tires. Not enough off road to justify knobbies although the noise doesn't bother me

 

[Grueso]

Which Yamaha motor is that in your Haibike?

 

[Chargeride]

Try cycling the other way.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Try cycling the other way.

Not stupid! In countries of good railway infrastructure (such as the UK or Poland) it is perfectly doable to ride on a train far into the headwind and then make a long ride assisted by the tailwind I and many other cyclists here do it when extreme winds are blowing!

Sailing with the storm Zoltan on Xmas 2023.

 

[Chargeride]

Yes, Ive just applied for my senior citizens pass, free train and rail in the Merseyside area.
Im stupidly paying 4 quid to get home from up the coast.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes, Ive just applied for my senior citizens pass, free train and rail in the Merseyside area.
Im stupidly paying 4 quid to get home from up the coast.

I as a 60+ get 35% discount for Mazovian Railways. I will have a free pass inside Greater Warsaw past 70 but the railways wont't ever be free for me.

 

[Chargeride]

That should read train and bus of course, thought there are no bike carrying buses.
The train ride home is very pleasant, we have recent brand new trains with specific cycle carriages and several brand new stations of very high spec.

Everyone is saying..

Wheres this money come from?

Probably cancelling HS2.

 

[juggernaut]

Try cycling the other way.

Where’s the fun in that .

Cycling in a gusty crosswind gets interesting.

Constant winds not far from where I was born. Even motorcyclists struggle riding in the area.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

thought there are no bike carrying buses.

Oh, you can transport your bike on the bus in Warsaw, provided there is some space inside. My leg was hit by atherosclerosis in September 2015. My cycling friend assisted me to the civilization (read: a bus stop). There, I got on a bus, then on another, then on the train -- overshoot the destination station -- and yet another train. 2.5 km of riding home made me cry from the pain... Interestingly, you pay nothing for the bike on the public transportation in Warsaw or a commuter train. However, long distance trains require making a booking for the bike on a special carriage and you pay a modest fee for that.

The train stations on Mazovian Railways vary very much on accessibility. I love the small ones, where you do not need anything to get your bike on or off the platform. Some bigger stations have big lifts or ramps. Some are just hardly accessible though.

A bike carriage on Mazovian Railways. You transport your bike free there.

 

[fooferdoggie]

we rode once with about 30mph and 60mph gusts. it was crazily bombarded with leaf litter and dust and twigs.

 

[il Munduato]

I'm losing my kenda knobbies for schwalbe moto x street tires. Not enough off road to justify knobbies although the noise doesn't bother me

If you do any off road I recently went from Johnny Watts to Al Grounder and am in love with these tires. Super quiet and efficient on a paved path with some off road capabilities.

 

[DDBB]

Which Yamaha motor is that in your Haibike?

I believe it's the straight PW motor, an early motor from them. Current versions are up to 85NM of torque

 

[PCeBiker]

I'm losing my kenda knobbies for schwalbe moto x street tires. Not enough off road to justify knobbies although the noise doesn't bother me

I did the same thing on my Voltbike Outback,..

I did it for efficiency to increase my range.

They do but the difference is 12 mph all day long instead of 6mph into the wind.

My hub drive will plow into a 12 mph headwind at 20 mph but I get less than half the range from my battery.

Tire efficiency doesn't amount to much when I'm "breaking wind", but its almost a free ride back home.

 

[PCeBiker]

Where’s the fun in that .

Cycling in a gusty crosswind gets interesting.

Crosswinds are even funner riding no-hands.

 

[Chargeride]

Crosswinds on my 4.8 tyred Haibike are not good, its a pretty light bike and you've just got two sails.
Can blow you several feet off track.

 

[DDBB]

How much did the Moto X tires increase your range? I'm expecting maybe a mile or two from my normal 40mi. if that