Fat bike - climb 2k ft elevation over 6 miles at high speed

[Mike AbiEzzi]

Hi,

I'm looking for a fat bike that can maintain a high speed on a steep climb. Ideally I would like a 28mph bike or be able to unlock a motor so that I can reach that speed. I've never ridden an electric bike up hill, so I'm not sure how possible this is. Can a motor and battery power a bike up that much elevation at a high speed? I'm interested in a fat bike because I have a mile of dirt road to ride and want to be able to handle snow.

My secondary use-case a 10 mile ride with 500ft elevation gain.

Primary purpose is commuting in and around the mountains all year round. I don't plan on hitting trails with it, I have a non-electric MTB for that.

I've decided that mid-drive is the way to go because it can take advantage of gears, but I'm assuming it will perform better than a read hub drive. I have 0 experience though, so I really don't know what to expect.

Aesthetics wise, ultimately I'm looking for a clean looking simple black fat bike.

I'm open to custom builds with kits, but all the wires hanging out all of the place doesn't sound very attractive.

Other features that sound awesome are shift sensing and torque sensing.

Eager to hear everyone's thoughts!

Thanks
--
Mike

 

[JRA]

This bike is about the only thing I can think of.

• 
  
  5of5
• 
  
  5of5
• 
  
  5of5

Powered by
LUNA LUDICROUS FUSION FULL S FAT (WITH 50 AMP BBSHD)

 

[Mike AbiEzzi]

That sounds like it fits the bill! I can live without torque sensing. Thanks! Eager to hear if anyone else has other ideas.

 

[J.R.]

Not a mid drive and expensive, but it will do the job.

https://www.stealthelectricbikes.com/stealth-b-52-bomber/

 

[Mike AbiEzzi]

that's a little too much! I'd prefer the Luna ludicrous although it's currently out of stock

 

[J.R.]

that's a little too much! I'd prefer the Luna ludicrous although it's currently out of stock

It's a motorcycle Anything that goes 30 uphill is. Cool tech though, good for off road work.

 

[Chris Hammond]

Juiced bikes has a new fat bike. www.juicedbikes.com/products/ripcurrent-s It is designed more towards commuting, but does offer 52V 21 Ah battery. It is a rear geared hub motor. If your climb is very steep, you are right about being better off with a mid-drive. However, since you are talking about a high speed climb, this may be worth looking at.

 

[Mike AbiEzzi]

Thanks. Looks like an awesome option at a good price.

 

[rich c]

Maintaining 28 mph on the flat takes a fair amount of effort, human and battery. At that speed, aerodynamics play a major roll. I seriously doubt you will find a fat tire that will maintain that. Why not buy a motorcycle?

 

[Mike AbiEzzi]

Thanks for the opinion. That’s the kind of insight I was looking for. I really have no idea what’s possible. The whole point of the bike is to take advantage of Boulder’s multi paths and skip traffic. And also easier, free parking anywhere. Boulder is extremely bike friendly.

 

[rich c]

Now that I know it's Boulder's multi paths, you should also throw out the 28mph speed. Very few places like bikes on paths running that speed! In fact legislation is being passed right now to get class 3 bikes off paths. Tires in the 2.0 to 2.5" wide range would make a much better commuter than 4.0". More nimble and less rolling resistance.

 

[Chris Hammond]

If your real goal is to get around Boulder than you also need to consider a bit of the legalities involved if you really want a high powered bike. To be clear, Class 3 is limited to 28 mph pedal assist, and many cities limit bike trail speeds to 20 or less. (you should check into Boulder's law's about this.) There are several ebike makers that sell Ebikes that the federal goverment would classify as mopeds not bikes. The Luna bike above would be in that category. Luna also makes a beautiful bike called the Apex that again is a moped as far as the government is concerned. Rated power is also limited to 750W (peak power can be and is closer to 1000W in most cases). If you speed is your primary concern, as others have pointed out fat bikes are slower.

 

[Knighthonor]

Does mid drive break chains often?

 

[Mike AbiEzzi]

I should explain my use case a bit more. I’d actually love to get everyone’s ideas on it. 1. I want to be able to ride in snow. This is why I want fat tires. 2. The last mile of my commute is dirt road. Another plus for fat tires. 3. I would like to be able tow up trash once a week from my home to the pickup area (1/2 mile dirt steep climb will definitely be snowy part of the year). Which is probably enough reason why I need mid drive over rear hub drive. 4. Although it wouldn’t be legal on multipaths (pavement), I wouldn’t ride more than 20mph there anyways. Plus it’s almost impossible to enforce so I’m not worried about it. I’ll respect the speed limit. 5. When I ride up the road into the mountains (riding home), I want to go faster than 20mph. Basically I want this bike to be my do it all work horse.

 

[rich c]

What do you mean by often? I have two mid drive class 3 Haibikes, over 1,500 miles on each. Still on original chains on both.