For Specialized SL owners. Have you bought the bottle battery and is it helpful to you?

[Llcjay]

for those who have bought the range extender, are you actually glad you did and how is it useful to you?

In the hills of central PA in. Vado SL and getting Around 30 miles per charge most of the time in maximum boost. Maybe I can trim back to sport mode eventually

was thinking about buying the range extender and cable. Should add 50% to range. I like the idea of having a reserve battery in case I wander off exploring new trails and add to my ride. It’s nice not having to worry about range.

 

[PDoz]

Mine came with a range extender, I've only used it twice! I've considered removing the main battery and just using the range extender - just to have a slightly lighter bike. But I'm too lazy

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Some days I just want to not worry about assist levels when I go 30+ hilly miles. If I do that without the RE then yes I need to be careful. Now before I got the extender when I would do 30 to 50 mile loops I'd very carefully ration the battery and also know I would get home shattered but it would be a great work out. The RE gives piece of mind. But also I think I hammer more in Sport mode rather than rationing in Eco, it's more fun and although I get home fresher I still really feel it in my legs next morning. So it's a bit of both and all depends how energetic I'm feeling on that day. Having one does give me options and yeah it's more fun.

 

[mfgrep]

Depends on fitness and distance. I've never considered buying one.... They are expensive, heavy, and I don't need it typically.I use battery very judiciously.

 

[Llcjay]

Some days I just want to not worry about assist levels when I go 30+ hilly miles. If I do that without the RE then yes I need to be careful. Now before I got the extender when I would do 30 to 50 mile loops I'd very carefully ration the battery and also know I would get home shattered but it would be a great work out. The RE gives piece of mind. But also I think I hammer more in Sport mode rather than rationing in Eco, it's more fun and although I get home fresher I still really feel it in my legs next morning. So it's a bit of both and all depends how energetic I'm feeling on that day. Having one does give me options and yeah it's more fun.

That’s how I feel. But do I feel it for $500? Haha

 

[Stefan Mikes]

for those who have bought the range extender, are you actually glad you did and how is it useful to you?

In the hills of central PA in. Vado SL and getting Around 30 miles per charge most of the time in maximum boost. Maybe I can trim back to sport mode eventually

was thinking about buying the range extender and cable. Should add 50% to range. I like the idea of having a reserve battery in case I wander off exploring new trails and add to my ride. It’s nice not having to worry about range.

I own four Range Extenders and two chargers as well as the SL Y Cable.

If I ride alone at 55/55% assistance, the main battery + a single RE are good for 116 km. However, going above 60% assistance means very fast batteries' depletion. On gravel group rides I often ride in 80/80% assistance and I need all my Extenders to be sure I can ride for at least 120 km.

 

[Llcjay]

I own four Range Extenders and two chargers as well as the SL Y Cable.

If I ride alone at 55/55% assistance, the main battery + a single RE are good for 116 km. However, going above 60% assistance means very fast batteries' depletion. On gravel group rides I often ride in 80/80% assistance and I need all my Extenders to be sure I can ride for at least 120 km.

Dude that’s a lot of extending!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

That’s how I feel. But do I feel it for $500? Haha

Is that what they cost now? Crikey. I got mine a couple of years ago on eBay here in U.K. for about 120 quid I think, new & unused. I don’t think I’d have spent £460/$500 or whatever.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Depends on fitness and distance. I've never considered buying one.... They are expensive, heavy, and I don't need it typically.I use battery very judiciously.

Like everything with ebikes It’s different for everyone depending on fitness, style of riding and terrain. For instance if I lived somewhere flat I wouldn’t see the need for an extender. I mean I’d be riding mostly with motor off, saving the battery for head winds the occasional hill and the last weary miles home on long rides. I don’t see what the point would be, especially with the cut off at 15.5 miles or what have you(depending on where you live obviously). Mostly I’d probably ride a lightweight ordinary bike & Save the SL for long rides etc.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Dude that’s a lot of extending!

I was on a gravel group ride today, and I was the leader. I was riding at 55/55% assistance and 85 km (50+ mi) still left a lot of charge in the Main Battery + Range Extender. Actually, the 35/100% assistance I also use on solo rides is good for 120+ km including hills (main+RE)!

 

[mogulman]

I was on a gravel group ride today, and I was the leader. I was riding at 55/55% assistance and 85 km (50+ mi) still left a lot of charge in the Main Battery + Range Extender. Actually, the 35/100% assistance I also use on solo rides is good for 120+ km including hills (main+RE)!

How do you decide on 55/55 or 35/100? I'm assuming you have 55/55 on Sport and 35/100 on Eco?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

How do you decide on 55/55 or 35/100? I'm assuming you have 55/55 on Sport and 35/100 on Eco?

Taking into account my legs are really weak, either 55/55 or 40/100 give the very same range (either set for ECO), which is 70+ miles with a single Range Extender. The former gives a very equalized speed on the flat; the latter is economic on the flat but gives a way more assistance on the climbs. You could say the 40/100 rewards your effort with increased assistance.

I was on a 70+ mile ride with 1,330 ft of climbing at 40/100 yesterday. My average weighted leg power was only 80 W. However, I could muster as much as 332 W on the steepest climb. That was enough to almost max the motor out at 239 W of mechanical power. Meaning, the combined power was 571 W. Now, what would happen at 50/50%? The motor power would be capped at 120 W (mechanical). If I input my 332 W, the combined power would become only 452 W, making my climb far slower, if doable at all!

 

[mschwett]

@Stefan Mikes that must have been a very short, very steep hill! was 500+ watts of climbing power really needed? the most highly trained world tour rider couldn’t sustain this for 5 minutes!!!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Stefan Mikes that must have been a very short, very steep hill! was 500+ watts of climbing power really needed? the most highly trained world tour rider couldn’t sustain this for 5 minutes!!!

Now I have found where I needed the power, and that was not the climb! I was about to lazily ride a pretty long bike path against headwind when I was overtaken by a couple of touring cyclists. I patiently followed them for a while but noticed I could potentially ride faster than them. Without changing the assistance, I started pedalling hard and fast, and immediately left that couple in the dust I got the momentum, so I rode through the completely empty little town up to the shopping mall I'm very often riding to, jumped onto an asphalt bike path to meet that couple again! (They took a shorter path). Eventually, they got lost on the complicated bike path system, were left at the red light and lost several minutes.

As I was sitting on a bench and drinking water, they passed me for the last time. I greeted them and wished having a fantastic day!

I only needed the leg power burst to gain the momentum and speed against the headwind, and only a short burst sufficed to get in the lead I checked my power on the trip climbs and it was far lower than I thought!

 

[Te. S]

you guys are Bike Worriers I usually ride 25 to 40 miles some hills mostly flat land, on Eco set @25/35 once in great moon i use the Sport @50/60 and on average i only using 25 to 40% of the battery, i am usually at 12 to15 mph not racing just a steady pace, I guess if you need to go faster and farther you need the Extendeer, i wouldn't mind getting one but not at $450.

 

[mschwett]

you guys are Bike Worriers I usually ride 25 to 40 miles some hills mostly flat land, on Eco set @25/35 once in great moon i use the Sport @50/60 and on average i only using 25 to 40% of the battery, i am usually at 12 to15 mph not racing just a steady pace, I guess if you need to go faster and farther you need the Extendeer, i wouldn't mind getting one but not at $450.

i’m with you, ii never got one either, my goal was always to use as little battery as possible, not go a few mph faster and use it up completely

 

[Stefan Mikes]

you guys are Bike Worriers I usually ride 25 to 40 miles some hills mostly flat land, on Eco set @25/35 once in great moon i use the Sport @50/60 and on average i only using 25 to 40% of the battery, i am usually at 12 to15 mph not racing just a steady pace, I guess if you need to go faster and farther you need the Extendeer, i wouldn't mind getting one but not at $450.

It is certainly depending on how good your legs are. The more rider's contribution to the ride the less battery use.

I often watch on Strava how @BioWheel rides his Vado SL as Karl always publishes the e-bike/rider data from BLEvo. His legs are twice as strong as mine (160 vs 80 W). Karl's rides are usually of order of 80 km (50 mi) with up to 700 m (2,100 ft) elevation gain.

• On a usual ride, Biowheel is roughly at the 35% assistance, contributes 77% to the ride, has the battery consumption factor of 3.16 Wh/km (5.1 Wh/mi) and comes back home with 50% of the Main Battery charge still left. His average speed is around 25 km/h (15 mph).
• On a hot day, Biowheel used around 55% assistance. His battery consumption factor became double of the usual, his own contribution dropped to 62%, the average speed was just a bit higher, and he rode for 88 km (55 mi). Suddenly, he used 109% of battery, which meant the Range Extender turned out to be necessary.

I show these use data to demonstrate how heavily the Specialized SL system depends on the rider's contribution to the ride, how sensitive it is to the assistance level used, and that the Range Extender could be necessary, especially for 80+ mile rides, or, when the assistance is high.

@BioWheel could you please shed some light on the conditions of your latest ride? Did you manipulate the Max Motor Power setting? Going from 3.16 up to 6.0 Wh/km must have come from something! Thank you!

 

[Captain Slow]

@Stefan Mikes that must have been a very short, very steep hill! was 500+ watts of climbing power really needed? the most highly trained world tour rider couldn’t sustain this for 5 minutes!!!

I’m not so sure. Mathieu van de poel might be able to. We know he can average 500 watts for 3 minutes in the middle of a 280 km race.

it said he averaged 451 watts for 9 minute. I think 500 watts for 5 minutes is doable. But it begs the question, why does Stefan need to climb that fast? You really moving fast with that kind of power even if it’s a steep hill.

Big numbers: Mathieu van der Poel's Strava file, with power

What does it take to win Flanders?

velo.outsideonline.com

 

[mschwett]

I’m not so sure. Mathieu van de poel might be able to. We know he can average 500 watts for 3 minutes in the middle of a 280 km race.

it said he averaged 451 watts for 9 minute. I think 500 watts for 5 minutes is doable. But it begs the question, why does Stefan need to climb that fast? You really moving fast with that kind of power even if it’s a steep hill.

Big numbers: Mathieu van der Poel's Strava file, with power

What does it take to win Flanders?

velo.outsideonline.com

you know, i was curious before i said that so i looked it up! stefan’s combined 571w for 5min is above the 90th percentile for professional (world tour) cyclists for 5 minutes!

but yes, no doubt a few people can do it a few times

i actually think the 325w for four hours is more impressive. that’s an INCREDIBLE amount of energy! when my heart was doing a little better i could average 200w for 4 hours. never much of a sprinter lol.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

stefan’s combined 571w for 5min is above the 90th percentile for professional (world tour) cyclists for 5 minutes!

It was not 5 minutes It was for 30 seconds and was sufficient to accelerate very much!