Hill climbing ability
- Thread starter keithd
- Start date
Hi Keith,
I live in Jackson so I climb the same hills that you do. Just to give you a sense of power needs in the area here's how my BionX 500 watt hub motor retrofit behaves with 50 NM peak torque (not recommending that brand due to its current receivership).
I live up near Black Mountain and I'll climb past Jackson Falls starting at 15 mph, slowing to 10 mph at the steep curve, back to 20 mph at climb to Eagle Mountain House.
The BionX climbs strongly but above 12% I'll slow to 4 mph. The motor still helps me pedal and does not over heat. Examples... Thorn Hill or Dundee Road from Intervale to Jackson, Hurricane Mt Road, Tin Mine and Black Mountan Roads in Jackson. With my retrofit I have the same touring triple chainring as before but don't use the granny ring often. (Yes, I'll use the granny on Hurricane Mountain!)
Bear Notch Road I can go 15-20 mph the entire way at #3 (out of 4) assist. I can just make the 50 mile loop on one battery charge because there is so much flat on the Kanc where the motor shuts off at 20 mph. Will finish with just enough juice to make a 1.5 mile climb to my house. I just bought a second battery to carry in a trunk bag for longer rides.
I bought my kit from Paul at e-bikes of NE. He is indeed very knowledgeable and helpful.
See you out there... I'm the guy on the burgundy touring bike with drop bars and a strange looking rear wheel!
I live in Jackson so I climb the same hills that you do. Just to give you a sense of power needs in the area here's how my BionX 500 watt hub motor retrofit behaves with 50 NM peak torque (not recommending that brand due to its current receivership).
I live up near Black Mountain and I'll climb past Jackson Falls starting at 15 mph, slowing to 10 mph at the steep curve, back to 20 mph at climb to Eagle Mountain House.
The BionX climbs strongly but above 12% I'll slow to 4 mph. The motor still helps me pedal and does not over heat. Examples... Thorn Hill or Dundee Road from Intervale to Jackson, Hurricane Mt Road, Tin Mine and Black Mountan Roads in Jackson. With my retrofit I have the same touring triple chainring as before but don't use the granny ring often. (Yes, I'll use the granny on Hurricane Mountain!)
Bear Notch Road I can go 15-20 mph the entire way at #3 (out of 4) assist. I can just make the 50 mile loop on one battery charge because there is so much flat on the Kanc where the motor shuts off at 20 mph. Will finish with just enough juice to make a 1.5 mile climb to my house. I just bought a second battery to carry in a trunk bag for longer rides.
I bought my kit from Paul at e-bikes of NE. He is indeed very knowledgeable and helpful.
See you out there... I'm the guy on the burgundy touring bike with drop bars and a strange looking rear wheel!
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Bruce Arnold
Well-Known Member
Lots of great info on this thread!
In reading what's been said, and thinking about Juiced Bikes, I'd like to throw this out there.
While they are optimized more for speed than for low-end torque, there is a way to manage that on steeper hills. Put the bike into Sport level assist and attack the hill, gaining speed and RPMs before the grade gets so steep.
Since it has a combination torque sensor/cadence sensor, the motor puts out more power the harder you pedal.
In addition, their bikes have a Throttle Assist Boost feature. Hit the throttle while pedaling and you get 1000 watts from the motor. This is both useful and fun. I don't know if anyone else has this feature.
Swap the chain ring for a smaller one and you've got a good set-up with a lot of potentials at a great price.
Much of this info would apply to other brands as well.
I get what you're saying about "I've got a motorcycle for speed." I'm the proud owner of a BMW R1200RT myself. But the experience of flying around on my Crosscurrent is in a class by itself.
In reading what's been said, and thinking about Juiced Bikes, I'd like to throw this out there.
While they are optimized more for speed than for low-end torque, there is a way to manage that on steeper hills. Put the bike into Sport level assist and attack the hill, gaining speed and RPMs before the grade gets so steep.
Since it has a combination torque sensor/cadence sensor, the motor puts out more power the harder you pedal.
In addition, their bikes have a Throttle Assist Boost feature. Hit the throttle while pedaling and you get 1000 watts from the motor. This is both useful and fun. I don't know if anyone else has this feature.
Swap the chain ring for a smaller one and you've got a good set-up with a lot of potentials at a great price.
Much of this info would apply to other brands as well.
I get what you're saying about "I've got a motorcycle for speed." I'm the proud owner of a BMW R1200RT myself. But the experience of flying around on my Crosscurrent is in a class by itself.
Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
"Attacking the hill" works more or less for short climbs. It won't work for a 500m or 1000m or 1500m climb. It is about a 450m climb from the post office to my house. So that makes for a screaming descent and often a long, hot climb.
I'm hoping my coming Bosch Performance CX + Rohloff speed hub will do much better than my current 7-speed + hub motor.
It would be nice if tech specs for bikes would include the "gear-inches" for the lowest and highest gears.
I'm hoping my coming Bosch Performance CX + Rohloff speed hub will do much better than my current 7-speed + hub motor.
It would be nice if tech specs for bikes would include the "gear-inches" for the lowest and highest gears.
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keithd
Active Member
@BobG I will keep my eye out for you as well as let you know when I finally decide.
@Bruce Arnold I agree with great info. Real-world performance, video, and perspectives are awesome.
@Bruce Arnold I agree with great info. Real-world performance, video, and perspectives are awesome.
keithd
Active Member
Ebike of NE has best hill climber search page. Interestingly it does not have any of the bikes I had been looking at except for the Stromer
http://www.ebikesofne.com/HillClimbingE-Bikes-s/1901.htm?searching=Y&sort=1&cat=1901&show=48&page=1
http://www.ebikesofne.com/HillClimbingE-Bikes-s/1901.htm?searching=Y&sort=1&cat=1901&show=48&page=1
TForan
Well-Known Member
I only use the top three gears. It's the prodigious torque that pushes me up the hill. I can easily hit 30 mph on the road.
elyhim
Active Member
Trek's new Verve is out. Mid drive Bosch at 2k.
Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
I'm not exactly sure how much weight I'd give that page. Speaking from experience I ride a 7-speed Pedego Interceptor and while it handles gentler uphills quite well (up to about 5-7 percent grades) on steeper hills it can bog down badly. The last 3km to my house climb approximately 300m (so a ten percent grade on average), and the last few hundred meters has two sharp, steep switchbacks. Unless I have optimum karma and hellacious energy that day I am usually walking the bike that last hundred meters or so.
The Pedego does fine on tours like the Mazama (WA) to Washington Pass tour, which is approximately 25km with a 1000m climb.
Hub drives in general aren't going to be as good at climbing steep hills as mid-drives.
You can tell a lot about hill-climbing ability just from the gear range and likely design choices the manufacturer made. As rules of thumb you'll get approximately the following gear ranges:
- 7-speed derailleur -- 300%
- Nuvinci hub -- 380%
- 11-speed derailleur -- 420%
- Rohloff hub -- 535%
- Mountain double or road double crankset -- 650%
- Mountain triple or road triple crankset -- 680%
keithd
Active Member
TForan
Well-Known Member
I know the Ultra is. I rode a Trek and while it was nice, it was no comparison to the Ultra.
TForan
Well-Known Member
elyhim
Active Member
I won't be riding a Bafang, there's no local support, very few integrated solutions and in general would go with German over Chinese. I chuckle because my Emtb has pretty much the same motor specs and I ride in Tour mostly as Emtb or Turbo mode is ridiculous.
TForan
Well-Known Member
Which motor do you have in your bike ? All I said was there is a big difference in power between the Bafang Ultra and the Bosch powered Trek. The Trek I rode was a Super Commuter, which was very nice but not nearly as torquey.
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