Hydra as a commuter?

[kwseattle]

I was hoping that someone who had purchased a WW Hydra and done a fair amount of pavement riding could give me some feedback.

I ride mostly on pavement, though with the stock Nobby Nic tires. The suspension lockouts (compression lockouts) are helpful to prevent putting too much energy into the suspension while pedaling on flat ground. Bump up the tire pressure for the street and that helps too, I do notice the rear tire wearing pretty quickly though because of the power.

I've got an SKS Mudrocker rear fender and Crud XL front fender that keep 99% of the mud/water off of me when riding on trails and through puddles.

I’m converting my Orange Crush Hydra to a street bike. Ordered Schwalbe Super Moto‘s 27.5X2.8 which will be replacing the trail MTB tires. Might run a small rear fender if I can find one I like.

If you don't need the MTB tires from your conversion, I might take them off your hands lol

 

[Cuz Vinny]

I ride mostly on pavement, though with the stock Nobby Nic tires. The suspension lockouts (compression lockouts) are helpful to prevent putting too much energy into the suspension while pedaling on flat ground. Bump up the tire pressure for the street and that helps too, I do notice the rear tire wearing pretty quickly though because of the power.

I've got an SKS Mudrocker rear fender and Crud XL front fender that keep 99% of the mud/water off of me when riding on trails and through puddles.


If you don't need the MTB tires from your conversion, I might take them off your hands lol

I’m going to hang on to them. Might do a second set of wheels for the bike.

 

[Csubi]

I was hoping that someone who had purchased a WW Hydra and done a fair amount of pavement riding could give me some feedback.

Waiting for China to get their SH*T together...

 

[Deacon Blues]

Schwalbe Super Moto-X GreenGuard 27.5" MTB Tire - Trek Bikes

Enhance your cycling experience with Schwalbe Super Moto-X Tire. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

I have these on my UC Pro and I like them. They work great on the pavement, but not so much on gravel pathways and fire roads, which I also like to ride a lot.

Thinking rationally, I should probably stick with a UC Pro bike, since I already have a great e-gravel bike, but I really do like how the Hydra looks.

When I discussed this with my wife she said, "You don't like how the UC Pro looks, but how often do you look at your bike when you're riding it?"
Words of wisdom from my better half.

 

[Deacon Blues]

View attachment 120940
Waiting for China to get their SH*T together...

Is your bike on its way, or is the frame stuck in Asia?
I've been waiting for the UC Pro frames in the a small size to get shipped, but who knows when that's going to happen.

 

[Csubi]

Is your bike on its way, or is the frame stuck in Asia?
I've been waiting for the UC Pro frames in the a small size to get shipped, but who knows when that's going to happen.

It is in Asia. Factory was closed by government order last I asked.

 

[Merle Nelson]

I have these on my UC Pro and I like them. They work great on the pavement, but not so much on gravel pathways and fire roads, which I also like to ride a lot.

Thinking rationally, I should probably stick with a UC Pro bike, since I already have a great e-gravel bike, but I really do like how the Hydra looks.

When I discussed this with my wife she said, "You don't like how the UC Pro looks, but how often do you look at your bike when you're riding it?"
Words of wisdom from my better half.

Ahhh....kind of hate it when common sense slows down my enthusiasm.

 

[rtp]

One more pavement friendly tire I came across is the Continental eRuban Plus.
It's a decent road tire and would probably work well on the very easy trails I'd ride on.
It comes in a variety of sizes:
26 x 2.30
27.5 x 2.30
27.5 x 2.6
29 x 2.10
29 x 2.60

You can also try the Johnny Watts, I'm using these as a sort of 'dual sport' tire for on/off-road, currently in 27.5x2.8 tubeless. Happy so far after a couple hundred miles.

Johnny Watts | DD, RaceGuard | Black | 27.5x2.60 | Addix | 11654091

THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR SUV BIKES. Like no other, Johnny Watts unites smooth rolling on hard ground with longevity and puncture protection. Off-road instilling confidence, while on pavement rolling whisper-quiet.Versatile tread for a wide range of use fro…

www.schwalbetires.com

 

[Deacon Blues]

The Johnny Watts is another good choice. I think they're comparable to the eRubans.

 

[rcm_rx7]

Been commuting ~ 4 miles a day on my Hydra, mostly uphill on the return trip. It's working really well, battery life is way better than my old hub motor conversion.

 

[Fast n' Furious]

Schwalbe Super Moto-X GreenGuard 27.5" MTB Tire - Trek Bikes

Enhance your cycling experience with Schwalbe Super Moto-X Tire. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

Using those Schwalbes - on pavement - +5800 miles and no complaints. Good City tires. Nice even wear.
Not sure how a more experienced rider would rate them, but being trouble free and grippy enough I'll replace with the same when the time comes.
My fork is crap (time to replace) so for me tire pressure is important. Very little leakage.
Never had a traction problem - but I avoid rain out of principle.
Thinking these came on a Med range bike, I've kept an eye on them for reflector strip/ sidewall cracking/ delaminating; signs of rubber failure.
That's a nice compound they use and the laminations are holding perfectly to my eye and it wears slowly. I am rather a vigorous driver.
2.76" is the widest size and City hazards, grates/ tracks/ ruts ... I' going to 3.0" on the next bike.
-
On road, I'd be in bliss with a Hydra. Couldn't help myself.
Unable to face the inevitable crash of it falling over from no kickstand, I'd be gun shy of parking before I bought. Who cares about lifespan of frame materials? Carry stuff ??? I can fly !!!
I had my eye on that Small Frame H146 that was ready to ship. I think it's sold.
If I could live with the drawbacks and limitations for my purpose, I'd already have one but only have room for two machines.
I have one and anticipate it's time with me will be another 4200 miles.
-
I really like rear hubs. If I can only have one bike, it will be a rear hub.
The weak link is the controller. GRIN's stuff is worthy - if you're okay w/ the display and the GMAC motor is great for "street legalish" folks that want high-enough performance at the top of the pack.
A fabulous company - that keeps shooting itself in the foot with brilliant ideas like hose-clamps on their highest end product's torque arm.
But if you're only off-road or insurance, yes the 72v's are nice motorcycles.

FnF

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Using those Schwalbes - on pavement - +5800 miles and no complaints. Good City tires. Nice even wear.
Not sure how a more experienced rider would rate them, but being trouble free and grippy enough I'll replace with the same when the time comes.
My fork is crap (time to replace) so for me tire pressure is important. Very little leakage.
Never had a traction problem - but I avoid rain out of principle.
Thinking these came on a Med range bike, I've kept an eye on them for reflector strip/ sidewall cracking/ delaminating; signs of rubber failure.
That's a nice compound they use and the laminations are holding perfectly to my eye and it wears slowly. I am rather a vigorous driver.
2.76" is the widest size and City hazards, grates/ tracks/ ruts ... I' going to 3.0" on the next bike.
-
On road, I'd be in bliss with a Hydra. Couldn't help myself.
Unable to face the inevitable crash of it falling over from no kickstand, I'd be gun shy of parking before I bought. Who cares about lifespan of frame materials? Carry stuff ??? I can fly !!!
I had my eye on that Small Frame H146 that was ready to ship. I think it's sold.
If I could live with the drawbacks and limitations for my purpose, I'd already have one but only have room for two machines.
I have one and anticipate it's time with me will be another 4200 miles.
-
I really like rear hubs. If I can only have one bike, it will be a rear hub.
The weak link is the controller. GRIN's stuff is worthy - if you're okay w/ the display and the GMAC motor is great for "street legalish" folks that want high-enough performance at the top of the pack.
A fabulous company - that keeps shooting itself in the foot with brilliant ideas like hose-clamps on their highest end product's torque arm.
But if you're only off-road or insurance, yes the 72v's are nice motorcycles.

FnF

 

[Merle Nelson]

Man, that's a really good looking bike Cuz.

 

[Deacon Blues]

What's the gearing on most Hydras (cassette and front ring)?
Just wondering how easy it would be to maintain a constant 20mph in a lower power level that would give me at least a 40 mile range. (70-80 cadence)
Presently, on my UC Pro I can easily do 40-50 miles in level 1 and 2, with the power levels set to the max by Pushkar.
I have an 11-42 cassette and a 48t front ring.
Could I get something similar with the Hydra? Yes, I'm still thinking of a 'dual purpose' Hydra.

My UC Pro is the Swiss army knife of ebikes, but I'm still not enamored with how it looks. The Hydra, on the other hand, looks awesome.

 

[Csubi]

As you know, I am still waiting for my Hydra. However, I did build a BBSHD with a 52v 17.5 Ah batt on an older 2005 Specialized Hardrock Pro. I`ve been doing a fair bit of riding on pavement and trails. Long rides too. On long trips I set the assist to 0 on downhills, and even on flat terrain. (Deep cove to Horseshoe Bay, my 1st 11 km the bike was on 0 - 60 km total ride) Any smaller hills I can do using the gearset and no assist, I will do so. If I encounter a hill I will only set my assist to Level 1, which has ample power. By the time I returned, I still have a lot of battery left. Near the end, I usually start to splurge or go up the mountain trails back home knowing I can use level 9 with no issues
For the record, I am 250lb and the bike is 55lb
So, you defiantly can extend the batt, get stronger legs and look good on the Hydra. Clearly.... I don`t look good

 

[Fast n' Furious]

View attachment 121931

Now that's proper! Those are the 2.8's (Green Guards) right ?
You don't mind I save a shot of that for my 'collection of masterpieces' album I hope ?
My, my, but you certainly do it right!

Fn'F

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Now that's proper! Those are the 2.8's (Green Guards) right ?
You don't mind I save a shot of that for my 'collection of masterpieces' album I hope ?
My, my, but you certainly do it right!

Fn'F

Yes they are the 2.8 Green Guards. No problem with you saving the picture, I’m flattered actually. Hope to get some professional pics of the bike soon.

 

[Cuz Vinny]

What's the gearing on most Hydras (cassette and front ring)?
Just wondering how easy it would be to maintain a constant 20mph in a lower power level that would give me at least a 40 mile range. (70-80 cadence)
Presently, on my UC Pro I can easily do 40-50 miles in level 1 and 2, with the power levels set to the max by Pushkar.
I have an 11-42 cassette and a 48t front ring.
Could I get something similar with the Hydra? Yes, I'm still thinking of a 'dual purpose' Hydra.

My UC Pro is the Swiss army knife of ebikes, but I'm still not enamored with how it looks. The Hydra, on the other hand, looks awesome.

I have a 46T on my Hydra, not sure you can get a 48T. The Dekas chain rings on Amazon are cheap enough that you could get both 48 and 46t and see which one works best for you.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Cuz V, what cassette came with your Hydra?
Does your chain ever skip in the smallest cog (11t)?

 

[Cuz Vinny]

Cuz V, what cassette came with your Hydra?
Does your chain ever skip in the smallest cog (11t)?

You know I can’t remember, I think it was a 42T or 44T. No chain skips ever. I have a 46T chain ring and a KMC Ebike chain. I keep the chain tension tight. So far so good!