Is there an eBike that will allow me to maintain 28mph?

John Chow

John Chow

New Member
I've put over 200 miles on my Neo Cross since I got it a week ago. I'm able to hit 25mph on level ground with no wind. I was told the cut off was 27mph but I guess I'm too big (6'2" 205lbs) and/or not strong enough to hit the max speed.

Will the Specialized Turbo S or Stromer ST1 Platinum allow me to hit 28mph without being a super human? Any other bikes you would recommend? Don't get me wrong. 25mph is pretty cool, but more speed never hurts. :)
 
I know when I'm doing my commute I can maintain 40-43km for the majority of it. I'm 5'10 and 175 and I ride a lot, so I'm in decent shape. To maintain 28-30 mph so many other factors come into play. There's way more wind resistance above 25mph, or so it seems to me. I bet you'd really need a powerhouse to maintain a high speed like that...
 
Thanks for the list! There's a Specialized Turbo dealer right here in Irvine. I'm going to go give it a test ride and see how much faster it is to the Cross.
 
JoePah said:
Here's the link of Court's 28 mph ebike reviews... depending on how far you need to travel between charges, an extra battery wouldn't hurt ;)

http://electricbikereview.com/tag/speed/
Click to expand...
Question: Are those bikes onthe list tested and verified to get up to 28mph and maintain with moderate efort?

Comment: That list is for pedelecs only. It leaves off the Stealth Fighter and Optibike line, which are bikes with full suspension and able to handle the bumps at 28+mph, and last time I checked, they still has very usable pedals.

Note: Both Stealth and Optibike have 900+whr batteries and reasonable weights given the higher power and extra capacity.

Here is a metric to use in judging fast bikes and with high range. What is the intersection point of top average speed and range? example:
  • bike A can average 15mph for 50 miles, so it intersect at 15.
  • bike B can average 20mph for 30 miles, so it rates at 20.
  • bike C can average 23 mph for 20 miles, and rates at 20 too.
you get the idea.

I have seen an Optibike with a 20ahr battery to 26mph for 26 miles. The newer batteries at 26ahr. The 1100R could do 28-30mph for 22-24 mi. How does that compare to this list?
 
Well only pedelec bikes are technically legal for road use at 28 mph.... To me it would be much easier to either build a DIY geared or DD hub with a 48v20ah battery... 28 mph for 30 miles no problem... Or just buy one of the pedelec bikes with an extra battery. In my experience the pedelec bikes are much more efficient and fun to ride ;)

Optibikes just seem far too $$$ for what you get.
 
Going 30+ mph and feeling it is safe and stable is fun too. How many DIY folks build such a machine under 60lb and is reliable and stable?

I'm not sure the 28mph pedelecs are legal, but that is how people are interpreting them. Some states are classifying 20-30mph bikes as mopeds, with registration, etc. More nannyship, wanting more $$ for the state budgets.

Optibikes too $$$? Maybe so, or use to be. I am seeing MANY high end Haibikes and other offerings in the $7-8K with all the bells. Opti has that 26 ahr battery, which is double most, so add/sub $1000 for that. Their custom frame adds $$ and is becoming less attractive or too unique. The SIMMB is proced competitive for what it has....add PAS and a better interface and viola.
 
JoePah said:
Well only pedelec bikes are technically legal for road use at 28 mph.... To me it would be much easier to either build a DIY geared or DD hub with a 48v20ah battery... 28 mph for 30 miles no problem... Or just buy one of the pedelec bikes with an extra battery. In my experience the pedelec bikes are much more efficient and fun to ride ;)

Optibikes just seem far too $$$ for what you get.
Click to expand...
Joe,

I'll throw out the challenge....show me ANY DIY build or OEM build that demonstrates a 28mph average for 30 miles like you said.... and how about a build under the Opti 62 lbs?

That statement is blowing smoke, IMO. Aint going to happen. I want to see it posted on a Garmin website.

Bike_on
 
Bike_On said:
Joe,

I'll throw out the challenge....show me ANY DIY build or OEM build that demonstrates a 28mph average for 30 miles like you said.... and how about a build under the Opti 62 lbs?

That statement is blowing smoke, IMO. Aint going to happen. I want to see it posted on a Garmin website.

Bike_on
Click to expand...

Just join our FB group Endless Sphere and you can ask them yourself. some of these guys build incredible bikes for less than $3k
 
John Chow said:
I've put over 200 miles on my Neo Cross since I got it a week ago. I'm able to hit 25mph on level ground with no wind. I was told the cut off was 27mph but I guess I'm too big (6'2" 205lbs) and/or not strong enough to hit the max speed.

Will the Specialized Turbo S or Stromer ST1 Platinum allow me to hit 28mph without being a super human? Any other bikes you would recommend? Don't get me wrong. 25mph is pretty cool, but more speed never hurts. :)
Click to expand...
I feel the same EXACT way about my Neo Carbon. I love it, but would love to be able to maintain 27-30 mph while commuting to work. I am usually cruising at around 26, but I do notice that at that speed I wish I had bigger tires or a full suspension to soak up some on the road vibrations.
 
If you want 27-30mph maintained, I would side up with JoePah above, and find a DIY, 48V design. There are few OEMS that can do that, except the Optibike R11 for 14k or Stealth bomber/fighter! They have the power, quality brakes and suspension, but big $$. The good full susp Haibike and Focus are either limited by power (350W) or speed limited.

Actually the DASH can get up there, so I retract that. I test rode a Dash and was spinning up to 32mph, but could not maintain. I think it cruised at 26-28mph, been a while. And Ravi mentioned the Grace bike.

The Falco Kits offer a 48V, 750W system which could be added to a Cyclocross bike and add fat slicks for the speed. The difficulty in the 28-30mph speed point is finding a bike with high enough gearing AND have a strudy frame with suspension. The mountain bikes all come with 44T chain rings and the 52-54T chain rings are on Road bike designs.

My 500W Falco hub on a road bike can easily cruise at 28-30, but I need smooth road. 28mm tires and an aggressive position for aero speed. My top speeds, with a -3% grade, tip at 37mph.

So 28-30mph on a mountain, upright design, 2" slick tires, suspension locked or rigid, will typically require 800-1000W. If tires get skinny and a road frame, a ddhub @ 550-650W can do it.
 
Vern said:
I feel the same EXACT way about my Neo Carbon. I love it, but would love to be able to maintain 27-30 mph while commuting to work. I am usually cruising at around 26, but I do notice that at that speed I wish I had bigger tires or a full suspension to soak up some on the road vibrations.
Click to expand...

If speed is your thing, you'll have to make some comprimises... like getting narrower tires and streamlined positioning;
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

E
Priority Current Shimano 5 speed - First impressions
2
Replies
30
Views
9K
ampere1
A
E
My ETrike, Heart, Dog, Me, And Community
Replies
19
Views
3K
Kayakguy
K
J
The Revv 1 Electric Bike is Super Fun, Not Super Practical
Replies
2
Views
4K
MacCrackin
MacCrackin
W
Frey Evolve Review with Bafang M510 Mid-Drive Motor！
Replies
12
Views
9K
Tom@WashDC
Tom@WashDC
seandepagnier
concerns with ebikes laws and ways to improve them
2 3
Replies
43
Views
8K
Ken M
K
Back