IZIP Dash hill climbing?

[wjh]

Hi all,

I'm considering to buy a Dash for commute (and bike around for fun) in Ithaca area. The area is quite hilly. But I haven't found a definite answer whether the Dash could manage hills around this area. Is there anybody who knows both Ithaca and Dash and can tell whether or how well Dash would manage hills around Ithaca?

How much more torque does a geared hub motor has than a gearless one for the same power in general?

Is there a bike like Dash with a geared hub motor?

 

[Bud]

I have experience both with Ithaca and the Dash...but not the Dash in Ithaca. I have no experience with a geared motor, but the literature suggests it is the best design if torque is the most importent criteria. If torque the most important criteria, and geared motors have their downsides, how much you really need depends upon how much weight you carry, both on your person and in your panniers, and on what kind pedal effort you want to make and how much range you want.

My 150 pound son could rip up Ithaca on a Dash. His 250 pound father, well...that depends. My commute is 5 miles each way and has 350 foot of elevation gain on the way home. I have no complaints, but the elevation gain is gradual. You also need to consider if your goal is to twist and go or whether you intend to make honest pedal effort and you're just looking for some assist.

If I had to ascend East Buffalo or East State or Dewitt every day I would not make my purchase without trying it out on those climbs in advance. In fact, I really think that you should not make any bike purchase without extensive test riding and comparison.

So, like everything, it all depends and is completely personal to your needs, goals, and objectives. I love my Dash because it fits my needs perfectly. I'm 500 miles in and, with the exception of the brakes, I completely satisfied.

Hope that helps. Let me know if there are specific questions I can try to answer for you. Best of luck with your decision.

Bud

 

[HumanitiesHaze]

I'm near Albany and own the Dash. Are you looking to only use the throttle or are you going to pedal as well? The Dash is a gearless 500w hub that has 40Nm of torque (By contrast the Peak is a 350w mid-drive that offers 70Nm of torque but no throttle only past 7mph)

That being said I'm 6'4" 190lbs. The Dash struggles on steeper grades on throttle alone.
If you want to also pedal than it's no problem, it'll do fine on the hills. If you weigh more than 250lbs then it's gonna be a struggle no matter what.