Looks like Ridekick is back in production

[Shane (aUSTRALIA)]

Glad I finally found this thread but it has gotten a bit old. I still find that my Ridekick does not have enough torque to get me up the huge hill that separates my house from the town center. What happens is that I cannot keep up the minimum speed that is required and the controller shuts off the motor. I really like the ridekick and the way it connects to my recumbent trike. There are lots of times when I want to just ride my bike and not tackle that hill. I wish there were someone around Central Massachusetts who could advise me. I am just not smart enough to figure this out. I would like to replace both the motor and the controller actually.

Horses for courses, mate. My problem with hills is the same, only exacerbated because I ride a recumbent trike. I actually use a mid-drive pedal assist in combination with my Ride-Kick, each powered by their own separate batteries. The mid-drive flattens out the hills, while the Ride-Kick helps me maintain a comfortable average speed over distance.

I'm a long-distance tourer, so I get the best of both worlds, while using both assets to maximise my assisted range to provide a comfortable and enjoyable ride. I alternate the use of both to avoid putting too much stress on the frame. Also, there's not a lot of sense using both at the same time because it just drains the battery life unnecessarily.

 

[Shane (aUSTRALIA)]

Thanks so much. I haven't been looking at electric bike forums for a couple of years and am delighted to see that there is a lot more support available. I want to charge my Ridekick battery from a solar panel if possible. I have been using the grid but would like to be able to avoid it in case of emergency. I want to be sure that I don't damage the charger and/or the battery. I wish that the LiFePo battery makers would offer a solar charge option so we could avoid the converters that are the weak links in the process. By the way, I also wish that I could get more of an assist out of the Ridekick system because I have a long hard hill to get up and if the system overheats I have to get off the bike and reset while the bike tries to coast backwards into traffic. Still I am convinced that trailers are the way to go. That is because when the system breaks down (as it often does) you can pull the trailer off, chain it to a tree and ride home. I love my trike and my recumbent bikeE (very old) as bikes and I don't always need an assist.
Thank you for responding!

I've looked at solar charging options but I just can't see how the juice would be worth the squeeze.

I can understand that it would be viable for static, off-grid re-charging at home but there are too many elements, too much weight and too much space to make it worthwhile on the road. Similarly, dynamo options use a lot more power overcoming the drag of the dynamo. You're probably better off carrying 2 LiFe-Po batteries for just a little more weight and space than a single SLA battery. If cost is a factor, just buy one LiFe-Po battery and carry it in the trailer to connect when your SLA runs low - more than doubling your range with only limited extra weight and limited reduction of your cargo space.

For my long-distance tours, I use a 500w mid-drive motor with a 17Ah LiFe-Po battery and carry another spare. I also use a 20Ah LiFe-Po battery in my Ride-Kick and carry the original 15Ah SLA battery as a spare in the trailer. That's a combined 69Ah of power available between the two units, which gets me quite a long way if I'm conservative. I also use panniers and a top-box, so space isn't a major limiting factor.

 

[JRA]

I put a 1000w hub motor on a BOB Yak trailer (single wheel) years ago with an 11ah LiFePo4 duct tape battery on it. Just had a throttle on the bars to operate it. It cut out at 20 but had plenty of power to get there. I could climb the steepest streets in town which were like 20 degree in a few spots.

I like Shane's plan though and it has got me thinking about doing the MotoBOB thing again as an aid to long distance touring. A friend has offered the one he has in his barn and have yet to take him up on it. Another project!

 

[EWH]

I also like Shane's plan. Maybe I should put a hub motor on my trike and add the Ridekick for long distance. But I am also considering replacing the 500 watt ridekick motor with a 1000w motor. Could I then use a 25 or 30 amp controller and a 48 volt battery or two 24's? Is there an inherent issue with the Ridekick that would not allow this increase of power to work on hills? I know that they couldn't legally sell such a system because it could theoretically go too fast. But would it solve my hill problems?

 

[JRA]

The 1000w motor I had on my BOB was pretty heavy and even with the battery and gear aboard you had to be careful feeding it power on hills as it would start to spin out and jump around even though it was the suspended mode.. Just not enough weight to hold it down. There was a sweetspot though that it would help a lot climbing at but it had to be controlled. You can try what you want but I would not depend on a kicker trailer for your high speed thrills or going fast uphill.

The Ridekick doesn't seem like a sturdy enough platform to me to handle that kind of shenanigans and the two wheel thing is restrictive in my mind as I remember from my kid bike trailer days. You already have the stability of a trike so it should balance out well to go with a single wheel? Or convert a dual wheel bike trailer so you don't need to buy a RideKick just to gut it?

 

[EWH]

My trike has a pretty good granny gear so I could make that hill without any help but I would dread doing it and, actually, it probably isn't good for my knees at my age. I hoped that the Ridekick could allow me to go slowly without quite as much effort. The problem is that the Ridekick REQUIRES maintaining a speed of 6mph up hill or the controller shuts off the motor to stop it from overheating. I would never expect to be able to ride up that hill at 6mph! 2mph would be fine with me but the system won't allow it. So I thought that a more powerful system might work. But too much power and spinning out is exactly what concerned me.
What happens on that hill with the Ridekick is that the motor shuts off, it is too steep to get going again and I am by the side of the road (which is narrow) walking around my bike trying to reset the motor without having the whole rig go downhill backwards!

 

[EWH]

I really like Shane's solution. My trike is all set up to put on a Hub Motor. Bionx had one but have they gone out of business?

 

[JRA]

The D series BionX is still available as far as I know. It would best suit your needs for low end grunt as it is very robust. There are other less expensive open source options available in the geared brushless and direct drive sector also. The trike conversion we just finished with a torque assist mid drive kit works well but the owner is kind of wishing he went with the hub we tried to steer him towards. But it has no problem with hills.

 

[EWH]

I am going to check that out. Thanks

 

[EWH]

There is a list of "Electric Bike Shops Near You" below the line and they are all in Michigan. I am in Central Massachusetts and, so far as I know there is only one shop in Turners Falls that has anything to do with electric bikes or even trikes.

 

[EWH]

Would I be looking for the D-series console, DS3?

 

[Shane (aUSTRALIA)]

I think JRA has a point about trying to over-power a Ride-Kick trailer. There would be all sorts of issues with traction, for a start. You might find you have to really weigh the trailer down to get the benefit of the extra torque - which would create further issues. You might also over-stress vulnerable points like the trailer hitch, or even the frame.

As for torque, I find the 500w Lekkie Summit Pro mid-drive I use has more than enough power to get me up long and / or steep hills - and I'm a man-sized 250lbs.

 

[JRA]

I would imagine. For BionX it needs to all be about them and their proprietary components but it seems they like to sell things separately

 

[Shane (aUSTRALIA)]

The D series BionX is still available as far as I know. It would best suit your needs for low end grunt as it is very robust. There are other less expensive open source options available in the geared brushless and direct drive sector also. The trike conversion we just finished with a torque assist mid drive kit works well but the owner is kind of wishing he went with the hub we tried to steer him towards. But it has no problem with hills.

G'Day JRA,

Why did you recommend a hub-drive over a mid-drive in that case?

I did a fair bit of research before deciding a mid-drive was right for me in my situation - which was to help flatten out hills and to provide an efficient pedal-assist system through the use of gears.

 

[JRA]

Hey,

Simplicity and connectivity to the drive train without the motor involved is about the jist of it. At least for me when using a higher cadence on the road. A good hub motor and a strong battery properly set up will still help flatten out hills and especially in an urban environment I think they have a faster reaction time up to speed.

 

[Shane (aUSTRALIA)]

Hey,

Simplicity and connectivity to the drive train without the motor involved is about the jist of it. At least for me when using a higher cadence on the road. A good hub motor and a strong battery properly set up will still help flatten out hills and especially in an urban environment I think they have a faster reaction time up to speed.

Fair enough.

Horses for courses, I suppose.

I'm not too concerned with higher cadence, being a tourer - and a fast reaction time isn't a big consideration for me.

My concern was to help haul me and about 25kg of gear up hills and to maintain an average of 20kph over distances in excess of 100km. Being able to work through the gears was also a consideration, to help minimise unnecessary drain on the battery over a long distance.

I would certainly consider a hub motor for urban commuting.

 

[Shane (aUSTRALIA)]

Glad I finally found this thread but it has gotten a bit old. I still find that my Ridekick does not have enough torque to get me up the huge hill that separates my house from the town center. What happens is that I cannot keep up the minimum speed that is required and the controller shuts off the motor. I really like the ridekick and the way it connects to my recumbent trike. There are lots of times when I want to just ride my bike and not tackle that hill. I wish there were someone around Central Massachusetts who could advise me. I am just not smart enough to figure this out. I would like to replace both the motor and the controller actually.

Get in touch with Mark at RideKick. He may be able to customise the controller with a heat-sink, so it isn't subject to overheating as much. A 500w motor should have plenty of torque for most hills - unless you need climbing gear.

My own set-up utilises a mid-drive pedal assist and the RideKick for long range rides. Using the mid-drive with the trike in low gear gets me up just about anything and I reserve the RideKick for more gentle hills and a little extra support on the flat.

 

[EWH]

Thanks, Shane. I haven't talked to Mark for at least two years. Actually I think that it was three years ago that is sent my Ridekick back and he fitted it with a fan. It helped but not enough. I still found it easier to just granny gear my recumbent trike up the hills than to pedal hard enough to maintain a speed of 6mph. That speed is what is required to keep the controller from shutting down. But it takes so long to ride that way that I just don't take the bike out. Right now I am just using it for exercise to keep me in shape - sort of.
My first electric bike was a BikeE Mountain bike with a 500w motor scavanged from a Currie electric folding bike. Eventually I got a LiPing battery from China. That bike I still have but my family rides it and I prefer the lightweight nomad-style trike with the Ridekick. Often I just want to ride near my house and I like having a bike with no heavy stuff on it. If I were touring as you are then I would do just what you are doing.
Wow, if Mark could help me I would be so grateful. I will email him or Dee. I hope they find an investor. Thank you so much for your suggestion!

 

[RidekickDee]

Ridekick power trailers are back in production! We were excited to receive the load of goods last Friday (July 3, 2020) and are working hard to get them ready to ship. It has been interesting to see how the pandemic has impacted the electric bike market. We have heard from customers that they want to dust off the bike or trike in the garage and begin riding more, but they aren't comfortable, or in some cases, confident about strength or endurance. For many, they've found Ridekick trailers and are happy to add them to their cycles.

There are a few new features - lighter weight, black plastic wheels, more stout connectors for the motor and batteries, extra support at the battery, and a hitch plate adapter for delta trikes.

See you outside on the streets!

Happy riding,
~Dee

 

[FlatSix911]

Ridekick power trailers are back in production! We were excited to receive the load of goods last Friday (July 3, 2020) and are working hard to get them ready to ship. It has been interesting to see how the pandemic has impacted the electric bike market. We have heard from customers that they want to dust off the bike or trike in the garage and begin riding more, but they aren't comfortable, or in some cases, confident about strength or endurance. For many, they've found Ridekick trailers and are happy to add them to their cycles.

There are a few new features - lighter weight, black plastic wheels, more stout connectors for the motor and batteries, extra support at the battery, and a hitch plate adapter for delta trikes.

See you outside on the streets!

Happy riding,
~Dee

Thanks for sharing the news... a very interesting design for all types of bikes.

Ridekick | Electric Bike Trailers | Electric Bike Conversion Kit

Reach speeds up to 20mph with a Ridekick electric trailer. Our electric cargo trailers can be attached to your existing bike in less than 15 seconds and for a fraction of the cost of an ebike.

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