AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Larger batteries = more weight too.
Speaking from experience gained from a 14ah battery powering a 1500w DD hub, I can tell you that 20 miles is pretty easy - without worry of over discharge. This with speeds in the 8-13 or 14 mph range, PAS levels from 1-3 (so I AM contributing some power), all paved surfaces with some hills. 25 miles is doable, but only if I don't use PAS 3 often.
One factor is your mission. If you know you're going to need to travel distances over 20 miles regularly, then by all means go for the bigger battery. When I first got into e-bikes, I dreamed of all day 50 mile trips and bought a battery that would let me do that. What I hadn't considered is that my butt is only good for 20 miles. That meant I was lugging that high capacity battery around with me full time, and at best, all that did for me was to allow me to charge every 2-3 rides instead of my more typical 1 or 2.
And that "sweet spot" thing? Keep in mind, that's all on paper. From a more practical standpoint, as long as you avoid over charging and over discharging, your battery has a good chance of lasting as long as anyone else's. My thoughts anyway, FWIW. -Al
Speaking from experience gained from a 14ah battery powering a 1500w DD hub, I can tell you that 20 miles is pretty easy - without worry of over discharge. This with speeds in the 8-13 or 14 mph range, PAS levels from 1-3 (so I AM contributing some power), all paved surfaces with some hills. 25 miles is doable, but only if I don't use PAS 3 often.
One factor is your mission. If you know you're going to need to travel distances over 20 miles regularly, then by all means go for the bigger battery. When I first got into e-bikes, I dreamed of all day 50 mile trips and bought a battery that would let me do that. What I hadn't considered is that my butt is only good for 20 miles. That meant I was lugging that high capacity battery around with me full time, and at best, all that did for me was to allow me to charge every 2-3 rides instead of my more typical 1 or 2.
And that "sweet spot" thing? Keep in mind, that's all on paper. From a more practical standpoint, as long as you avoid over charging and over discharging, your battery has a good chance of lasting as long as anyone else's. My thoughts anyway, FWIW. -Al
