Suggestions for a heavier load?

[Dave S]

I'm wanting to buy ebikes for my wife and me soon and I've done quite a bit of research. A quick "thank you" to EBR, Court, and the rest of the community for such a great site and resource for all of us!!

My wife's bike is very straight forward and I have that narrowed down.

My bike is a little more difficult. I'm 6'3" and weigh 250 lbs. I also tow a trailer with my two little girls, which weighs about 65 or 70 pounds including both kids and the trailer. I currently ride a Specialized hybrid (not ebike) and I do okay, but the hills make the ride a lot less enjoyable. We ride on paved trails, anywhere from 10 to 20 miles round trip with mild hills on occasion. We also do a 12 mile loop with a 1000' gain but I've never brought the kids on that one, but I'd like to with the ebike.

My major concern is the motor with that much weight. What should I look for? Is 350 watts too small? (I think it is) Would 500 watts geared be okay? Would 750 watts direct drive be okay? Does anyone know of a 750 watt geared motor?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe I am fine with a rear hub motor. I don't go off road and I don't climb anything crazy enough for a mid drive.

My budget is $2500 to $3500. I really like the Specialized Turbo, but I'm apprehensive about the 350 watt motor with effectively a 320 lb load. I've looked into the Pedego line, Prodeco, HPC, Specialized, iZip, Motiv, and Volton. I liked the 1200 watt motor option on the Prodeco Outlaw, but I don't want throttle only, and I want an LCD screen with battery data instead of "full, half, and dead" lights on the Prodeco. The HPC's were a strong contender but again, I didn't like the throttle only set up.

Please let me know what you think, and again, thank you all for you advise and input.

 

[JoePah]

Hope you have fun with your new toyswhen you get them!

Since you already have a quality bike with the Specialized Hybrid, why not just buy a kit and install it or have it installed? One less bike to clutter your garage! Assuming the bike already has disc brakes. There are plenty of companies that sell quality kits both located here and in China.. Maybe a local bike ship already carries them?

Do not buy a geared motor hub if you're carrying a large inertial load. The composite gears will wear out quickly if you use it alot. Direct Drive Hub motors are perfect for you, and they last for thousands upon thousands of miles. 500 watt minimum, which is pretty much standard at this point.

If your wife likes her bike you may want to go with two kits. Out the door for both for less than 2000. http://lunacycle.com/black-friday/golden-motor-v5-magic-pie-complete-kit/

 

[Dave S]

Thanks JoePah! I've never considered a kit, but it seems like a great idea. I'll do a little more research on kits. Thanks for the insight on the geared motor, that is exactly the type of advice I was looking for!!

 

[George S.]

I agree with Joe, to at least consider some kind of conversion. The Golden Motors hub that Joe linked has a lot of power. You would probably want a large battery maybe with performance cells. I think Golden sets up their pedal assist with the Cycle Analyst. The CA provides good battery information, as well.

The 'idiot' lights for battery state of charge are a horrible idea. You can get a meter that tracks voltage and amp hours consumed, as you discharge the battery for $20-$30. This is very precise.

Court had a review of a Golden Motor here:

http://electricbikereview.com/golden-motor/magicpie-3/

I have a geared MAC, but what Joe says about wear in a situation like yours makes the DD more appealing.

 

[Dave S]

I ended up buying a Helio from BMEbikes. I got a 48v bbs02 motor (mid drive 8fun). So far I absolutely love it. Plenty of power for the hills with both of my daughters in the trailer. I haven't needed all of the power yet, which is exactly how I wanted it. Also, buying the bike from Tim over at BMEBIKES was awesome. Very helpful guys over there.