very long monthly commute

[larry-new]

My big worry would be the unwieldy high mounted weight of your axe, perhaps comparable to a child, which would be a worry for safety. You certainly deserve a pleasant bike trip, not an ordeal.
The train might accommodate a folding ebike, like a Rad Mini...

 

[ebikemom]

That would be fun to take along a folder, especially if you are at your destination for long ...

 

[dblhelix]

Hello peoples, I'm trying to figure out which ebike would best suit my needs. I want to mention before anything else, i am planning on buying multiple batteries for this commute, not expecting an ebike to get me there on a single charge and I don't really feel like stopping to charge along the way. The bikes I'm looking at currently are the Trek Crossrip+ (really wish they made a 520+), Smart Motion Pacer (if it's still available), cube touring hybrid pro 500 2018, IZIP E3 Moda, and others mostly mid drives. I've also mostly been looking at ebikes with bosch motors since I can't find any website that sells Brose battery packs, and since I need, or want, to carry more than one battery.. if i can't find extra batteries there's no real point in considering them.

What it needs to do :
1. Take me from home to a work location 140 miles away and back once a month.
2. Haul a euphonium (in a hardshell case) roughly 40lbs as well as clothes for a weekend. I have thought about attaching a bicycle trailer and using that to carry the euphonium and using regular panniers to carry the other stuff.
3. Be safe to ride at speed, and comfortable for a ~8 hr ride (i will probably stop along the way to stretch and eat) as well as handle rain well.

During the winter, I'm either going to drive or take a train, but during good weather I really want to work at getting back into shape, and bicycling i think is an enjoyable way of doing that. The furthest I've ever ridden on a bike is 67 miles one way (2016), stopping every hour for ten minutes to recoup a little. I averaged 14mph on that trip even with stopping to walk the bike up a very very steep hill and slowing down considerably as i neared my destination as it became a constant climb. That was with a cheap bike from Amazon, so I figure with a good ebike, i should be able to go 140 miles in one long day and with each trip I would expect it to become easier as I became more fit. I'm hoping to spend less than 3k on the bike, since bosch 500 watt batteries cost essentially 1k and I will probably need 3 total. That being said, currently the bike that has most of my attention is the Crossrip+ which sits at around 4.5k. The Riese & Müller bikes are awesome, but 6k for the Riese & Müller Charger GX Rohloff just feels out of my reach.

Thanks for any help

I actually did what you are proposing for most of the summer. Daily, with some rest days, of course.

You will need 4 (Bosch powerpack 500) batteries unless you are willing to take a long rest break. There were many days I took a long lunch and used two chargers simultaneously not to dig out the other pair. I think number of batteries is more important than ebike model. This, and topography. Since you’re only making this trip once a month, you have flexibility.

Not making a recommendation but I talked to someone who purchased a Brose bike locally, and he specifically mentioned that batteries were available. Don’t assume you can’t get spares unless you’re specifically told no.

Another factor, maybe, is rumors of a fast (6A) Bosch Charger. However, I looked at Bosch’s site and availability appears to be in Europe, Australia and not in the US. When/if that changes, who knows? It’s safe to say that perhaps charging time will be a factor in your choice ultimately.

I used a Burley Travoy trailer which is popular for musical instruments. It attaches to seat post or rack. I actually carried the BOB Nutz for my bike until I was satisfied the Travoy was the better option.

Feel free to DM me. Optimally, if you show me your route, I can be very specific about what to expect.

 

[dblhelix]

I appreciated it, i think taking the train is probably the easiest, smartest way to go for now. If in the future Trek comes out with an electric version of a 520, i might go for that or i might get a Crossrip+ or one of the other drop bar ebikes for in town riding or shorter trips. I hadn't thought about the extra drag ebikes have when not using the assist, and the idea of the weather turning bad during a long ride and draining the batteries isn't very appealing. If I did attempt the ride, adding a trailer is completely unfeasible, and transporting the euph on a bike is impractical. I think I was overly ambitious, and that's probably an understatement.

If you take a folder on a train, the Travoy will work nicely. I use it with a Tern Vektron locally for groceries. Extremely stable.

 

[dblhelix]

I’m so glad to be a flutist! ?

On the question at hand, I’m super impressed with your ambition!!

I’d be worried about breaking down. Unlike cars, no easy roadside support or local fixit shops for ebike related issues...

I just carried the normal set of tools + a NuVinci (cables/interface) kit this summer. I don’t think there’s much a local fixit shop can do for ebike-specific warranty issues.

 

[harryS]

Generic lithium battery(s) in a trailer, connected by long cord to the bike battery would work, if you're handy with tools. Doesn't need to be a heavy cable (silicone 12 gauge will work) if you're not pushing more than 200W (that's 4 amps on 48V), and you shouldn't be if you want to travel that far. It will save money on the dealer markup for a spare ebike battery.

I still don't see this as feasible though. The odds of getting hit by a car on a 120 mile jaunt between towns that are connected by railways seems too high.

I've have only been on a semi-rural two lane road in my area once on my ebike and within 30 seconds, I had a car screeching with tires locked and sideways behind me.

 

[larry-new]

Two lane country roads are my preference...a mirror used every few seconds helps, as I ride the road, not the shoulder. These days, I use three flashing LED lights, two red rear and one white front, and make sure I'm dressed visibly, including white helmet.

I highly recommend John Forrester's book, Effective Cycling, which explains where the cyclist should be on the road, for maximum safety.