[Bike_on]

Hello All,

My name is Dan, new to the forum. I own a 2004 Lite, and live in the US. I bought the bike almost new in 2006, and have been commuting to work on the bike. It has been a great ride. I have over 4000 miles on the bike.

My battery is starting to wear. I think one of the NiMH cells may be reversed. My question is: WHat is the max voltage the controller can handle?

I could restock with fresh NiMh. But I am also tempted to add a switch and use the A123, LiFEPO4 batteries, at 33V. Can it handle it?

Back to my Lite. Here are my performance/improvements I have done:
1. The 4 speed allowed me to average about 16.5mph max.
2. I changed the rear cog from a 20T to a 16T. My max average for a 25 mile ride was 20.5mph.
3. I added pedals with SP2 clips for efficiency.
4. I added aero bars, Forte2 for multi position and wind resistance.
5. On a warm, mild day, I would easily ave at 18-19mph when the battery was fresh. On cold days, lots of cloths, 16-17mph.
6. I changed the rear hub to a SRAM 7 speed, 16T cog. My average dropped 1mph accross all conditions.
7. I typically pedal vigourously, and my input has a big impact on range, as expected. If I dog it, I get 15 miles at 15mph now. The light blink early. I have yet to turn off, but my speed and power decrease is noticeable.

Ideas?

Dan Rowell
Laurel, MD