Comfort...

[[XAP]Bob]

Hi all,

Newly signed up here, having just put down some money on a cassette based rear wheel motor for my 'bent trike. I shall, of course, give it a thorough test with a 30 mile round trip each day...

Throttle only at the moment - I am guessing it will be used almost exclusively on the uphill sections - by raising the 'minimum speed' my average should go up quite considerably...

More regular poster over on the CTC forums...

 

[D8ve]

I recon on upto 4 mph increase but it depends on how hilly your route is.
Looking forward to your reports.

 

[[XAP]Bob]

Won't be able to do a direct comparison until the summer (when I may decide to take longer )

Unfortunately I've been sent a freewheel based wheel instead of a cassette one - but it's going back with good customer service so far (no company name yet - I want to see how the service resolves itself before either criticising or praising them publicly.

(I'll note that in general I am at least as happy with a company that resolves a fault quickly and courteously as I am with one that gets the right thing out first time)

 

[[XAP]Bob]

Customer service good - they've sent me a twist throttle as well as the thumb I initially thought I wanted.

I have bought a free hub (not freewheel) Cyclotricity motor from http://electric-bike-conversions.co.uk
Their communications has been excellent, and they resolved the issue mentioned above promptly and courteously - I couldn't have asked for more.

Having done two commutes (there and back) I am very happy with the system - it has certainly made the journey more sane for this relatively unfit cyclist (done virtually nothing for 6 months). I might be able to do a real comparison in the summer, since I suspect that by then I'll be at a much better level of fitness.

Due to an insufficient lunch and a complete lack of snacks in the office I ended up with a minor bonk on the way home - the motor is just invaluable in that scenario...

 

[D8ve]

For the non licra types bonk is low blood sugar due to continuing excersize.

 

[[XAP]Bob]

Ah, yes - not just lycra (in fact more often not lycra - it's a touring cyclist's nightmare. The lycra brigade just hold up an arm and wait for the team car to come and give them a sugar packet)

 

[Deleted member 4366]

What motor is it? What writing is on the side?

 

[[XAP]Bob]

Didn't look to be anything written on it when I looked this am. But I haven't looked carefully...

 

[[XAP]Bob]

Can't see any obvious writing on the hub.
Generic motor, still puts out some power. I have noticed that as the battery drains (even down to 60-70%) it's capacity to provide power close to 15mph drops sharply - that, I suspect is the controller rather than the motor of course.


I did a ride yesterday with the battery switched off (I didn't need to be anywhere, I just needed a ride) and averaged just over 15mph over 21 miles.
Going to work I've managed 18mph average, but 17 is more usual, over 14 miles.

However the road surface on the way to work is worse than the ride I took last night for several (quite long) stretches, and I didn't have to deal with many road junctions last night either.