Hi from Manchester

[MarieP]

Just bought my first electric bike on the work Cyclescheme, it's a Wisper 806 Torque folder and I'm a bit obsessed with it. It's got a 575 battery.

I've been using it for commuting which is only a round trip of 7 miles a day, but I rode 23 miles on one charge the other day and I think it was about to give out by the time I reached my destination.

It took 6hrs to charge it back up.

In theory the 575 battery has a 75 mile range but obviously this isn't entirely accurate when you add my (not exactly light) weight plus panniers.

I'm definitely interested in any safe options to increase my range, whether through faster charging (I'm prepared to sacrifice some battery life as long as it doesn't actually explode) or through more powerful batteries as they become available.

I don't have a driving licence so it's very exciting being able to plan trips under my own steam.

 

[Benjahmin]

Hi Marie,
75 miles is probably a tad optimistic. On the flat with no wind, smooth road and you doing most of the work, then yes. Conversly 23 miles, from that size of battery, seems a wee bit tight. It all depends on terrain, number of stop/starts, weight, wind, tyre pressures, amount of pedal effort, degree of assistance used etc. One way to extend range is to turn the assistance off on the flat.
Best use only the charger supplied with the bike/battery. It's probably a 2Amp charger, hence the 6 hour charge. Generally they take between 4 and 6 hours. Take the charger with you and get cheeky, take the battery off and ask to charge the battery a bit with your coffee break. Partial charges won't harm it.
Most of all welcome to the world of the e-bike grin

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Your range will improve as your legs become stronger. Just keep using the bike. At the moment, the motor is doing most of the work, but it won't take long before you can start making a sizeable contribution yourself without putting in any effort. Just keep pedalling.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Marie,

Firstly thanks fir investing in a Wisper!

I agree with both the posts above.

Range is so difficult to predict. Even at 75 miles I have tempered the possible range claims by quite a margin. In tests we have achieved 133 miles on one charge. However that was on a flat track with a nine stone rider in level 1 assistance with four stops. Unfortunately this is how most bikes are tested.

75 is very much achievable but again in good conditions.

23 miles does seem quite light. Did the battery run out at that point? I would expect at least 30 miles even with a heavier rider. What setting were you in?

As Dave says above your range will improve dramatically as your legs get more used to riding again.

It's worth checking tyre pressures. If you are running less than 60psi, depending on how low the tyre pressures are, this could make a huge difference.

Regarding charging times, please check you have the correct charger, it should be a 3A version, if you have the 2A version we need to swap it for you.

All the best, David

 

[topographer]

Maybe voltage sag is deceiving her.