i have recently purchased a Ridgeback Electron plus ebike. It claims that the Shimano Steps Eco range is 125km which is 77 miles. After fully charging the battery and zeroing everything it states that I can only get 57 miles. This is the Eco range after every full charge. It is short by 20 miles. I have emailed Ridgeback five times about this issue but they have never replied. Any thoughts on this would be very welcome.
Shimano Steps range
- Thread starter Martin Waddell
- Start date
As SW says, many makers make ludicrously exaggerated range claims.
I managed to wring about 55 miles out of one of my Bosch batteries using eco.
Same size battery as Steps, which itself is a similar system.
My test was in very easy conditions, cycling relatively slowly.
I managed to wring about 55 miles out of one of my Bosch batteries using eco.
Same size battery as Steps, which itself is a similar system.
My test was in very easy conditions, cycling relatively slowly.
If it's anything like the Bosch system is bases it on the previous x kilometre(s) that you rode (even before zeroing everything).
So if the last x kilometre was downhill with little pedalling & little assistance it will read a very high range. Opposite is also true..
The range indications can only be taken as very rough indicators. In time you get to rely more on remaining battery charge rather than the range indicator.
So if the last x kilometre was downhill with little pedalling & little assistance it will read a very high range. Opposite is also true..
The range indications can only be taken as very rough indicators. In time you get to rely more on remaining battery charge rather than the range indicator.
Er, you have previously asked the same question:-
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/eco-range-on-ridgeback-electron-plus.25409/
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/eco-range-on-ridgeback-electron-plus.25409/
IF Shimano Steps remembers the last mile or so even after zeroing it is odd that after every charge it reads 57 miles in Eco. I do notice that after a new charge and cycling steadily for a few miles on the flat the eco range increases to 62. All very puzzling. A better system would be to have a very accurate reading of the power left in the battery.
Don't get hung up on range - how often are you going to go on a 50-mile ride? Stick the bike on Medium or High and charge every ride - Eco is only any use for getting you home if you go a bit too far on a higher setting, it's a miserable experience to be tolerated, not enjoyed. Stick it on High and enjoy yourself!
Range is dependent on so many different parameters and is ALWAYS over exaggerated by manufacturers.Terrain,surface,wind direction and speed,weight,ambient temperature and the amount of assistance used all play a part.
On the bosch website there is a range estimator where all different riding conditions can be selected and this does give some idea of what to expect.
On the bosch website there is a range estimator where all different riding conditions can be selected and this does give some idea of what to expect.
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Is the last part of your journey home the same route? If it is then that could explain it.
There's a close to ten mile stretch of the C2C path near me which is a gentle decline nearly all the way.
I managed to get the range meter up to over 200 miles on a part-used battery.
Clearly nonsense, although the battery would last that long if you could find 200 miles of road which is all down hill.
I managed to get the range meter up to over 200 miles on a part-used battery.
Clearly nonsense, although the battery would last that long if you could find 200 miles of road which is all down hill.
sorry about asking the question again. I thought I asked the question in a different ebike forum. However some new thoughts although no explanation for the disparity in the eco range.
The explanation has been given by several posters.
The range claim by Ridgeback is exaggerated, unrealistic, or false if you prefer.
It's that simple.
irrespective of my cycling behaviour prior to recharging it always reads 57 miles in eco mode/ An accurate battery reading is the anser.
So have you been on a 77 mile ride to test it, NO.
So how can you complain that to the manufacturer with out trying it.
So ride 36 miles from home and back again and see what happens, it's bound to work
My Shimano Steps does not give a percentage reading for the battery, only bars. it is Shimano Steps 6000, perhaps you have 8000.
AS Wander says you'll learn to use and rely on the battery indicator by making mental notes of how far each bar takes you, allowing you to adjust the power accordingly to allow you to complete the ride without running out of battery, obviously it helps to know how far the ride actually is.
This isn't technically possible. Batteries are chemical devices, storing a chemical potential that when called upon, converts a chemical reaction into the current we need.
So there's no quantity of electricity sitting in the battery that can be measured electrically.
Long ago with lead acid batteries that needed topping up we could measure the specific gravity of the acid electrolyte with a hydrometer to get a very rough chemical indication of the charge contained. Nothing like that is possible with our lithium batteries.
All we can do for greater accuracy is have a device to measure the charge being withdrawn as it's used so we roughly know after the next full charge what we can expect to get out.
Meanwhile the meters we have just measure the decline in voltage as content is used to get an indication of what's left, not very accurate.
.
So have you been for the 77 mile test yet or are you going to send some more emails before actually finding out.
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