should I get an extra battery?

[Alex728]

trying to plan my first "real" long journey in advance (I have friends who live at the other end of Suffolk, near the Norfolk border)..

The total trip is just under 26 miles. I have managed this on my pushbike a fair few times, although with understandably slower progress on the hills on the B1113 just outside Stowmarket - there is a particularly hard climb around Old Newton and a similar gradient a few miles onwards.

Although the Powacycle Salisbury claims to be able to handle these ranges

I would be doing this run fairly regularly particularly towards spring / summer - maybe once every month or more, and I understand from flecc's previous advice that batteries lose their capacity over the months.

I weigh 66 kilos, but can be carrying up to 15 kilos extra when the panniers and contents are weighed.

Should I invest in another battery, charge both and swap the battery over at the halfway point of Stowmarket? I don't particularly want to "run out of gas" on the hilly bit of the B1113....

 

[flecc]

I think yes Alex. That distance is right at the limit of what A to B considered as the Salisbury's range with a new battery and that was in fairly flat territory, and as you've mentioned, as time goes by the capacity will reduce.

There's also an advantage to not running these Li-polymer batteries completely empty since that shortens their life, the most stress to the cells being as they reach full charge or complete discharge.

With two batteries you could do a swap at a convenient half way point and then recharge both at the other end, that taking roughly half the time for each battery, thus minimising cell stress.
.

 

[dazzie]

It can't hurt to have a spare (well, your bank manager might disagree but!). I took one with me yesterday when I did a similar distance ride and I was glad I did - I had to change over at about 17 miles.

The extra weight was neglegible for me (combined weight of me plus bike was about 170kg so an extra 5kg is only 3% more) - though since you're half my weight it might be noticeable for you.

On the other hand though you've said you've done the trip on normal bike so even if you did only use one battery and it ran out you could probably finish the ride with no real problems, couldn't you?

Good luck with your decision.

Regards,

Daz

 

[Alex728]

well my bank manager is a computer somewhere in Wigan and my bank claims to encourage "ethical green investment" I don't own a car anyway which reduces a lot of my expenses..

On the other hand though you've said you've done the trip on normal bike so even if you did only use one battery and it ran out you could probably finish the ride with no real problems, couldn't you?

I guess so, but if its in the middle of the run its going to be much less fun on a heavy MTB with fat 26" wheels and only six gears than my hybrid!

I also often tend to load up the panniers with a various gifts for my friends (anything from books to small computer components) and in the summer might well be making the return journey with home grown food, so the extra carrying capacity is welcome...

 

[Blew it]

Ah! sounds like a trailer is needed, much better than putting all that weight on the rear wheel

 

[flecc]

Ah! sounds like a trailer is needed, much better than putting all that weight on the rear wheel

As a long time trailer user and carrier weight carrier, I take the opposite point of view. Trailers add considerable drag, four wheels rolling resistance instead of two, as well as adding still more weight to be shifted, so my advice is only use a trailer when that is the only option.

This photo shows my attitude to weight on the rear, my Q bike having the battery by the rear wheel, large panniers and carrier both often heavily loaded, and the majority of my weight all on the 20" 36 spoke hub motor rear wheel:

It's only when real bulk and weight has to be carried that I resort to one of my trailers, as here:

 

[dazzie]

I love that last picture flecc!

 

[flecc]

I love that last picture flecc!

This one's better!

or even this one.

or this one.
.

 

[wotwozere]

Hi

no you will not need an extra battery.
Who is moving house with a bike? Thats the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Thx

Bob

 

[Blew it]

Not half as funny as your replies

 

[dazzie]

wotwozere, you are the epitome of a forum troll. Congratulations.

 

[dazzie]

PS A double trailer! I can imagine the car driver's face as you pull out from a junction across the road - 'oh a bike - woah wait a minute, what's that? A trailer?! Oh well, I'll just slow down a bit and go when the trailer is through the lane... what the hell?! A second trailer?!? Matron!!'

 

[flecc]

Hi

no you will not need an extra battery.
Who is moving house with a bike? Thats the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Thx

Bob

Not moving house Bob, just recycling going to the council depot. For some years in retirement I've carried the recycling stuff and other large items to the tip for 54 local residents where I live, using a bike and trailer wherever possible for the six mile round trip. Better than them using 54 cars to do it, causing jams and pollution during the few weekend hours they have available to do that.
.

 

[Rose]

I'm full of admiration!

 

[Rose]

There's also an advantage to not running these Li-polymer batteries completely empty since that shortens their life, the most stress to the cells being as they reach full charge or complete discharge.
.[/QUOTE]

Flecc, I'm a bit confused. In a thread about conditioning batteries you recommended running the battery really low then fully charging to condition it at first, then repeating this every 30 charges or so (I think).

 

[nigel]

Reminds me
of steptoe and son but with a bike nice one flecc.Nigel.

 

[flecc]

Flecc, I'm a bit confused. In a thread about conditioning batteries you recommended running the battery really low then fully charging to condition it at first, then repeating this every 30 charges or so (I think).

Hi Rose. The every 30 charges or so is for NiMh batteries since they can still have a vestige of something called "memory effect", which can reduce the capacity of a battery not completely emptied from time to time. They too suffer cell stress when nearing full discharge, and that's why the emptying is done as little as possible commensurate with avoiding any memory effect.

Because of that and other disadvantages, few bikes now use NiMh batteries and the lithium types that replace them have different characteristics which are more convenient for users. With lithium batteries, just a couple of full charges and discharges at the start of their life are needed to condition their cells to full capacity, and it's best thereafter to avoid complete emptying whenever possible, just charging whenever convenient whether empty or not.
.

 

[flecc]

Reminds me
of steptoe and son but with a bike nice one flecc.Nigel.

It certainly looks like that sometimes Nigel, especially when I'm carrying an old fridge, cooker or settee.

This mornings load wasn't too bad, a pile of Xmas packaging for paper and cardboard recycling and a very large sheet of glass broken in half, that added to the hardcore recycling skip.
.

 

[Rose]

With lithium batteries, just a couple of full charges and discharges at the start of their life are needed to condition their cells to full capacity, and it's best thereafter to avoid complete emptying whenever possible, just charging whenever convenient whether empty or not.
.

Thanks, Flecc. My new Wisper 705se hasn't been much used since my fall on black ice then waiting for my sprained ankle to recover, and it's made me very nervous and not wanting to go far even in non-icy conditions. So it's taking a while to run down from its first charge, but I'll follow your advice above.