Yak

When I’ve gone out without proper (wraparound type) glasses my eyes tear up so badly on descents I can’t see where I’m going, which isn’t good at the speeds my chubby body get me up to on the hills around here. Absolutely essential, for me. No question. Peace of mind too, for when you hit clouds of midges - it’s bad enough getting them out of your mouth….

I have the name and contact information of the special Ebikemotion charger cable connector manufacturer. The minimum order is 200 units. I thought about making these myself but it is not for me. Would you like this, to make millions of euros . For free, of course?

I just wondered if you had run tests where the extender has a higher initial voltage?

If that isn’t enough there are some great new seat posts with some sus built in

There’s a lot of trash out there. In a few hours there will be more guys on here with more experience of actual bikes on actual trails. My first thought for you would be a modern eMTB hard tail with a low stand over top bar (as all modern designs are) with lovely squishy tubeless gravel tyres that will roll well on the road.

That sounds silly. If they are talking about the extra weight, that is meaningless as riders all weigh different amounts. If the bike is 4kg heavier because of the electric system, how does that effect me, at 120kg, and my mate, at 55kg? My Gain has zero suspension. I put 50psi in my 38mm tyres and ride bad trails. It works. I would be happier on bigger tyres, but Ikm not looking at suspension, at all, as I ride roads too.

For my ha’penny’s worth, I think full sus is unnecessary unless you are hammering fast rutted descents. As Nealh says, they steal your energy As soon as you start pedalling. A hard tail with low-pressure tubeless will give plenty of give, but ride well (and pressures can be increased for road use). I’m riding a gravel Orbea Gain with 38mm tyres over terrible trails. Not ideal, but it works, then when you hit the tarmac you soar.

Excelente Antonio. You have found that the extender provides more than the 2a charging current when the motor is drawing more than 4a under load. This is what I had hoped. But would this be possible if the extender acts as a passive charger, and as the main battery is depleted more quickly when under +4amp load, that the extender is simply putting more charging current into the main battery? Have you tried to establish whether the extender will equalise slowly (‘charge’) the main battery if the extender voltage is the higher of the two, or whether, as Volabike claim, current is taken solely from the extender under load until the two batteries are at equal voltage?

Looking forward to it.

No, jump on in! I am definitely coming to the conclusion, reinforced by the gurus here and many others, that all of these extenders work the same way. Passive ‘charging’, with some form of reverse protection and relying on the internal battery‘s BMS to limit the incoming amps to 2. If you take the charge port apart on the gain there are two thick wires and two thin. Perhaps this does relate to an original intention to somehow parallel the extender using the thicker wires with the two thin wires used for the mains charger, but for me, I am simply happy that mine works. If we ever get reasonable weather here and I get the time I will def run some tests, but I think both the Mahle and Volabike extenders may well be simple batteries with the addition of a Schottky or Ideal diode used for protection. Pretty cynical stuff if so, and an opportunity for a small-scale manufacturer to steal the market, like Volabike should have done, if they hadn’t been greedy.

Hi Antonio - I’m the same Yak as Yako Rides aGain, so yes I did and it works perfectly.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to track down and talk with the guys that have built their own Gain range extenders. Most posted 2019/2020. I’ve had no luck reaching them and am beginning to picture their charred remains in various places around the world as their att attempts ended badly! I’m going to go ahead though…I really need the range until I’m fitter - and look how stealthy that second 7ah battery is!!

Just saw this on YouTube. Might be helpful.