Anyone offroading on an electric MTB?

[Caph]

Does anyone else use their pedelec off-road? If so how are you finding it?

I got hold of a full suspension front hub motor MTB (Electric Bikes ,Trikes and Bicycles - Aluminium Alloy Frame - Lightweight - Electric Bikes 26 inch wheel - Galileo Hybrid Electric Bike ( Free Shipping UK)) and I held out little hope for using it off road, but boy was I wrong. I took it out for a spin and took it to the steepest dirt track I know of near me to test it out. Normally it's very tricky to get to the top due to rear wheel spin on the loose stoney ground, but having dropped in to the lowest gear my bike slowly but surely made it all the way to the top without much effort from me. I think it was the combination of rear wheel and front wheel drive that kept the wheel spin to a minimum. I notice that Jeep are now marketing an all wheel drive non-electric MTB so I guess there must be some truth to my thinking.

I found the same principal applied across country too. The full wheel drive made climbing out of wet muddy patches much easier than normal and I found myself not worrying about carrying speed through the bottom of dips to get up the following climb, I just let the motor kick in and pull me up.

I got back absolutely covered in mud but it was definitely worth it! I can't wait to get out again...

 

[flecc]

Good to hear you had such a great experience Caph. Two wheel drive is certainly good for that use, and the steady constant nature of the electric drive ideal for maintaining traction on a loose surface. The only thing against using wheelhub motors off road is the possibility of damage over large bumps, rocks and the like, especially with their hollow spindles.

If you can avoid that you should get plenty more fun out of it. One day we might get a moderate price centre motor off road bike, and that could be a huge seller, but hated by teenagers parents everywhere when they had to fork out.
.

 

[john]

I find two wheel drive very useful for pulling through mud. It means that you can use smoother tyres.

 

[aaannndddyyy]

I had a Heinzmann FWD fitted to my mountain bike and took if off road regularly going though fields, thick mud, long grass, and deep water it pulls like a train, it’s a strange felling leaving skids marks approaching the top of the hills I had to make shore to keep my weight over the front wheel as much as possible, in the end the rack which holds the battery pack broke with all the ruff treatment it was getting being jarred and knocked about also the batteries inside the case needed more padding to hold them firmly in place .

 

[giguana]

I have a pretty incredible e-mtb, with expensive front and rear suspension that means that going down steps is like going down a staircase on a mattress, really nice, I have made a special rack for the back forks to hold the 9 kg 48 V 20 ah battery, it does about 55 km, so it's nice for going along all the rivers, and the other day I did the best ride of my life, I found this nature reserve about 3 miles away with this long sand track in the middle of a wide expanse that leads up to a bare giant oak tree on the horizon, and behind the oak tree there are two giants craters of sand quarries, which look like the moon, and then there are woods and little tracks for about 5 miles all around the reserve, so I basically whizzed around it for an hour.

I have also done rides where I come back covered in mud, the best one was when there was puddles all over the bridleway riding into the sunset so basically the bridleway was full of pink and orange puddles...but generally speaking, it's hard to get a waterproof motor and its best keeping on dry, no matter how fun it is going through rivers and puddles

it's a 406 motor, slow acceleration, I would recommend something much stronger for all-terrain, but with 48 V 950w it can handle any flat types of a cross-country. riding across woods with soft leaf litter really requires massive torque...

basically it's super fun!

 

[emotivepete]

HEINZMANN MTB - feedback welcomed

We are considering offering a MTB based production bike with Heinzman rear wheel motor for the UK market initially.

Whilst based on an MTB, it would be limited to UK road legal specs and its intended use would be trails but also the discerning every day rider who prefers their electric bike to look "normal".

Attached is a photo of one possibility. The bike has a 200W, 15mph Heinzmann rear hub motor, Magura front disc and rear HS11 brakes, RST Gila+ lockout forks. Groupset is 2x7, the third front ring being taken up by a pedal sensor ring. The motor would be offered in standard or hill-climbing version.

A reduced spec version with fore and aft V-brakes, but still suspension forks would also be offered as well as an e-bike version.

The bike is shown with the soon-to-be-launched Li-Ion battery bags.

Starting prices would be around £1450.

Comments/thoughts/criticism (constructive please) welcomed

 

[kraeuterbutter]

i don´t like the possition of where the batteries are mounted..

it would be cooler (better cg) when the batts are mounted in the frame (there is enough space)
that would balance the bike better

so maybe kind of that:
http://images.google.at/url?q=http://www.greenspeed.us/graphics/synergy_cycle/electric_bike-5a.jpg&usg=AFQjCNH9j7bIdsWPDvK7Gd8UEs2og4Bv4Q

or like this: http://www.electrikmotion.com/electrecside.jpg
or like this: http://www.electricmountainbikes.com/homemade-electric-bicycles.jpg

 

[StrangeFish]

We are considering offering a MTB based production bike with Heinzman rear wheel motor for the UK market initially.

Whilst based on an MTB, it would be limited to UK road legal specs and its intended use would be trails but also the discerning every day rider who prefers their electric bike to look "normal".

Attached is a photo of one possibility. The bike has a 200W, 15mph Heinzmann rear hub motor, Magura front disc and rear HS11 brakes, RST Gila+ lockout forks. Groupset is 2x7, the third front ring being taken up by a pedal sensor ring. The motor would be offered in standard or hill-climbing version.

A reduced spec version with fore and aft V-brakes, but still suspension forks would also be offered as well as an e-bike version.

The bike is shown with the soon-to-be-launched Li-Ion battery bags.

Starting prices would be around £1450.

Comments/thoughts/criticism (constructive please) welcomedView attachment 205

I quite like this epete, but my first thought is that your estimated starting price is far too high for what would be at this stage, a fairly unsophisticated machine, probably needing a little evolution and refining. Around the £900 mark would be a tad more realistic. I think one has to consider a little more the expected take-up at your suggested price. If your expectation however, is to sell the product in lower rather than higher numbers, and your happy with this, then I imagine this would probably be the outcome - and the best of luck to you!
All the best. StrangeFish.

 

[emotivepete]

We'd love to sell the bike in the sub-£1000 area. However, as we are using the Heinzmann motor as the basis this sets the bar fairly high - both performance/quality and price-wise.

The intention is to complement the Heinzmann Estelle range which is fairly "European" in design and perhaps target a younger audience.

 

[emotivepete]

Thanks for the links Krauterbutter. Of course electricmountainbikes.com use the Heinzmann motor so they get my thumbs up.