Hello, I'm new

[anotherkiwi]

Hello,

I am going to convert my el cheapo big blue and white box store bicycle into a mid motor pedelec. I live in the Basque Country and my bicycle is my only means of personal transport. I have a trailor for shopping and going fishing.

My goal is also to take the pain out of going to the other side of the Basque Country (aka Spain). A 4.5 km hill on the way there and a 2.3 km one on the way back on the main road and lots of ups and downs on the alternative coastal route.

Cheers
Tony

 

[Alan Quay]

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the forum.

 

[trex]

mountain roads are going to be a challenge for any motor. It's difficult to stay legal and keep to 250W on this one.

 

[flecc]

Indeed, and in view of your towing a trailer as well, perhaps a crank drive unit kit utilising the bike's gears will be best at allowing a legal motor to cope.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

mountain roads are going to be a challenge for any motor.

Except the Xiongda 2-speed motor. The roads might set the challenge, but it's no contest for the motor.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I have chosen the Bafung 8fun mid drive. I will keep the 7 gears at the back and choose a 44 tooth sprocket for the front. I am a bit rusty on gear ratio choice so when I get building I will be back to the forum with questions on that. I will swap out the very tired looking cogs and I will be putting a new chain on too.

The coastal road is no real problem except that it can't be used when there is a wee bit of wind (50 kts announced for Saturday). The steep 2.3 km climb up from the Spanish border is what is worrying me the most. There is only the one false flat on the way up.

Trailor use is strictly around town.

Tony

 

[D8ve]

Dina fash yer sel about the hills wee a trailer. My wife mangaged a bristol +15% hill towing our bairn on a rear hub drive. Go crank drive and there is nothing realistic ye canna beat.
But a 11 to 34 set at the back will give you a reasonable spread of gears

 

[flecc]

Dina fash yer sel about the hills wee a trailer. My wife mangaged a bristol +15% hill towing our bairn on a rear hub drive. Go crank drive and there is nothing realistic ye canna beat.

.
Ye gods, Scottish is catching!

I knew no good would come of that referendum.
.

 

[D8ve]

We let the Italians have Angle land if they built a wall. Bludy things fallen down already mutter mutter Haidrian mutter

 

[anotherkiwi]

My ancestors came from there so I dina have a problem with Scottish. My girlfriend speaks Basque, that is a wee bit hard to catch on to. Thanks for the gear ratios. There is a spider for sale here that allows mounting any size front sprocket, it comes with a 38 tooth for 92 euros. For road use 44/34 or 46/34 for the steep bits sounds fine.

Cheers

Tony

 

[flecc]

There is a spider for sale here that allows mounting any size front sprocket, it comes with a 38 tooth for 92 euros.

The French are brilliant when it comes to chainwheel choice. When I wanted a 60 tooth chainring for a specific BCD it had to be a French one.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

OK so I found the Woosh trip simulator and they have France!!! So mine is a 15.8 mile round trip with maximum gradient at 15%.

Then I thought it would be nice to know how fast I pedal so I fired up the GPS software on my tablet put it in my backpack and went to my girlfriends place. Conditions: in town, night falling, raining and flat terrain. So I was not forcing things mid sprocket (32 tooth?) and 5th cog in rear.

24 km/h top speed and 16 km/h average (including the bit where I pushed the bike on the pedestrian street and stops).

So know I know what 25 km/h feels like - it is my getting about town speed. If I could climb hills at that rate I would be very pleased! I know, I can dream.

Tony