Maximising range

[Jay Russell]

I'm about to receive my new bike and I'm keen to learn how to pedal efficiently to maximise my range.

What top tips are there ? It's a crank driven Cube that I'm waiting for...


Cheers

Jay

 

[Nealh]

That's easy pedal it switched off.
The obvious is to ride in lowest assist setting available and in the highest gear possible, lowest gears will generally always activate the assist so drawing amps and battery power. Hills will require amps and drain the battery quicker, if a throttle is fitted use it very little and pedal more. Going down hill let gravity take over and try coasting on the flat in between pedalling.
Other things to keep an eye on are brakes rubbing causing drag and low tyre psi. If not using the bike for a few weeks or months don't keep the battery full charged but at about 37.5 - 38.5v, but most of all just go out and enjoy it as it will make you and put a on your face. If you get carried away you may want to get a 2nd battery to go further.

 

[cosybike]

Don't stop too often - Plan ahead.
I did this fairly flat trip on one 1300w Battery with 5 miles to spare, mixed power settings and a wee bit of power off and headlamps on for half. When range gets down to 16kms it drops off quick especially on hills.

https://goo.gl/maps/s5XiqPXKtvN2

 

[Geebee]

If its the same as non torque sensing crank drives, keep the cadence up so the motor is spinning at its efficient rpm, running low rpm's they get hot and inefficient.

 

[Jay Russell]

So a lower gear makes the motor work harder?

I'm buying the bike for commuting but I do love a lower ride (except going uphill!)
So I'm keen to find out how far I can get into the Yorkshire dales before I conk out

 

[Nealh]

Keeping to roads rather than cycle tracks will help range with much better rolling, tracks slow you down because of poor surfaces and drag esp when it has been raining my recent 65mile trip was with a 11 & 13ah battery (864wh) with maybe 10-15 miles left in reserve on a chilly day, temperature makes a difference and on warmer days range can improve by 10% or maybe a little more. You will notice when your battery starts to loose some capacity with age as range will start to suffer all dependant on how you care for the battery. A similar 52 mile ride on a colder new years day used up all available battery capacity but other factors worked against me that day a steep climb up to Ditchling Beacon in low gear used up a some capacity but the main issue that day was 4 spokes broke after the climb leaving me with totally out or true rear wheel to get home with.

 

[JohnCade]

Thing is though that you want an assisted bike for a reason. So if you use it in low assist all the time it won’t be so much fun. Depending on how bike fit you are now it might be too much like very hard work and put you off too.

Personally I like to leave the bike in max assist and pretend I’m thirty and a good club rider when I’m going up hills. Much more fun. A spare battery is a good idea.

 

[Geebee]

So a lower gear makes the motor work harder?

The opposite, the lower the gear the faster the motor can spin so its more efficient, if you are in a high gear and pedalling slowly the motor works harder, gets hotter and uses more power.

 

[trex]

use eco setting, avoid braking and keep to a steady speed around 12-14mph.

 

[Nealh]

Every riders input is different so range is hard to define, most quoted figures tend to be pie in the sky so until you get out and ride to find your ideal usage it is pointless trying to guess. Riding until you run out is also pointless unless someone can come and pick you up, I have done 20 miles unassisted with inclines and it was hard work but my Achilles heel is my asthma. For my activities I can calculate use as s 9 - 11w/h per mile for on road/ trail usage or proper dry off road use other wise in wet muddy conditions I allow 16 - 18 w/h per mile. A battery that can do me 45miles on road will only do me 25 - 28 miles off road due to using lower gear selection because or more technical terrain.

 

[Kinninvie]

I ride in the Yorkshire dales. Whereabouts are you?

 

[Jay Russell]

I ride in the Yorkshire dales. Whereabouts are you?

I'm in Bradford. The bike's about commuting but I do enjoy riding for its own sake.

I've ridden a conventional bike to Kettlewell with a stop for a pint a couple of times en route.

 

[Kinninvie]

I'm in Bradford. The bike's about commuting but I do enjoy riding for its own sake.

I've ridden a conventional bike to Kettlewell with a stop for a pint a couple of times en route.

Kettlewell is about as far south as I get.
Its 42 miles from home by the shortest route and 48 miles following the Pennine way.

 

[Lancslass]

I haven't been ebiking for long but I find that, though it sounds obvious, just be happy to bumble along rather than feeling like you have to be a racer all the time. It's great to go as fast as you can sometime (I managed 23mph on a downhill bit, pedalling like fury the other day). But it's nice to just take it slowly and admire the scenery when the mood takes you.
I usually aim to stick in as low assist as is comfortable and just play with the gears until it feels right. I live in a hilly area, but that way I am rarely using more than 3 out of 5 assist and I never use less than gear 1/6, more often 3/6, except on really steep hills. That keeps the battery sweet!

 

[RobF]

When propelling a bicycle, wind resistance is the biggest user of power - both electric and human.

In still air at 10mph you are pushing a 10mph 'head wind'.

The 'resistance cubed' equation for extra speed also comes in to play.

Thus the best way to preserve battery life is to ride more slowly.

A few mph makes a big difference, so the battery will last a lot longer at about 10mph than it will at 14-15mph.

 

[Kinninvie]

It's great to go as fast as you can sometime (I managed 23mph on a downhill bit, pedalling like fury the other day)

I like going fast sometimes as well.
Check out the max speed!

 

[soundwave]

off road down hill i got 77kph on road with bigger sprocket prob get to 90kph

 

[EddiePJ]

I like going fast sometimes as well.
Check out the max speed!

You certainly fell short on the rest of the ride though.

The average speed is only 10.8mph, and the elevation gain is only 2,327ft. Did you meet yourself coming back.

 

[Kinninvie]

You certainly fell short on the rest of the ride though.

The average speed is only 10.8mph, and the elevation gain is only 2,327ft. Did you meet yourself coming back.

Just one heck of a downhill stretch!!

 

[Lancslass]

Oh, now I feel a bit embarrassed about my 23mph