Tonaro Bighit Remarkable Battery Range

[shep]

Yesterday i completed 51.8 miles on my Tonaro Bighit, and the battery still had 1 green light showing, and that was at an average speed of 14.5mph, remember this is a heavy mountain bike running semi knobbly tyres, and on high assist the whole time !!!!! i think that is a superb range considering the battery is only a 36v 10ah. or 360watt hours. Assuming 10% still left in the battery.

330 watt hours used divided by 51.8 = 6.37 watt hour per mile.

So today i am not working and have just completed another 49.3 miles and again on one battery.

Both journeys were over moderate terrain, and today quite a high wind, I am 48 years old 90kg and reasonably fit

 

[RoadieRoger]

That is an excellent range , perhaps Tonaro have it when it comes to the most efficient design . I read the posting on the ease of removing wheels to mend punctures without disconnecting wires, which is also a plus .

 

[flecc]

It is a good range, once again showing an advantage for crank drive. Most find circa 50 miles is out of the question for them on hub motor bikes with 360 Wh, sometimes attainable with over 500 Wh (36 volt 14 Ah) if the rider is fit.

 

[scarrabri]

Yesterday i completed 51.8 miles on my Tonaro Bighit, and the battery still had 1 green light showing, and that was at an average speed of 14.5mph, remember this is a heavy mountain bike running semi knobbly tyres, and on high assist the whole time !!!!! i think that is a superb range considering the battery is only a 36v 10ah. or 360watt hours. Assuming 10% still left in the battery.

330 watt hours used divided by 51.8 = 6.37 watt hour per mile.

So today i am not working and have just completed another 49.3 miles and again on one battery.

Both journeys were over moderate terrain, and today quite a high wind, I am 48 years old 90kg and reasonably fit

Hi i am thinking of buying one of thesse ,and you have real good results with the distance,is there any niggles about the bike or any thing you are not to happy with ,as it might help me to decide,my very best wishes Brian.

 

[shep]

Brian

It has some faults, which are

1 I dont like the front mudguard design at all
2 The Chain guard is plastic and mine broke pretty quickly
3 Shimano Acera rear gears are not Shimano,s finest, mine operate fine, but for how long?
4 Bike is a bit heavy.
5 Saddle not comfy, i replaced mine with a Specialised Expedition Gel saddle which is mega comfy

And that is about it, pretty small and easily fixable list, there are far more positives.

1 Motor and gearbox are really good, quiet, smooth, frugal and powerful.
2 Frame is very stylish and bombproof strong.
3 Suspension works very well, i like it
4 Wheels are standard issue and disc brakes seem good, and are certainly powerful
5 Removable Battery tray idea works well, and battery charger is small and very easy to use, just plug it in.
6 Great customer service from Powerpedals
7 GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY

I am getting 50 mile range from high assist and really flying along up hill and down dale !!!

 

[scarrabri]

Brian

It has some faults, which are

1 I dont like the front mudguard design at all
2 The Chain guard is plastic and mine broke pretty quickly
3 Shimano Acera rear gears are not Shimano,s finest, mine operate fine, but for how long?
4 Bike is a bit heavy.
5 Saddle not comfy, i replaced mine with a Specialised Expedition Gel saddle which is mega comfy

And that is about it, pretty small and easily fixable list, there are far more positives.

1 Motor and gearbox are really good, quiet, smooth, frugal and powerful.
2 Frame is very stylish and bombproof strong.
3 Suspension works very well, i like it
4 Wheels are standard issue and disc brakes seem good, and are certainly powerful
5 Removable Battery tray idea works well, and battery charger is small and very easy to use, just plug it in.
6 Great customer service from Powerpedals
7 GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY

I am getting 50 mile range from high assist and really flying along up hill and down dale !!!

Hi and thank you so much for your comments on this model,you seem very pleased , is there any way of fixing another battery on top of the one already fixed,same make and spec as the one already fitted,just wondering.best wishes Brian, ps will powerpedals replace the broken parts ? bye for now .

 

[flecc]

Brian

3 Shimano Acera rear gears are not Shimano,s finest, mine operate fine, but for how long?

I fitted the Acera rear mechanism on my Q-bike and it's been in continuous use for just over four years. After an initial trimming of the adjustment at a couple of weeks of use, I've never touched it since and it's still working perfectly on a six sprocket megarange cassette.

So I don't think you need worry on that account.

 

[scarrabri]

I fitted the Acera rear mechanism on my Q-bike and it's been in continuous use for just over four years. After an initial trimming of the adjustment at a couple of weeks of use, I've never touched it since and it's still working perfectly on a six sprocket megarange cassette.

So I don't think you need worry on that account.

Hi flecc that is good news i was begining to worry a little about the gears ,so thanks again,that has put my mind at rest ,best wishes Brian.

 

[hoppy]

Shep, impressed with your amazing range on maximum assist. Do you tend to use the gears much or are you mostly in top gear? That seems a very efficient use of the stored energy of the battery.

 

[shep]

Hoppy

I use the gears quite a lot, so that i try and keep the cadence the same. So when i feel the pressure builds on the knees i change down, and when the old legs are spinning too much then i change up. Down hill i tend to just freewheel and enjoy the scenery. I note that you have a Tonaro Hoppy, do you find that downhill the weight seems to work for you as it freewheels and carries momentum very well?, i also note that there seems to be no motor drag at all.

What i love about these E Bikes, is you pedal quite hard, but the results are like Lance Armstrong !!! you Just push those pedals !!!!

 

[hoppy]

Thanks for reply, Shep.Yes,I agree there's absolutely no drag at all. I'm still learning best way of riding mine-8 gears, 3 assist levels and a throttle give lots of options and add to interest. Best e-bikes on market ,I reckon ,and super value. Regards,H

 

[Willin']

I have just re-read this thread because I bought a second hand/ex display Tonaro Bighit a month ago and have just been out four or five times on it. I thought I would give the bike a good run on Saturday and planned a route of about 30 miles. Well in total the mileage was 34.1 miles, mainly because I went astray a few times and had to do some riding around to get back on to the correct trail (sometimes the signposting of cycleways isn't so good).
My route was from the MetroCentre Gateshead up the Derwent walk (C2C) to Consett then across to Leadgate and back down the C2C route that goes to Sunderland turning off at Beamish and heading back to the Metrocentre via Lamesley and the Team Valley. Total ascent was about 1250 feet with highest point of about 800ft in Consett and the lowest about 20 feet above sea level at the River Tyne.

It's a very nice circular route with a good mix of cycle trails, country lanes and one big hill to get up in Consett (Blackhill to Number One for any locals). Met lots of lovely people en route and only spoilt by a bunch of NEETS/Chavs near Stanley who thought it great fun to lie all across the path and give out a load of abuse.

When I got back the last green light was just out but flickered back into life when I stopped. All in all I am very impressed - it's a lovely bike to ride and it's just so easy going up steep hills I can't stop smiling.

At one point I caught up with and passed a bloke on a MTB pootling along and, sure enough, a little later he blasted past me putting in a lot of effort. He came to a big dip, powered down and then up the far side getting a good 200 metres ahead of me. I just kept pedalling steadily along and caught him up within about 400 metres - poor guy looked shattered and I didn't have the heart to tell him as I cruised past and left him behind.

 

[kitchenman]

Nice one Willin. Good route info, some bike praise and leaving a "manual" for dead. Sounds like a perfect day.

 

[Blew it]

Tonaro BigHit rules!....all right!

Glad you are enjoying the Bighit Willin.

Every so often a machine appears on the scene that just ticks all the boxes, and in the case of the Tonaro Bighit, it does so admirably for a tad over a grand.

Versatility also scores high, as I proved in some recent tests, it can be ridden as a low-powered moped for those who prefer not to pedal unless they have to. The almost unique combination of a 36 volt drive-through-the-chain and independant throttle being the ideal configuration for this style of riding. For cyclists who appreciate a little helping hand against headwinds and climbing hills, a wide choice of assistance levels together with an excellent range of ratios on the Acera eight-speed.

The heart of any electric bike has to be the battery, the 360 watt-hour Phylion fitted to the BigHit being amongst the best available, and exceptionally good value at £275 for a replacement. As with many suppliers of first generation Lithium batteries, Phylion suffered a huge dent in their reputation with premature battery failures around 2006/7. Since then, the qualitity of their batteries has improved in leaps and bounds, these latest versions having an energy density per kg on a par with the Advance batteries used by Wisper and Ezee.

Brakes!. Okay, the disc calipers fitted are not the best, but if you are willing to wait a week, you could have a pair of Avid BB7 calipers delivered from Hong Kong for £52 all in. The Avid BB7 is probably one of the most powerful cable discs brakes available, and soooo easy to align with the rotor with the tri-axis system.

To further enhance the enjoyment of riding the BigHit, I have decide to invest a further £33 for a pair of ERGON GC2 grips.

Strangely, my machine was fitted with two right-hand grips, and there is no locking system on them. In my view, ergonomic grips that fail to maintain their position are useless. The Ergon GC2 grips incorporate a positive clamp, together with removeable end plugs to allow fitting of my Mirrycle mirror.

Thanks for posting your report willin, I hope you enjoy many more rides like it.

Regards
Bob

 

[steveindenmark]

I would just like to answer a couple of questions that have been asked.

Regarding fitting and extra battery. You could do this as there is a luggage rack fastened on top of the original battery. The only problem you would have is that you would have to extend the kettle like power lead coming from the frame in order for it to reach the higher battery socket.

Will Phil at Powerpedals supply spare parts?

I have an Enduro and Jannie has a Compy. We live in Denmark.
We had a problem with Jannies Compy when we got it and Phil bent over backwards to sort the problem. Whatever I asked for he sent immediately, at his own expense. He also offered to exchange the Compy for a new Enduro at his own expense.

The solution to the problem was to remove the little magnet off the rear wheel and it runs perfect now. Phil has checked with Tonaro and running the bike without the magnet does no long term damage.

His customer service is second to none.

As I say I have the Tonaro Enduro. It The motor is exactly the same as the Bighit and the Compy. I have had mine for about 3 months and ride every day and it is a great bike to have. I ride a lot on forest tracks and it is bombproof, in all weathers.

The original seat is good for knocking nails in but that is about the only bad thing I can say.

A great bike for a great price, sold by a really nice guy.

Steve

 

[Willin']

Well I haven't got around to doing any mods on the bike yet but those grips look really good and I think I will have to change the seat because my bum was pretty sore well before I got to the end of my ride.

The only problem I have had so far is the plastic cover on the chain at the front has broken (maybe I caught it with my foot at some point) and I don't know whether to remove it or try to glue it back together.

I am considering a tour around the moors on Saturday going up the Derwent valley from Shotley Bridge to the Waskerley Way (again part of the C2C) and thence across to Blanchland, Edmundbyers and back down via Carterway Heads on the A68 to Shotley Bridge. That's about 27 miles in total across some lovely countryside but it starts with a really steep hill from Shotley Bridge up to Blackhill in Consett and there are a fair few more en route getting up to over 1600 ft above sea level. According to Memory Map there's 2600ft of ascent. I'll conserve the power by switching the power off on any level or downhill parts and see how easy the bike is to ride without assistance (or maybe at 62 I'm a bit daft to be considering this).

 

[kitchenman]

(or maybe at 62 I'm a bit daft to be considering this).

If you dont do it then you will regret it. If you do do it and it goes tits up then ... you'll have a nice story to tell! ... you can't loose ...

 

[Willin']

If you dont do it then you will regret it. If you do do it and it goes tits up then ... you'll have a nice story to tell! ... you can't loose ...

Aye.. nothing ventured and all that.

 

[funkylyn]

Well I haven't got around to doing any mods on the bike yet but those grips look really good and I think I will have to change the seat because my bum was pretty sore well before I got to the end of my ride.

The only problem I have had so far is the plastic cover on the chain at the front has broken (maybe I caught it with my foot at some point) and I don't know whether to remove it or try to glue it back together.

I am considering a tour around the moors on Saturday going up the Derwent valley from Shotley Bridge to the Waskerley Way (again part of the C2C) and thence across to Blanchland, Edmundbyers and back down via Carterway Heads on the A68 to Shotley Bridge. That's about 27 miles in total across some lovely countryside but it starts with a really steep hill from Shotley Bridge up to Blackhill in Consett and there are a fair few more en route getting up to over 1600 ft above sea level. According to Memory Map there's 2600ft of ascent. I'll conserve the power by switching the power off on any level or downhill parts and see how easy the bike is to ride without assistance (or maybe at 62 I'm a bit daft to be considering this).

Hey, fellow geordie......you would only be daft to not consider it...you are ONLY 62........wait till you are 82 then OK maybe just do part of it
27 miles is nothing but yes its certainly steep in parts.......saying me who has only done a small part of it......

Lynda

 

[Willin']

Hey, fellow geordie......you would only be daft to not consider it...you are ONLY 62........wait till you are 82 then OK maybe just do part of it
27 miles is nothing but yes its certainly steep in parts.......saying me who has only done a small part of it......

Lynda

Only nominally a Geordie (if at all!) by having lived up here for the last 35 years - marriage to a local girl and all that. No-one I know would ever call me a Geordie (lots of other names mind you). You are right however and I'll be off around the moors this Saturday (62 is no age at all). Actually the ride from Rowley near Consett up the Waskerley Way towards Stanhope is a smashing ride anyway and one I have done quite a few times. Maybe I'll take some pics to post up or even a video!