Traction problem with Big Bear

[Marwood Hill]

I have fitted a new front rack and added weight. Fitted a new front 'deep tread' knobbly tyre. Let air out of the tyre down to 10psi. I only use power level-1 and yet i still cannot get good traction on hills in dry conditions. Riding in damp conditions is a no go. Fitting the motor into the back wheel is the only answer i think? How can i achieve this at a reasonable cost?

 

[RobF]

What surface are you riding on?

The 'deep tread' knobbly will have less grip than a slick on anything hard, even less when it's wet.

 

[Marwood Hill]

Just normal road use. The new deep tread is an improvement on the original fitted tyre, but not much!


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[trex]

I'd suggest you trade in your Big Bear for a Bermuda or a Sport which has rear motor. Alternatively, woosh now have the Sport motor (26") that would work with your Big Bear electrics.
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?sport

 

[Marwood Hill]

Trade in means losing a lot of money and i've only got 220 miles on the clock due to not riding it much with this traction problem. I've also fitted a lot of extras so my BB is a deluxe version. I do like the idea of fitting that new wheel and motor. Would it easily fit? I could do the electrics.


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[trex]

it's fairly easy. Ask Andy to fit a 180mm rotor to the front wheel.
Swap out the wheels.
After that, pull the motor cable back through the downtube to get to the rear wheel and re-connect the motor cable.

 

[Marwood Hill]

So, what do i need to buy?


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[trex]

you need to trade in your wheelset for a Sport wheelset. You can keep your freewheel, tyres and innertubes.

 

[Marwood Hill]

That sounds good. That's if they will do trade in on wheels?


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[Marwood Hill]

What about the torque bars and disc brakes. Will it all fit?


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[trex]

yes. They are standard 26". The brakes are same, except the mounting post is for 180mm rotor on the Big Bear and 160mm rotor on the Sport.
If you send in your old wheelset, Andy can move your stuff to the new wheelset for you.

 

[Marwood Hill]

Thank you Trex, that sounds like the answer. I will contact Woosh for a price.


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[trex]

another possibility: d8veh may have a used rear 26" motor wheel - all it needs is 3-pin motor cable and can take 20A. You can fit the new motor, test it before worrying about changing the front wheel.

 

[Marwood Hill]

Could i connect that motor to the input of the existing motor and run two motors together?


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[trex]

that would be awesome, but you would need a specialized controller with two motor cables. If you have two motors and one cable, you can swap front wheel drive / rear wheel drive whenever you like. The penalty is 3kg extra weight.

 

[Marwood Hill]

3kg extra would be fine as i'm only a lightweight. I like the idea of running 2 motors together but don't know if it would be beneficial running either front or back?


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[Wingreen]

I'm intrigued about the traction issue. I've used a Big Bear for a couple of years now but not really had any traction issues. I'm not particularly heavy (11 stone) - if that's relevant. The only hint of a traction problem is if I go up to setting 4 when tackling a hill, especially if I kick it in when I havent much speed already. I think its fair to say that, on setting 3 or less, I've never had a traction problem, even though some hills have been pretty steep.

 

[trex]

I think the sitting position is important for weight distribution. If you lower the stem, your shoulders will move forward and your body will put more weight on the handlebars. If that sitting position causes discomfort to your wrists, then get a right hand thumb throttle from Woosh and change the grips for soft grips (the next revision of the Big Bear will have thumb throttle and soft grips, woosh should already have spares).

 

[Marwood Hill]

Everywhere i go i have to tackle 35% hills. I can get up them ok with a bit of spin when it's dry. When wet or damp i have to get off and push. And having COPD means i don't go out if there's a hint of damp on roads as i get stuck half-way up a hill gasping!


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[trex]

then rear hub is the answer.