West Yorkshire Member

[oneflewover]

Hi all, have bikes in all guises N+1 Brompton, MTB and road. Latest purchase was a fatbike mainly for beach riding. Went over to Spurn Point for its first sand run out. It's dammed hard work. I'm passed retirement age and this was the hardest ride i've ever done. Some bits are completely unrideable, soft fine sand that you just sink in to. Even pushing was energy sapping especially when trying to get up the dunes and back on to the road.

So, electrical assistance is required. Shall put up a build thread where i shall ask for advice. Is that the correct procedure?

 

[saneagle]

Hi all, have bikes in all guises N+1 Brompton, MTB and road. Latest purchase was a fatbike mainly for beach riding. Went over to Spurn Point for its first sand run out. It's dammed hard work. I'm passed retirement age and this was the hardest ride i've ever done. Some bits are completely unrideable, soft fine sand that you just sink in to. Even pushing was energy sapping especially when trying to get up the dunes and back on to the road.

So, electrical assistance is required. Shall put up a build thread where i shall ask for advice. Is that the correct procedure?

You should never take an ebike anywhere near salt water, especially a Chinese bike.

 

[thelarkbox]

Welcome - Salt, water and sand what did bikes do to you?? So assuming your aware your intending to ride a bike in the worst possible environment for it and its mechanics etc..

A Sand dune bike eh? not your usual get to work/down the shops/ or hill conquering request for sure.

Some pics of your bike and details like its mass, and what your speed and range expectations/requirements are? would be a good starting point.

you would have to look at hub drives as imo mid drives would in all likelihood suffer from the environment a lot faster and fail more rapidly with more expense. - more 'accessible' mechanics to wear with sand..


your probably best looking at a build within the regs too. Having fun where someone else is walking 'quietly' can bring out the worst in some folk and prompt instant complaint calls to plod, who may or may not pay heed but, are sure to try to ruin your day if they do respond....

A 48v battery and high amp controller should give your bike the oomph to climb dunes as long as you maintain traction..

An interesting project hope you have fun with the build and the bike..

 

[jamesporritt]

Cover all bike metal with petroleum jelly.

 

[oneflewover]

All and thanks. Yes, realise not the best mix. However it is fun and getting to go to off track places really ticks my boxes. Have some ideas for waterproofing. Will get photos and start my build thread.

 

[saneagle]

All and thanks. Yes, realise not the best mix. However it is fun and getting to go to off track places really ticks my boxes. Have some ideas for waterproofing. Will get photos and start my build thread.

The salt water will kill your bike if it doesn't set it on fire. Even if you don't see anything immediate, the salt will crystalise in every crevice and suck in moisture every time the humidity goes over 10% to corrode every nut and bolt and everything else.

At least when your bike goes up in a ball of flames on the beach, it won't set fire to anything else, and the crabs will be ready to eat.

 

[oneflewover]

The salt water will kill your bike if it doesn't set it on fire. Even if you don't see anything immediate, the salt will crystalise in every crevice and suck in moisture every time the humidity goes over 10% to corrode every nut and bolt and everything else.

At least when your bike goes up in a ball of flames on the beach, it won't set fire to anything else, and the crabs will be ready to eat.

It's a good job we don't float things on it /sarcasm

 

[Nealh]

Sodium/mositure ingress is one sure way to killa battery let alone other bike parts.

 

[saneagle]

It's a good job we don't float things on it /sarcasm

Good point, well presented; however, I'm no expert, but I've got this idea in my head that ebikes don't float very well. Next time you're down at the beach, could you try it and let me know?

 

[pedalfettal]

Not really sure anyone is really trying to help you so far

Have you tried using lower tyre pressures?

Might help float through the sand.

Tubeless tyres might be the answer.

 

[AndyBike]

It's a good job we don't float things on it /sarcasm

But those things we do float on them have multiple layers of two pack epoxy finishes, and even then they rust to hell.
Bicycles dont have that level of protection

 

[Az.]

ebikes don't float very well

Some e-bikes don't and some e-bikes do.

 

[thelarkbox]

iirc naptha is an ideal solvent to dilute silicone sealant so it can be sprayed like paint with a garden pressure pump. though its highly flammable so care needs to be taken while curing..

Come on lads, @oneflewover is showing some good ol British
bull headedness he wants to do it, and by jove he is gonna do it..

And @saneagle can predict the bikes lifespan, and we can all be wowed by his insight.

It may be crazy but its the sort of Crazy i can get behind..

 

[saneagle]

iirc naptha is an ideal solvent to dilute silicone sealant so it can be sprayed like paint with a garden pressure pump. though its highly flammable so care needs to be taken while curing..

Come on lads, @oneflewover is showing some good ol British
bull headedness he wants to do it, and by jove he is gonna do it..

And @saneagle can predict the bikes lifespan, and we can all be wowed by his insight.

It may be crazy but its the sort of Crazy i can get behind..

When I used to do repairs for Oxygen bikes, somebody made a warranty claim on a pair of batteries that had stopped working. They were both full of crystals top and bottom in every space. I'd dismantled many of these batteries before. The most I'd seen before was a little white powder at the top, where some water had got in. We asked the customer if they been riding on the beach. The answer was never. We only ride in the dry weather. We might have ridden along a promenade where there were some residual rain puddles. Yeah, right!

 

[Az.]

We only ride in the dry weather. We might have ridden along a promenade where there were some residual rain puddles. Yeah, right!

I swear to god! Weather was dry. Not a single cloud in the sky.

 

[jimriley]

I've seen lots of tyre tracks on beaches.
It should be possible to ride on the beach without going in the water. Might need a new chain and cogs after every trip.
But as the miseries say, life's a beach and then it dies.

Ignore them and have fun. I recall teararsing up and down a beach on my old triumph thunderbird 650 with an open sidecar, great fun, dealt with the resulting issues afterwards.

 

[saneagle]

I've seen lots of tyre tracks on beaches.
It should be possible to ride on the beach without going in the water. Might need a new chain and cogs after every trip.
But as the miseries say, life's a beach and then it dies.

Ignore them and have fun. I recall teararsing up and down a beach on my old triumph thunderbird 650 with an open sidecar, great fun, dealt with the resulting issues afterwards.

You get salt spray from wet sand. Do it at your peril!