What speed can you reach after power cut out at 15mph using leg power?

top drive

Pedelecer
Jul 20, 2016
80
33
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ABerdoom
"The only problem I can seeis that when your legs are going round like **** due to the gearing then you lose the ability to maintain a constant fast speed, hence my note about it being a short burst. Why can't the power be switched off and resistance removed so leg power can continue when required?"

This is main reason i went for a mid mount after test riding a few options.

Used to sell powabyke back in early 2000s and experianced exactly what you talk of . Like pedaling through trecle - although miles better than the other offerings from giant at the time.... 24v lead acid battery driving a 24v motor on the powabyke - would climb the steepest of hills locally but weihed 60lbs....

the giant on the other hand had a 12v system and declined to power up hills without major assistance.
 

Smart eBiker

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 15, 2015
404
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73
I agree on the short burst and gearing, thats why I am moving to a 20 cog from 22 at my next service, but that doesn't get around the resistance at 15.5mph but will enable faster leg power speed which is a work out in itself. I have used regeneration going down very steep hills, it almost acts as a brake and is very good, not sure how much power it puts back in, but on my bike when you apply the brakes it regenerates.
 

Smart eBiker

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 15, 2015
404
123
73
The problem is that you have the wrong bike if you want to do that. Your direct drive motor makes some resistance to turning when no power is applied. The bikes with Chinese hub-motors nearly all have clutches, which means that the hub can freewheel without resistance from the motor, so speed is not inhibited like it is on yours.

Obviously, if you switch on the regeneration, it'll be like applying the brakes, so it'll be a lot worse.
In truth I am enjoying my bike a lot but it is a touring bike for elite people, not a racing bike, I feel that soon I will want to move on to something as you mention that may allow a clutch to be used to disengage the assist, as an ex commando I like the aggressive side of biking and pushing myself, but sometimes you can only do so much with the tools you have.

eBikes are evolving at a fast pace so I am keeping a watch on developments, and looking for my next one. Happy with what I have at the moment as the Daimler Mercedes DESIGNER Smart eBike is just SO COOL and well made it oozes quality, some of the nonsense I have seen around is scary.
 

Tubamanandy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2014
267
38
62
Where does the speed come from in that nice Oxygen bike? weight/gearing/motor/battery?
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
Going up the hill speed is 15.9mph, so not too steep.
Going down speed is 32.7mph. Note these are average speeds over a half mile. Max speed downhill is touch over 40 :D.
image.png image.png
 
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D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
And here is my longest days run before I fitted the electric kit to the bike.
Well over 120 miles. but only 107 recorded in seven hours nine mins. with max speed of 49.2 mph. That's fairly quick for a distance, it misses out breakfast and the two hour lunch stop though. image.png
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
Where does the speed come from in that nice Oxygen bike? weight/gearing/motor/battery?
Good question. I'm not sure. It took me by surprise. It's not just the speed, but the acceleration too. The older Oxygen Emate MTB was the same. You could pedal along happily at 24 mph. Andrew, who designs and specifies these bikes has always managed to make them fast considering the power they have. Maybe they have secret ingredient X.
 
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Will Tinker

Pedelecer
Apr 14, 2015
221
163
The highest speed I've reached on an eBike that is behaving normally, on a flat surface (so pedalling) is 26mph yesterday. I wasn't trying to go fast so it was a bit of a surprise when I looked down and saw that. Must have been favourable conditions.

I reached 30mph downhill on my old Kalkhoff, cycling on a road that was fairly busy. I was going the same speed as the cars, although to be honest the bike felt a bit unstable so don't think I'll be doing that again.

A couple of years back, the SyncDrive motor on my Giant Prime 2014 developed a fault where it would assist up to any speed it wanted, then cut-out completely and not assist at all. Annoying as it had to go back to JE James, but I have to admit it was quite amusing to be suddenly catching up with traffic for the few days I rode it with the fault. Think that probably got me up to about 40mph (though that bike didn't have a speed guage, so not certain).
 

Artstu

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2009
2,420
925
I once hit 17 mph on my bike for a few seconds, the effort required nearly killed me and I'm not keen to do it again :rolleyes: :)