Pikes Peak Race--Entering?

[Green Machine]

Yes i agree it was the friendly competition between ES and optibike that spurred opti to build a faster bike. I vehemently argued the point of speed over at the opti forums and who knows maybe the big guys listened. Also talked at great length about it with breakfast with opti guy craig.

I remember craig saying they would love to sale a faster bike but cant deal with the liability. I remember saying something like "make an offroad only model"....rabble rabble rablle. Craig said they were planning to release a "unleashed" bike but it was going to be super expensive (ob1) so they would only sell a few of them.

I guess Stealth USA selling a ton of bikes finally got to opti and they figured they got to start somehow appealing to a wider demographic by offering speed and at a reasonable price.

Whatever it is optibike now has a formidable bike on the market and my guess is they will sell a bunch of them. 40 mph and amazing hill climbing ability in a sleek package is a hell of an offering..and its made in USA (so its super expensive).
'
Maybe optibike will send me one of these super fast models so i can continue my ES opti review thread

I actually would really like to get my hands on one for a test ride if one ends up in northern cali...

[Green Machine]

Some optibike video scaling pikes:

[dogman]

Looks like they (Opti) brought it this time. I just couldn't make it, money, time off that time of year, and I've been sick.

Wish stuff like that got sent to me to test.

[kfong]

Thanks for the video, it's definitely hard to breath in that altitude if you are not prepared for it. Funny to see how surprised the event organizers were as they were still setting up. Wow, were those runners making a run to the summit. They must be in incredible shape, I'm picturing them walking by the time they get to the top. If any of them are still running at the summit, I would be in awe! It's tough just to even hike to the summit. Did the three non opti make it to the top?

[Hillhater]

No matter what your opinion is of Opti, you have to give them credit for setting a standard on that climb that i doubt any other ebike builder will be able to match ( first, 7 from 7 ).
Eventually the time will be beaten by a one - off "special" bike, but as a team effort from a production based bike, that is one heck of a performance.
PS: .. i still think they are over rated, overpriced , over styled, and underpowered !!

[CraigT]

Thanks Hillhater, thats the nicest thing you have ever said about us....i am tearing up....

Craig Taber
Optibike

[Hillhater]

no problem Craig, ..credit where it is due !
( I assume you meant the ..."over rated, overpriced , over styled, and underpowered !!" )

PS..i will wait for that big box in the UPS truck !

[ZOMGVTEK]

Those Optibike's look neat, but my well abused cheap e-bike would easily be able to beat what I witnessed in that video. I would need another 8 or 16 Turnigy packs, and probably a gallon of water to spray on the motor up the hills at 6KW. However, my bike goes up most hills at 40+ MPH, whereas those bikes are going 42 downhill, with pedal assist. High altitude wouldn't mean a thing, since I wouldn't be pedaling...

Off the shelf cheap stuff can win at that. It just would take a whole lot of LiPo, and some serious motor cooling.

[gensem]

The real problem is that our bikes arent real. No one can buy our bikes of the shelf, but im pretty sure that are plent of bikes in this forum that woulda kill the optis in that 1h ride.

[CraigT]

Well then please show up and race! Because hot air alone does not propel you to victory!

The more the merrier!

Craig Taber
Optibike

[gensem]

Well then please show up and race! Because hot air alone does not propel you to victory!

The more the merrier!

Craig Taber
Optibike

Would you mind to pay for my air tickets from Brazil to the race and back?
haha
BR

[Hillhater]

... Because hot air alone does not propel you to victory!

Oh, I dont know !...It worked for Andy Green and the Thrust SSC team at Bonneville !

[AussieJester]

Hahaha@hillhater if I want posting from my mobile I'd put that^^ in the 'Quoteable Quotes' thread....

If your throwing around tickets to fly chuck one my way, i'll race up the PikesPeak, wheelchair in tow and still have time to my eat lunch and finish the champahne before the first Opti made it to the to lol

KiM

[Toorbough ULL-Zeveigh]

I guess Stealth USA selling a ton of bikes finally got to opti and they figured they got to start somehow appealing to a wider demographic by offering speed and at a reasonable price.

yep, the floodgates had started to burst wide open & optibike had to put an immediate halt to the hemorrhaging.
i mean people were dumping their practically brand new optis in favour of the stealth, that's pretty bad.
and once that customer has voted with his bux he's off the market for quite some time particularly in such a tiny hi-dollar niche pool of potential customers.
cash flow is everything especially in small business & the sudden drying up of cash would have been felt instantly.

it's been clear from the beginning that optibike employs the same business strategy/philosophy as general motors & ibm amongst many others.
never ever bring out a better product only to compete with yourself until & unless forced to by the competition.
you can see how well that's worked out for gm, the long slow decline into oblivion.
there was never any incentive for opti to release their garage-queen & were never going to.
we have not only stealth to thank but ktm & the slug of other up-scale makes coming on strong to tempt their base there's no way optibike could miss the writing on wall.

bet you're reel glad you got rid of yours when you did freeing up the cash for this new one.
there's probably more than a few others not so lucky that are feeling a little suckered right now.

[Hillhater]

The 48v battery system is as follows:

Internal: 875wh
Touring Battery: 749wh

I rode up Pikes Peak with a 52t front chainring, and never had to drop
below gear 10 while in fast mode. The top speed on flat ground is
approx 35 mph.

The pricing looks like this:

R-Series Base Model: $9995 (base model is the current 850xli)
Rohloff Hub: + $1995
48v 1100w upgrade: +$1199
48v Touring Battery: +$2399 (used in Pikes Peak

The gearbox is the same, so you can expect it to sound the same as the
newest version MBB.

The Cool Carbon system ensures the battery will never overheat- none
of the 7 bikes used on Pikes Peak had battery or motor overheat alerts
at any time on the 8000ft climb. This system makes sure the cells in
the pack (even the ones in the middle) cool evenly, so the cycle life,
performance, and durability of the pack are top notch. Essentially,
the cells are housed in a patented material that allows for even
cooling of the cells- really rad stuff- and you saw it here first.

Craig Taber
Optibike

I am trying to understand how a bike with 1100W, and a top speed of 35 mph on the flat,... can do 38mph uphill at 13,000ft ?

[full-throttle]

I am trying to understand how a bike with 1100W, and a top speed of 35 mph on the flat,... can do 38mph uphill at 13,000ft ?

Easy - the air is thinner up higher

Try it for yourself, go to http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm enter power that gives 35mph at sea level, then change the altitude and watch the speed increase even with a slight gradient

[Hillhater]

I have tried it myself,.. on a 1200W (measured) ebike that does 30+ mph on the flat.
But get near a gradient and you wont get anywhere near 30 mph..even with wind assistance !
Gravity is a bigger brake than any air density change !

[liveforphysics]

I have tried it myself,.. on a 1200W (measured) ebike that does 30+ mph on the flat.
But get near a gradient and you wont get anywhere near 30 mph..even with wind assistance !
Gravity is a bigger brake than any air density change !

No human cyclist can sustain more than about 400w output, yet they can sustain speeds over 30mph on flat ground. Me thinks you've got something wrong with your bikes ability to roll freely

[gensem]

For thoses who doesnt know this calculator

http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/ProdDiss/Bicycle/bikecalc1.htm

[John in CR]

I am trying to understand how a bike with 1100W, and a top speed of 35 mph on the flat,... can do 38mph uphill at 13,000ft ?

A fit cyclist pedaling his ass off on a flat stretch.

[Hillhater]

I am trying to understand how a bike with 1100W, and a top speed of 35 mph on the flat,... can do 38mph uphill at 13,000ft ?

A fit cyclist pedaling his ass off on a flat stretch.

that would work ! ..but
infact the 38mph was at 13,000ft passing the last last "refuel" point, and according to the garmin data..
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110423332
..there is a short downhill section there, hence the speed peak.
Generally they climbed at about 20 mph (6-8% grades), with a min of 14mph and only exceeded 35mph on downhill sections.
That is basicly the same as my experience with 1200W !

[Hillhater]

I have tried it myself,.. on a 1200W (measured) ebike that does 30+ mph on the flat.
But get near a gradient and you wont get anywhere near 30 mph..even with wind assistance !
Gravity is a bigger brake than any air density change !

No human cyclist can sustain more than about 400w output, yet they can sustain speeds over 30mph on flat ground. Me thinks you've got something wrong with your bikes ability to roll freely

Thats true ...if you are fully kitted out for a speed record attempt, light weight race bike, lycra, aero helmet, "superman" crouch etc etc.
.. on a typical 60+ lb Ebike, street tyres, flat bars, normal clothes, that 400w would struggle to get you past 20 mph, and 30 mph would need 600 +W

[John in CR]

I am trying to understand how a bike with 1100W, and a top speed of 35 mph on the flat,... can do 38mph uphill at 13,000ft ?

A fit cyclist pedaling his ass off on a flat stretch.

that would work ! ..but
infact the 38mph was at 13,000ft passing the last last "refuel" point, and according to the garmin data..
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/110423332
..there is a short downhill section there, hence the speed peak.
Generally they climbed at about 20 mph (6-8% grades), with a min of 14mph and only exceeded 35mph on downhill sections.
That is basicly the same as my experience with 1200W !

That's why I run around 6kw peak on my cargo bike, so I can go 35mph up 7-8% grades without pedaling, though admittedly I haven't done it for 40min continuous or at that altitude. With ventilation and a slightly smaller wheel it would be a piece of cake, with the only concern being the steeper sections and carrying enough battery. I've got a 1600m climb over 20km to prepare for, and a few km of that is flattish, so most of the climb is 9-11% grade. It's not Pikes Peak, but it's no hill either. To really separate the toys from the machines, that 20km is right at the halfway point of a 280km no recharging, no pedaling, no solar assist coast-to-coast ride I'm attempting this coming dry season. That means an extra 100lb+ of batteries need to be hauled up that mountain too.

[dogman]

I maintain 20 mph using only 400w all the time, sitting straight up on a bike with big wind catcher panniers. I'm pedaling too, so about 500w total I expect. Given a slight downhil, the peak speed is not so unbelievable. He's not having to fight a dd hubotors cogging to put a burst of speed on with pedals and a big chainring. Naturally they make it sound like he climbed the grades at 35 mph. That would take 3000 watts or more.

20 mph up a 7% grade is quite good though! Pedaling hard on a hubmotor with 1000w, I can maybe hit 18 mph on 7%. But no way sustain it for more than 5 min.

Couple grand for a 750 wh 48v battery seems kinda steep to me. I fail to see how discharging at less than 1500 watts could be needing to cool the cells, unless they are cheap low c rate cells. The technology might be great in a large pack application, but a 750 wh bike battery is small enough to cool itself most of the time, and even want insulation in winter.

In any case though, you cannot deny that Opti brought it this year, and showed how to do it. I'm still impressed though, that simple hubmotor bikes did as well as they did. I wish I could have showed myself and seen how my dirt bike would have done.

[itchynackers]

Anyone reconsidered entering next year? Who's working on what type of setup/strategy? I'm actually considering this myself. I must be getting crazier with age. I should have a sacrificial hub motor to work with. Been working on my water sprayer system. I have bench tested it. Just need to work out the tank details (How much I need to carry). I suppose measuring the pump output is a start. I ordered more batteries. So I'll have a grand total of 2700 useable wh to build pack(s) from. Theoretically, I could use 2700wh/24mi = 112wh/mi. That would get me to the top quick...if I only had a proper motor.