Help me feel better about a TSDZ2..or is the BBS02 the better choice?

JD4

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Jul 23, 2022
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I've been researching e-bike kits for a while and I'm stuck deciding between the TSDZ2 vs. BBS02. I'm looking to reduce my 25 mile commute time on mostly flat paths (80% on Erie Canal in Rochester, NY). It's 25 miles round trip and I can charge the 52V / 14A battery in my office. The bike is a 2003 Kona with hydraulic brakes. My current avg speed is around 13 MPH and I'm- looking to bump that up closer to 18-20 MPH. The path is a mix of long continuous stretches, but there are sections that are slow and technical (gravel, tight turns, stop lights, etc.). There are a few long hills, but not steep.

The bike will also be used by the rest of my family including two teenage boys. Torque sensing is great for the known reasons, but I'm worried about two items with the TSDZ2:
1) Reliability (Heat, spindle breaks, etc)
2) Enough power (also can lead to heat issue).

The BBS02 would be fine for me as I would adjust the programming, but I don't think it's as easy to turn over to a newbie such as my boys. My concern would be that they take off in a high setting and run into something or into traffic.
I understand the BBS02 is more reliable, but are there plenty of users happy with their TSDZ2? I don't mind repairs, but at some point it isn't fun. I don't have a sense of how many users put plenty of good miles on their TSDZ2. Also, is the heat management issue make sense for my application?

For those that have programed their BBS02 to be very lower power at low levels, do you find it easy to "hand over" to someone less experienced until they get used to it?

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
It just depends what you want. A torque sensor can feel more natural if you like to pedal. For that commute at those speeds, a hub motor kit would work great also and put less wear and tear on the drivetrain. Some controllers and the Grin Tech kits with a CAv3 allow you to use a torque sensing bottom bracket with a hub motor.

Teenage boys can be rough on bikes. Consider helping them build their own ebikes so they know how to work on it themselves and they don't trash your work commuter. That will give you an opportunity to try one of each motor.
 
Thank you for the feedback. I'm not very familiar with Grin, but I'll check them out.
 
RunForTheHills said:
Teenage boys can be rough on bikes. Consider helping them build their own ebikes so they know how to work on it themselves and they don't trash your work commuter. That will give you an opportunity to try one of each motor.

This is an important point to consider, since the TSDZ2 has had some issues brought up on the forum with respect to the spindle breaking. You can search and find posts on the issue.
example:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=98361
 
I wouldn't give any mid drive that uses the bike's gears to a teenager to ride. Nothing good can come of it. If you need a bauble to keep them away from your bike, make it a simple, sturdy hub motor bike. Throttle only, set the limiting parameters at whatever level you think is appropriate. Heck, make two so they can crash into each other.

Mid drive bikes are relatively high maintenance. They can still be fairly economical, if you use low cost replacements and do your own work on the bike. But letting a couple of little bozos have their way with a mid drive will incur extra expenses and down time for sure.
 
Chalo - This comment made my day - "Heck, make two so they can crash into each other." That's awesome!!
 
Can only comment on the BBS02. It is an excellent motor and will easily meet your requirements. The ability to fine tune the controller is invaluable and will allow you to set it up to match your application. There is always a transition phase when changing to an ebike. But because you are converting a bike you already probably have it is much shorter. I have converted several for casual riders and the transition period was very short. The BBS02 can be set to be very gentle and forgiving or aggressive and dangerous - it is really your choice. Assuming your teenagers ride the bike now they will have no problems at all with the conversion. I would suggest however that the controller be set to low power settings while everyone gets adjusted to the change. This is a very reliable motor - I have not touched mine in 4000 km and it runs like the day I installed it.
 
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