kfisherx
100 µW
Hi guys. I have been lurking for awhile and finally decided to join proper and introduce myself. My name is Karla. I am a 50 year old SW Engineer living just about an hour outside of Portland OR. I am a hobby bike rider but love it enough to have a decent road bike, a cyclocross bike and just last year I bought a NeoCross ebike. My commute from my farm to Intel is 19 miles 1 way on rolling hills. I have one pretty darned steep and gravel hill that I have to take that is about 1.5 miles in length. I bought the cross as my commuter bike but am not very happy with it as the frame is too large and it is slightly under powered for my tastes. As such, I am looking to find a bike that better fits my smaller frame and one that is more custom to the power that I need.
I am a bike rider more than a motorcycle rider and this is why I chose the Cross as my first ebike versus a bike like the Stealth. It got up good enough speed for me (I can go 25 mph on the flat with almost no effort) and it felt like a bike to ride.
Things I love about the Cross:
Big diameter tires (28inches)
Nice shifters
Great brakes
Lock out shocks
Takes the gravel road at 22 MPH with confidence
Lightweight (only about 48lbs)
Hardtail concept
350 Watt geared motor that does not have drag when I want to peddle
Half twist throttle
The peddle assist option (versus manually twisting)
The ability to lock in everything and take off the computer
Things I want to change about the Cross:
torque or uphill power
Battery is only 9AH and really does not make my commute unless I pedal a lot (16-18 miles is all)
frame is too big
Charger too big
Battery built into frame and huge
What I am thinking:
Hardtail 29er (I have not yet found the bike I like that fits me) or some sort of cross bike that is comfy on dirt roads but primarily made for road riding
2 15 AH batteries 48V and 25Amp
350 watt geared motor (back or front? haven't decided)
My question for the board is this... Am I being unrealistic in building this bike? Should I just go ahead and build a super powered bike for such a long commute with a direct drive? I want to be able to sustain 20-25 mph for the long stretches of long and rolling roads (9 mile stretch) with very little effort on my part on days that I am too tired to peddle.
Money is no object in this equation...
I am a bike rider more than a motorcycle rider and this is why I chose the Cross as my first ebike versus a bike like the Stealth. It got up good enough speed for me (I can go 25 mph on the flat with almost no effort) and it felt like a bike to ride.
Things I love about the Cross:
Big diameter tires (28inches)
Nice shifters
Great brakes
Lock out shocks
Takes the gravel road at 22 MPH with confidence
Lightweight (only about 48lbs)
Hardtail concept
350 Watt geared motor that does not have drag when I want to peddle
Half twist throttle
The peddle assist option (versus manually twisting)
The ability to lock in everything and take off the computer
Things I want to change about the Cross:
torque or uphill power
Battery is only 9AH and really does not make my commute unless I pedal a lot (16-18 miles is all)
frame is too big
Charger too big
Battery built into frame and huge
What I am thinking:
Hardtail 29er (I have not yet found the bike I like that fits me) or some sort of cross bike that is comfy on dirt roads but primarily made for road riding
2 15 AH batteries 48V and 25Amp
350 watt geared motor (back or front? haven't decided)
My question for the board is this... Am I being unrealistic in building this bike? Should I just go ahead and build a super powered bike for such a long commute with a direct drive? I want to be able to sustain 20-25 mph for the long stretches of long and rolling roads (9 mile stretch) with very little effort on my part on days that I am too tired to peddle.
Money is no object in this equation...