After my most recent repair and a month of biking the TSDZ2 is doing well.
I wanted a motor to help push me, my bike, 2 kids and bags up hills with up to 10% slope. Total weight adds up to 150kg. Before the TSDZ2 I managed with a very low granny gear but it was a sweaty job. The TSDZ2 makes things a lot nicer. It also makes it attractive to ride a route with less traffic, but with another hill and a brief slope of 15%.
In addition to being able to carry us up the hills, my criteria for the electric drive were as follows:
- Plan for 80% of riding without assistance, so low weight
- Keep large gearing range for use as a regular bike in the hills
- Torque assist, so it feels like a bike not a moped
So I ended up with the TSDZ2 and a small battery (36V, 6.4Ah, 20A continuous). I bought a Rohloff internally geared hub to keep a wide gear range after losing my front derailleur. The Rohloff was a splurge on a bike that cost $400 ten years ago but it's so nice! Coincidentally the XH18 control and the Rohloff gear change look nice and symmetric on both ends of my steering bar. With motor, battery and Rohloff my bike is now around 4.8kg heavier than before.
My TSDZ2 broke once, and I shorted it later (my fault) and I was able to repair both (see earlier posts). On the battery, I picked a small light one so it cycles through more of its capacity than a big one would. But it seems to deliver the current that the TSDZ2 requires, the capacity suffices for my use and even after the uphills the battery and motor get only hand-warm on the outside. I still use the slowest granny gear on the steep hills, and I suppose the low gearing keeps the the amps down and efficiency up.
So far so good!
