Setup for long distance riding

[billvon]

I've been thinking about a cross-country trip for a while now, and Justin's trip was further inspiration. I'd be doing the US southern tier. I've been contemplating a few possibilities for the bike itself:

1) My current commuter ebike (a Tidalforce M750X) with an additional battery (2.1kwhr) a fast charger (840 watts) and solar for a bit of range extension (60 watts.) Extra batteries, solar, charger and clothing would ride in a trailer. Benefits here are a pretty proven design, fairly waterproof and beefy motor for hills.

2) A Electra "comfort" bike (no mods) with a powered trailer. Trailer would be an Ibex with a Crystalyte 406 with a Crystalyte 72V 35A controller. System voltage would be 36 volts, and again use a 2.1kwhr battery. It's slightly more efficient than the Tidalforce, and cruises pretty well at 22-25mph. Worries would be undersizing of motor (it's rated at only 400 watts) water ingress (Crystalytes are not noted for their waterproofness) and linkage (lot of power pushing on the Electra through the dropouts.)

Any thoughts?

 

[jaxebikes]

Bill:

Drop me a line, I'm planning the same trip in the opposite direction. Going from Jax, FL to San Francisco. I started an Electric Bike company in September, and I'm looking to make the trip in the Spring.

Maybe we can make it a convoy.

Dylan Phillips
info@jaxebikes.com

 

[Rassy]

Hi Bill. My brother (seven years younger) and a friend have been planning to cross the U.S. next spring, pedal only, and I recently decided to join them. Unfortunately my brother suffered a severe stroke about a month ago, and the trip has been postponed for a year. He is recovering, getting pretty intense therapy, left leg is coming back, left arm is still paralyzed. He will probably be riding his bike within a couple of months.

Back on topic, I have decided that pedaling without an electric assist would be too much for me, so I'm continuing to setup my recumbent for long distances. On our last ride this fall we went for a metric century (Ride the Rogue). For that 67 mile ride (the only electric assist out of several hundred bikes) I used 18AH (48V 20AH Duct tape LiFePO4). My goal is to go 100 miles on a charge with moderate pedaling and speeds matching the pedal only bikes. So I am replacing my BD36's with Bafang's which freewheel and are lighter. The final setup will be a 20" Bafang on the front of the recumbent, with a right thumb throttle, and a 20AH LiFePO4 on the rack. Then there will be a fully independent 16" Bafang on a BOB trailer, with a left thumb throttle, and a 20AH LiFePO4 in the trailer. I figure this will give me a maximum of about 200 miles between charges, full redundancy for equipment failures, and still be able to pedal only when I want to.

JohnRobHolmes has already made the 20" kit for me and is currently making the 16" kit. I had John use the regular 26" wheel motor, so these will be fairly slow speed, a little over 15 MPH on the 20" and a little under 15 MPH on the 16". Since I will be riding with pedal only recumbents, also pulling loaded BOB trailers, I am aiming for efficiency not speed.

Over the next month or two this system should be completed and I'll report the results after some testing.

Edit: The BOB trailer will be a new YAK, not the old trailer in the current Avatar.