Hi, this is Maggie, from Madboy Electric Vehicles. We've tried the K-Trax system out on numerous occasions and it works great--but we've avoided putting footage up because the pedals on our test platform are giving way. (!) Our test platform is a well-used Tonaro mid-drive (r-martin) pulling an 1200-1500W thru a Lyen controller. This is off of a 16S LiFePO4 10Ah battery. I wish I had more information, but I think this is because we're putting a lot of of torque through our pedals. What we've learned: the Ktrak gives you a lot of resistance--there's a lot to turn. Get your torque anyway you can--gearing/wattage/etc. You'll have to crank that thing over hard in low-gear. But also, your lowest gear has to be able to give you enough speed to keep your momentum and plane while shifting. Because the moment you lose your momentum, you bog down.
Your snow conditions matter. The softer the snow, the more power you will need. Powder up to my knees, even in spring-melted snow, is common here, and we've had a warmer season than normal. I was trying this out at 39 degrees F at roughly 3,500 feet above sea level in the Cascades. A bike-lane-legal bike would probably be fine on a groomed cross-country trail below 25 degrees, as long as you helped. This is not a powder tool. If anyone's thinking of building one, start now, and you'll probably be done in time for the arrival of corn snow in your state. Wishes, this bike is ideal for late spring conditions. Don't lose hope, you can probably get it built in time to enjoy it this year!
Is there already a good thread discussing how snow conditions will affect ebike riding? Or would this thread be a good place to discuss?
