Originally Posted by
chas58
I dont' really ride in "slush" much. We use a ton of salt, so either it is snowy, or salted, or black ice. Black ice (mostly a problem in March with cold nights and above freezing days) can put you out of commission for many weeks (or months). My hub motor seems to be sealed fine. Everythhing else I have is in a frame bag, so it is fine. The biggest problem is having snow all over the bike that melts when the bike is parked. Its mostly a problem for high iron content bike parts (like the chain, and some of the bolts).
that's good to hear, thanks for your input.
i've been a winter commuter in chicago for over 10 years now, so i'm familiar with what winter bike commuting does to a regular bike, i was just curious if the salty mess of winter riding attacks the electronics of the battery/motor specifically.
from a salt perspective, i'm thinking that a hub motor might be better than a mid-drive system (my hubs don't get nearly as much salty abuse as my bottom bracket does), but that could just be a faulty assumption on my part.
like i said before, i don't want to shell out roughly 2G's on an e-bike only to have the motor destroyed by salt after a year or two.
i have indoor heated bike storage at both ends of my commute, so the battery would only be exposed to the cold while i'm riding, which sounds like the most ideal situation for battery life/performance during winter.
and my one-way distance is only 8 miles, so i don't think range will be a big issue for me, especially considering that i'll be able to charge at both ends if need be.