I now have four miles on it. It's been years since I rode a bicycle so longer rides will have to wait for me to get better shorts and shoes and a helmet - I used to have all those things but they've gone missing. Pretty sure I put my SPD shoes into the donate box, during my last move, but I can't even recall what happened to the rest of it.
It's amazing what electric can do to make a super heavy bike feel light. Reminiscent of motorcycles actually.
Oh and today I got a wheel up. Oops.
The pedal assist works well. It is controlled by magnets on a disc that spins with the pedals, like a more elaborate cadence sensor. I have discovered that if I downshift, the magnets pass the sensor faster and more assist comes on. Which is perfect since going uphill is when you need more assist! I have got the menus set to give me a max of 3mph with the throttle, so if I want to go faster I have to pedal. But if I am in a low gear and pedal the assist kicks in pretty strong. The bike was super heavy even before the motor and battery went on, so I am shifting the gears a lot. Mainly because if the gear is too low, it helps me too much and I need at least some resistance when I pedal. I used to be able to keep my cadence high and spin all day, but now I am fumbling. I have some nice old Campy quill pedals which I just finished putting on, see if that helps me smooth this out, but sloppy pedaling and feeling like my knees are going to fly away may just be something I have to live with. I ran these pedals for years, back in the early 90s before I switched to clipless, and now I have them to remind me of what it felt like to be a serious cyclist.
I went out and bought one of those ridiculous huge padded seats I used to laugh at. It's not about comfort, it's because I didn't feel safe - this is a trike and there's more sideways motion than on a two-wheeled machine; add that to my own awkwardness and the small seat, and I felt like I was going to slide off. The new seat helps and I feel much safer.
Here are some pictures:
Me on the Pfiff Trike
Hub motor with new 7-speed derailleur
Pedal assist sensor
48V lithium ion battery mounted in front end