restlessswind

I have a generic (I won't mention the brand, but it has a 500W Bafang, 48V battery.) My main issue is that it needs taller gears (has a 42x14 max drivetrain (freewheel cluster) that won't keep up with the motor on high settings.

I went to a handful of bike shops and tested out some class I bikes. I tried a Trek Conduit with Shimano Steps. No hill climbing power whatsoever! It was really a bit of a joke. , I then tried out a Giant Explore. It has a Yamaha motor and climbed very well, but twice the chain came off the ring gear (and jammed up) while shifting under a moderate load. I then tried a Specialized Turbo Vado. I had no hills to test it, but I found it to be smooth and solid. I also wanted to try out a Trek DS+ (Bosch motor)., but never found one to try.

My wife tried a women's DS+ and a Liv Amiti. She found the Liv (Giant) a bit clunky as well, but the trek was smooth,. The Giant's were about $1000 cheaper than the Trek or Specialized counterparts.


I also noticed most of the sales people weren't well educated on battery support.The salesman at the Specialized dealer seemed to be more knowledgeable. Problem is a pair of $3500 bikes is not a financial option at this time.

2old

You could try to find a NOS Suntour or Shimano freewheel from 25 - 30 years ago; these went to 11 or 12 teeth. Alpha Cycles, Vista, CA - only on ebay now may have some) or find the biggest chainring that will fit. Just remember with the bigger ring low end will be influenced if that could be a problem..

Doc_Wui

There was a long thread on 11T freewheels for your $$1100 ride1up ebike. DNP's are under $30 these days on amazon. You wouldn't buy a second ride1up for your wife? I could see frame size being an issue. Looks like they only have big frames.

Heck, my wife would never need an 11T freewheel on a 26" or 700cc bike. She would never go that fast, We have the DNP's on our 20" folding bikes though.

restlessswind

slomoshun

Your assessment does not handshake with my Treks equipped with the Steps system. They are ridden with heavy pannier loads and climb very well. You won't get a lazy Moped experience (or speeds) with a 250w mid-drive, it's a power 'assisted' bicycle that requires some effort and downshifting.

restlessswind

I'm comparing that shimano to a bosch, Yamaha, and specialized 250w mid drive. They seemed much less capable

CodyDog

Just a side note, my wife rides a Specialized Como 3.0 and it tame the large hills around here.

restlessswind

I went and swapped out the Shimano 14-28 freewheel with the DNP 11-30 and it made a HUGE difference. I can now pedal with assist instead of assist with pedal. I was able to feel resistance at 28mph, going down a hill. Swapping out was a cinch with a Park Tool FR-1.3 socket No need to replace the ring gear either.

restlessswind

I think the Specialized (Brose), Giant (Yamaha), and Trek- Bosch are great! It's the Trek- Shimano Steps (specifically the Conduit+) that I found to be virtually useless.

starkmojo

I am looking at getting an ebike and I am leaning towards a conversion because it seems like the pickings for tall men with 36" inseems are pretty slim. That and if I build it myself I can tailor it to my intended commute. Most folks are not looking to go 40 miles a day 5 days a week.

pierce

I've never liked using 11 or 12 T rears, they wear out too fast, then eat your chain.

I'd go with a 48 or even 52T big ring in front, and a 13T rear. my non-E (yet) hybrid has a 48-38-28T front, and a 13-26T 8 sp rear, which has 13-14-16-18-20-22-24-26, nice spacing so there's always a sweet spot gear for most any speed. I'd love to keep that same triple ring ratio when I ebike it with a middrive (28T for hill climbs when out of juice), but I don't think that's an option with the TSDZ2 I'm looking at, because its spider offset is non-standard.,, They do have a 52-42T chain ring for this, thats the standard gearing the classic '10 speeds' ran back in the early 70s, I think that would pair nicely with the 8-speed freewheel I have.

restlessswind

I would like to do the 42/52 up front, but it would be kind of pricey ($150-$250), for ring gear with a guard, shifter, derailleur, longer chain.
I'm sure I'll get at least 1500-2000 miles (a year) out of the 11t cog and chain. Quick and easy replacements too. $50 for cog and chain
I have a 11t 9 speed on my Surly with over 2000mi and its still original cog and chain. no issues so far...

MikeyMK

I don't understand why stuff is so expensive in America.

This is brand new, delivered to my door, and that's two hours of the national average wage. Dinner money. And an 11-32 rear cassette is half that.

MikeyMK

An 11T also commonly has a 13T.

I usually use the 13T cog, but drop to 11T on very high-speed runs.

01 CAt Man Do

I would have to agree. I've only owned the Trek Conduit for a couple weeks. So far I've ridden the bike on two 14 mile loops that had a good number of hills; including some short steep one. Places where I would of had to stop 3-4 times to catch my breath this bike takes me right up to the top with only a moderate effort ( and that using only the "eco" mode.

Last night I rode up a number of hills of which some were unexpected and steeper than I remember. That said I think I only used the "normal" assist mode twice and that for only less than a minute. ( edit; not to mention I had some moderate head winds for most of the route I was riding )

Yes, the Conduit ebike slows down when you start climbing a steep hill. When that happens you down shift just like with any other bike and low and behold, it starts to get easy again. ( once again just in eco mode ). So far I've not had to use the "high mode" as the Normal mode is more than enough if I start to get tired. To date on all of these rides I've done I've used eco mode 90% of the time and "normal mode" maybe 10%.

The Shimano Steps system still gives me a good work out but it all depends on how hard I want to ride. So far I've been letting the bike do most of the work when it comes to the hills. Since I'm in no hurry to get up the hill I see no reason to push hard unless I just want to work my legs more ( which is always an option ). Right now I'm climbing everything ( maybe a little slow @ about 10-8mph if really steep ) but it gets me to the top without any need to stop or be huffing and puffing. ( no, this bike is not going to climb something really steep at 20mph. )

I'm looking forward to some longer rides where I already know there are some killer hills. How sweet it is to get to the top of a hill, not only to not feel like your going to die from exhaustion but getting to the top of the hill twice as fast as you usual do on a normal bike. For an older person this makes for a much more pleasant experience while on a longer bike trip.

I think part of the issue with the Steps system is that it responds better if you have the right cadence and the right gear. Get both of those right when climbing and you won't be out of breath when getting to the top. Of course if you need more assist you have that option as well. ( I'm a 64 yr old man on blood pressure meds and weigh ~ 215 lbs. )

pierce

thats also direct from Hong Kong. 2-4 week delivery times.

anyways, wait. on amazon, not exactly the cheapest, but fast and convenient...

SHIMANO FC-2303 Chainring

by SHIMANO$32.99& FREE ShippingFREE Delivery Thursday, April 25 - Tuesday, April 30 Detailssoooooo. $33 US is cheaper than 29 uk pounds, isn't it ? and faster delivery.

MikeyMK

Ah so it is, bad example. It's usually a few days. Even then, stuff is just shipped to warehouses and sold straight off eBay etc that way. No costly shops involved.