E-bike geometry
09-01-19, 05:53 PM
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E-bike geometry
Was looking at the Trek Verve+ 2 and its frame geometry. Holy cow!
68.5 degree head tube, 95mm of trail and a whopping 33mm of wheel flop.
Is there something about e-bikes that lend themselves to this highly unusual setup?
Any ideas on what Trek is thinking with this?
Just for comparison, my bikes hover around 40mm trail and 12mm of flop.
I can not imagine pedaling a frame with the Verve's numbers, at least not uphill.
68.5 degree head tube, 95mm of trail and a whopping 33mm of wheel flop.
Is there something about e-bikes that lend themselves to this highly unusual setup?
Any ideas on what Trek is thinking with this?
Just for comparison, my bikes hover around 40mm trail and 12mm of flop.
I can not imagine pedaling a frame with the Verve's numbers, at least not uphill.
09-19-19, 01:31 PM
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I love the look of that bike. Not sure I want to own something as proprietary as that bike (battery, motor, limiters) but love the look. Go ride it for me!
09-19-19, 02:11 PM
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Isn't that kind of normal for mountain bikes? Long, low, slack. Hybrids too for that matter.
ebikes are mostly for people who don't ride regularly, may not have the best handling skills, and are best served with a stable bike. That may or may not describe the people around here, but a safe ride is pretty important for a low exertion commuter-hybrid.
for example, the Trek Fuel (Trail bike) has a trail of 11-12mm. That is kinda what you get with the trend with head tube angles less than 70 degrees.
Curious how you got a bike with 40mm trail? 57mm is ideal for an aggressive road bike. That is pretty much where the Madone ends up. Heck, even my track bike (74.5 head tube) ends up at 60mm trail.
ebikes are mostly for people who don't ride regularly, may not have the best handling skills, and are best served with a stable bike. That may or may not describe the people around here, but a safe ride is pretty important for a low exertion commuter-hybrid.
for example, the Trek Fuel (Trail bike) has a trail of 11-12mm. That is kinda what you get with the trend with head tube angles less than 70 degrees.
Curious how you got a bike with 40mm trail? 57mm is ideal for an aggressive road bike. That is pretty much where the Madone ends up. Heck, even my track bike (74.5 head tube) ends up at 60mm trail.
09-20-19, 10:36 AM
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Resulted in much improved low speed handling.
10-02-19, 02:25 PM
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That is the one i bought from Jueshai. $1200. 48V/500W We added the fenders and rack. Swapped out the handlebars for something more comfortable from Origin8.
10-02-19, 03:00 PM
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This is my DIY ebike. 2008 Trek 4300 (budget mtn bike). BBSHD unlocked 1500w motor. 48V/13.5AH battery. Lekkie 42T front sprocket. Shimano FC-E6000 175 mm crankarms b/c the Bafang arms didn't last one day. Twice. Used unicycle arms for a while successfully but they were a little too short for my taste and heavy. Thinktop6 pedals b/c cheap but they've lasted. 11-34T cassette (SRAM? Sunrace? Shimano?). Maybe testing 12-40T soon b/c so many hills here. Sailboat turnbuckle motor holder (Google for "Bafang Sailboat Turnbuckle").
Tektro cable disc brake upgrade. The V-brakes stopped okay but wore quickly. Wheelmaster replacement wheels which have been durable. Schwalbe Marathon tires. Original spring fork hanging in there just fine.
Knog-Oi bell. Planet Bike fenders b/c all-weather riding. Brighteyes headlamp (gets dark before I get off work part of the year). Cheap pouch for my phone. Asti cork touring grips. Good Tourbon canvas pannier bags. Aduro brand blinky lights at both ends aka cheap but work well. Unknown rack brand. Origin8 seat. INBIKE folding lock (usually parked in my office or my locked garage). Low crime here.
Looks a little like McGyver's bike or Batman's utility bike but everything is there for a purpose. Alot of it is budget Chinese stuff. As the original Trek stuff wore out I found a replacement that balanced function and price. Married man with kids ya know? I ride in the dark, it rains, I need to carry stuff, want my bum to not be as sore when I get home so - upgrades.
2500+ miles now.
Last edited by Joey21; 10-02-19 at 03:29 PM.
10-02-19, 03:21 PM
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This is my DIY ebike. 2008 Trek 4300 (budget mtn bike). BBSHD unlocked 1500w motor. 48V/13.5AH battery. Lekkie 42T front sprocket. Shimano FC-E6000 175 mm crankarms b/c the Bafang arms didn't last one day. Twice. Thinktop6 pedals b/c cheap but they've lasted. 11-34T cassette (SRAM? Sunrace? Shimano?). Maybe testing 12-40T soon b/c so many hills here. Sailboat turnbuckle motor holder (Google for "Bafang Sailboat Turnbuckle").
Tektro cable disc brake upgrade. The V-brakes stopped okay but wore quickly. Wheelmaster replacement wheels which have been durable. Schwalbe Marathon tires. Original spring fork hanging in there just fine.
Knog-Oi bell. Planet Bike fenders b/c all-weather riding. Brighteyes headlamp (gets dark before I get off work part of the year). Cheap pouch for my phone. Asti cork touring grips. Good Tourbon canvas pannier bags. Aduro brand blinky lights at both ends aka cheap but work well. Unknown rack brand. Origin8 seat. INBIKE folding lock (usually parked in my office or my locked garage). Low crime here.
Looks a little like McGyver's bike or Batman's utility bike but everything is there for a purpose. Alot of it is budget Chinese stuff. As the original Trek stuff wore out I found a replacement that balanced function and price. Married man with kids ya know? I ride in the dark, it rains, I need to carry stuff, want my bum to not be as sore when I get home so - upgrades.
2500+ miles now.
10-02-19, 05:24 PM
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I really don't like flop. I guess nobody stands to pedal anymore.
10-03-19, 08:10 AM
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10-03-19, 08:16 AM
#18
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She does a good job of running through the install process. Their channel has other good videos too.
Mine came from Lunacycle for warranty support reasons and postage cost reasons.
Prob could buy these things from Aliexpress directly but if anything goes wrong it might take a while to resolve.
11-09-19, 08:27 PM
#19
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There are a lot of different geometries on e-bikes.
I have a Verve+. I have a bit more than 500 miles on it. It's like the very upright comfort bike that I started with in 2002.
I have discovered that I begin to dislike the geometry on a 30 mile ride. This is tolerable for up to 40 mile rides, but I will look for an e-bike with geometry closer to a relaxed road bike in the future.
Apparently I have adapted to road bike geometry over the years. Hills are tougher on my non-motored road bike.
I have a Verve+. I have a bit more than 500 miles on it. It's like the very upright comfort bike that I started with in 2002.
I have discovered that I begin to dislike the geometry on a 30 mile ride. This is tolerable for up to 40 mile rides, but I will look for an e-bike with geometry closer to a relaxed road bike in the future.
Apparently I have adapted to road bike geometry over the years. Hills are tougher on my non-motored road bike.
