Been living/boondocking full time in a pick up truck with a super tiny cabin built onto the frame in place of the old bed. I'm going to build a new tiny cabin on a trailer that can be towed with a recumbent tadpole style trike, and then sell my truck. So, my bike will be my only form of transpo.
I occasionally travel cross country, sometimes through mountains. My cabin will be built like an airplane, as in, super aerodynamic, and as lightweight and as sturdy as possible. I'm a minimalist to a degree, but still have a fair amount of "heavy" possessions; 3 cats, a dog, all their food, a couple laptops, a full size keyboard, a trumpet, a guitar, all my clothes, bookshelf speakers, books, a screen tent, a longboard, bedding, toiletries, several gallons of water, food, and a handful of other odds and ends. You get the idea...
I'm going to be pulling quite a bit of weight as far as bicycles are concerned, and I'll need to make it up some pretty steep grades for very long stretches. I want to be able to negotiate any and every mountain range in the US (Rockies, Sierra, Appalachian, etc.) I don't care about speed going uphill, I just care about making it to the top of each peak and crest without ever running out of juice and rolling backwards. Like, if I'm going through the Blue Ridge to Asheville, or through the valley between Nevada and California. I don't care if I have to take little breaks to charge batteries between each individual ascent. As long as I can climb and not get stuck in the middle of an ascent. However, for flat stretches, I would ideally like a top speed of at least 25 or 30 mph. Obviously brakes are a concern too. When I'm going cross country, a range of at least 250 miles a day would be great, but I could settle for 100ish. Granted, I won't always be doing that many every day. It will vary widely. I just want a reliable motor that's going to provide the highest possible range on one charge and be capable of some SERIOUS torque, and last for years to come. I'll utilize pedal assist for long distance of course, but probably just go throttle alone if I'm cruising down to the corner store. I do not have a bottomless wallet, so a balance of economical and performance are my considerations. My budget for the motor and batteries is approximately 2,000, maybe 3/ish.
Bear in mind, that I am not always going to be traveling long distance or up mountains. I will primarily be commuting to work or running errands around town, with jaunts every now and then to the next town over or something... weekend getaways to the countryside, etc. And, when I am not in "cross country travel mode" I will be leaving my trailer/cabin unhitched at my "home base" for the majority of all my local trips.
So, ideas? Ultimately, I want to know from experienced and knowledgeable riders, what are the top options for a motor? Could I have multiple? Optimal battery to pair with the motor? How many batteries? Is this even feasible? (That's a rhetorical question) I'm determined to succeed, and nothing will stop me. Think post apocalyptic. Just make it work and keep it simple. Failure is not an option.
Also, what else, if anything, should I do to customize my trike? (I intend to build a custom fairing for weather and aerodynamics) Can I reinforce my brakes? Are there heavy duty brakes intended for traversing mountains? I'm open to take suggestions on a suitable trike model too, as I have yet to pick out and purchase one. Full suspension would be nice. The catrike Dumont is one I'm considering. Feel free to ask me anything or give me further advice or thoughts of any kind relating to what I'm doing. Thank you all.
On a side note: I will be powering my cabin/house via solar power, which will also recharge my bike battery/s.
I occasionally travel cross country, sometimes through mountains. My cabin will be built like an airplane, as in, super aerodynamic, and as lightweight and as sturdy as possible. I'm a minimalist to a degree, but still have a fair amount of "heavy" possessions; 3 cats, a dog, all their food, a couple laptops, a full size keyboard, a trumpet, a guitar, all my clothes, bookshelf speakers, books, a screen tent, a longboard, bedding, toiletries, several gallons of water, food, and a handful of other odds and ends. You get the idea...
I'm going to be pulling quite a bit of weight as far as bicycles are concerned, and I'll need to make it up some pretty steep grades for very long stretches. I want to be able to negotiate any and every mountain range in the US (Rockies, Sierra, Appalachian, etc.) I don't care about speed going uphill, I just care about making it to the top of each peak and crest without ever running out of juice and rolling backwards. Like, if I'm going through the Blue Ridge to Asheville, or through the valley between Nevada and California. I don't care if I have to take little breaks to charge batteries between each individual ascent. As long as I can climb and not get stuck in the middle of an ascent. However, for flat stretches, I would ideally like a top speed of at least 25 or 30 mph. Obviously brakes are a concern too. When I'm going cross country, a range of at least 250 miles a day would be great, but I could settle for 100ish. Granted, I won't always be doing that many every day. It will vary widely. I just want a reliable motor that's going to provide the highest possible range on one charge and be capable of some SERIOUS torque, and last for years to come. I'll utilize pedal assist for long distance of course, but probably just go throttle alone if I'm cruising down to the corner store. I do not have a bottomless wallet, so a balance of economical and performance are my considerations. My budget for the motor and batteries is approximately 2,000, maybe 3/ish.
Bear in mind, that I am not always going to be traveling long distance or up mountains. I will primarily be commuting to work or running errands around town, with jaunts every now and then to the next town over or something... weekend getaways to the countryside, etc. And, when I am not in "cross country travel mode" I will be leaving my trailer/cabin unhitched at my "home base" for the majority of all my local trips.
So, ideas? Ultimately, I want to know from experienced and knowledgeable riders, what are the top options for a motor? Could I have multiple? Optimal battery to pair with the motor? How many batteries? Is this even feasible? (That's a rhetorical question) I'm determined to succeed, and nothing will stop me. Think post apocalyptic. Just make it work and keep it simple. Failure is not an option.
Also, what else, if anything, should I do to customize my trike? (I intend to build a custom fairing for weather and aerodynamics) Can I reinforce my brakes? Are there heavy duty brakes intended for traversing mountains? I'm open to take suggestions on a suitable trike model too, as I have yet to pick out and purchase one. Full suspension would be nice. The catrike Dumont is one I'm considering. Feel free to ask me anything or give me further advice or thoughts of any kind relating to what I'm doing. Thank you all.
On a side note: I will be powering my cabin/house via solar power, which will also recharge my bike battery/s.
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