Solar powered

[Gr8fun]

Solar powered
My daily driver. 4000 plus miles.
I have been quite satisfied with my attempt. Incremental improvements over the past year. Latest is a kickstand that allows me to change a tire, adjust brakes, shifter, or tighten spokes, load cargo, prevent it form falling over in the wind.
20 to 30 miles a day from solar. No pedaling.
second trailered panel allows 50 to 75 miles per day. Trailer functional, but needs improvement.

[Gr8fun]

Cloudy needed extra charge power from trailer panel.
My other bike being charged from systen

[Wheelbender6]

Can you list all the components that you used? I have seen solar systems with and without batteries. The battery-less systems are very low powered and provide no assist in the dark. Very light, though.

[Gr8fun]

13.5 luna pf cell 52v battery
100 watt renogy flex panel
Genentech gvb 8 wp controler 58.4 lithium
mounted on aluminum custom fairing for protection fro crash etc.
Rans nimbus recumbent
750 watt bafang mid drive.
changed rear wheel to 27.5 with schwalbe. E bike tire
Other........
Consistently gives 25 miles per day at over 20 mph. 32 mph top speed. Auxillary batteries.
160 watt renogy panel on trailer. Over 60 miles per day by solar. Leaving woth fully charged batteries 150 miles per day. No pedaling.
over 1 year. Needed a chain. Several crashes no damage. Most neccesary is protection for panel physical damage. Daily driver. Over 5k miles of testing and improvements.
Rebuild soon for next years model.

[Wheelbender6]

Definitely one of the better systems I've seen, and you don't have to pull a trailer with additional panels and batteries.
-Looks like you are keeping your body weight low, so you must be doing some pedalling along the way.

[Gr8fun]

Watch sun trip 2020 on facebook. Or google. Many solar bikes are touring france now. The race from france to china was postpone until next year. Watching designs.
all seem to be very fragile.

[Gr8fun]

Not only fragile, but highly susceptible to side winds. I would not even try a canopy on a two wheeler. Tendency to change lanes without notice is not a good thing. That is problem i had with current trailer.
Bob trailer coming next week. It is nice having over 2.5 amp charge rate. The 1 to 1.4 with 100 amp panel is nice for shorter and daily use. My 11.5 ah battery acts like a 17.5 ah around town. Never plug in. Integrates nicely. Peoole love it. No end to picture taki g and people shouting out encouragement.
But for serious touring, 300 watt. Never get that without a trailer. That much area of panel has been a bad reaction for its assault on convention.
if i were to start over, i think i would start with a bakfiet style bike.

[Gr8fun]

got tilting solar panel working on stable trailer. Ready for long range touring. Will post real world facts after lomg cruise. 260 watts panels. Bbs 02. 11.5 and 13.5 52 volt batteries.