Hello! This is my first post on the forum. I'm NOT a bike tech, so I'm arriving with a lot of basic questions.
I have a Madsen longbucket arriving soon and will need to add e-assist to get it up the local hills with my cargo (3 kids totaling 80-140 pounds, depending on who's riding). Bike plus rider will be just over 200 pounds. Plus cargo of book bags, park toys, groceries, etc. So I'm looking for an assist that can comfortably haul 400 pounds (!) up a 25% grade for a few blocks. I will mostly be using my bike for around-town errands, and will probably just use the assist to get up the hills. I don't care about going fast - 20 mph would be my absolute max on this bike. Torque, not speed.
I was pretty set on a rear hub motor installed under the bucket, but now I think that a mid drive might work better. My questions:
- has anyone installed a mid drive on a bike used for heavy loads? what is the impact on the chain/derailleur/cogs?
- would the Gearsensor reduce or eliminate potential wear by reducing wear on the parts listed above?
- what wattage should I look for in a mid drive motor? I'm thinking 500w. Is that sufficient/too much/too little?
- 48v battery. That should be fine, right?
Also would love general battery suggestions: Panasonic, Samsung, other? Luna has a bunch of options - I can't imagine they all have the same reliability.
Thanks for any help! This is way more complicated than I anticipated ....
I have a Madsen longbucket arriving soon and will need to add e-assist to get it up the local hills with my cargo (3 kids totaling 80-140 pounds, depending on who's riding). Bike plus rider will be just over 200 pounds. Plus cargo of book bags, park toys, groceries, etc. So I'm looking for an assist that can comfortably haul 400 pounds (!) up a 25% grade for a few blocks. I will mostly be using my bike for around-town errands, and will probably just use the assist to get up the hills. I don't care about going fast - 20 mph would be my absolute max on this bike. Torque, not speed.
I was pretty set on a rear hub motor installed under the bucket, but now I think that a mid drive might work better. My questions:
- has anyone installed a mid drive on a bike used for heavy loads? what is the impact on the chain/derailleur/cogs?
- would the Gearsensor reduce or eliminate potential wear by reducing wear on the parts listed above?
- what wattage should I look for in a mid drive motor? I'm thinking 500w. Is that sufficient/too much/too little?
- 48v battery. That should be fine, right?
Also would love general battery suggestions: Panasonic, Samsung, other? Luna has a bunch of options - I can't imagine they all have the same reliability.
Thanks for any help! This is way more complicated than I anticipated ....
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