G0-HUB opinions

[World Tour]

Hi folks,
How I would love to not drive my car to work. But at 12 miles each way, simply pedalling is not a possibility (sweat etc.). This is South Florida.

What do you folks think about the G0-hub electric hubmotor? It seems I could get to work on it and back in one charge. And if I add a fourth battery, maybe cut the time down. It seems like the electrified bike can do in the 20s. We have strong headwinds down here.

I'm close but I need your opinions to push me over the edge. I've got a decent Schwinn cruiser that's sturdy enough for this, with good strong center pull brakes. I'm 6'6" 230lbs. so I would need a strong bike.

Thanks.
Dan--Ft. Lauderdale

[jeff-o]

Sure, there are many different motor options available. Some mount in the front wheel hub, some in the rear wheel, some on the frame where they can drive the chain directly. Most battery packs are good for the distance you're considering, and even a bit further id you pedal a bit (especially while accelerating).

I'd suggest visiting one of the power-assist forums in the Yahoo! message group forums. They are a wealth of information.

You may also want to consider an electric or gas scooter. While the gas scooter still uses gas, it will get many times the fuel economy that your car gets, and it's more fun.

[tfahrner]

I have no first-hand experience with the go-hub kit, but I use similar technology in my own product and am familiar with the good reputation of the dealer. It is one of the better packaged and supported kits of its type, and a good value. I believe that you may hit or briefly exceed 20mph on level ground, no wind, with moderate pedaling and freshly charged batteries. Your average speed over the whole life of the charge will certainly be well below 20mph unless you pedal very vigorously, and 24 miles on a charge is a reasonable expectation only if you keep your speed down and your own pedaling up. That said, it will certainly help keep the sweat down and I'm guesstimating that it will make a flat 24-mile ride perhaps only as strenuous as an 8-10 mile ride would be without assistance. I would plan on recharging at work if you want an easy ride home. If you're resourceful/handy, you could upgrade your 36V batteries (at significant cost), or the whole system to 48V for a pretty big performance bump -- not sure if you'd have dealer support in doing so. The point is you won't be stuck with something you can't upgrade in case the initial performance doesn't meet your needs.

[chicbicyclist]

Yeah, the go-hub is a very good starting kit, or a staple, and is very moddable. There are cheaper kits, and I have one myself, but go-Hub has a reputation for better customer service and has the all important "getting it right for the first time" thing going for it.

The kit itself is sufficient enough at 36v(some say that this is the optimum voltage), more powerful than earlier 24volt kits that simply didnt have the power, but safer and lighter than 48volts, but if you know what you're doing, I don't see why you can't have 48v, or even 72v, especially with lighter batteries.

[jondoh]

Dan,

I have a go-hub kit which i bought last year. it is solid! I have had problems only with the electrical connectors-- but i'm handy and it really hasn't been a problem. The motor and controller are bullet proof and the kit has been well thought out. You should have no problems putting it on your cruiser as I have my kit on a single speed schwinn cruiser with coaster brakes.

You can expect around 18 ~ 19 mph for a top speed and about 15 miles range at full throttle with NO peddling. I would expect your commute time to be about an hour. You will have to bring the battery into work with you and charge it for around 2 ~ 3 hours.

I'm actually thinking of moving the kit to a Raleigh Gruv. It is a crank forward bike (cf) like the electra townie. I already have a non-electric Gruv 2.0 and it's amazingly efficient for me. It's lower than a normal bike which is better for wind resistance.

If you want speed in the 20s mph, you can add another battery. Problem is that batteries are heavy and you'll need either a 48V charger or an additional 12v charger to charge that forth battery.

I say go for it. You wont be disappointed. Reconsider the bike though. Make sure it has multiple gears, good brakes and a strong, steel or chromoly fork. Good luck. Let us know how things go.

[chicbicyclist]

I agree, get at least a non-cruiser type bike. Road bikes are obviously out of the question(fragile frames and most will not accept the kit), but you should be able to find that most mtb(no front suspension is ideal for front mounted motors), "comfort" and others of similar types are suitable. You wouldnt even miss the aerodynamic advantage of aggressive road/racing bike geometries since you got power assist at your disposal. You will leave most non-powered roadies behind, save for the really exceptional person you will encounter from time to time.

[jondoh]

I understand that suspension forks are not always recommended-- though people have used suspension forks with hub motor kits without too many problems. I have a Gruv 2.0 with a suspension fork which i will not electrify since it's perfect the way it is. I want a Raleigh Gruv which only has 7 speeds and no suspension fork to electrify. Fork strength is important because the hub motor torque on dropouts can force them to widen and then break. Steel is recommended for strength and because it will yield (bend) some before breaking. You may want to consider a rear wheel hub motor.

Also consider hub motor kits from electricrider.com. These are also crystalyte motors like the go hub-- though i believe go hub has the cleaner looking kit.

[damian_]

Hi folks,
How I would love to not drive my car to work. But at 12 miles each way, simply pedalling is not a possibility (sweat etc.). This is South Florida.
Hi Dan!

I'd suggest you try the commute unassisted (say, on a weekend) to see whether you actually should rule out pedalling. You'll probably want to try this at your usual work hours, rather than in the middle of the day!

I live in Western Australia where most summer days are between 85 - 115 fahrenheit. I cycle to and from work daily, which is a 30km (20mi) round-trip. I've never found sweat to be a problem... as long as I wear sensible (i.e. moisture-wicking) clothes. When I get to work I do shower, but would have no problems with just wiping off.

Another tip is to ride at about 75%, rather than giving it 100%. The ride might take an extra 3 or 4 minutes, but you'll save yourself some sweat along the way.

Good luck!

Damian

[LandLuger]

Your distance doesn't warrant an assist, but whatever gets you on the bike is better than naught.

As far as converting, the cruiser is a sound choice, but my current electric assist project bike is a Trek 1000 that I'm fitting with a steel fork and a monster 72V Crystalyte front hub assist. So I suppose almost any bike is a candidate especially if you're as bold as I am.

Plan on recharging at work because it extends the life of the batteries.

[World Tour]

Thanks for the replies folks.

I'm in contact with a local dealer presently and plan on buying the kit soon. I agree about the 48v also. My Schwinn cruiser is multi-speed, w/strong ctr. pull brakes and very durable. It looks like the one on the http://www.largoscooters.com website, except a boy's frame.

SHOWER at work??? I wish. Just go outside here in summer and you get wet. I doubt I would ride in the summer, too much rain and wind. But from Oct. to May would be a nice ride down here.

And if the total trip by bike isn't possible, the buses here have bike racks on front. So maybe a bus/bike combo trip would be possible.

[World Tour]

Landluger, I didn't see your post until after I replied.

Isn't the Go-hub a crystalite? And I thought all hubmotors were the same and only the voltage changes?

This dealer I'm working with isn't crazy about people over-volting the kits he sells. So I would probably have to get a higher voltage controller somewhere.

Thanks folks.
ps...chicbicyclist I love your bike.

[LandLuger]

Landluger, I didn't see your post until after I replied.

Isn't the Go-hub a crystalite? And I thought all hubmotors were the same and only the voltage changes?

This dealer I'm working with isn't crazy about people over-volting the kits he sells. So I would probably have to get a higher voltage controller somewhere.

Thanks folks.
ps...chicbicyclist I love your bike.

I can't fathom why the dealer is reluctant, and yes, the 72V setup requires a different controller (still the same size usually). The only issue I have with the high voltage setup is that if you're using SLA batteries, one has to be creative about where to mount them on the bike. I've mounted mine in the same locations that one would mount panniers to keep the extra weight on the bike as low as possible. This has required that I invest in a proper touring rack to handle the weight as well. With an over-the-counter 36V kit one can usually fit three 12AH batteries in a typical touring trunk at half the weight, so these are more common.

Is all this worth the effort? Given one is using a typical hub motor, one can expect a 50% rise in both top speed and torque with 72V vs. 48V.

[chicbicyclist]

Any distance warrants an assist if you will not otherwise ride your bike because you think its hard(let's face it, 12 miles is daunting for anyone, generally, unless you are very into bicycles and quite dedicated.). Better than the car 1000 times over any day.

Also, if you're gonna go the 48-72 volt route, check with your local laws. It is rarely enforced, but just in case. Usually, the cut off point is less than 20 mph and 600 watt. More than that, you have to have a license, permits, insurance etc.

[LandLuger]

The law differs from state to state, but I've never had a problem because I don't run down the main arteries at 40 MPH on my ebike. It is your job to be responsible unless you live in a socialist stronghold like CA. I wouldn't be surprised if they started an entire bureaucracy for the mandatory testing of electric bikes.

[Rural Roadie]

Just a thought, seems the OP only needs to get to work sweat free, would there be a proablem sweating on the ride home?

[LandLuger]

Nope that's how my father does it; rides to work in coat and tie via electric assist only to hammer home that evening for daily exercise

Just a thought, seems the OP only needs to get to work sweat free, would there be a proablem sweating on the ride home?

[World Tour]

No prob. sweating on the way home. But I don't want to be sweaty when I arrive at work.

The kit I'm considering comes with 3, 12v batteries. I'm not sure of the controller's ability to accept another 12v battery.

But up to 72v, are my ctr-pull brakes capable of stopping such speed? The limitations of the bike tend to dictate that imho. Heck mid 20s would be acceptable to me. 30+ seems dangerous on a bicycle to me.

I think the Go-hub is a nice kit and will probably buy it very soon. I have to drive 2hrs. South to the dealer on a Sat.. Even if it gets me out of the car only part of the time, I think it's a good investment. And I do belong to power-assist in yahoo.

Thanks folks. This is so interesting. It's great to chat with others who do it already.

[spambait11]

...socialist stronghold like CA. I wouldn't be surprised if they started an entire bureaucracy for the mandatory testing of electric bikes.
Sigh.

Another example of one who wishes he could live here but can't. :rolleyes:

[chicbicyclist]

Well, the go-hub kit is rated to go 20 mph, without pedalling. I can't see why you can'y pedal along with it, and reach the mid-20s, using the stock version. Only problem I can see is that the gears on most comfort/cruiser/mtb bikes are too low while you're on full throttle! Might wanna look into changing them later.

As for the brake question, I have no experience with the 48volt and up set-up, but you can install disc brakes. Another reason why you should buy mtb/comfort type bikes. I'm not sure if cruisers are moddable as much.

[chicbicyclist]

Oh yeah, here's a pretty good forum. They are quite big on modifications but newbies like us are welcome to ask even the most basic questions.

http://www.visforvoltage.com/forums/index.php?act=SF&f=22