Looking for advice -- overweight, want to add electric assist to my recumbent
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teeka
Hey, all. I've been looking into adding an electric assist package to my Sun Recumbent (EZ-1), so that I can use it for commuting and errands and whatnot. I'm pondering the BionX, I've read good things about it here and elsewhere around the web. The question I have is... I'm significantly overweight. As in, 320 lbs. I know that the BionX system replaces the rear wheel of the bike with their own specialized wheel, but is it something that's going to hold up under my weight? Is it going to have any range at all, considering my weight? I definitely plan to do a bunch of my own pedaling, but let's just say that I'm starting from ground zero as far as being 'in shape' is concerned. I want to be able to commute to and from work, 12 miles each way, without arriving drenched in sweat and exhausted (there are no shower facilities). There are some hills in the middle, which to me are incredibly steep, but in reality, they're pretty insignificant and short.
So: Anyone have any experience in the reliability of a BionX if it's used by someone extremely overweight? Or any other after-market add-on? Anyone have any experience specifically in a BionX used with a Sun Recumbent? I contacted Sun, explaining my situation, and their one-line reply was 'it will invalidate your warranty'. The bike is four or five years old, I'm fairly certain it's out of warranty anyway. Suggestions for something other than a BionX that would work on my Sun?
Thanks for all your help, everyone, and please, be gentle with your responses. I have enough negative voices in my own head telling me how fat and lazy I am every minute of every day.
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
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I'm sure you already know having an electric assist machine do the work for you is not a reasonable form of exercise - you might as well drive yourself around. You said to be gentle, so with that in mind consider the frame of mind that has you trying to get out of exercise rather than trying to gain from it.
Exercise is hard. It hurts - and it doesn't come easily to anyone. :o
To phrase it nicely, eat less and pedal harder. It will pay off in the end.
Thanks for replying with something you don't seem to know much about.
An electric assist kit is an excellent way to get exercise - the human body is still capable of providing input on its own and generating a good workout by doing so, but the kit is able to help keep the body in a prime cardio zone and cadence rather than requiring that the rider face potential overexertion or burnout. In other words, you can use it to hit the "sweet spot" of the workout, and stay in it, the whole ride.
As for a recommendation, I wouldn't honestly be able to tell you whether a BionX would be a good match for your needs. The wheel is designed around 36h rims, so you could put a high grade rim on it and the smaller wheels of the EZ-1 would be quite strong, but the hub shell is aluminum and you may run into trouble should you hit a pothole or obstacle on a recumbent with your weight on it. Contacting BionX to find out their rated load limit for the hub and axle may be needed.
There are some other options I would suggest additionally, however: there are manufacturers of frame-mounted motors which would not compromise your ability to choose your own wheels or drivetrain, they would also provide more hill climbing assistance than the BionX, and are comparable in weight. Ecospeed in particular makes an electric assist kit designed specifically for recumbents including the EZ-1 (albeit pricey), but there are many other offerings out there including Cyclone and eLation. You would need to contact the manufacturers or retailers to find out which ones would adapt to the Sun's frame.
falconev
To answer your Q..No, the bionx is not powerful enough
I do have a website
contact directly for further assistance
cerewa
the cyclone (http://cyclone-tw.com) 500W kit is able to haul a lot of weight up a steep hill. It doesn't replace the wheel so if your bike can handle your weight (plus 20 pounds of motor + battery) then you'll be fine. You will have to use the low gears in your bike's cassette for steep hills and you won't be a speed demon (on uphills) but you'll have enough torque.
if you buy a cyclone 500W kit, I recommend a 24v 20 amp hour lithium iron phosphate battery (from e-bay) to go with it.
I suspect most good hub-motors are actually built strong enough to handle your weight, but most of them won't give good uphill performance compared to a cyclone kit. If you pick one that's meant for high torque then it should work fine but it won't assist at higher speeds (which is somewhat helpful if your hills are short enough to use momentum to carry yourself up part of the way).
One of the interesting things about crystalyte's brushless hubmotors is that they can handle 2000 watts (the bigger ones, 3000 watts) provided you buy a controller and battery that can put out that much power and still give you the range you want. with a well-chosen 1000 to 2000 watt setup, you can have astounding hill-climbing and top speed. You probably can't get a battery/motor/controller combination that will handle 2000w power for less than $1300 or 1500.
If you go to www.ebikes.ca they will be happy to help you buy from them everything you need to run a high-power hub motor.
tlxreed
I've got a Sun EZ-1 with a rear wheel Crystalyte 408-4011. I had the wheel built myself with a double-wall rim. Seems to be quite strong but took me awhile to find someone who could do it.
I really like the effect. I think recumbents and electric power are a natural fit. I got a pannier rack set that hangs under the seat and put my batteries on that, which distributes the weight better than piling everything in back.
If I had a recumbent with a 20" front wheel, like some of the Sun line, I'd probably have gone for a front wheel drive with disc brake as the install is easier. As it is, if I ever get a flat it's gonna be a real pain on that rear wheel.
With that amount of weight, I'd probably go with 500 watt, but I don't think it would make a huge difference if you had a 350watt. It's mostly rolling weight. Just my two cents worth.
The dropouts need to be widened a fit to bit the Crystalyte. You'll have to be careful to get a battery pack that can get you a decent amount of ride. Plus use kevlar belted tires or Armadillos so flats are relatively rare occurrences. Should be a gas to ride. Mine is.
mostlybent
I have a Bionx kit and my friend whom also weighs 300 lbs loved riding it.
The wheels Bionx use are very strong with double wall and triangular type cross section which makes them even stronger still. It's a great system and the motor assists the amount you select is a wonderful feature. This way you can start with max assist when your not fit, then select lower as your strength builds up.
Choosing to cycle to work is a good move for exercise because it's fun and your inclined to do it more. I use my bikes for shopping and liesure also, keeps my weight in check, both my bikes are electric and life is notably better. Buy one before the rush starts, Crystalyts are good also but do not have the pedal assist feature. Your doing the right thing, lose weight while having fun is pure genius.
crackerdog
Since you have a recumbent you can put a motor inline which is more efficient. A 7lb motor is equal to a 15lb hub motor in performance. I have both the Ecospeed and the Electroportal kit (approx. $600). I recommend the Electroportal and it has the kit just for the EZ-1 and I found it easy to install. I got in great shape with a motor assist, I just go faster and go up steeper hills than I would otherwise. If you plan to carry trailer loads or need speed, then the Ecospeed. If you really want a hub motor, I have tested the 'Electric Bull' from Falcon EV and it does go up a 15% grade with very light pedaling (equal to the Electroportal inline kit).
teeka
Thank you so much for all of your advice, everyone. I'll be doing more research on my own, but you've all given me great places to look. I'm trying to decide between an in-line motor, which will most likely have more power, but is something that I'll have to install on my own (not that big of a deal), or a BionX, which is supported by my local bike store, which means that if I do have any problems with it, I can take it directly to them and have it serviced locally. Will definitely cost a bit more, tho. I just need to decide if the convenience and buying local outweighs the fact that I could get a lower price if I bought online, but wouldn't necessarily get the customer support. For those of you who do have the BionX, if I'm using it almost every workday from May through November, and giving the battery charges at work and at home, so it's never going completely empty, how long can I realistically expect the battery to last? Two years? One? That's the other potential problem with getting the BionX, proprietary battery which costs more to replace. I'm still leaning toward it, though. I'm not going to get one until May, tho, I've promised myself that I need to do at least a month of research rather than just saying 'oooh, that one's SHINY'.
I also have to decide whether an electric assist is of more or less importance than putting in a drop ceiling in the basement and getting a new couch, but I know you all know how THAT goes. Heh. Again, though, thank you all for your very positive and encouraging responses.
Abneycat
So far as how long you can expect the battery to last, it depends on whether you purchase a model with a NiMH or one with a Li-ion/Li-Mn battery. The NiMH versions will last around 600 charges, Lithium a few hundred more. If you purchase a frame mount motor, you have the option of purchasing a LiFePO4 Lithium pack, which could last 2000+ charges, considerably more than any other easily obtainable and practical chemistry out there.
karma
i could never go to any other chemistry lifepo4 rocks. :) i go further and further out and it never drops below 49volts. and its only a 10ah im blowen away by the performance i have yet to find the low voltage cutoff.
cheers
PunkMartyr
Hi Teeka I have been browsing youtube looking at electric and gas bikes (I am thinking about getting one too). I came across this video and if you scroll down in the comments the guy says
"The bike allows me an out of shape 320lb handicapped man to get there consistently in 50 min time with a 5 min H20 break in the middle. I hooked a trailer to it and can get to wal-mart and back with some 50 lbs of groceries 12 mile round trip."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d9qXGf-yiw
Also if you are trying to lose weight one thing I do is I don't drink any beverages with calories. I just drink water or diet or they even have energy drinks with 0 calories and ginseng and stuff added to them. The other trick I use is I drink a full glass of water before a meal which helps fill me up then I concentrate on stopping as soon as I am pretty full.
PunkMartyr
Oh hey my other advice is get an IPOD. I have plenty of days where I bike 30 miles and when family asks how long it took me I usually say something like "dunno felt like 20 minutes I was singing along to Neil Diamond the whole way"
BroadwayJoe
If you're electrically/mechanically inclined - build your own. If not, stay with turn-key stuff but that will limit your choices.