fietsbob

Looks to bloody expensive to leave out anywhere..

At least the Silk Road can be attracting less attention, gaffers tape & rattle canned to hide the very nice paint .

NoPhart

Don't know if you are still here or listening. How's your Bafang setup on this bike working out?

You might be interested in the new Riese Muller Delite line of FS eAdventure bikes. With your experience with FS touring, what do you think of this new entry?



https://www.bikeforums.net/electric-b...ture-bike.html

BBassett

1st let me say that the R&M Delite can't carry enough weight and that they, just like Tout Terrain, are using a lame electric drive that I don't want to get stuck with. An add-on drive can always be updated or removed.

I am currently riding and pulling a fully loaded Mule trailer. To get used to the weight and change to riding style. It's heavy, really heavy. Motor, two batteries, gear, gear, gear, water and me... and I'm not petite. So all you electro-phobic people, and all you riders that sprint from coast to coast with your head down the entire way can move on, you won't consider this riding. I can give you data on watt hour usage or amp hours per mile but because of changing terrain, changing load, wind, everything varies. It is exactly the same as riding a standard bike. A 10-mile ascent is different than 10 miles of beachfront riding or riding into a Texas head wind. So cutting to the chase, I can ride 50 miles, fully loaded, on relatively level ground, on a single battery (1 kw), averaging 12 to 15 mph. Can squeak out more if I ride slower and put more effort into it. Remember that it is not an electric moped, although she does have a throttle in addition to the pedal assist. I don't often pedal when descending (it's not about the speed with me), am usually pedaling on level ground and Always pedal when climbing. On a steep ascent, I find the sweet spot on the Rohloff (5th, 6th or 7th gear) and bump the power assist to 2 or 3 (out of 9), and pedal like I do when riding on level ground. The difference is that when you stop pedaling your momentum dies FAST, and I mean now. But remember that's 500+ lbs. total with my butt on the seat. Sit back, listen to music and pedal, pedal, pedal. Don't get your hopes up, it's not effortless. It can be almost effortless if you want to sacrifice the mileage. It like sex... fast or long probably ain't going to get both. What's sweet, is that once you find a spot you want to stay at for a couple days, ya set up the 4 man tent, dual air mattresses, fill the portable shower and set it in the sun, put something in the solar oven, wash some laundry and loft a single line kite to dry everything, strip the bike down and go for day rides over 160 lbs. lighter than it's tour weight. Get back to camp, take a shower, put on clean clothes and check on dinner. If ya plan it right there are a few cold beers in the cooler waiting too. Relax in a camp chair and enjoy life. If it's just a night stop, put up the hammock, wash up, Raman, raisins, and sleep.

Here are a few pictures to look at, and remember that learning to ride like this isn't always painless. as you can see from the last two pics. Take the spaces out of the url below.

http//imgur.com/a/RCeYa

BBassett

Leaving a bike is a gamble most anytime regardless of how special she looks. What I have found to be the best theft preventative measure is a simple bike cover. I lock my ride with some state of the art locks and then pull a cover over the entire thing. Anyone digging into the cover is going to draw attention. I have even seen loud car alarms hacked to be used for bikes. There are insurance companies that cater to the biking world but I simply can't afford them. But I would no more, make my baby ugly than I would have a trophy wife suffer through breast reduction surgery. Hell, I got her partly for her looks in the 1st place... that and the ride, if ya know what I mean!

BBassett

I ride most every day 20 to 50 miles. That can be out and back or just for a sail around some local parks. When I am bike-camping I do the same. Anyone that is trying to cover specific distances is on a tour in my opinion. I have packed up my base camp and ridden just 5 miles before I found a perfect place to film the sun setting into the Pacific. The ride is smooth and even with full suspension and a Brooks Flyer seat. Anyone that chooses a bike specifically for its weight will find a Panamericana on the heavy side. Do what you want to do not what others suggest.... you will find out that they are all wrong!

BBassett

Newest data for my Panamericana with BaFang center drive: I purchased another battery, 30.08Ah, 52v triangle pack. LG MJ1 cells, 1st pack using MJ1 cells built by EM3. This has doubled the possible range I can ride at any degree of load I am riding at. Full weight with all panniers and full trailer is around 300lbs. (without rider) Proper Li-ion battery procedures mean not filling the battery to 100% and not discharging it past 20%, leaving 60% of total capacity. With a full load, I have reached a distance of 47 miles with 2000+ feet of altitude change on one charge of approx. 20Ah. I have also burnt that same charge in 36 miles with the same gear load. 3/4 load I can up the distance 10 maybe 15 miles if I work my ass off. Totally nude she would probably get in the range of 80 miles, again working your ass off. She's a big girl even with nothing but the motor and battery, that's minus lock(s), umbrella, Fugoo XL speaker, k-bar, water bottle, bar bag, 4 panniers, goatskin bag, multiple lights, GPS, Walkman, coffee press, that pretty much covers it. Ride slower, pedal more, conserve and 160 miles would be possible on a striped bike and down to 70 miles with a full load, uphill and into the wind.

BigAura

Kinda reminds me of The Jackass Thread. So please don't post pictures of members so-called-touring-bikes to be made fun of.

BBassett

Got back from today's "ride" (44 miles, 4hrs 27mins. Way too hot!) to read this:



Seems like an appropriate thread for you. I stopped using the term "Tour" bike a while ago. I found that only the people on bikes when using it understand what it means. Everyone else that just sit around in forums trying to define it are idiots, with an "aura" of half-masticated hotdog hanging on them. I prefer "bike packing" now so that couch surfers have a new term to troll. Good to hear from you.

BigAura

BBassett

Early September, finally found the best shop to modify my bike and customize a center stand. Welding up a fix so that my Arkel panniers attach and detach with the ease like they are designed and installing a center stand that will let me stop and jump off for a picture when I want. Once they are done she goes to another shop to service my Rohloff, 3500 miles is a good break-in period. Also rebuilding the fork and shocks, installing a Cycle Analyst 3, and tweaking the brakes. Besides for brake pads, she should be good for another 4 or 5 thousand miles. I will get pictures once she is back from the doctors.

A couple pics of my baby now that some of the mods are complete:

BBassett

Over 6 years now and past 36K miles... still riding strong.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ADgC6oyPM2gyrCq27