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Gear Talk / Re: EBike cross-country experience
« on: August 24, 2024, 03:02:12 pm »
Here is an update on my new Cytronex e-wheel. I love it. Too much. I want to ride it all the time instead of my other favorite bikes. I do commute more now that I have it to come up the hill to my house when I’m tired. I put it on a Gunnar Disc Tour seen here on Chinook Pass on the way into Mt Rainier National Park) https://gunnarbikes.com/site/bikes/grand-disc/. (yes, Gunnar misspelled it)
I was a spry 64 years of age when this was taken in 2016. I have since stopped loaded touring and my hope is that with the Cytronex I will be able to do it again. Twin factors of my schedule and weather has conspired against me to test this hypothesis.
I use it when I have my granddaughter on her tag-a-long attached. Together they add 56# to haul up the hill to my house. The Cytronex is perfect for that!
The Cytronex is set up with a switch and I can choose 5 levels of power. The cool thing is that I can fine tune each level. For instance I have level 1 at 22% of power (which is also the lowest it can go), level 2 at 40%, level 3 at 60%, level 4 at 80% and 5 is 100% of power. If I chose to I could set level two at 80% etc. I find that on level terrain I get 2-3 mph boost with no extra effort.
Yesterday I went out and did 30 miles with 1034’ of climbing and max 5.6% hills. I used levels 2-4 on the hills and always had level 1 on even though I didn’t need it on the flat trail. I finished with 4% left on the battery. I took an extra battery (3.4#) and with the two racks and water bottles it weighed 46#. I was very pleased with its performance. The next test will be this week when I add 35# of gear for an overnight camping trip. That route is flat. After that will be a 50+ mile with >2500’ of climbing with gear. Will need both batteries for that. Obviously, range is its downside, and the only downside I see. I get to use my custom Gunnar instead of a more expensive Bianchi for example, for the cost of a complete cheap ebike. No one is making a pure touring ebike to my knowledge. The Cytronex does not affect the handling of the Gunnar at all. I have $2000 invested in it which includes the second battery and optional front and rear lights. $160 was shipping from England.
I was a spry 64 years of age when this was taken in 2016. I have since stopped loaded touring and my hope is that with the Cytronex I will be able to do it again. Twin factors of my schedule and weather has conspired against me to test this hypothesis.
I use it when I have my granddaughter on her tag-a-long attached. Together they add 56# to haul up the hill to my house. The Cytronex is perfect for that!
The Cytronex is set up with a switch and I can choose 5 levels of power. The cool thing is that I can fine tune each level. For instance I have level 1 at 22% of power (which is also the lowest it can go), level 2 at 40%, level 3 at 60%, level 4 at 80% and 5 is 100% of power. If I chose to I could set level two at 80% etc. I find that on level terrain I get 2-3 mph boost with no extra effort.
Yesterday I went out and did 30 miles with 1034’ of climbing and max 5.6% hills. I used levels 2-4 on the hills and always had level 1 on even though I didn’t need it on the flat trail. I finished with 4% left on the battery. I took an extra battery (3.4#) and with the two racks and water bottles it weighed 46#. I was very pleased with its performance. The next test will be this week when I add 35# of gear for an overnight camping trip. That route is flat. After that will be a 50+ mile with >2500’ of climbing with gear. Will need both batteries for that. Obviously, range is its downside, and the only downside I see. I get to use my custom Gunnar instead of a more expensive Bianchi for example, for the cost of a complete cheap ebike. No one is making a pure touring ebike to my knowledge. The Cytronex does not affect the handling of the Gunnar at all. I have $2000 invested in it which includes the second battery and optional front and rear lights. $160 was shipping from England.