Thoughts about eBike Range Measurement

As I've been testing new ebikes, and planning more tests in the future, I've been trying to think of the best gauge of range. It's a common question among people shopping for ebikes, and it's one of most often asked of me by the e-curious. Usually, battery capacity is measured in amp-hours; I've also seen measurements in watt-hours and "up to" mile ranges. Amp-hour is a fairly straightforward metric, but it's mile range I've been thinking about; after all I don't want a 10ah battery, I want an effective range. A range estimate usually includes caveats such as "if you pedal as well, and work more at starts and stops, you could get up to XX miles out of a charge". If I never actually turned the motor on, I would get an infinite range from a single charge. But that's not why we ride ebikes, is it?

My current thinking is that the best measure of range is a "worst case scenario" (hereafter WCS). Put another way, if I do as little work as possible and use the battery as much as possible, what's the lowest range I can expect?

Upper distance measurements proffered by ebike manufacturers often have a lot of caveats (flat route, 150lb rider, full tires). Instead of applying these caveats in order to get to that upper range, I like to think of it as applying the caveats to extend the WCS range.

Finally, don't forget, if you ride an ebike, you'll eventually ride on a dead battery. The best way to prevent this is ABC - "Always Be Charging". Your battery will thank you!

And finally-finally, what's your assist type (pedal assist only, pedal assist/throttle combo, throttle only, other), voltage, amp-hours, and WCS scenario range? My primary ride is throttle/36v/10ah, and I get about 18 miles, WCS. Throw your answer in comments, please!

Update
Shortly after publishing this, I found an iPhone app "Ebike Calculator" that claims to calculate ebike range. Sadly, it's for a later version of the iPhone software than I have, so I can't attest to its accuracy. Anyone have a newer iPhone want to download it and check it out? It's free!

Keeping Dry: My New Rain Poncho

It's been a rainy June in Portland, to say the least. We received an average June's worth of rainfall within the first four days, normally stalwart Portlanders resorted to (gasp!) umbrellas and only the threat of a wet Pedalpalooza convinced the weather to break. And break it did, giving up a weekend of beautiful sun for the opening of Pedalpalooza.

By the following Tuesday, it was raining again. And I was pretty happy about that.

"What!?!" you say. "That's borderline sacrilege!" It may be - unless, of course, you've got a new piece of rain gear you want to test. Which I did.

I'd seen rain capes on bikes around town, but it was only on a recent tour of the North Portland Greenway that I was able to see one up close. Jack pulled his cape out to handle the light sprinkling we got as we left Swan Island and merged into the rail right-of-way. It seemed the perfect solution - enough to keep dry, but still ventilated enough to be comfortable. I searched high and low, and found only 2 items: 1) a waxed canvas version from Carradice in the UK, and a much cheaper version from Campmor. It being an untested concept, I went with the cheaper alternative. And then the rain started in earnest. So I bided my time for the right conditions.

The rain cape is suited for the start of a light rain, as it obviously offers no protection from street splash. It's as easy to don as pulling it over your head and slipping your fingers through the elastic loops; the version I have includes a hood, which I haven't had to use. It rolls up quite small, and in hi-visibility yellow, makes it very easy to see a rider.

Over the course of a ride, water does tend to pool in the front, so occasionally you have to dump it. The internal loops are a bit narrow for my cruiser-style handlebars, and since your hands are linked together, signalling for turns takes some getting used to, but quickly becomes intuitive. In short, it's another great alternative to staying dry while riding.


"Woo-Hoo's!"
Easy to put on.
Small packed size.
Bright yellow.

"D'ohs!"
If it rains a lot, you're probably going to get wet.
Turn signals take some getting used to.
Thumb loops are a bit narrow for cruiser handlebars.

While looking for links for this post, I came across this pattern for those who may be craftily-inclined. Also, the Center for Appropriate Transport in Eugene, OR, offers a similar model.

Update
@GDorn on Twitter responds that he's used a poncho as well, though water repellance wears off, its not very aerodynamic, and "it makes me look like a duck."

The eBike Ride Report 2010

(I was working on this longer post with pictures, but if you rode with us, please comment below! Thanks all, I had a great time!)

We assembled between noon and 12:30 at The eBike Store, caffeinated, chatted a bit about route selection and other considerations, and headed out. With as diverse a mix of participants as ebikes, we found a large vacant lot, and played musical ebikes, getting to try out as many as we liked. I liked the tandem recumbent, with the highest number of freewheels per rider as I think I've ever seen. I also got to ride a new Ohm ebike, and rode a 48v ebike for the first time. Which bikes did you like?

We left the tests, and headed into the Pearl via the Broadway Bridge. Traffic was light as the Rose Parade had already ended, though we missed couple parade riders in the confusion. We managed to stay fairly well together, and arrived at our next stop, Kalkhoff USA's showroom. Water and gummy bears enjoyed by all, we waved goodbye to a portion of our recumbent riders, and headed downtown.

I'd heard there was going to be a Steel Bridge lift; unfortunately we were just in time for it. Rather than waiting, we opted for a slow meander down the west bank path, and returned to find the Steel Bridge down and traffic cleared.

We had a minor technical issue with an overheated motor controller; while futzing with a cold pack from the first aid kit, the controller cooled off enough to resume our trip. We ducked into Sol Pops on Williams for a quick refreshment, and eventually returned to The eBike Store.

As you see in the comments below, it sounds like everyone had a great time! We'll have to try to all get together again soon.

Sunday Parkways Preview: North Portland Sunday Parkways

The second of five iterations of Sunday Parkways arrives in North Portland on Sunday, June 27. Having a full battery and some time on my hands, I recently set out to check out the route. I've also added some highlights I'll be checking out along the way.

Overall, I really like the route. It does a good job of largely sticking to signed bike boulevards, highlighting existing bike infrastructure you may not be familiar with, and connecting the parks with very convenient routes. The route itself is flatter than the NE version, so I didn't really see a preferred direction to ride.

I began heading W on Ainsworth. The MAX tracks shouldn't be a big issue, but for inexperienced riders, it's worth being careful. The Delaware-Willamette Blvd section is wide and tree-lined. Willamette Bluff is not to be missed - the view is incredible, and the folks at North Portland Greenways will be soaking it in, and sharing their vision of an Esplanade-like bike trail from downtown to Kelly Point Park. Kaiser Permanente will also be handing out free pedometers, to help you track your recommended 10,000 steps/day.

The transition from Willamette to Villard and Bryant may be a bit tricky, but there will be police manning the intersection. The west end of Bryant is probably the roughest pavement on the course; indeed, there are freshly paved alleys within view of the cracked roadbed of Bryant that are in better shape. The long northern leg on Wabash is a wide and sharrowed bike boulevard. I'd highly recommend a stop halfway for a refreshing Mug'o'Pickles at the Mock Crest Tavern on Lombard Street.

There isn't anything published regarding activities planned at Trenton Park, but I imagine it will be crowded. Winding through the northern vestiges of Portland brings us to Kenton Park. Kenton Park was crazy-busy last year; I'm sure it will be again this year. The eBike Store and Kalkhoff will be there demoing electric bikes, and the CRC will be giving away Portland/Vancouver bike maps. If I don't make the Fort/Ford/Fort Ride during Pedalpalooza, I plan to pick up a map and finally make the ride across the Columbia.

Leaving the fun craziness that will be Kenton Park, the route parallels downtown Kenton for a ways; these are some of the narrower streets on the route, but they feel wider than 37th Street on the NE route last month. Realigning with the east end of Bryant (which is in remarkably better shape than the west end), we arrive at Arbor Lodge Park. Singing Planet will be here demoing their Pedego electric bikes, and talking ebike tours.

Heading east on Bryant, there are a couple turns that bring us to the Bryant Street pedestrian overpass. This bridge is frequently a choke point on other rides, but I think its worth it for the cars on I-5 below to see the segregated bike traffic. And if you're looking for off-road riding in Portland, the alleys in the area offer some challenging double-track trail riding.

Bryant and Congress bring us to Peninsula Park, after a policed dogleg crossing over Rosa Parks Way. Peninsula Park, like Kenton, is going to be hopping. While there, check out Best Buy's tent, where they are demoing electric bikes and scooters.

"Sweet!"
Its a Sunday Parkway.
Maybe the rain will have stopped!
___(insert your favorite here!)___

"Maybe next time"
None. What's not to like? (that said, be careful on MAX track crossings, at the Bryant St Ped bridge, and the Congress/Rosa Parks intersection).

Freebies at Pedalpalooza

OK, I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for free. Offer me something for free, I'll eagerly take you up on it. Local popsicle purveyor SolPops frequently tweet-offers free pops (though I had to do the "truffle shuffle" for one recently-I eagerly swapped dignity for mango-lime). Grand Central Bakery occasionally tweets offers for free loaves of bread; I'm a regular. In short, I get 'free'.

In reading this year's Pedalpalooza ride guide, I was struck at the number of events that involve something free. And I don't mean potluck, where sure, you don't HAVE to bring something, but poaching a potluck is seriously lame. Here's a rundown of Pedalpalooza events that, at least according to the description, purport to offer something free:

(Don't forget The eBike Ride Sat., June 12. And of course, with Pedalpalooza, the fun is always free.)

Thursday, June 10 (hey that's today!)
Bingo Masters Coffee - free coffee to people on bikes every Thursday during Pedalpalooza.
Splendid Cycles Grand Opening Bash "Food and beverages provided"

Friday, June 13
Breakfast on the Bridges - free donuts
Bicycle Film Fest - free "PeeWee's Big Adventure"

Saturday, June 14
More free PeeWee at the Portland Rock Gym. Maybe smores?

Sunday, June 15
Scrapper Ride - free bike decorating materials

Wednesday June 16
Lubador Libre - free chain lube! 8-9am, Broadway Bridge

Thursday, June 17
Crullers and Coffee
Free coffee at Bingo Masters

Friday, June 18
Breakfast on the Bridges - free donuts!

Saturday, June 19
Pedal-Balloon-za! Free balloons, courtesy The Lippman Co.

Tuesday, June 22
Mocktails and Hors D'oeurves Off the Bridges - free snacks

Wednesday, June 23
Coffee on Clay

Thursday, June 24
Free Food Ride (Or: What's Fun About Bike Fun)

Friday, June 25
Breakfast on the Bridges

Bike-In Movie at the Hawthorne Hostel - "The Wiz" Pre-movie live music and food

Saturday, June 25
St John's Bike-In Movie "Breaking Away"

A Week With: the Kalkhoff Pro Connect Sport

Since Joe Rose at the Oregonian recently published a story highlighting his experience with the Kalkhoff line of ebikes, I've been interested in trying one out myself. This week, the team at Greenlight Bikes, who distribute the Kalkhoff brand in the US, agreed to let me run one through its paces. I'm looking forward to it, and virtually comparing notes with Joe.

Are there any particular things you're interested in learning about the Kalkhoff ebikes? Specifically, I'll be riding the Pro Connect Sport, which is their top-of-the-line model. Some things I'm particularly interested in:

1) 26 volts. I've only ridden 36v systems, so I'm interested to see the difference. (Corrected from 24 volts.)
2) Mid-drive. I've only ridden hub motor systems.
3) Related to the above 2 items is range - pedal assist seems to generally improve battery range over throttled ebikes, and mid-drive leverages the advantages of the gearing. The Kalkhoff USA website claims up to 50 miles per charge, so I'm curious to see what my "worst case scenario" range will be.

After completing the week-long test, I'll try several of their other models for briefer test rides, and see if my observations are applicable across their line. And I'll keep you posted as the week goes by.

One Less Car, Too!

Here's what I think about "Real Bikes Don't Use Motors. Duh."