How does the Radwagon fair on steep hills?

[m@Robertson]

I like Matt's Mongoose Envoy + BBSHD project, a capable longtail cargo bike that can climb anything, I particularly appreciate his section on low-cost builds that lists wallet-friendly ideas. If like me you are not good at soldering consider crimping, I've had good results. If you would like to compare the performance of mid-drive motors against the RadWagon's G60 hub motor you can change the settings in Justin's motor simulator from hub-drive to mid-drive and you will find the BBSHD and BBS02 on the list.

I was looking at that build page last night and I need to do a follow-on for 2022. Prices have changed and new equipment has come on the market. I recently put on a dirt-cheap Microshift Advent 9-speed derailleur (the long cage version), cluster and shifter for about $135 total. The 11-46T all-steel rear cluster makes a nice bump up in hill-climbing ability and is tough as nails. I almost never use the big 46T cog as its literally too big unless I have a full grocery load, but the ones near the middle - where the best chain alignment is for no extra wear on anything - are now bigger and my ability to get up hills is noticeably better as a result.

I liked the cluster so much I used it on the Apostate full suspension bike I just finished. It works fine with the Box Two derailleur.

Lookit: hardened steel and pinned together to boot. $35.99 @ JensonUSA. Compare that to a SRAM EX1, tool steel and also meant for ebikes ... thats over $400.

Also, because it comes up so often, I did a full how-to and writeup on how to do crimped connections.

How To: Safe, Reliable Electrical Crimp Connections (part 1 of 2)

Solder or crimp? Debate on that can be fierce. After more than 7 years of daily commute riding, I have never had a crimped connection fail. How is that reliability accomplished?

talesontwowheels.com

 

[AHicks]

This person keeps blathering this BS. I carry 330 lb gross all the time with a geared hub motor, up 15% grades. Geared hub motors run 5 times faster than the wheel. About 1100 RPM for a 26" wheel at 20 mph. 3 phase electric motors run 1725 RPM for about 10 years in factories, killed usually by the dirt building up on the coils, not the speed. Humans speed out at about 150 rpm, a totally different case. What is good for humans has nothing to do with what is good for a 3 phase electric motor.
OTOH, I don't have a Rad, I have a Mac 12t motor wound for torque instead of speed. I have a 84 lb yuba bodaboda, not a RAD. The average geared hub motor is a 10t which is faster and less torquey. My 12T motor will start 330 lb on a 15% grade and accelerate up to about 6 mph. If I hit the grade with some speed from the previous hill it will power 330 lb up the hill at 15. Mid-drive could gain some torque advantage with a 48 or 50 tooth rear sprocket, bigger than the drive sprocket of the motor. I've seen no cargo bike that has a 12" diameter rear sprocket. Only mountain bikes. Rear sprocket same size or smaller as mid drive output sprocket don't multiply torque.
What geared hub motors will not do is run full power low speed uphill for an hour. Mac says 1000' rise in an hour will cook the winding. My hiils are short, but there are 80 of them, 3 of 15%. My Mac had the connector burned off by the rain after about 2000 miles, no problem with the windings on my 30 mile run to summer camp. Don't buy an ASI controller from Luna, the pins are too close together to withstand rain.

So basically, you have a premium motor with at least TWICE the power of the bikes being discussed. If anyone is "blathering", it's YOU. If you want to brag up that MAC 12t motor, at least mention the fact it has a LOT more torque than a RAD with stock motor. Keep it relevant....

 

[Dewey]

I recently put on a dirt-cheap Microshift Advent 9-speed derailleur...Also, because it comes up so often, I did a full how-to and writeup on how to do crimped connections.

Nice write up. I tried the squeeze and heat gun approach and my crimps failed because I am a klutz, I've had best success with Anderson HD connectors and the crimping tool from Grin Tech.

I liked the Microshift derailleur and thumb shifters on a Helbiz Genze 200 bikeshare ebike I rode a couple of years ago, I noticed Microshift appear on the Pedego Element. Good to read you too have had success with their stuff, 11-46t is a wide range.

 

[tomjasz]

I've had best success with Anderson HD connectors and the crimping tool from Grin Tech.

Exactly. My favored. With the shrouds and locking pins and the 45A version, all connections are golden. I do have a stock of XT60 and XT90 in black, but tired of soldering. Even though I have first-class soldering tools. I had two XT90 spake arresting arc and short out.