The Battery Anxiety Is Real
Posted by DaisyRabbit2345@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 50 comments
You don’t check speed anymore. You check battery. 80% = confidence. 30% = mild panic. 10% = spiritual negotiation with your legs.
NotASockPuppet88@reddit
Get two identical batteries and range anxiety goes away.
As long as you keep them fully charged, where pne battery takes you the second will always get you home.
RollingMeteors@reddit
As long as you don't need to use it before it's finished charging...
NotASockPuppet88@reddit
Do you use your car without refueling it?
Not exactly an argument.
RollingMeteors@reddit
You can't smoke a cigarette before that gas tank is full.
You can smoke a carton before that battery is.
Watada@reddit
You'd be in a bad situation either way. Having a second battery is still better than only one that isn't fully charged.
RollingMeteors@reddit
Sure.
head_face@reddit
I have six batteries, two of them don't work anymore and I'm pretty sure it's because I kept them at full charge (admittedly for weeks at a time). IIRC it's generally recommended to keep them at around 60% (unless they're in more or less daily usage).
Comfortable-Fly5797@reddit
A good battery shouldn't be significantly damaged if left fully charged. Sounds like you've been buying some cheap batteries.
deadflat62@reddit
I think this means that some batteries may have software that stops batteries from falling to 99% and immediately charging back up 100% which uses a “cycle” as I’ve been told. Only so many recharge cycles per battery. Leaving battery on chargers is the biggest issue?
iPhone software now allows to not charge past 80% though so it suggests popularized concern to not fully charge either.. the most difficult part of each cycle is perhaps the last 20% and that part causes the ion degradation or whatever (I’m speaking over my head but I’ve heard someone say this I trust).
All in all, test it yourselves, get results. Share findings. That’s how we’ve got this far. Not sure if there’s been a proof and data metrics video yet on this?
My first guess and method was: charge to 100%/ never leave plugged in/ let it fully die.. That was my initial guess/habit, but since has changed some.
NotASockPuppet88@reddit
Yep, ive built li-ion packs for uears. The "leaving at full charge damages them" has been disproven many times.
You have to leave a pack at 100% charge for years, before any harm is done to it.
It is not a tying to worry about.
head_face@reddit
They're the ones that came with my Ado e bikes. So, basically, yeah.
NotASockPuppet88@reddit
The "leaving at full charge damages them" phobia has been disproven many times. Ive been building Li-ion cells for years.
You have to leave a pack at 100% charge for years, before any harm is done to it.
It is not a thing to worry about. If your failure rate for packs is that high then the manufacturer must be the problem.
Watada@reddit
Leaving a battery at 100% is bad for long term capacity but doesn't cause any real problems. Draining to zero and leaving it there will though.
steellz@reddit
I agree with about half of that statement. Let's say each battery gets you, for example, 30 miles. The first 30 miles were easy, with hills both up and down. However, on the way back, you're going to be a little bit more fatigued, a little bit more reliant on the bike assisting you, and you'll find that your range is drastically lower because of that.
I know this because this has happened to me several times, so I also make sure to carry a backup charger just in case I have to pull over somewhere and take a break for an hour. I'm sure a lot of e-bikes can be pedaled with ease without the motor, but my Aventure 2 is not one of them.
NotASockPuppet88@reddit
If you're running to the maximum range a pack can do, yes you're taking a risk.
But. Typically, where one pack takes you the other will get you home, and significantly mitigates range anxiety.
Not sure about your brake regen statement, direct hub drives have had it since forever.
edrock200@reddit
Unless your ride was all downhill on the first battery 😂
Odin-spark@reddit
This. ⬆️
Khutulun89@reddit
I only have range anxiety on my escooter and e-moped. Can't do anything there if the battery is dead.
On my ebike with 522Wh I can go ~90km on pas 1/2. And if it's empty I can go at least 50km with legs only. (I do 80-100km on normal bicycles)
InvestigatorSenior@reddit
no such problem here. On heavy eMTB 1200Wh gives me more range than I can ride in a day.
On lightweight cross bike puny 400Wh gives me unlimited range because it just does not want to stay under assist cutoff. Motor helps me start, uphill and to ease out sudden load spikes. Assist is active for 5-8% of the time on my typical rides. And Bosch SX motor is built around being easy to pedal with lowest possible drag so no problem to ride it in 'off' mode.
qbg@reddit
Similar here. I set mine so the assist cuts out at 10 MPH. I did a 5.8 mile ride yesterday and the 500WH battery only dropped 2%.
chuckwolf@reddit
Range Anxiety is really only an issue if you insist on only using the highest assist level or full throttle all the time.
But if you're willing to go a bit slower you can extend your range tremendously.
even with a completely legal stat 48 volt 750 watt Class 3 bike with a 15 Amp hour battery.
which mathematically has battery that lasts for 1 hour at 28 mph for a \~28 mile range but simply changing it to PAS 1 only uses roughly 20% of the amperage for a 5 hour battery life at say 10 mph for a 50 mile range.
Quercus408@reddit
Unless I need the airport, my life basically transpires over a 5 mile radius, so I try not to let it get to me.
Dude_9@reddit
https://i.redd.it/eo38yxp1j5zg1.gif
Worried_Document8668@reddit
nope, no anxiety. unless i go for serious mountaineering with lots of elevation, i know i get more out of my 400wh battery than i can ride for the day.
I ride pretty minimal assist on a lightweight bike with a lot of my riding happening above the assist cut-off. That's why i don't use all that much battery
Necessary-Break5978@reddit
Yes I think we all do have battery anxiety every now and then, when the battery goes completely flat it feels like you have flat tires and the brakes are on, yes I have run out of battery a couple times it makes 3 miles feel like 6, you don't realise how heavy the battery and motor is a until there is no more power
GTAIVisbest@reddit
I really don't understand. I have a crappy Costco bike at home that I've been dailying for a month or two. It's heavy for an analogue bike, but not that heavy.
I went and rented a $1,600 e-bike, a Giant Roam E + with a huge battery, motor, controller, etc. I decided for shits and giggles to turn off the electric motor entirely and go for a ride around some outdoor trails in the cascade mountain range. I was expecting it to be exactly like what you said, to the point of being torturous to try and pedal that thing around without any electronic assistance
What I did NOT expect was that it somehow felt smoother and easier to pedal that thing than my analogue bike back home. Sometimes I had to double check that the electric assist was off because it really felt like it was giving me a little boost (it was off). When I got back home and jumped back on my cruddy bike, it felt harder to ride and gain momentum then the heavy e bike with the engine off
Are my wheel bearings so absolutely shitty? What in the world is going on
Tasty-Fox9030@reddit
That "shouldn't" be the case but sometimes could be if you have a very low end (maybe even incorrectly assembled) bike vs a medium to high end one.
Could your tires be flat? That greatly increases rolling resistance. Maybe your gearing on the Costco bike is bad.
GTAIVisbest@reddit
I installed a better 11t-32t freewheel on the Costco bike and the tires stay at 60 PSI. I'm thinking maybe the wheel bearings are bad because when I took the rear wheel off to change the freewheel, the wheel bearing wouldn't really spin smoothly from being twisted by hand
planegoeswoosh@reddit
Thats your answer. A good wheel makes a huge difference, its always the first upgrade to make on a cheap bike, then the gears
New-Werewolf-9853@reddit
The first comment has already been deleted, so I’ve got no idea what it said. I will say however that I purchased a 2020 Giant Revolt E+ a couple of weeks ago. I’ve put about 500kms on it so far, and it is brilliant. It’s fantastic to ride with the motor on and very quick off the mark. On eco mode the power cutoff is barely noticeable (I’m in Australia so only have motor assistance to 25kph). With that said I’ll do most of my rides either over the cutoff speed, or with the motor off anyway because it just rides so nicely in analogue mode. The only time you notice the difference is on steep inclines, but the I either work harder or switch the motor on.
Fetz-@reddit
I can't relate.
Why don't you just pedal home.
For me the battery is a nice additional boost, but nit necessary.
PinnuTV@reddit
Gl trying that with rear hub motor. Once it's dead it's like you have massive brake applied all the time. Not a problem on mid drive, it's little harder to pedal than it would normally be
Fetz-@reddit
I have a front hub motor and I've gone on rides without my battery before.
Its nice to have when riding uphill or against the wind, but I don't need the battery.
PinnuTV@reddit
well u must have much better one than. As I have one from 2017 and when u try to spin rear wheel it spins like max 1-2s no matter how hard u try to spin it. There could be something broken too as its old already
As I already said on my mid drive, it is just little harder and could easily get back home even if need to do very long distance, but with my old rear hub bike, you need to push like 200-300w with legs to get similar speed like u would around 100w or so. It is a lot harder, combine that with close to 30kg and its nightmare to get up really steep 10% + hills
Fetz-@reddit
I'm using a Bafang 500W front hub kit and I electrified my old mountain bike with it.
If your hub motor has that much friction, then something is broken.
PinnuTV@reddit
Have you done tests like how fast u got based on wattage? like using 100w, how fast it is going on flat when pedaling like 70-90 cadence? with 100w on my old rear hub I get around 25-30 km/h
also how long does ur front wheel spin when all turned off. Does it spin like normal wheel would or little less?
InternalCombustion96@reddit
if one brought a charger on the ride, would it be possible to stop for a quick sip o juice?
where would it be?
BeSiegead@reddit
Earlier (2010) generation of ebike caused just this challenge. I had a hilly 16 mile commute. I arrived at work on fumes and would recharge there. First commute, I realized the impact of net 400 feet more climbing on way home (or, well, tired at end of day?) and had battery die with a hilly mile to go. For the remaining time of that commute, I would stop at a Starbucks for a drink (saying to myself that the cost was 25% of savings due to riding bike) and enough charging (15 minutes enough) so I didn’t face that last hilly mile with a dead-weight battery,
Dapper_Challenge2179@reddit
It is very possible and done frequently but it also depends on your definition of "quick". You can usually use public libraries, coffee shops, cafes, some restaurants etc. Go in, have a bite to eat, relax and chill for an hour or so. I have also used a small inverter to charge while I was in an area without power and doing other things. I use a 40v greenworks inverter since I already have 2 of those batteries. It's small and the batteries are light too, small footprint in a bag.
JG-at-Prime@reddit
Yes. That’s possible if you can find a convenient outlet.
If you calculate your battery percentage in amp hours you will be able to judge how long to stay. A 2 amp charger will put in 2 amps per hour. A fast charger will put in 3 to 5 amps per hour.
Erander@reddit
Technically yes but really depends how fast of a charger Id say even then stop would need to be for about an hour
wlexxx2@reddit
ha ha''
yeah i used to bring charger to work every day
11 mi range with hills, cheap ebike, now broken
drone6391@reddit
My Mom got “range anxiety “ so bad with her new electric car, that she traded it off in about one year. I didn’t understand why she felt so anxious about it, but after studying this effect, I soon understood from her perspective.
So I can understand even though I and most of the people that I know riding e-bikes only use them for recreation.
Dapper_Challenge2179@reddit
Before I got a second battery, range anxiety was definitely real. Used to carry a small inverter and my charger just in case. After I got the second battery, anxiety is gone 😁
ralphiooo0@reddit
If I’m going on a longer ride I pedal on lowest assist.
On the way back you know how much you can boost it.
_Cerebral_Musings@reddit
More Ah
Suitable-Ad3475@reddit
Couldn't be me. I am above the fabric of reality. I want it to go 100km on a single charge, it goes 100km on a single charge. I am better than all you mortal fools who have anxiety over that you have control on.
derping1234@reddit
On my commute i find the opposite to be true. Charge every 5-6 days, or whenever the battery ends up dropping below 20%. Even with the motor turned off it is not that difficult to get our big e-cargo bike to go, as long as we stay on flat terrain.
Icy-Bookkeeper7833@reddit
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