- Getting stuck in the mountains
or the woods with an e-bike
with no battery left
is certainly not a very good look.
So knowing your range,
the amount you can travel on one charge is arguably,
well probably, definitely
one of the most important pieces of technical knowledge
you can have for you and your e-bike.
You could argue I suppose that you could do all that.
You could find your range from an app sat in a cafe,
but does that really give you the true picture?
(bright music)
As some people would argue that an e-bike
has a fuel gauge which tells you
just how much juice you have left in the tank,
or an app or software which helps you predict
whether you can get round a particular loop or not.
But having detailed knowledge
about what you and your close partner
are capable of is absolutely invaluable
when it comes to riding an e-mountain bike.
(short warped whooshing)
Now before we start,
I should've point out that
not all e-bike batteries are linear.
And that means that some discharge quicker
when they get closer to empty status.
Now, the bottom line is
actually only you know what you're capable of.
And that's dependent on so many factors.
So let's have a look at some of them.
(warped whooshing)
The first factor is battery capacity.
Whether you're talking 400Wh,
500, 625 or 700Wh,
the bigger the battery,
the bigger the range.
The same time,
the bigger the rider, the less range.
Now as an example of rider weight,
a 50 kilo rider on a 700Wh battery
might be able to climb 10,000 feet,
whereas maybe a 90 kilo rider
might only be able to do 5,000 feet
on an equivalent battery.
Yes, rider weight really is a big factor
because a lighter rider
will probably be able to ride in Eco Mode more
during the day than a heavier rider
who might be riding in Trail Mode.
But it's when you get to those punchy climbs,
that lighter rider will be able to use Turbo Mode
because they're simply going to be taking less charge
from the battery.
So for light rider, it's win win win.
Now tire profile and compound
will have a big, big effect on battery range.
For example, on a 20 minute technical climb,
you could be looking at up to 20% difference
between a soft compound tire and a hard compound tire
in amount that it takes from that battery.
Well that's a smooth surface dude.
Now surfaces will have a big effect on range.
I mean just look at those geese behind me
gliding along on that smooth water surface.
Now if that water surface was choppy,
then those geese would definitely need
a bit more bread.
(warped whooshing)
And it's not just the surface conditions.
It's the track type and the ground conditions too.
Whether it be mud, rock, roots,
or even obstacles such as this.
They're all going to have an influence on your battery range.
(warped whooshing)
So are there any quick answers
to this whole range puzzle?
Well, actually yes there is.
Now many brands have range finders on their websites.
On which you can actually calculate
how much distance you on your bike can go
actually based on some of the variables
we've already discussed in this video.
Now here then is a rangefinder on the Specialized website.
Now my weight riding hilly terrain,
with infrequent stops,
I have these numbers on a Levo.
Now that's with a 500Wh battery
and riding in Turbo Mode.
So 23 miles and just over 2,000 foot of climbing.
So that's pretty reasonable,
but now change that to a 700Wh battery
and it becomes a very different picture.
More distance, more height.
Nearly 10 miles more and nearly 1,000 foot more altitude.
And what about a 400Wh battery.
Now here's a Hardtail Levo in Turbo Mode,
and still not a bad day out.
But now look at these two measurements based
when you switch down an assistance to Trail Mode.
Now note the difference though when you change
from hills to mountains.
You could either get more miles or more climbing.
But what about the reality?
(fast drums rolling)
Now I'm going to talk you through two big rides,
which I've been on recently
and I show you just how changing ground conditions
will actually affect the battery range massively
on an e-bike.
Now our first examples of a ride
that I did back in the summer,
slightly wet conditions,
I'm 70 kilos.
I was riding a 700Wh battery,
mostly in Trail Mode with a little bit of Eco.
I stay on these fairly trails this year,
mix of feral climb,
single-track climb and technical descents.
Now when you look at the numbers,
they're actually pretty close.
And I got 5,500 feet out of one 700Wh battery
with actually quite soft tires.
And actually I got more mileage
than that was actually predicted
on the Specialized rangefinder tool.
So when you take in account
the different ground conditions all over the world,
it really is incredibly accurate.
However, as good as the basic range finders are,
although they're becoming increasingly sophisticated,
there is simply no way they can take into account
the different tire compounds,
the different gradients that you find on a route,
the different rider styles,
and of course a rider's use of the mode button.
And what about the weather and the wind?
Nice weather for,
those are geese, not ducks,
and then you head into the mud.
Now the tires,
tires are going to be sliding,
the bike's going to be putting on pounds per second
on the drag.
What is that going to do if not take massive amount
from your battery range.
Have a look then at the numbers
of this particularly nasty ride,
which I did in the winter.
As you can see, there's only 3,000 feet
of climbing on one battery.
That's two and a half thousand feet less than
on the previous ride
and 10 miles less in range as well.
So what contributes to such a massive difference?
Well, it's all the things I mentioned earlier
such as the added weight,
which is getting on your bike
because the mud is piling on there.
Plus such things as the mud getting tangled up
in the gearing and the derailleur,
all contributing to more drag and drain on your battery.
So if it goes less strange in one direction,
imagine then if you went to a super dry country,
with low profile tires,
hard compound tires and loads of pressure,
then the rangefinder actually might underestimate the rides.
You might be actually getting more
out of the bike than less.
(warped whooshing)
So far we've looked at the Specialized system,
but what about comparisons
of what we've done today with say, a Bosch motor?
Well, as I mentioned earlier,
the surface conditions do have a huge impact.
A 500Wh battery in hilly terrain,
well somewhere between 17 and 28 miles.
And when you consider the Specialized at 23 miles,
it's pretty close.
And what about Shimano?
Well the guys at Shimano reckon
on about 50 kilometers in boost mode.
My actual experience is about half that distance,
but with about 450 meters more of climbing.
So do range finders work?
Well out of the basic ones we've looked at today,
yes, they do to a certain extent.
But I'm sure you'll agree
that the picture isn't that straightforward.
And it really is important for you to know
what you and your e-bike have got in the tank,
so to speak.
The reason I say that as I'm giving an example
of an event we went to last year.
Day one featured 17,000 feet of climbing
and I knew that on three 700Wh batteries,
I could only do 15,000 feet.
But nevertheless, I knew what I was capable of.
And I actually knew what my colleague at 50 kilos
was capable of.
Because I knew he could do probably about 10,000 feet.
So I knew that he could actually take up the shortfall,
which I had.
The question is, do you know what range you've got
from you and your e-bike?
Because it really is important,
especially if you're getting into
dangerous mountainous terrain.
Give us thumbs up if you like this video
and also don't forget
to follow us on social media.