BATTERY size, how much is plenty?

[1oldfart]

Looking back 400Wh was standard, then 500Wh was popular.
Now we see 625, 7xx, 9xx
Would you be willing to buy a new bike with a 800Wh or is the weight/price too much?
I just saw Norco offering options . . .
Personnaly 625Wh is my max.
What is yours?

 

[ggx]

1000wh with 400wh weight .

 

[Sander23]

Got a 1000 wh on my hardtail wich I happy with. Range over weight for me.

 

[B1rdie]

With 500wh I can do around 30km with 1000 m elevation on a ride of less than two hours, witch is enough for me. If I am looking for more, will take a spare batterie and double that.

 

[Beekeeper]

Definitely 1000wh

We have 2x500 each and that’s plenty for a full day adventure.

The extra weight is not much fun however and you really start to feel it on a hardtail towards the end if the ground is rocky.

 

[SquireRides]

Levo SL (320Wh) plus two range extenders (160Wh each). Have never needed the second RE. Maybe 20% of my rides need me to use one RE. So i guess my answer is 480Wh.

 

[steve_sordy]

When I got my Focus Jam2 (carbon fibre frame), I thought that the 378Whr frame battery would be more than enough. Thankfully part of the deal (pre-pandemic, when deals existed) was an at-cost TEC pack. Now the frame battery is normally enough, but every now and again I need the extra 378Whr, but so far I have never even come close to using up both batteries. 756Whr and the bike still only weighs 22.6kg!

So I reckon that 630Whr will be enough for me.

 

[EMTBNewbie]

I have both a 700wh and 500wh for my levo, if I’m riding high elevation in the mountains, the bigger the battery the better because it wears you down a lot faster since their is less oxygen. I like to be able to use turbo if needed as much as I need with less battery anxiety. If I’m going camping, taking the bikes locally on short rides, the 500 is perfect for it. And honestly everyone I know who has ridden both batteries can’t tell the difference of the 2lb or whatever it is. My 500wh is more of a backup battery now.

 

[Ridgeway Rider]

I have a 700 wh on my Levo which is good for a 3 to 4 hour ride with no range anxiety (2500 ft). My wife has 625 wh Trek and as she's a lot lighter we usually come back with the same % left. A lot depends on what % level triggers range anxiety. I get twitchy at 20% left so 700 wh suits me

 

[RustyIron]

My 504 gives me what I need. Yesterday was 18+ miles and 3000+ feet of climbing, and I got back with 3/5 bars remaining. Granted, if I had a bigger battery I might change my riding style to allow more assistance with less effort, but right now, that's now how I roll.

 

[Doomanic]

How ever much I have, I end up wanting more. I've got a 625 and can do 45KM and 1500m in EMTB. There was a time that I was done before my battery, but now my battery is done before I am. I could ride with less assistance but that doesn't seem to eek out the range as much as you'd expect and it's nowhere near as fun.

 

[Stoffel]

I done 21 miles and 2,500 feet of climbing in the Brecon Beacons today. I have a 500wh battery and I still had half of it left at the end, I had no desire to go any further or do another lap.
I have a Whyte coming soon with a 625wh battery and I think that will be more than I’ll ever need.
I think I’d only want more range if the weight of the batteries came down, then I could just stick it in turbo all day!

 

[Cory S]

If you can't make a 500/625Wh battery go a LONG way, you need to pedal harder. Gear down and pedal!!!!

 

[Doomanic]

If you can make a 500/625Wh battery go a LONG way, you need to sell the eeb and buy a clockwork bike.

FTFY

I didn't buy an eBike so I could keep working hard!

 

[Gary]

I personally think all the current big heavy large capacity inernal battery Emtbs are pretty horrible to ride.

 

[Steve940]

I've got the 625 battery,don't get chance to ride nearly as often as is like but what I have ridden the battery has been more than enough...and I'm a lump...and fairly unfit..fully charged and being as sensible as possible I can ride 30 miles and have 3/5bars remaining...that's me,heavy and fairly unfit compared to most keen riders here..if I can do that with relative ease then I'm sure most could reach the moon on one charge
Almost forgot....with all of that,I would still opt for bigger if possible

 

[Sidepod]

Big battery for winter:cold weather. Small battery in warm/hot.
The winter:summer range delta on mine is huge.

 

[Mybrainaches]

I think we will trend toward 300-350 built in and then have 200-300 cans to add in which are water bottle sized. I have a vitus e sommet and it’s better than a lot of the other bikes I have ridden I think it’s due to the removable battery being lower down. I think a Santa Cruz bullit with this configuration would come in about 19-20kg even with big tyres and Cush core, and would be perfect for me.

 

[brimcn]

I have never run out of battery on my 700Wh Tubo Levo Comp. Even with full turbo it lasts longer than I do. I've had a few rides with less than 20% left, so might be pushing it with the 500Wh pack.

 

[Doomanic]

I personally think all the current big heavy large capacity inernal battery Emtbs are pretty horrible to ride.

I've got nothing modern to compare them to, but after riding a Bullit today with is a bit lighter than my Panzerkampfwagen Rail I'd tend to agree although my knees are pissed off with me for not riding the Bosch today.

 

[fenwick458]

I'd say 625 is just about right, but it's all I've known so I'm biased. I often run out, and am always keeping an eye on the battery.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Im not sure but im assuming the norco batteries would be a reasonably quick swap between the different sizes? I wonder if you could swap different sizes trail side? With shimano im good most days with my 540 but 2x 540 or 540 and a 700 for some objectives is necessary. Bosch i think id be fine with 2 x 500. Keeps the weight down and packability is reasonable if needed. Still undecided. Maybe a long boost day with 2 x 900 is the shit. Idk

 

[Manc44]

Back in the day (2014) on my first kit I only had 24V/8.8Ah (211.2 Wh) and that did about 12.5 miles on a really lightweight racing style bike, with me probably 40lbs lighter back then. The small range on it was the reason I sold it, since I wanted to do 30 and 40 mile rides, it was easier to just take the thing off and do the rides unpowered. Knowing 211.2 Wh took me 12.5 miles back then I'd guess it would take me about 10 miles now being heavier and on a far heavier bike, so a 48V/17.5Ah (840 Wh) should in theory give me about a 40 mile range, since it's 3.98 times more capacity than the old 24V setup was.

I did want the 48V/24Ah (1152 Wh) but they seem to not be on sale (at reasonable prices) in the UK. China has them but is it really sensible paying £450+ for something like that from AE? Nah! I have no idea why the UK sellers stop at 17.5Ah but they do.

 

[Binhill1]

I got 42 mls with 1000m climbing when bike was new as an experiment using eco only. Few wilderness runs i am looking at I would need more . Don't fancy carrying a spare battery though as I sometimes take food and tea if its a 40 mile trip. Any more miles i would definitely need cream for ma erse.

 

[HarryJune]

I have a 625wh battery and that is more than enough. If buying again now I would buy with smaller battery and lighter weight.

 

[Gyre]

I've burned up just shy of 700Wh on a recent ride in (almost) exclusively Tour mode. I don't intend for that to be the very longest/highest/fastest ride I ever do so I'm glad to have 1125 Wh capacity on my Wild and the ability to easily swap external batteries if needed.

I personally think all the current big heavy large capacity inernal battery Emtbs are pretty horrible to ride.

The extra weight and its forward bias definitely makes drops, jumps, and steps a different beast.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

this is the easiest question in the cosmos to answer...

 

[Binhill1]

I had trip today 27 miles 3000ft ascent battery down to two bars . 700 battery two years old 4000 miles so looks like it's losing some piff already.

 

[Cory S]

I had trip today 27 miles 3000ft ascent battery down to two bars . 700 battery two years old 4000 miles so looks like it's losing some piff already.

Definitely nothing to complain about.

 

[Binhill1]

Definitely nothing to complain about.

Suppose but will it slowly wither away or a gradual depletion. If I need a new battery in the next year I will grudge it . Not sure of price.