Extra battery or new bike?

[melmark]

How many of you carry an extra battery? 500wh is not enough for me. I just got a new Commencal Race, and while its an awesome bike, I run out of battery on a local high climb before reaching my goal (+4000ft elevation gain). The same thing happened when I rented a 2017 Levo. btw the Commencal blew away the old version of the Levo, especially downhill.

So I'm now tempted to swap/sell the Commencal to get a new Levo with the 700 Wh battery. Either that or carry another Shimano brick on my back to extend the range (which of course would be more than the 700Wh total on the Levo). That doesn't sound very appealing.

 

[outerlimits]

If your current battery holds up to most of your riding desires then stick with that. And get an extra battery for when you want to go further. If it ain’t cutting the mustard, then upgrade the bike.

I got a 2018 Levo and was thinking the same thing. Another battery or new bike.
Currently my battery is good for most my rides, but on occasions I would like to go further. Current 504wh battery now only holds 460wh. I’m going to stick with it for a while sacrificing longer rides.

 

[stiv674]

I carry a spare battery every time I go out, admittedly it's the Focus t.e.c one so isn't overly heavy. Once I'm riding I don't really notice it's there.

Maybe get one of the dedicated ebike backpacks to carry the spare battery.

 

[SquireRides]

I sometimes take a second battery on long rides, but I only half fill it, so it weighs less.

 

[steve06]

i bought the girl friend the same bike, so if i go on a big ride with the boys i take her battery (500wh) in my back pack, weighs a ton though

 

[R120]

On one of my longest loops there is a cafe half way round, I drop off my spare battery there on my way back from work the day before, and then I can swap out the battery half way round

 

[Akiwi]

i bought the girl friend the same bike, so if i go on a big ride with the boys i take her battery (500wh) in my back pack, weights a ton though

I did the same thing and have taken her battery with me a couple of times. (Though the girl friend became my wife many years ago).
A good backpack helps distribute the weight well.
I think that is also the advantage of the external standard older batteries over the new Tube batteries where form exceeds Function. So the bikes look cool, but if you want to take a spare battery with you, then you have an ungainley long heavy tube to try to get in your backpack. The Battery Pack fits in the lower pocket of my Deuter Trans Alp Pro 28 Backpack, so the center of gravity is low, and the semi rigid frame distributes the weight well.

 

[SquireRides]

On one of my longest loops there is a cafe half way round, I drop off my spare battery there on my way back from work the day before, and then I can swap out the battery half way round

Cafe? I'd take the 4-amp charger and just have a loooong lunch break while I refill the battery. That should give you at least a 25% boost.

I've done a few all-dayers where I've stopped for brunch, lunch and a snack, recharging each time.

 

[Russell]

Is there no way to make a mount and stick it on the bike, swap over when needed?
If you could figure it out you will have
a 1000wats and no brick on your back.
Maybe see if there is a pelican case that could house the battery and be mounted somewhere. If it can't be done then a new bike will be needed. That would be my course of action.

 

[Peaky Rider]

Is there no way to make a mount and stick it on the bike, swap over when needed?
If you could figure it out you will have
a 1000wats and no brick on your back.
Maybe see if there is a pelican case that could house the battery and be mounted somewhere. If it can't be done then a new bike will be needed. That would be my course of action.

If only Focus bikes had thought of that.

 

[Akiwi]

I had the Focus Jam2 with the extra battery, and that was pretty sweet.

 

[HateClimbs]

@melmark I had the same dilemma where the 504Wh was a limit for my rides. Opted for a ‘19 Levo with 700Wh and so glad I did. Not ran out of battery yet....

 

[melmark]

No cafes to recharge where I ride. Thats a laugh. I'm miles and thousands of feet up from the nearest anything. Its wilderness. So its either levo time or carry a large chunk of lithium with me for the 4000 ft climb. Another benefit of the Levo here in OC is that it is more stealth than the Commencal. And e-bikes are "outlawed" in most areas around here, which was news to me.

If anyone has a 19 levo in OC they just cant stand anymore, or wants to swap for a brand new Meta 29 Race + cash (large frame), lets talk...

 

[HikerDave]

No cafes to recharge where I ride. Thats a laugh. I'm miles and thousands of feet up from the nearest anything. Its wilderness. So its either levo time or carry a large chunk of lithium with me for the 4000 ft climb. Another benefit of the Levo here in OC is that it is more stealth than the Commencal. And e-bikes are "outlawed" in most areas around here, which was news to me.

If anyone has a 19 levo in OC they just cant stand anymore, or wants to swap for a brand new Meta 29 Race + cash (large frame), lets talk...

Bulls EStream Evo En di2 looks interesting to me with it’s dual-battery system; 375 Wh in each battery.

 

[HikerDave]

Bulls EStream Evo En di2 looks interesting to me with it’s dual-battery system; 375 Wh in each battery.

its

 

[steve_sordy]

its what?

 

[melmark]

It's a correction of his punctuation errrror

 

[steve_sordy]

Ah! I get the picture.

error

 

[Pendo]

It's a correction of his punctuation errrror

Thought it might have been the intro to Monty Pythons Flying Circus.

 

[R120]

What mode are you riding in? 4000ft should be achievable with the Shimano E8000/504Wh combo though you might run out of juice on the way back down depending on distance of the ride

 

[melmark]

What mode are you riding in? 4000ft should be achievable with the Shimano E8000/504Wh combo though you might run out of juice on the way back down depending on distance of the ride

Trial mode mostly, some eco.

 

[melmark]

Trail mode. Its all uphill without a break for several hours, rough stuff rocks for a lot of it