Range Hacking, it's come to this.

[sparrow]

I've been eMTB riding a lot the last 2-3 years, love it, lucky to have legal, fun singletrack in my backyard. I've been experimenting with Bosch, Shimano, Brose, Yamaha on various bikes. I just got a PowerPlay Rocky Mountain Altitude for 2019 riding. Stoked. Def the best eMTB I've swung a leg over.

There is a rumor of a Rocky-authorized, designed and produced range extension battery coming around the pike, that'd be nice to add 250-300wh to the 632 WH battery, but not really necessary for most of my rides. Still a good option.

But my utltimate range hack I fear has come to this: I'm gonna drop some fat off my physique. That's right. Doubling down on low-carb and fasting. Plan is to drop 25-30 pounds. I project 15% or more range increase from this.

Have any of you resorted to such drastic measures? I have naturally dropped 10 pound since eMTB became my "thing". I just ride more time, at higher heart rates and more often. So some fat loss came along with that. But now, I'm gonna actually focus on it.

 

[xcentric]

I reckon you could lose 40lbs easily by taking off a leg.....

 

[steve_sordy]

......... I'm gonna drop some fat off my physique. That's right. Doubling down on low-carb and fasting. Plan is to drop 25-30 pounds. I project 15% or more range increase from this.

............

I admire your dedication and I wish you well. How did you calculate that 25-30 pounds less weight will give you 15% range increase?

 

[sparrow]

I admire your dedication and I wish you well. How did you calculate that 25-30 pounds less weight will give you 15% range increase?

Mainly a guess, but I do have a riding partner at 25lb less than me that gets 15% better range consistently, when on same bikes even.

 

[sparrow]

I reckon you could lose 40lbs easily by taking off a leg.....

Nah, gotta keep my legs for spinning those magnets!

 

[steve_sordy]

Mainly a guess, but I do have a riding partner at 25lb less than me that gets 15% better range consistently, when on same bikes even.

Close enough!

 

[Vilt]

So true. I speak from experience.

 

[More-read-than-ride]

I've been eMTB riding a lot the last 2-3 years, love it, lucky to have legal, fun singletrack in my backyard. I've been experimenting with Bosch, Shimano, Brose, Yamaha on various bikes. I just got a PowerPlay Rocky Mountain Altitude for 2019 riding. Stoked. Def the best eMTB I've swung a leg over.

There is a rumor of a Rocky-authorized, designed and produced range extension battery coming around the pike, that'd be nice to add 250-300wh to the 632 WH battery, but not really necessary for most of my rides. Still a good option.

But my utltimate range hack I fear has come to this: I'm gonna drop some fat off my physique. That's right. Doubling down on low-carb and fasting. Plan is to drop 25-30 pounds. I project 15% or more range increase from this.

Have any of you resorted to such drastic measures? I have naturally dropped 10 pound since eMTB became my "thing". I just ride more time, at higher heart rates and more often. So some fat loss came along with that. But now, I'm gonna actually focus on it.

impressive and good for you! without getting too personal how much do you weigh now and do you know your percentaje? depending on your age, I wouldnt recommend going too low, maybe 12-14% body fat if you are over 40.

 

[tomato paste]

But if you spend 1000 you could reduce your drive train weight by 100g?

 

[steve_sordy]

It's a while ago now, probably 6-7 years, but I sent a bit of time working out how much it would cost to reduce weight of a bike. Actually, it was my bike (Kona Dawg Supreme), so it was already pretty light. Wherever I looked it was about £1/gram, or £1000 per kilo. Obviously it's a lot cheaper to do that with bikes further down the budget scale.

I once reduced the weight of a Trek 7100 hybrid by 4.7 lbs (2.13 kg), but It was a bike burdened with a suspension seatpost, back carrier, enormous saddle, mudguards and generally heavy componentry. So a lot of stuff was just ditched. I swapped the bar, stem, seatpost and saddle with items that had been released from my Kona Kula when I lightened it with better stuff bought new. Would you believe me when I say that the Trek was transformed?

 

[dirt huffer]

When i was racing a lot, i was struggling to squeeze the last drops out of the orange (needed to drop like 15lbs)
The way I did it was i cut out every calorie drink and just drank water. It took around 3 months but i lost the 15lbs and kept it off. Anyways good luck!

 

[Lee67]

Nah im thinking same... ive always rode bikes and done plenty of biggg rides over the years , but since buying two emtbs just before xmas ive rode more rides simply cos im not as tired... now im nearly 52 and on Jan 1st i was 14.5 stone... this week ive hit 13.1 stone just with riding! I eat like a donkey still and have loads of chocolate/ crisps etc... but like you im thinking range, even tho both my giants get me 60+ miles over 5000 ft i want more... so ive knocked off coca cola ( had it everyday) and only have two mugs of tea/ coffee a day now instead of 10+....water is the way... so im gonna still ride but drink water all day and hopefully i will see 12 stone by summer( thats my goal)...

 

[steve_sordy]

............. im nearly 52 and on Jan 1st i was 14.5 stone... this week ive hit 13.1 stone just with riding! ....... so ive knocked off coca cola and .............im gonna still ride but drink water all day and hopefully i will see 12 stone by summer( thats my goal)...

I would expect that the "range" in your life will grow as well. Losing 2.5 stone will give you more years to ride.

 

[Lee67]

I would expect that the "range" in your life will grow as well. Losing 2.5 stone will give you more years to ride.

Yes thats another bonus too i hope

 

[sparrow]

impressive and good for you! without getting too personal how much do you weigh now and do you know your percentaje? depending on your age, I wouldnt recommend going too low, maybe 12-14% body fat if you are over 40.

Dunno %. But dropping 25lb oughta be easily still no where near skinny. 2x a week heavy/short lifting, protein sparing modified fasts (rare) and zero cardio (other than eMTB riding) should do the trick. 50yo 5’11” and 210 is just too fat

 

[sparrow]

Yes thats another bonus too i hope

I don’t even know what a Stone is! I’m an ugly American

 

[sparrow]

But if you spend 1000 you could reduce your drive train weight by 100g?

Probably do that too!

 

[bobh3501]

A stone is 14 lbs.

 

[steve_sordy]

I don’t even know what a Stone is! I’m an ugly American

A stone is an Imperial measurement that us quaint Brits use. One stone = 14 pounds, and just in case an American pound is different to a proper British one (with 16 ounces), one stone = 6.35 kg

 

[outerlimits]

I’m 120kg and want to put on another 30kg at least so I can go down hill faster. No way do I want to loose any more weight...

 

[steve_sordy]

I’m 120kg and want to put on another 30kg at least so I can go down hill faster. No way do I want to loose any more weight...

If you put on another 30kg, you will not only go DownHill faster, you will also go downhill!

 

[outerlimits]

If you put on another 30kg, you will not only go DownHill faster, you will also go downhill!

Never get what I want anyway, wishful thinking as always,

 

[Trail Doug]

4st (56lb) lost since I retired last June. Still having another 2st (28lb) to go just to not be classed as overweight should tell you how large I'd become although at 6ft4 it didnt show quite as much as it would on a Hobbit. Strava times have tumbled on all my local climbs even on the pedal MTB with the Eebie allowing me to ride routes I never thought I would again to the point I'm now targetting some of them on the normal bike again.

 

[steve_sordy]

Could all the money spent on new clothes bought you a new bike!

Well done anyway.

I only lost two stone, but it was no effort (I'm glad to say).

 

[digger]

Hey Sparrow, I started intermittent fasting in September and by November I had lost 15kg. Not particularly calorie counting but not taking the p**s either. SO many benefits on top of battery range

 

[Kernow]

Today , 3of us all on same motors , wieght varied from me 100 kilo to my freshly dieted mate at 60-70 kilo and one at 70-80 kg it was very obvious the wieght difference had on battery life , I would say as mentioned here that extra 25kg cost me at least 15% less in battery life . The ride ended as mine ran out , but it’s hard to say how just how far the other two would have gone middle wieght rider was also on red so maybe another mile if so , lightest still on 2 bars maybe 2-4 miles left . Or simply put none of us would have made it much past the 20 mile point which is disapionting as most of the ride was in eco , a few heavy climbs and headwinds quite cold .

 

[outerlimits]

Today , 3of us all on same motors , wieght varied from me 100 kilo to my freshly dieted mate at 60-70 kilo and one at 70-80 kg it was very obvious the wieght difference had on battery life , I would say as mentioned here that extra 25kg cost me at least 15% less in battery life . The ride ended as mine ran out , but it’s hard to say how just how far the other two would have gone middle wieght rider was also on red so maybe another mile if so , lightest still on 2 bars maybe 2-4 miles left . Or simply put none of us would have made it much past the 20 mile point which is disapionting as most of the ride was in eco , a few heavy climbs and headwinds quite cold .

Something wrong there as I just done 45km with 1500 meters of elevation (28mile 4920feet) all climbs in turbo 100% and rest in trail 75% and eco 40% pp. had 37% left in the tank after that off-road journey. Oh btw, I’m 120kg too

 

[Kernow]

Something wrong there as I just done 45km with 1500 meters of elevation (28mile 4920feet) all climbs in turbo 100% and rest in trail 75% and eco 40% pp. had 37% left in the tank after that off-road journey. Oh btw, I’m 120kg too

That sounds amazing , what bike are you using . When comparing battery life it seems
Every ride is different, ours was all on moorland grass , no hard tracks , the climbs have you using the lowest gears , unless you actually do the same ride together it’s hard to compare . I can get a lot more miles and elevation at a trail centre sheltered from a headwind on fast rolling hardpack tracks . There’s about 8 of us regularly ride this area on shimano and Bosch powered bikes and we all get very similar results . It improves a lot on warmer days when the ground is dry .
Today I managed 17.52 miles and climbed 2433ft according to strava and my battery died 400m from the end , that’s typical winter riding for us .

 

[outerlimits]

That sounds amazing , what bike are you using . When comparing battery life it seems
Every ride is different, ours was all on moorland grass , no hard tracks , the climbs have you using the lowest gears , unless you actually do the same ride together it’s hard to compare . I can get a lot more miles and elevation at a trail centre sheltered from a headwind on fast rolling hardpack tracks . There’s about 8 of us regularly ride this area on shimano and Bosch powered bikes and we all get very similar results . It improves a lot on warmer days when the ground is dry .
Today I managed 17.52 miles and climbed 2433ft according to strava and my battery died 400m from the end , that’s typical winter riding for us .

It’s a 2018 Levo worth 504wh battery but capacity has declined to 460w. The steepest climb was around 1km and it was thick clay mud. Was on gravel roads, and sandy sections of trail. Definitely plenty of power sapping drag, it was sticky mud mostly.

 

[Kernow]

It’s a 2018 Levo worth 504wh battery but capacity has declined to 460w. The steepest climb was around 1km and it was thick clay mud. Was on gravel roads, and sandy sections of trail. Definitely plenty of power sapping drag, it was sticky mud mostly.

Without riding together in the same place who knows , I went for a ride a few weeks back with a friend who had a demmo Levo , he got similar miles to me but we noticed how low the modes were , the Levo needed it’s middle power mode to equal the shimano eco or lowest mode and it’s boost was similar to my mid range trail , perhaps lots of use of that low mode on the Levo helps . I often wish I had a lower than eco mode and I only use the boost for fun its never needed to climb anything