Sani2c on an ebike

[zimcruiser]

H i guys, my wife and i normally ride 100 to 130 kms a week on our mountain bikes. We are early 60s and would like to try Sani2c on e bikes. We are looking at buying Trek rail 9.7s. Do you think the batteries will last each day? I know it depends on the level of assist we use but if we use sparingly (for the big climbs) will we be ok? We have not done Sani2c before, and have never ridden e bikes before, hence the question. Very many thanks: Brent

[Me rida my bicycle]

@ChrisF dink jy sal hier bietjie lig kan skyn 👍🏼

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, Me rida my bicycle said:

@ChrisF dink jy sal hier bietjie lig kan skyn 👍🏼

Ouch .. . Hoe lank is daai stuk tou ...  🤪

[ChrisF]

9 hours ago, zimcruiser said:

H i guys, my wife and i normally ride 100 to 130 kms a week on our mountain bikes. We are early 60s and would like to try Sani2c on e bikes. We are looking at buying Trek rail 9.7s. Do you think the batteries will last each day? I know it depends on the level of assist we use but if we use sparingly (for the big climbs) will we be ok? We have not done Sani2c before, and have never ridden e bikes before, hence the question. Very many thanks: Brent

 

Actually a very difficult question to answer ...

 

By the sounds of it, you both are able bodied cyclists.  Just wanting a bit of assist for the longer rides ....

 

For this, many ebike owners use the phone app and lower the assist level for two reasons:

 

1. Minimal assist on the level, to maximize the range.

2. A slightly higher assist level for head winds and long hills.....

 

 

So what does this mean in real life ?

 

 

The CTCT, a.k.a. Argus, is 109km with about 1800m elevation.

 

Many ebikers had a backpack with a spare battery.  Others had arranged a mid.point to meet friends to swop out a battery.

 

Yet many ebikers did this with 1 off 625 W.h battery in 2022.  It was a mostly wind free ride, so light on batteries.

 

Ooooops ... Between Campsbay and Seapoint, from about 90km, I encountered a number of ebikers that ran out of battery power.

 

On MTB routes I tend to get shorter range than on the road.  On very windy days the range is drastically impacted !!

 

On the last two 75km MTB events we did the organisers had the option that they would transport your spare battery to the midway water point.  Many took them up on this offer, a few just got on with it and finished the route on one battery.

 

 

 

SO .... the only way to truly know YOUR range .... rent/demo a pair of bikes and do a few Sani like stages.

 

 

All that said .... ebikes allows you to ride further and further.  So it is just a matter of time until you want to do an event/ride that is further than your range ....  well worth looking at the price of 2nd batteries (often heavily discounted when bought with the bike). 

 

More importantly ... how easy is it to replace the battery trail side ??.  Different brands range from easy to a shlep to swop out batteries ...

 

 

 

A quick google search hints at the following for the TREK:

. 625 W.h

. Option for a range extender ... this may just do the trick for the longer rides 👍

. 250W motor, industry standard

. TREK has a very good phone app

 

ENJOY 👍👍

[zimcruiser]

Thanks so much, good advice. I wonder if sani2c has a facility to transport a 2nd battery to one of the water points - for just in.....

[Paul Ruinaard]

There was a guy called Eelco Meyjes who was doing ebike advocacy for Cyclelab and was arranging for battery drop offs on the multiday raves for the ebikes. Maybe look around a bit for him - he lives in parkhurst in Jhb and does graffiti wall tours - very knowledgable and interesting guy.

FWIW 1 x battery would be a stretch for that big bike and if you use the full battery and have to climb on an ebike with no assist you may be in a world of hurt. Like the man says depends on the conditions and how much you dial it up. Wind free and not hot you could be very disciplined and use the app to ration your battery like the Specialised Mission control does but then you will need to have enough fitness so you will need to train. Sec ond option is 2 x batterie sor range extenders which are really nice but either you need to carry the batteries and change them (big and heavy and often can be difficult to change) plus hugely expensive (2 x additional batteries - R 15k each) and very hard to find as they are difficult to import, or you need to position them at a change point and also ensure you can recharge both every evening. I am sure the ebike dudes have solved a number of these issue - for example at w2 W there is a class.

FWIW my wife did CTCT on an ebike with 2 x batteries (specialized levo full fat) and was able to achieve 4h02 and really enjoyed it. But she carried the battery in a backpack and got somoene to help her change it in Simons town.

 

[DuncanDoughnuts]

if you weight under 80kg and have a battery over 700w.h  and use lowest settings with good rolling tires then yes . 

if not ... get a second battery and have it sent to a water point. 

I managed to to 72km  (1600m) with 11% remaining this weekend on a 700ah battery and I weight 87kg running maxis DHR tires and used the trail setting a hand full of times when my legs were starting to cramp, the rest I was in a modified eco settings. (purposely went out to do a range test)

so I think a lighter rider  with good rolling tires should make it. 

 

[Martin PJ]

I saw at Sani this year, they were transporting batteries to the waterpoints, some people rode with chargers and charged for a bit at each point.

[Emazing]

Yip half way there can be the spare charged  battery waiting for you if you have two 

On a specialized turbo levo with 700 watt battery easily done on one battery if you ride on 15% more or less 

The fun factor on E-Bike is 100% plus you not broken and still can have a few drinks braai and laugh! 

The sense of achievement on an E-Bike is 60%

The fun factor on a regular bike is 45% to a max of 50% for the average solid rider coming mid-way in the field. 

Sense of achievement on regular bike 90% 

[ChrisF]

6 hours ago, Emazing said:

Yip half way there can be the spare charged  battery waiting for you if you have two 

On a specialized turbo levo with 700 watt battery easily done on one battery if you ride on 15% more or less 

The fun factor on E-Bike is 100% plus you not broken and still can have a few drinks braai and laugh! 

The sense of achievement on an E-Bike is 60%

The fun factor on a regular bike is 45% to a max of 50% for the average solid rider coming mid-way in the field. 

Sense of achievement on regular bike 90% 

 

WELL said 👍

[mazambaan]

Just for interest I have a Giant Trance E+, 500Wh battery. On a recent ride through the core of Baviaans, about 80km, started with full charge, battery at 93% according to app, used only the lowest mode (one light out of five) and that was set at 50% of that option (you can go down to 25%). Ran out of battery about 2km from Kudu Khaya, i.e more or less 78km.  BUT, guys with a 625Wh battery on a Giant and a 500Wh on a Scott made it relatively easily.

[zimcruiser]

thanks guys for all the feedback. Train train train plus organise 1 x spare battery seems the way to go.

Much appreciated to all who answered

[rorydewet]

I'm not sure how this works.

To my mind an e-bike weighs about 6 to 10 kgs more.

So if you don't use the battery at optimal level doesn't the extra weight cancel out the advantage you get on uphill's.

To my mind its a zero gain game.

If you don't ride at maximum assist on an e bike you putting yourself at a disadvantage due to extra weight.

 

[Spinnekop]

54 minutes ago, rorydewet said:

I'm not sure how this works.

To my mind an e-bike weighs about 6 to 10 kgs more.

So if you don't use the battery at optimal level doesn't the extra weight cancel out the advantage you get on uphill's.

To my mind its a zero gain game.

If you don't ride at maximum assist on an e bike you putting yourself at a disadvantage due to extra weight.

 

"Optimal level" = ride away from everyone.

Normal assist that will help the battery last long will still outweigh the weight disadvantage.

 

[ChrisF]

4 hours ago, rorydewet said:

I'm not sure how this works.

To my mind an e-bike weighs about 6 to 10 kgs more.

So if you don't use the battery at optimal level doesn't the extra weight cancel out the advantage you get on uphill's.

To my mind its a zero gain game.

If you don't ride at maximum assist on an e bike you putting yourself at a disadvantage due to extra weight.

 

 

Despite the symantic differences between brands, the assist levels means you have access to extra power from 0 to 250W ... 

 

On level surfaces it is only the extra drag of the wider tires ... not much assist needed.

 

Climbs ... agreed, use the assist ....

 

Downhills ... not needed.

 

 

Practically .... fit healthy riders use it as a chair lift .... nice long range.

 

Those with health issues use more assist .... less range