Hello from the "Land of Entrapment"

[gharring]

I am a student at the University of New Mexico and very interested in exploring ways to economize my commute. I am completely new to the concept of motorizing my bicycle and am here to research the best, most efficient way to do so.

Which way do I go now? I mean, nobody in this town has a company dedicated to offering this sort of product. The one guy who does is relatively useless in offering information. He just wants me to give him $900.00 bucks to fit my bike with his engine of choice. I can't say that I blame him, but I won't be surrendering to his bias--especially when I know that motorized bicycle kits sell for as little as $150.00 on the net. So.....

What is the most efficient system? So far I have seen Belt Drives, Chain Drives, Friction systems (seem blah), jet engines (no way!!). Of course I will research this forum thoroughly but if anyone can offer a good suggestion of what I should be focusing on I would appreciate it. I am looking for the BEST, MOST EFFICIENT way to motorize my 24'' Canondale mountain bike.
Thanks for your time,
Gabriel

 

[stude13]

hi ring; there are members in n.m., chk. in members list. if i had the money, a gebe belt drive w/ subaru is my choice around 600 and 1hr install, chin. kits atound 180 and hours to mount and much fiddleing. time vs money. good luck mitch

 

[duivendyk]

That depends on your circumstances.Please give some particulars 1) How long your commute, 2)Flat or hilly terrain,3) Cost below $500 or not,4) reliability & durability paramount? 5) your level of mechanical knowledge and ability,6)access to tools.

 

[CalgarysFool]

$900 seems pretty high, when you can drive a complete bike with engine, right off the showroom floor for less.

Brent

 

[gharring]

Dvivendyk;

The commute is about 24 miles round trip.
The terrain is basically flat, with a steady 10 degree slope.
I will spend as much as $700.00 if a superior product warrants such cost.
If I spend 700.00 it BETTER BE RELIABLE--yes reliability is paramount.
I am not practiced at mechanics but have a strong aptitude.
I have a basic tool box, but I would be willing to purchase a few extras if needed to maintain my new investment.

Basically, I am committed to this idea. It satisfies many personal ideals, the most encouraging at the moment is that I will be more likely to consistently ride my bike if I know that I have the option of motorized assistance in times of need. If I have the time, I will motorize my bike with my legs and take a quick shower in the gym before class. If not, I will use the motor.

If the kit has a decent set of directions, I can put it together. If I can't, I'll spend the $20.00 on a case of bear and have one of my grease monkey friends come over and help me out--heck maybe I'll do that anyway! Mini Motor Bike Party...here we go again!!

Thanks for your response Dvivendyk--and all others who choose to reply--I look forward to your suggestions.

 

[Skyliner70cc]

Dax Titan when it comes back onto the market....www.thatsdax.com

 

[sweet valley high]

It depends on what you mean by efficient.

Requiring the least amount of work/time to attach to the bike? If so friction drive would be the way to go.

If efficient means least amount of wasted energy by the engine, I would think that friction drive would get low marks.

 

[CalgarysFool]

So, SweetValley, are you suggesting we don't "vote for Pedro"?

Funny Avatar!

Cudos to GHarring for this initiative. You'll be ridin' to and from school for pennies a day, helping keep the earth green, whilst havin' a ball ridin' in the open air.

I'm bikeless now, and still, but will be ordering from Spooky Tooth tomorrow. They tell me they have a new engine coming in the next week, and it promises to be even more reliable than the 50cc and 80cc current offerings. The new one will be 66cc. Too soon for me to speak up in their favor, but I have read good reports on this site, prior to deciding to go this route.

Hope you'll keep the forum posted on your decision, and how it works out for you.

-Brenton

 

[duivendyk]

10 degree incline seems highly unlikely,that is a actually steep 17% grade, tang(10 degree) =0.176. Most people (myself included) wildly overestimate a grade.What gears do you use on your mountain bike going up hill (Front& rear sprocket size,26" wheel ?),that will give a reasonable idea.If you want to get scientific about it,have a level and a ruler you can measure the steepest part.It's not hard,I can tell you how.Hills esp. long ones take a lot of power to climb at reasonable speed and pretty much dictate the design criteria.

 

[gharring]

Yes, I may be off on the slope ratio--forgive me for I live at the base of a 5000 foot mountain and the slope seems mighty grand when coming home. No I do not wish to get scientific about it--I'll leave the trigonometric equations for those civil engineers who don't own a TI-89. I simply want to know what the the most efficient motor kit I can buy is, and what system is most recommended, and roughly how much it will cost. So duivendyk, please offer me some useful information if you have it. I believe that you must, since you seem to be so technically inclined.
Thank you for your time.