Hello from the "Land of Entrapment"

[SimpleSimon]

From your description, I assume you live on the west or northwest side? If so, you could probably pretty much coast to campus, but getting home again is quite another matter. Friction drive would work, most of the time. But when it gets wet, that's another matter.

 

[gharring]

Huh? You must not be from these here parts--west side? Your right about being able to "pretty much coast to campus"--that is assuming I do not take the safest route of dedicated trails and stick to main roads. Unfortunately, anyone who rides round here knows what that will get you. On the other hand, there are some nice bike lanes that I can take advantage of while pimping out gravity on my way to the labs. Either way, the ride to campus is definitely the easy part. Not much rain to worry about here in the high desert, but if a friction drive is inferior to other options, I will avoid it. I just want the best!!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Nope, not from those parts. Passed through on my way cross country in June of '05 - seems I recall a really long, pretty steady slope down from the west side of the valley, then a shorter and more abrupt slope back up east of the river, but it has been a goodly while, I admit.

 

[gharring]

Ok, well I'm at the base of the mountain and thats the East side. So tell me Simon, what's the BEST of the best. This market doesn't seem to be to big yet but I don't have enough time or money to experiment. Do you have experience with the most common options available (belt, chain, friction)? Which one is the most road worthy? Now, of this superior system, what brand should I go for? Please help point me in the right direction.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Ok, well I'm at the base of the mountain and thats the East side. So tell me Simon, what's the BEST of the best. This market doesn't seem to be to big yet but I don't have enough time or money to experiment. Do you have experience with the most common options available (belt, chain, friction)? Which one is the most road worthy? Now, of this superior system, what brand should I go for? Please help point me in the right direction.

I can't answer that, unfortunately. No experience other than with a friction drive set up many years ago. I have read this forum a lot, and I have been researching that very question along with others for over a year now.

In my opinion - and please bear in mind it is only that - you want to go with a four stroke engine, for quietness, cleanness, and reliabiliy. Of the available options, I like the toothed belt drives better than chain for a situation such as yours - again, quieter and cleaner. On campus, both are valid concerns. So, rack mounted four stroke under 50 cc, best muffler you can get, and buy a really good lock and a heavy cable long enough to go through the drive ring and spokes, make a figure eight crossing in the middle of the frame, and through your front wheel spokes to the bike rack. Never been on a university campus yet which wasn't full of bike thieves.

 

[duivendyk]

Based on your 12 mi trip up to the top ? of that 5000 ft mountain,the average slope works out to 7%,quite some climb.
You need the largest engine you can get and the most durable kit.My recommendation would be the left side drive Staton kit (not the NuVinci you can't afford that anyway)with the Honda 49 cc engine and with a 10t output sprocket on the gear box You could also consider a 12t sprocket if you like a strenuous morning workout for a bit more speed .
This would give you an overall gear ratio of 16/10 *18.75= 29.6.At 6000 engine rpm your speed would be 15 mph when going uphill.This gearing is pretty low but you need it to get up that mountain while not flogging that little engine to death.Installing the Staton is fairly straightforward, the instructions are so so. It may involve some drilling at the rear dropouts and hacksawing to cut the gearbox supports to proper size
You will have to freewheel coast down that mountain without the engine,the gearing is too low anyway since you would be doing over 15mph.You will also need good brakes.
The Staton may be more than you can afford,but I rather doubt if any of the other kits will stand up to this severe use.

 

[gharring]

duivendyk:
Thanks for your advice! If you read my previous comments you will see that I clearly state that I live at the BASE of the mountain, not the top. I would asume this is a significant detail to consider in your computations. Seems a waist to set up an equation without recognizing the basic nature of the problem. Never the less it is still "quite some climb."
So tell me, are you a civil engineer? I cant think of any other occupation other than an "old school captain" or perhaps astrologer that so into trigonometry. Even so, most civil engineers of today use two or three buttons and can no longer explain how they know what they think they know.
I truly do appreciate your scientific nature and will take your recommendation of a STATON left side drive seriously. I will research the output sprocket to suit my reality. Perhaps disc brakes are in my future. You truly have given me the foundations of what I must consider to make this work so THANKS AGAIN!!

 

[gharring]

SIMON:
Thank you for your opinion!! Security has definitely been a true concern of mine. If they don't steel the entire bike and motor, they will try to steel the motor itself! I will definitely be thinking of creative ways to make either option difficult. I am working on a stealth system that will call my cell phone if fiddled with.
Quite and clean is also very important. Looks like GEBE belt drive system would fit what you are describing but this is only conjecture based on the information that I have gathered from this site within the last few days. Thanks again Simon

 

[SimpleSimon]

Were it mine, and a rack mount, I'd make a cage of expanded metal in the form of an inverted box that fits over the engine and locks securely. The cell phone alarm isn't a bad idea either. I'd also spend a few bucks replacing all of my mounting bolts with pin centered hex head or star socket head bolts of appropriate size. Most folks won't have the needed wenches to remove them.

 

[gharring]

Yes good idea's! I was thinking of tacking the bolts with solder to make them very difficult to remove without wicking the solder away but I don't know if this is very practical. I am going to test to see if I can do this more than 2 or three times without having to cut the bolts away. Maybe hex head or star socket head bolts with solder in the hex or star would work best.