Friday, February 17, 2017

Only way to go is up!

Well, a few weeks with treatment and my chest pains are less frequent. That is good, yet I am still tired and get winded walking up the stairs!

I struggle with getting older and heavier.  I understand exercise reduces stress and weight, yet I am tired most days to the point I do not want to work out. I try yet I fail. The best way to get a workout in is riding a bike as my means of commuting. I have extreme pain in my left ankle often and walking any distance hurts.  I do not get similar pain from the bike.  I like to ride a bicycle, but it is harder each year, especially when we get those headwinds and the ride is 18 miles one way with an overall climb of about 550 feet.

Now that the Old Cedar Bridge is open, my ride to work should be just under 13 miles one way, five miles less one way.  However, it also has an extra 200 feet of climb (about 750 feet total).  It may not seem like much, but when you are fat and in the ’50s, it seems like riding over the Rockies (Like I really know what that takes!).  Even with my 5-year-old Bionx PL250, it was a hard ride to work that left me exhausted and the battery totally spent!

So I took the plunge.  I purchased a Surly Long Haul Trucker and had it upgraded with the 2017 Bionx D500 DV.  The D500 actually produces twice the power and range with a 48 V battery and almost four times the nominal torque.  What destroyed me was the PL250 was only a 24-volt battery with the Torque (Nom./Max.) of 7.0/25.0 Nm.  The system did add 16.1 pounds onto the bike. I needed half the battery and occasionally over heated the motor getting my fat bottom up the big hill.  The most pressing hill is 0.4 miles and has 175 feet of climb, a continuous 7 to 8 percent slope.

The D500 DV has Torque (Nom./Max.) of 25.0/50.0 Nm, which has four times the nominal torque and twice the max torque. Although it adds three more pounds to the bike and the Long Haul Trucker is about the same weight of the Cannondale Quick 5.  It should make the hill much less taxing?

   OLD VS NEW SPECS    

PL250
D500
Watts
250
500
Est Range (miles)
40
80
Battery Volts
26
48
Batter Amps
9.6
11.6
Total Wh
248
555
Torque Nom.
7
25
Torque Max
25
50
Weight (lbs)
16.1
19.2
Low Assist (%)
25
35
Max Assist (%)
200
300

                     Range Comparison                   

PL250 New       (rated) PL250 Me (new)    PL250        (me 5 years)    D500
   rated
Level 1 40 Miles 40 Miles 26 Miles 84 Miles
Level 2 30 Miles 30 Miles 17 Miles 58 Mile
Level 3 20 Miles 20 Miles 9 Miles 38 Miles
Level 4 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 26 Miles

                                 D500 Range Chart                                   


If you are interested, a solid D500 review can be read here or view the video below:  https://electricbikereview.com/bionx/d-500/


We will see the results once I get the weather cooperating and the bike.  I am looking forward to getting some exercise and hoping it gets me back on track to a happier and less stressful life.

1 comment:

wildknits said...

Sounds like a good start! My LBS owner's wife uses an electric assist bike to climb the hills in Duluth. I can understand how it would turn a daunting commute into a much more pleasurable ride.

Glad you are starting to feel a little better. Slow, steady progress will win this race.