Hello vja4Him and welcome to the Forum,
From reading your post, I gather these are the key issues…
- I'm really a dummy when it comes to anything mechanical or electrical!
- need to commute to 10-15 miles each way
- want to get something that will last many years
- allow me to attain speeds of at least a good solid 35mph
- 45mph would be better, so I could ride on the country roads where the speed limit is between 45-55mph
- my weight is around 210, plus my large backpack, which normally weighs around 10-15 pounds
- Groceries will add another 15 pounds, sometimes more ....
- I need a good quality motor that will easily carry over 250 pounds
- I need a good quality motor that will be reliable, effecient, long lasting
Firstly, let’s look at the speed issues. While 35-45mph is attainable on a specially designed performance electric bike, modifying an Electra Townie to carry over 250lbs at 35-45mph for 20-30 miles each day is a big ask.
Apart from the questions of type of electric motor, battery chemistry and legal issues, 250lbs plus the weight of the motor and batteries could be approaching the maximum weight capacity of a Townie – this is something to check. Travelling at 35-45mph at maximum weight on an ordinary bicycle powered by an electric motor is asking for trouble.
Really, to achieve your needs as written above and have a machine that operated reliably day after day, you need a gas powered motor scooter.
However, if you are prepared to compromise on the desired speed, try a few different options and perhaps change your Townie for something else further down the track, I think you could achieve your goal of daily commuting and doing the shopping on an electric bike.
As you’ve said “I'm really a dummy when it comes to anything mechanical or electrical!”, the very first thing you need, is NOT a particular type of electric motor for your Townie. What you need first up is to get some experience riding electric bikes – both hub motor styles and ones that drive via the bike’s gear train.
The second thing you’ll need is an experienced electric bike dealer who is close by, can build your electric bike(s) to suit your needs, service them and make the repairs you’ll need in a timely manner.
Electric motors are long lasting but you’ll find things will go wrong. If you’re not able to make repairs and replacements yourself, you’ll need someone close by who can do this work for you.
So my suggestion is to start calling around and try and find a dealer who will let you ride his electrified bikes. Once you feel the difference between a hub motor and one that drives the bike’s gear train, you’ll soon know which is more likely to suit your needs. Don’t forget to take your loaded back pack with you and tackle some hills on your test runs too.
There’s plenty of stories by people who have electrified Townies on the Web. If you do a search on “Electra Townie hub motor” (without the quotes) you’ll get an idea of how hub motors perform and what sort of battery voltage and chemistry they are using.
However, I suspect a
Cyclone style of setup may work better for you. Try a search on “Electra Townie cyclone motor” and you might find some good stories.
These people in Australia are offering Townies with the Cyclone fitted. So you know going this route is an option. But they’re using a fairly low power (180w) electric motor and lead acid batteries. You'll need a higher power motor and better battery chemistry. Lead acid batteries will be too heavy and not provide enough range for your requirements.
Before you do anything, you might also want to check out the
legal issues in your state.
Good luck with the search.
48volts
ps, to post a picture, you need to post the URL of the picture, not the page on which it is displayed.
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