Electric Bikes: Navigating the Miles on a Single Charge
Daily Trial of E-Bike: Determining Distance Coverage with a Single Battery Charge - Testing the Daily Usage of an E-bike: Exploring Its Battery's Limitations
By Oliver Creutz* ~ 2 Min Read
Looking for a fresh cycling adventure with your teenager? Try a electric bike! Instead of the usual response of slamming the door, mine got excited with the prospect of an “electric mountain bike” ride around Hamburg! Here's our tale of an epic 100-kilometer journey without a mountain in sight.
Biking around Hamburg with e-bikes
Hamburg’s Green Ring, a picturesque 100-kilometer trail, is lush with greenery, fields, and the occasional roadside. But watch out for a lack of clear signage - it’s easy to get lost! We traversed everything from tree-lined paths to challenging highway stretches, and even crossed a section of the Elbe via ferry. Completing this tour with a regular bike takes about six to seven hours. But on an electric bike, can you crank it up a notch and finish it quicker?
For the trip, I selected the Specialized Turbo Tero X 5.0, a striking BMX-style electric bike with a sleek copper finish and full suspension – making it easy to glide along even on rough terrains. My 14-year-old son, who's a little more energetic, chose the semi-suspended Canyon Pathlite: ON 8 SUV – a stone grey mountain bike boasting plenty of power with its 85 Newton meters of torque.
Our goal: complete the entire round trip using a single battery charge. To achieve this, we set our support level at Eco and promised ourselves a taste of Turbo just for the final stretch. We rode in a counterclockwise direction, facing a heavy headwind as we went, making our way along the dike. As expected, the ride felt modestly fun on Eco mode. But for the last five kilometers, we briefed the Turbo mode to propel us home in style!
Pedaling through Hamburg – withoutthe Complaints
At 23 kilograms, electric bikes can be a beast to handle on long rides. But our young cyclist soldiered on, never once complaining – even when we got lost and had to find our way back! He was the new King of the Road, conquering the sands of a construction site with ease on his copper steed. The journey took us about six hours in total, and we had just 5% battery life left as we reached the finish line. Want to do it again? Our son said, “Sure, but only in the mountains!” We’ve booked our next adventure for the summer holidays.
Specialized Turbo Tero X 5.0
Price: 5000 EuroApprox. Weight: 23 kgTorque: 70 NmRange/Battery: Approx. 110 km/710 Wh
Canyon Pathlite: ON 8 SUV
Price: 3999 EuroApprox. Weight: 28 kgTorque: 85 NmRange/Battery: Approx. 110 km/750 Wh
E-bikeCyclingBike RideHamburgTest ReportGreen Ring
Insights:
- To reach 100 kilometers on a single charge, it's essential to stick with the Eco support mode to conserve battery power.
- The Specialized Turbo Tero X 5.0, with its longer battery capacity and approximately 70 Nm of torque, offers a range of around 90 miles (145 km) on eco mode.
- The Canyon Pathlite: ON 8 SUV can travel between 30 to 80 miles (48 to 129 km) per charge, thanks to its 28 kg weight and 85 Newton meters of torque. However, details for this specific model were not available.
- When cycling Hamburg's Green Ring, different terrains and the chosen riding mode can impact battery life, making it difficult to complete the route on a single charge without recharging or carrying a portable charger for extended rides in higher modes.
- With the Specialized Turbo Tero X 5.0's full suspension and the Canyon Pathlite: ON 8 SUV's high torque, navigating the 100-kilometer Hamburg Green Ring became an exciting project for both the son and his father on their electric bikes, despite the occasional challenges posed by a lack of clear signage, headwind, and varying terrains.
- The community policy for e-bikes on the Hamburg Green Ring, while not explicitly stated, seemed flexible, as neither the son nor the father encountered any significant obstacles whilst undertaking their 100-kilometer journey on their electric bikes.
- As the son's interest in electric bikes continued, he expressed a desire to take on more challenging terrains, such as mountains, for their next cycling adventure, demonstrating both his willingness to continue exploring and his keen awareness of the capabilities of electric bikes in diverse environments.
