Poor battery Range - Mondraker.

[Baileyjd]

Hey
I have a Mondraker Level R 29er and I rode the bike for the first time over the weekend. I covered 22 miles of trails in Trail mode / Bosch motor and was left with 1%. Have to say I am pretty disappointed with that return from a fully charged battery. My friend also has Bosch motor in a Trek LT and he finished the ride 30% , having also ridden in trail mode.
Would appreciate any ones views.
Thanks
JB.

 

[Doomanic]

The main variable is the rider. If you're heavier, that uses more battery. If he spins better than you, he'll use less battery.
Terrain also plays a huge part; I did 16 miles and 3K ft of climbing today in EMTB and my battery died about 10 feet from the car. A couple of weeks ago I did 28.5 miles and 2.5K ft of climbing in Eco and ended the ride with 2 bars and 8 miles range remaining.

finished the ride 30%

Bosch battery indicator is 20% jumps, so I'm not sure how you've worked that out.

 

[Baileyjd]

The main variable is the rider. If you're heavier, that uses more battery. If he spins better than you, he'll use less battery.
Terrain also plays a huge part; I did 16 miles and 3K ft of climbing today in EMTB and my battery died about 10 feet from the car. A couple of weeks ago I did 28.5 miles and 2.5K ft of climbing in Eco and ended the ride with 2 bars and 8 miles range remaining.


Bosch battery indicator is 20% jumps, so I'm not sure how you've worked that out.

I have the Kiox display - shows battery in %.

 

[Doomanic]

Has the Trek also got a Kiox then?

 

[Baileyjd]

Has the Trek also got a Kiox then?

No , the Trek hasn’t.

 

[Doomanic]

So how do you know he had 30% then?

 

[Baileyjd]

I have the Kiox display - shows battery in %.

So how do you know he had 30% then?

The Trek was showing 2 out of the 5 bars ... so at best 40% (doubtful ) and worst case just about to tip into 20%.

 

[Doomanic]

OK, it was a guesstimate. Fair enough. The rest of my post stands though.

 

[Baileyjd]

No worries , I appreciate your views. My mate has a greater range of gears as the Mondraker has x8 on the back. Going to look into that.
Cheers.

 

[Kernow]

No worries , I appreciate your views. My mate has a greater range of gears as the Mondraker has x8 on the back. Going to look into that.
Cheers.

Recently converted from 8 to 11speed I prefer the 11 but not sure it’s made any difference to the battery usage

 

[Baileyjd]

Recently converted from 8 to 11speed I prefer the 11 but not sure it’s made any difference to the battery usage

Thanks for the info , yes I think I will prefer the 11 speed .

 

[More-read-than-ride]

I am generally surprised to see some of the mileage numbers on here, especially from the UK.

In Spain, even doing only tough climbs and descents (1100-1300m elevation change), my friends and I get at least 50km (31Mi) out of a battery, being Bosch or Shimano. True, if we do really long climbs it is mainly fireroads, not trails. However, even with fairly tough tough trail rides, it is more like 60km. We are all in out 40's and not in the greatest shape. We have never had a battery go dead in 22 Mi, but of course there is no mud and always have descents and eco mode as part of the trip. "What goes up must come down "

The point I am trying to get to is if the climate is an issue? I know that in electric cars, the temperature dramatically changes the range, is it perhaps the same on bikes?

Since we ride in 15-30ºC conditions, perhaps this is part of the explanation?
(This might have already been discussed on here, I will check and post a link if I see it.)

 

[Kernow]

I am generally surprised to see some of the mileage numbers on here, especially from the UK.

In Spain, even doing only tough climbs and descends (1100-1300m elevation change), my friends and I get at least 50km (31Mi) out of a battery, being Bosch or Shimano. True, if we do really long climbs it is mainly fireroads, not trails. However, even with fairly tough tough trail rides, it is more like 60km. We are all in out 40's and not in the greatest shape. We have never had a battery go dead in 22 Mi, but of course there is no mud and always have descents and eco mode as part of the trip. "What goes up must come down "

The point I am trying to get to is if the climate is an issue? I know that in electric cars, the temperature dramatically changes the range, is it perhaps the same on bikes?

Since we ride in 15-30ºC conditions, perhaps this is part of the explanation?
(This might have already been discussed on here, I will check and post a link if I see it.)

Yes temperature is a greater issue than we allow for , it’s not been very cold here this winter but in the cold days my battery dies much faster , yesterday was unusually warm and battery was lasting so much longer . I think cold weather can almost half the battery life at times

 

[More-read-than-ride]

Yes temperature is a greater issue than we allow for , it’s not been very cold here this winter but in the cold days my battery dies much faster , yesterday was unusually warm and battery was lasting so much longer . I think cold weather can almost half the battery life at times

thanks, thats my thoughts exactly, it must be a significant percentage.
Here is some more on the topic:
Focus Jam/Sam Battery Life query - EMTB Forums

 

[MattyB]

Yes, I think a major part of the diminsihed range in the UK vs. what you are seeingin Spain is climate related. The effect of temperature can be quite dramatic on available capacity; some info from Optibike on this subject, though my experience in RC tells me that the effect can be even more dramatic than this, certainly with lipos anyway (I actually keep mine in a gently heated lipo bag when at the field on a cold day):

 

[More-read-than-ride]

Yes, I think a major part of the diminsihed range in the UK vs. what you are seeingin Spain is climate related. The effect of temperature can be quite dramatic on available capacity; some info from Optibike on this subject, though my experience in RC tells me that the effect can be even more dramatic than this, certainly wioth lipos anyway (I actually keep mine in a gently heated lipo bag when at the field on a cold day):

Thank you, great to have some data! "In god we trust, the rest should bring data" as Demming once said. In extreme conditions, it actually seem to fit @Kernow real-life estimate of "half" the capacity.

 

[Kernow]

Thank you, great to have some data! "In god we trust, the rest should bring data" as Demming once said. In extreme conditions, it actually seem to fit @Kernow real-life estimate of "half" the capacity.

Well my worst ride this winter on one of the coldest days very exposed with a high wind chill factor saw my battery dying at 16 miles , a similar ride on warmer days would see 25 miles . That’s using mostly eco , but some of the climbs require trail and lowest gears
There was 5 of us out that day all on shimano bikes ,and all of a similar fitness , Iam the heaviest so my battery went first , we worked out that wieght can be worked out almost on a percentage basis for battery life , ie the lightest rider that day at approx 68 kilos had roughly 1/3 battery left when mine died .
You can’t quantify or compare battery life unless your in a group doing the same ride as riding conditions vary so much with steepness and rolling resistance of the terrain plus varying rider fitness .

 

[Bazippy]

Try wrapping your battery in something for insulation. Be it a custom cover, tinfoil, gold heat sheets anything to keep the heat in. Can boost your mileage some claim more then 10%. Ive got a old paid of shin pads that im going to wrap round on cold/snowy days seen as they are the same materiel as the custom battery covers and about the right shape (once i remove the Armour)

 

[Kernow]

Try wrapping your battery in something for insulation. Be it a custom cover, tinfoil, gold heat sheets anything to keep the heat in. Can boost your mileage some claim more then 10%. Ive got a old paid of shin pads that im going to wrap round on cold/snowy days seen as they are the same materiel as the custom battery covers and about the right shape (once i remove the Armour)

I’ve got a neoprene battery cover and the battery is charged indoors so it begins at room temp Next time it’s cold Iam going to try a heat pad inside the cover

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

My legs always die before my battery. I can't see me getting more than 25 miles though just in 20% eco on the 500w battery levo.

 

[Bazippy]

I’ve got a neoprene battery cover and the battery is charged indoors so it begins at room temp Next time it’s cold Iam going to try a heat pad inside the cover

Interesting, this winter hasn't been bad really so if and when we get a bad winter i might add the gold foil inside the neoprene cover. The heat pad doesn't sound a bad idea though.

 

[R120]

The OP's initial issue might just be down to the fact the Mondraker is heavier than the Trek? I don't know the weights of the Trek, but I know the Mondraker is heavy at over 25kg, which is 1kg heavier than a Kenevo to put things in perspective, and 3kg heavier that a Vitus Sommett, both similar travel bikes.

If one rider is say 15 stone on a 25kg bike, and another is 13 stone on a 23kg bike, you would probably see a discrepancy like this.

Add is the fact that being in the same mode doesn't really mean anything, because on a Bosch Emtb mode is reactive, so both riders could be in the same mode, but the motors could be giving different levels of assistance depending on the effort of each rider.

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

Very well put r120