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BBS02 or BBSHD? 7% grades, 210lb rider

Hi All,

I am 210lb, have a Rockhopper 27.5, M-size frame. 75% of time is commuting vs 25% of time on fairly easy trails. Occasionally would like to be able to carry a child on the rack to Day Care. I have quite a few hills around me, the steepest one is about 7-7.5% grade. Should I be looking for BBS02 or BBSHS? Thx!

4 comments

Comments (4)

Tim Seaman

Apr 22

Look at my recent post on installing a bbs02 on my greenspeed gt 20, the last few pictures show my eggrider setup.. It takes the horns off the bull but will definitely climb hills. I weigh in at 220.

V R

Feb 14

Thank you, Bob! I still tow my older one as she cannot go uphil on her own yet... so, all in all it probably closer to a cargo-bike weight-wise when we go for a ride. I was thinking about Eggrider, I believe it has 2 modes that could be programmed differently... including power... so I can stay street legal while commuting and have an additional kick when going on a trail with kids. Would you share your battery capacity and what mileage you experience with those fairly steep hills? Thx!

Bob Walker

Feb 15

Replying to

You're welcome V.R.

Just a couple of points.

First, for me the eggrider was a steep learning curve that I hadn't really mastered. That coming from a "somewhat" tech challenged individual in his 60s. Your mileage certainly may vary.

My suggestion? If you download the app onto your phone, and you navigate around the eggrider device take screen shots of the motor read outs--before and after you make changes. The eggrider won't remember your settings from before you switched them.

And speaking of mileage, it's a mixed bag. High winds blowing at your face, hills of course, speed you travel, the amount of power assistance you'll dial in, how much leg you put into it yourself, quality of cells in your battery, all that will affect mileage battery wise, as will temperatures too.

BBS02;

That said, let me give you some "guestimates" for what you can expect. Originally I had a BBS02 on the cargo bike with a mere 48v. 11.5 amp-hour battery (from E-Bike Essentials overpriced IMHO), my regular commute was about 8 miles each way, and I could comfortably add an extra 4-8 miles on the total if I needed (and sometimes did). Call it 25 miles. This was with the power setting typically on 3 out of 9.

It's a cadence sensor so, annoyingly it'll conk out after a certain amount of revolutions on your crank / speed. The higher the 1-9 setting? The higher number of revolutions per second you're allowed before it conks out on you. I found setting 3 meant I would still have to work for it as I rode--this helps with mileage. Be aware at factory setting it's a powerful motor. At 3 it's Plenty Strong. The BBSHD is only .25 stronger. Again, I don't cruise much faster that 14-15 mph. All these motor settings are reprogrammable, but that task is above my pay grade.

Those 8 miles each way? Are mostly flat 115 feet up, 128 feet down reversed on the ride home. I do have a couple of steep hills each way, but they're only about 150 yards or so. Not super steep but moderate steep.

BBSHD;

The BBSHD is a hungrier beast. It'll eat up battery quicker than the BBS02. I only have experience with the Luna Bikes BBSHD 750 watt programming, so keep that in mind. Again, it's a steady delivery of power, unlike the BBS02 factory setting which is a bit uneven in power delivery. So downhill, or on flats as I build speed I'll back the assist down to 2, and up it to as much as 5 on hills.

Currently, on the same cargo-bike I have a 48v. 17 amp-hour battery from EM3EV. They make some of the best batteries available, but it'll ship from China. And I really have to charge that battery up to pretty near max if I want to go for a ride for 25 miles with the BBSHD. Batteries last significantly longer if you charge them to 90 or even better 80% over the course of their lifetimes. There are batteries that have higher amp hours than 17 ah, there are battery "couplers". I know Johnny N.O. sells both.

Hope this helps! Keep us posted on progress if you like.

Edited

Bob Walker

Feb 14

Hi V.R.

I've used and have both motors. I weigh in at 230lb and further have used the motors on a seventy pound (kit + racks + bike) cargo bike. And to push it to an even larger extreme we're talking about a cargo bike, so at times total weight with groceries or "whatever" is pushing 400lb! Both motors perform admirably. I also deal with some hills of similar grades. I am not a speed demon by any account. I rarely use the throttle, when I do it's to quickly start at a red light when it canges to green, or to keep ahead of traffic as I merge right etc. Mostly I pedal with the motor on. My cruising speed is about 14mph, and the way I'm geared I spin out at around 21mph.

I clocked in at 3,700 miles on the original BBS02 before (I believe) I stripped the nylon gear. I'm not sure yet as the motor is only partially disassembled. By barest comparison, 750 watts (BBS02) is a full horsepower, the BBSHD is 1,000 watts so the latter = a quarter horse and a regular horse :-) The cargo bike now has a Luna Cycles BBSHD described below.

Now you may want to consider local laws for your area as well. In most States (US of A) 750 watts is the street legal version. The police haven't typically been stopping e-bikes and checking, but if in the unlikey--but possible--scenario you cause / get into an accident, you've set yourself up for possible difficult-to-defend litigation with the BBSHD in terms of potential liability. Just Sayin'. However both Luna Cycles, and EM3EV sell "street legal" BBSHDs that are programmed to 750 watts. You'll get the more robust motor, but remain likely in the good graces of our legal system. EM3EV is run by an Irish engineer out of China and has a sterling reputation, as too does Luna Cycles, Luna being some of the OGs of the DIY e-bike landscape.

So lag time for shipping from China (EM3EV). I checked for you, Luna Cycles peresently has the BBSHD but they go in and out of stock regularly. I have that Luna BBSHD 750 watt presently on my Yuba Mundo Cargo Bike, and it is great. It puts out a steady amount of juice unlike the stock bbs02's which tend to "lurch" a bit with an uneven distribution of power. This mean as I approach hills locally I will need to up the amount of BBSHD assistance to haul those loads uphill; that's done with the touch of a button. You can also buy programming cables or an eggrider to try to program your motor yourself, but I have to wonder how that might wash in a Court situation. IDK.

In conclusion either motor should be fine. There's peace of mind with the BBSHD as it's likely "overbuilt" for your needs, and on the other hand you'll save a good amount of money with the BBS02--and you can buy from Johnny Nerd Out!

And there's a reason I haven't addressed the "trails" part of your question. My four ebikes are all strichtly commuters. I will say that there are many trails (dependent too on local laws) where the BBSHD is 100% legal. I will not address trail performance, as perhaps someone else on the forum could do that part.

Hope this helps + Good Luck on your build!

Edited

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BBS02 or BBSHD? 7% grades, 210lb rider