My every day transportation, with hub motor, side bags, and rack

[AbramClark]

Having my Sofrider for a couple years, it's about time to post it here. I added a Mac 10T 500W (~1300W in practice) motor with 10ah LIFePO4 battery. Also added Radical Design Medium side bags, and a typical rack mounted to the frame holes near the axle, and angle brackets attached underneath brakes. I also put on 2" Big Apple tires.

Some stats:
total weight: 58 lbs
total mileage: 5900
longest distance in 24h: 180 miles
longest distance on single charge: 160 miles
max weight hauled: ~90 lbs (2 3 gallon jugs of water in side bags, 30-40 lbs of groceries in panniers)

Here are some pictures: with me carrying a bit of lumber, at the beach with body board, on camping trip, on Oakland ferry, on a day trip with a friend of mine with similar build.

 

[jond]

superb. thanks for sharing. incredible range on the assist. have ridden a test trike with smart assist and it felt like i was turbo charged. would hate to get caught though in the hills with a flat battery. it was heavy.

 

[AbramClark]

@jond On my last camping trip, for the challenge I did 25 miles and 1k feet of climbing with the Sofrider loaded with 55 lbs of camp stuff (110 lbs total), and it took some energy but it wasn't actually that bad. Though if the weather was hotter, or there was say twice the climbing, it would've been bad .

 

[telephd]

Nice job Abram. Ive got a couple of pics of our Softrider with panniers to go along with a long overdue trip report from a 2 day ride my wife and I did this summer on 2 different rails-to-trails projects.

 

[ratz]

Love those electrified Softriders.

 

[jond]

@jond On my last camping trip, for the challenge I did 25 miles and 1k feet of climbing with the Sofrider loaded with 55 lbs of camp stuff (110 lbs total), and it took some energy but it wasn't actually that bad. Though if the weather was hotter, or there was say twice the climbing, it would've been bad .

i use a trike as a base for self supported touring and stealth camping with a mtb triple and can climb anything slowly. now i am considering using the vendetta for a fast road trip with some ultra light camping gear to stealth camp as shelter/backup. i have to assemble the gear yet (if i go)as where i intend to go there are no trees for my hammock and my quilt is home made from an old heavy synthetic sleeping bag so needs to be replaced. i think for the big hills with the vendetta i may with my gearing just get off and push rather than strain the knees 53/39-11/40. but for sure i will be wishing for some of that electric assist on some hills what will not fit in the radical design racers will not be going. so 1/3 or less capacity of the trike luggage system. go light and fast.

 

[ratz]

i use a trike as a base for self supported touring and stealth camping with a mtb triple and can climb anything slowly. now i am considering using the vendetta for a fast road trip with some ultra light camping gear to stealth camp as shelter/backup. i have to assemble the gear yet (if i go)as where i intend to go there are no trees for my hammock and my quilt is home made from an old heavy synthetic sleeping bag so needs to be replaced. i think for the big hills with the vendetta i may with my gearing just get off and push rather than strain the knees 53/39-11/40. but for sure i will be wishing for some of that electric assist on some hills what will not fit in the radical design racers will not be going. so 1/3 or less capacity of the trike luggage system. go light and fast.

Sounds like you need a Quest or a Silvio instead.

 

[jond]

n+1 would agree ratz. would love love love a silvio....... but i have a "dream goal" of crossing australia quickly from west to east fremantle to newcastle 4000klm and to try to beat the unassisted record held by peter heal (crazyguyonabike blog). so vendetta it is. looking at around 400klm per day or so to beat it by a day. but good luck is a major factor with wind conditions and weather. thus the stealth camp option if i cannot make a planned stop especially across the nullarbor plain. you can get a legendary constant headwind or tailwind of 40klm per hour......which will make or break the attempt. if i go to perth i will look JT up as a pilgramage and hopefully get him to sign my frame i have to go in a spring or autumn(fall) as summer is hot 50deg c and winter it can be well below freezing. it will be my unassisted "race across australia" if you will just have to somehow wrangle it with my wife ....... surely a harder task than the ride itself. but i will have to do it sooner rather than later if i am to go.