After weeks of treatment, my chest pains are less frequent, but I’m still tired and winded walking up stairs. I struggle with getting older and heavier. Exercise reduces stress and helps with weight loss, but I’m tired most days and don’t feel like working out. I try, but I fail. Riding a bike is my best workout option because it alleviates the pain in my left ankle when I walk. I enjoy riding, but it’s becoming increasingly challenging each year, especially with headwinds. The ride is 18 miles one way with an overall climb of about 550 feet.
Now that the Old Cedar Bridge is open, my ride to work should be just under 13 miles one way, five miles less. However, it has an additional 200 feet of climb (for a total of about 750 feet). It may not seem like much, but it’s tough when you’re fat and in your 50s. Even with my 5-year-old Bionx PL250, it was a hard ride that left me exhausted and the battery dead!
I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker and upgraded it with the 2017 Bionx D500 DV. The D500 has twice the power, range, and torque of the 24-volt PL250 battery. It adds 16.1 pounds to the bike, so I needed to use half the battery, and it occasionally overheated the motor. The most challenging hill is 0.4 miles long, climbs 175 feet, and has a continuous slope of 7 to 8 percent. The D500 DV has four times the nominal and twice the maximum torque of the PL250. Although it adds three more pounds, the Long Haul Trucker is about the same weight as the Cannondale Quick 5. Will it make the hill less taxing? We will see the results once the weather cooperates and I get on the bike.
I look forward to exercising and hope it gets me back on track to a happier and less stressful life. If you are interested, a comprehensive D500 review can be found here, or you can view the video below: https://electricbikereview.com/bionx/d-500/.
OLD VS NEW SPECS
PL250 | D500 | |
Watts | 250 | 500 |
Est Range (miles) | 40 | 80 |
Battery Volts | 26 | 48 |
Batter Amps | 9.6 | 11.6 |
Total Wh | 248 | 555 |
Torque Nom. | 7 | 25 |
Torque Max | 25 | 50 |
Weight (lbs) | 16.1 | 19.2 |
Low Assist (%) | 25 | 35 |
Max Assist (%) | 200 | 300 |
Range Comparison
| PL250 New (rated) | PL250 Me (new) | PL250 (me 5 years) | D500 rated | |
| Level 1 | 40 Miles | 40 Miles | 26 Miles | 84 Miles |
| Level 2 | 30 Miles | 30 Miles | 17 Miles | 58 Mile |
| Level 3 | 20 Miles | 20 Miles | 9 Miles | 38 Miles |
| Level 4 | 10 Miles | 10 Miles | 5 Miles | 26 Miles |
D500 Range Chart
We will see the results once the weather cooperates and I get on the bike. I look forward to exercising and hope it gets me back on track to a happier and less stressful life.
Carry on my friends, carry on!
Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.
wildknits wrote - Sounds like a good start! My LBS owner's wife uses an electric-assist bike to climb the hills in Duluth. It would turn a daunting commute into a much more pleasurable ride. Glad you are starting to feel a little better. Slow, steady progress will win this race. Monday, February 20, 2017 at 8:13:00 PM CST
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