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this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2024
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micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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Please explain! I've been looking at single speed bikes, but I keep hearing "it's too hard" and "you'll never be able to carry weight with it!".
I'll admit that I ride with a cargo trailer (groceries), and I do have to use gears or it would be impossible to climb some of the hills we get.
Where I live is mostly flat and am running 46x16. Hills really wouldn't scare me too much (I still have brakes)
The biggest limiting factor I have found in towing is that there is a point where the trailer will unload my front wheel and then my steering becomes more of a suggestion (about 100+ lbs... I am routinely exceeding the suggested limits)
Here is an article about ratios. It's really about finding the least worst setup for your needs; easier hill climbs means more spinning when going down hills and lower top speed.
https://fixedgear.life/best-gear-ratio-for-commuting-single-speed/#:~:text=Common%20gear%20ratios%20for%20commuting,higher%20ratio%20like%2046%3A16.
I read somewhere that the safe cargo limit for a bike trailer is approx. half the weight of the rider + bike.
So, if you weigh 160lbs, and your bike is 30lbs, the max recommended weight of the trailer and cargo should not exceed 95lbs.
I've hauled over 115lbs with my bike (loaded panniers + trailer), but never exceed 65lbs in the trailer due to size/volume limits of the trailer itself.
But I do find that heavy weight causes the trailer to "push" the bike in ways that feel unsettling. 100+ lbs would make me uneasy! It's amazing that you're doing it! Kudos!
Thanks for that! I didn't know the math to work that out!
The pushing is not as scary because I don't exceed 10mph when that heavy of a trailer and because I can resist that pushing quite a bit with the pedals... which is a great feeling.