@Guus 158072 wrote:
I’m leaning towards a WorkCycles kr8 as well, but it seems like the e-assist might be tricky to order straight from the Netherlands, due to the lithium batteries.
Does anyone have experience with getting an aftermarket e-assist installation for a bike like that?
Hi Guus, I also live in Arlington and have a bicycle that I converted to a pedelec with a mid-drive motor that I use to tow my 2 year old daughter in a Chariot bicycle trailer on trips to MOM’s grocery store or to the park. I read on the Endless Sphere forum that someone converted their Bullitt cargo bike with a Tongsheng TSDZ2 pedelec motor and they reported seeing the same motor fitted to a passing Workcycles kr8. This motor is the same as the rebranded Schachner MM15 motor used for Workcycles pedal assist conversions. There is a 40 page thread on the ES forum about this motor. I think the TSDZ2 looks like it would be a suitable motor for a cargo bike on Arlington hills. According to the manufacturer website it is designed to fit into a standard 68mm bottom bracket, and while I can’t tell if the 42T chainring fits in the Workcycles full chaincase I suspect it does. The 48v battery is connected to a 15a controller which would give a peak power of 720w, 80NM of torque, and limit the top speed on the flats to under 20mph, the Biktrix website suggests their’s is speed limited to 25kmh/15mph which is plenty when carrying kids. That power rating would meet the definitions of an Electric Power-Assisted Bicycle in Virginia and a Motorized Bicycle in DC so you could legally ride it on bike lanes and PBL’s on the street in Arlington and in the District, and on the Custis and 4MR trails in Arlington. I have not used the TSDZ2 motor but my similar Bafang BBS01 motor has a peak power of 648w that is sufficient to power my rig which weighs 300lb fully loaded with me, daughter, and groceries at a speed of 9-14mph up the steepest parts of the Custis Trail.
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