I have been using solar to charge my bike now for a little more than 3 years and rarely need to use the wall charger. That being said, where I live and travel many of the roads are under the canopy of trees or in the shade of a mountain so a trailer is just extra weight and a danger on narrow country roads. My solution is a folding 100w solar panel I carry in one of my panniers with my wall charger as well. I'm able to travel 70 miles on a fully charged 52v 21ah battery without any charging. Taking a long lunch in a sunny spot with the panel deployed, or a place with power extends my range considerably.
True enough, and the lightest solar panel should be cigs panel..., I hate these so called 'flexible' panels, first that is false not bendable, and second they are still solid silicon that cracks way too easily...
Yeah, when I got into the idea of solar ebike touring I assumed it'd make more sense to just ride the distance you can then make camp in a palce that will get good sun. Fully charge, go the distance, camp, recharge. Ideally you'd have both, get whatever power along the way and also at camp. You'd travel at the rate of power input you get, no problem if you're willing.
Make a chainmail mat out of piezoelectric disks and place the between the tires and inner tubes. Will eliminate the need for solar panels and cut your battery size in half….
Where the burley stock rack bolts thru the. Yellow cover, over time those 2 bolts left and right side work themselves loose, because you cant tighten them really hard. So i drilled all the way thru the 1/2" rack pipe and used a bolt with a nut and really tightened them down.. Also the stock Burley tilt rack only has two positions flat or 45 degrees, so i drilled 2 more holes on each side for the spring loaded buttons , so now i can angle my panel at flat , 20 degrees, 30 degrees and 45 defrees to follow the sun better while riding. Very areo dinamic. When tilted up at 30 degrees . Once you reach your campsite just unhook the trailer and tilt the whole trailer directly at the sun.. my $169 200watt 9bb panel gets 170 watts tilted at the sun correctly and only 100 watts flat. My handle bars are 27" , so my 27"x 44" panel just fits i scooted the panel bach a few extra inches on the horizontal tilt brackets so the panel clears my back fender when tilted up..i use a 800 watt ecoflow river pro 2 for my solar generator which runs my portable ice maker about 2 quarts per hour of ice, and just a cheap light weight folding cooler to keep a little meat cold. A 500 watt electric heater that i can run in my tent for 5 minutes., to warm it up enough to sleep until i wake up freezing again, then 5 more minutes does the trick, with 2 batteries one always charging while the other bike battery runs the ebike, my batteries can go longer than i can at 65 years old thats more than enough battery power to go forever for free almost, except for food and maintenance on the equipment.😊😊😊😊😊 Ps same set up as you have now..
Cool! I just got two 100w flexible solar panels from a friend and I have installed Yose Power 36v 250W conversion set on my bike. I saw you just plug it into the battery, That makes it easy too for not having to cut much original wires. I will buy a MPPT converter and test if it works for me. I also got a second hand bike trailer for it. Thanks for you explanation video.
You are so smart and did good job for your solar E- bike with only 100 Watts the panel. It’s looking beautiful 🎉. Being 200 watts of panel on my E- bike without a trailer, but its effective is lower than yours manybe the controller is a problem.😢
Thanks for your kind words. I really like the controller I have now. I had one before that wasn’t a true MPPT controller. I don’t remember the brand but it was lime green.
Great setup, you must have a good panel to get so much power. I have heard it is better to either charge or discharge the battery but not both at the same time, in some way it is not good for the battery life, better to have a seperate battery charging and another one in use, then swap them over. If you are ever going to upgrade your tongsheng motor like I did get the new company Toseven, its a cross between a bafang and a tongsheng, it has more power and has torque sensing, so you use less battery power because it factors in what power your legs are doing. Also you can customise it via the creen much more than any other motor. Easy install just like the tongsheng
Thanks for the info. I didn’t know about the battery or the new company. I am definitely going to be looking for a new kit soon. The Tongsheng has worked very well for me though.
@@TennesseeCyclepath I only got about 2000 miles before it stopped turning the chainring, I found out this is a bearing called 'sprag clutch ' a one way bearing. I think it is beyond ne to change it
I mean the solar part like if I wanted to just put a somewhat big battery pack to recharge from the sun to store the energy to recharge a scooter just to get the extra miles.
I have a Tong Sheng TSDZ2 36 volt, 350 watt mid-drive motor. It has been flawless in nearly 5,000 miles. It has torque sensing. Next conversion will be 500 watts. It's a little underpowered pulling the trailer on hills.
Have you assessed typical Wh input versus output when riding your bike. I can ride at about 5Wh /mile and wonder if your system would sustain that on a summer's day.
Unfortunately I don’t have a watt meter to measure the power my e-bike is consuming. I will say I depend on pedal power as much as possible. On a “typical” day my solar panel doesn’t keep up. I notice the battery voltage slowly dropping during the day. When I stop for lunch etc. there is some recovery. My e-bike console doesn’t show battery percentage either so there’s a lot of guessing on how my system is performing. It’s a Tongsheng TSDZ2 and has gone 3,000 miles without a problem but the console is one of its negatives. I am going to do an overnight trip very soon weather permitting and will post a video. I will pay attention and take notes about the solar performance.
@@TennesseeCyclepath Thanks for your rapid reply. I have a Tongsheng that was on my wife's bike. I have transferred it to a Dawes Kingpin with 20 wheels and it's a great performer. I hope to do an off grid tour in Wales in Spring with a solar trailer as a back up to other opportunities (ie cafes etc) - if I ride for 4 or 5 hours (30-40 miles) - should get enough solar...but cloudy weather is always a risk! All my ebikes are charged by a static panel on my shed using same mppt charger as yours - has worked well for two years - and charged my lawnmower too!
Watt meter: KETOTEK Amp Volt Watt Kwh Meter Tester Panel Digital 4 in 1 Ammeter Voltmeter Multimeter 12V DC 6.5-100V 20A, Voltage Current Power Energy Usage Monitor LCD Display Car Motorbike Solar a.co/d/2GxwHuS
For the most part, the solar should/will mostly be used while stationary... While on the run/road, there are just too many trees/buildings that are constantly shading the panel... Believe me, I tried...
I've been cycling 4 years with solar power. I would not recommend to never use panels below 150W, and I suggest always measuring the exact power & production. A lot of the smaller panels are just complete junk, since most don't care about stats like temperature coefficients or quality of the protective glass/plastic.
When I was putting this together, what I envisioned was a setup that would lengthen my range. I didn’t think a 100 watt Solar panel would supply all my power needs. I am going to take it on a short trip soon and see just what it is capable of. I’ll put out a video of my results.
not bad but with roadie stuff you could easily save 70 watts just on aerodynamics. smaller tent, smaller pack, maybe under 40 litres, the close fitting clothes everybody likes to hate. it really adds up. given an average power output of 200 watts from your legs, you can probably cruise at 17-19 miles an hour if you have the right equipment. if you do that 4-5 hours a day you already cover as much as you do with this setup
Cool setup, simple and effective. I like how a trailer gets the panel more out of your shadow.
This was very informative. Thanks so much Mike!
I have been using solar to charge my bike now for a little more than 3 years and rarely need to use the wall charger. That being said, where I live and travel many of the roads are under the canopy of trees or in the shade of a mountain so a trailer is just extra weight and a danger on narrow country roads. My solution is a folding 100w solar panel I carry in one of my panniers with my wall charger as well. I'm able to travel 70 miles on a fully charged 52v 21ah battery without any charging. Taking a long lunch in a sunny spot with the panel deployed, or a place with power extends my range considerably.
True enough, and the lightest solar panel should be cigs panel..., I hate these so called 'flexible' panels, first that is false not bendable, and second they are still solid silicon that cracks way too easily...
@@SolarizeYourLife Yeah, doesn't take all that much bumpy back roads to render those silicon cell panels useless! The folding panel I use is a cigs.
Yeah, when I got into the idea of solar ebike touring I assumed it'd make more sense to just ride the distance you can then make camp in a palce that will get good sun. Fully charge, go the distance, camp, recharge. Ideally you'd have both, get whatever power along the way and also at camp. You'd travel at the rate of power input you get, no problem if you're willing.
@@HoboGardenerBen In the mountains I use a lot of power climbing at a rate impossible to make up for with trailer-mounted solar.
Excellent video. Thank you.🙏🏻
Cool setup, thanks for sharing 😀
Thanks man! This vid helped a lot w/ my own project, not that many people offering good info on solar set ups.
Glad it helped!
cool bike!
Rigid is heavy but it blows away the flex ones. I use a 170 watt and it charges everything I need. Wish I could show you a picture of my rig.
I have a 100 watt folding panel that I can also set up when I stop for the day. Depending on the terrain and wind it could supply all I need.
Make a chainmail mat out of piezoelectric disks and place the between the tires and inner tubes. Will eliminate the need for solar panels and cut your battery size in half….
I love the tilt panel idea, that's my next move.ty😊
Where the burley stock rack bolts thru the. Yellow cover, over time those 2 bolts left and right side work themselves loose, because you cant tighten them really hard. So i drilled all the way thru the 1/2" rack pipe and used a bolt with a nut and really tightened them down..
Also the stock Burley tilt rack only has two positions flat or 45 degrees, so i drilled 2 more holes on each side for the spring loaded buttons , so now i can angle my panel at flat , 20 degrees, 30 degrees and 45 defrees to follow the sun better while riding. Very areo dinamic. When tilted up at 30 degrees . Once you reach your campsite just unhook the trailer and tilt the whole trailer directly at the sun.. my $169 200watt 9bb panel gets 170 watts tilted at the sun correctly and only 100 watts flat. My handle bars are 27" , so my 27"x 44" panel just fits i scooted the panel bach a few extra inches on the horizontal tilt brackets so the panel clears my back fender when tilted up..i use a 800 watt ecoflow river pro 2 for my solar generator which runs my portable ice maker about 2 quarts per hour of ice, and just a cheap light weight folding cooler to keep a little meat cold. A 500 watt electric heater that i can run in my tent for 5 minutes., to warm it up enough to sleep until i wake up freezing again, then 5 more minutes does the trick, with 2 batteries one always charging while the other bike battery runs the ebike, my batteries can go longer than i can at 65 years old thats more than enough battery power to go forever for free almost, except for food and maintenance on the equipment.😊😊😊😊😊 Ps same set up as you have now..
Good ideas.
Cool! I just got two 100w flexible solar panels from a friend and I have installed Yose Power 36v 250W conversion set on my bike. I saw you just plug it into the battery, That makes it easy too for not having to cut much original wires. I will buy a MPPT converter and test if it works for me. I also got a second hand bike trailer for it. Thanks for you explanation video.
Don’t plug the panels directly into the battery. Go through an MPPT so the battery will have the correct voltage.
@@TennesseeCyclepath yes, a mppt adapter between the panels and battery is the plan.
@@redbearrc6706 be really careful to not get the polarity reversed at the connections.
@@TennesseeCyclepath Yes I will check polarity first. Thank you.
That's a nice set-up.
Pretty awesome talk about thinking outside the box
Let's get this man to 500 subscribers!
Thank you Mike, I want to build one of these...
I want to go on an overnight trip with this setup. Every time I plan something either work or weather gets in the way. I promise soon.
Long live the solar tour.
Long live the biker 🚴♀️
This is absolutely best set up 👌
Thank you. If it has a negative side it would be the weight. I’m looking of ways to shed some weight.
You are so smart and did good job for your solar E- bike with only 100 Watts the panel. It’s looking beautiful 🎉. Being 200 watts of panel on my E- bike without a trailer, but its effective is lower than yours manybe the controller is a problem.😢
Thanks for your kind words. I really like the controller I have now. I had one before that wasn’t a true MPPT controller. I don’t remember the brand but it was lime green.
Great setup, you must have a good panel to get so much power.
I have heard it is better to either charge or discharge the battery but not both at the same time, in some way it is not good for the battery life, better to have a seperate battery charging and another one in use, then swap them over.
If you are ever going to upgrade your tongsheng motor like I did get the new company Toseven, its a cross between a bafang and a tongsheng, it has more power and has torque sensing, so you use less battery power because it factors in what power your legs are doing. Also you can customise it via the creen much more than any other motor. Easy install just like the tongsheng
Thanks for the info. I didn’t know about the battery or the new company. I am definitely going to be looking for a new kit soon. The Tongsheng has worked very well for me though.
@@TennesseeCyclepath I only got about 2000 miles before it stopped turning the chainring, I found out this is a bearing called 'sprag clutch ' a one way bearing. I think it is beyond ne to change it
I like this idea can it also be used the same way for electric scooter?
Probably. You wouldn’t have as much range with a scooter because you wouldn’t be pedaling.
I mean the solar part like if I wanted to just put a somewhat big battery pack to recharge from the sun to store the energy to recharge a scooter just to get the extra miles.
Thank you Sir for your simple and effective explanation.
Thanks for your kind words.
Thank you! Where are the links?
In the comments about 5 months ago Richie8214 asks a question. The links are in my reply to him.
what engine do you use? What do you think is the best power for a balanced use of energy and that can carry a 90kg person? Greetings from Argentina
I have a Tong Sheng TSDZ2 36 volt, 350 watt mid-drive motor. It has been flawless in nearly 5,000 miles. It has torque sensing. Next conversion will be 500 watts. It's a little underpowered pulling the trailer on hills.
@@TennesseeCyclepath Gracias por la información!
Nice setup.
Thanks!
Sorry do you charge from solar direct when you are on way or you should stop to drive,?
I charge while riding, usually the battery that is powering my bike.
Hi Mike! Its a good solution for more range! I do it also! We're are from ? I have Family in Detroit...
Greetings from Germany near Berlin Michael
I grew up in Indiana. We’ve lived in Tennessee 40 years.
cool
What are those pipe clamps called?
Lowe’s calls them Sigma ProConnex. It’s a 1/2” EMT clamp that allows the conduit to standoff from what you’re mounting it to.
@@TennesseeCyclepath TVM
Have you assessed typical Wh input versus output when riding your bike. I can ride at about 5Wh /mile and wonder if your system would sustain that on a
summer's day.
Unfortunately I don’t have a watt meter to measure the power my e-bike is consuming. I will say I depend on pedal power as much as possible. On a “typical” day my solar panel doesn’t keep up. I notice the battery voltage slowly dropping during the day. When I stop for lunch etc. there is some recovery. My e-bike console doesn’t show battery percentage either so there’s a lot of guessing on how my system is performing. It’s a Tongsheng TSDZ2 and has gone 3,000 miles without a problem but the console is one of its negatives. I am going to do an overnight trip very soon weather permitting and will post a video. I will pay attention and take notes about the solar performance.
@@TennesseeCyclepath Thanks for your rapid reply. I have a Tongsheng that was on my wife's bike. I have transferred it to a Dawes Kingpin with 20 wheels and it's a great performer. I hope to do an off grid tour in Wales in Spring with a solar trailer as a back up to other opportunities (ie cafes etc) - if I ride for 4 or 5 hours (30-40 miles) - should get enough solar...but cloudy weather is always a risk! All my ebikes are charged by a static panel on my shed using same mppt charger as yours - has worked well for two years - and charged my lawnmower too!
Where's the links you talked about?
I put them into the comments when I published the video. I just looked and they aren’t there. I’ll try again.
MPPT controller. Original model was not available: a.co/d/1aDufvK
Solar panel. There are many choices. Here’s what I bought: a.co/d/eexVOyg
Burley trailer. I mounted my panel on to a one wheel “Bob” trailer since making the video. Here’s the Burley: a.co/d/7VlTvUK
Rack for Burley trailer: a.co/d/iBR35bc
I finally took the setup on an overnight bike trip. Here’s the link if you’re interested: ruclips.net/video/tUYdFe6XwAk/видео.htmlsi=iUMFx-HvRuxP5Eoq
How much are them mppt mate
4 LEDs MPPT Boost Solar Charge Controller Panel 300W Regulator Solar Panel Battery Regulator Charge Controller 24V-72V a.co/d/1aGlD2V
I finally found the right button for the links.
Solar panel: ACOPOWER 100w 12v Monocrystalline Solar Panel Module with Connector (Panel Only, Compact Design) a.co/d/14p7GD6
Watt meter: KETOTEK Amp Volt Watt Kwh Meter Tester Panel Digital 4 in 1 Ammeter Voltmeter Multimeter 12V DC 6.5-100V 20A, Voltage Current Power Energy Usage Monitor LCD Display Car Motorbike Solar a.co/d/2GxwHuS
Rack for Burley Trailer: Burley Nomad Cargo Rack a.co/d/gOBDx3G
For the most part, the solar should/will mostly be used while stationary... While on the run/road, there are just too many trees/buildings that are constantly shading the panel... Believe me, I tried...
You have a point. On the rail-trails for example there’s lots of shade.
I've been cycling 4 years with solar power. I would not recommend to never use panels below 150W, and I suggest always measuring the exact power & production. A lot of the smaller panels are just complete junk, since most don't care about stats like temperature coefficients or quality of the protective glass/plastic.
It’s a learning curve for me. I wanted more watts but a 100 watt panel was as big as I felt safe with pulling on a trailer.
Mr Progressive/ Thank you/ Good work on the video
i really enjoyed that mike. are you fully retired now? 14:29
You are welcome!
@@billrichardson-dk6ko. No.
Eric done that already you are behind
The more solar ebikers the better.
Hello dear friend you has a berley solar power ,so you can't last now 😅😊
Solar takes a long time. If you were off somewhere and depended on it to charge you to get back home you would need a lot of time to kill.
When I was putting this together, what I envisioned was a setup that would lengthen my range. I didn’t think a 100 watt Solar panel would supply all my power needs. I am going to take it on a short trip soon and see just what it is capable of. I’ll put out a video of my results.
LOL
not bad but with roadie stuff you could easily save 70 watts just on aerodynamics. smaller tent, smaller pack, maybe under 40 litres, the close fitting clothes everybody likes to hate. it really adds up. given an average power output of 200 watts from your legs, you can probably cruise at 17-19 miles an hour if you have the right equipment. if you do that 4-5 hours a day you already cover as much as you do with this setup