Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I recently got a KS16s and have to say I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS WHEEL!!! I got it mainly for my modest commute to work but since getting it find I'm wanting to head out on much longer adventures. Most notably heading on excursions into town, which is about a 25km journey each way over mildly undulating terrain. While my KS16s is more than capable of getting to town it is not nearly capable of getting me home and each time I've ridden in I've had to bundle my poor depleted wheel into the back of either a cab or an Uber to get back home. I know the KS16s claims a range that should more than cover this journey but the truth is I scarcely get anything much more than about 40km, and even that is a stretch. So I am potentially seeking an additional long range wheel, one that will be well capable of transporting my (admittedly hefty) frame from home to town and back again on a single charge. I see the KS18L has recently become available but the battery is not as big a jump in capacity as I was hoping (1036Wh up from to 840Wh in the 16s). Is it expected to be available in a wider range of sizes like the 18s in time? 1063Wh just doesn't seem worth the upgrade. What other long range wheels would be worthy of consideration? Is the 22"/2400Wh Gotway Monster the undisputed king of long range wheeling these days? And are there any other models I should be considering? Thanks, Slarti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 There are people with a lot more experience in this but (correct me if I am wrong) I think all wheels get about the same distance on the same battery capacity, give or take a few, with the same rider and same terrain. I presume that if you want long distance wheels you'll just need to get the biggest capacity ones you can find. I think the MSuper X would be a good choice, range-wise, or the KingSong KS18S. You don't want a wheel that goes down to 10% at the end of your trip, because you'll be spending the last couple of kms going really slow. The Monster is another option but it's an entirely different beast to ride. Wouldn't buy it without trying. It can be quite cumbersome to move around while not riding on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 2 minutes ago, ir_fuel said: The Monster is another option but it's an entirely different beast to ride. Wouldn't buy it without trying. It can be quite cumbersome to move around while not riding on it. Oh, thanks for the heads up about that. I've watched a lot of videos but the only wheel I've ever actually seen is my own, and all the video reviews seem to say that whatever wheel there riding is just "beautiful" (including reviews of the Monster). You know, they all say there smooth and responsive, intuitive to ride and just an absolute pleasure etc. etc. I'm not saying people aren't being honest as lets face it, all the reputable wheels are in fact pretty damn good, but it's hard to get a rounded opinion from watching these videos. As it is I've kind of got the impression that the smaller wheels tend to be more agile while the bigger wheels are better at munching up miles and traveling at speed but only having videos it's hard to make a call, especially when all the reviews seem more like testimonials. For this purchase though I am in fact after a "mile muncher" so the Monster could well still be what I'm after, but thanks for the insight. I'll look more closely at Gotway's 18" options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 As for the Monster itself, is anyone able to say what it's like to walk around with? It doesn't appear to have an extendable handle and although it's tall the handle does look uncomfortably low to wheel about a shopping mall. I haven't been able to find any footage of anyone walking one about. Also, it there a seat option for this wheel? My main requirement is for long range but an extendable handle and potentially an added seat would be nice to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 i think the msx at 1600wh should be fine and a nice supple 3nch tire should make the ride smooth even on mild rough terrain there's more reveiws and post coming out now people are recieving there's and it does have a trolley handle to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED209 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Slartibartfast said: As for the Monster itself, is anyone able to say what it's like to walk around with? It doesn't appear to have an extendable handle and although it's tall the handle does look uncomfortably low to wheel about a shopping mall. I haven't been able to find any footage of anyone walking one about. Also, it there a seat option for this wheel? There is a seat option for the Monster, which helps alot. Without the seat it is awkward to move about. I would choose the MSuperX, It is easier to live with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 Hmm: 18", 1600Wh and a trolley handle. That does sound really good! By the way, I have every intention of keeping my 16s and expect to keep using it as my "daily drive" so to speak. As it is I ride my wheel to and from work every day and am more than happy to continue doing so on the 16s. This new purchase will primarily be as a "Miles Muncher" and will be used almost exclusively for runs that are simply beyond the capability of my venerable 16s, so "daily drive" issues aren't nearly as critical for this second wheel. That being said, if there's no down side to having a more manageable ride than of course being more manageable would only be better, but the primary role of this new beast will be cutting down miles rather than negotiating lattes at the local shopping centre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 it's actually 19 inch?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 3 minutes ago, stephen said: it's actually 19 inch?? Oh, yes, I did actually read that. 19 and a bit if I'm not mistaken ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbhb Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 24 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said: Oh, yes, I did actually read that. 19 and a bit if I'm not mistaken ? The tyre is actually still an 18" with GotWay putting some marketing spin on things, only due to the increase in external diameter with the jump up from 2.5" to 3.0" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yffisch Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I learnt that what is said in the specifications divided by 2 is the reality. My wheel was supposed to go 60-70km, but in reality I've measured it to 35km since I usually drive around 25-30kmh and it's a lot of up and down. If you drive your wheel on flat road in 15kmh and have a body weight of no more than 70-80kg on pavement, then I guess you can come closer to the specifications. So I guess you would need one of the tougher 100km++ wheels for your distance. Why don't you bring the charger to work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 5 minutes ago, fbhb said: The tyre is actually still an 18"... Hmmm, interesting: 18X3.0/76-355 I've never seen tyre markings like that before. Is 18 referring to the rim size or rolling diameter? 18" is a common(ish) size for tyres but from my understanding it's always refereed to the rim size rather than rolling diameter. But then I've only ever seen tyre markings in the form "255/75R16" or "flotation" sizing of the form "35X12.50R17". Though we don't get it much here in the metric world I believe the first number of flotation sizing refers to the rolling diameter, the second to wall height and, just as in the metric system, the R number is the rim size (in inches). From what I can gather the tread width is simply omitted in flotation markings. So are those marking saying the tyre has a rolling diameter of 18", tyre wall of 3" and God knows what as a rim size? I know my imperial eye is not very well honed but those walls do not look 3 inches tall to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 10 minutes ago, Yffisch said: Why don't you bring the charger to work? Work's not the problem. I only live about 500m from work ? The issue is when I head into town (about 25km away). I have taken the charger into town and asked to charge at a bar but felt funny about asking and was only there for a few hours and didn't get enough of a charge anyway. I also asked to charge at a fast food restaurant on the way home and was actually refused, which I guess is fair enough. While we know it's fine, to them it does look pretty weird. All in all I just want to be able to make it in and back again without needing to mess about with finding a place to plug in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catlord17 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 I suggest an MSuper V3s+ or X, or a KS-18S or L would be the wheels you'd most likely be looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 Yeah, I very much like the look of the 18L but am a little perturbed by the battery size. Is there any intention of bringing out different battery configurations for the "L" as there were for the "S"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 You can keep on waiting for better wheels to come out, but in the mean time you don't have them. I wouldn't go for the Monster. It's an A to A wheel IMO. Not something you want to drag around when doing A to B, hanging around/walking in B and going back to A (the biggest battery version weighs 30kg, and no trolley). If you want to go in town and do other stuff there too I would opt for the MSuper X. You need a trolley. If your purpose is riding long and far, and just riding, then it might become a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 Yes, valid points. At this stage I am indeed leaning toward the MSuper X but would opt for the 18L if only it had a bigger bat option. It is however the middle of winter down here on the Southern side of the planet, so I'm in no great hurry to get my second wheel and would be willing to hold out for the 18L if I had any reason to think a better bat option was coming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Is that winter real winter, or is it what we would call "Summer"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 8 minutes ago, ir_fuel said: Is that winter real winter, or is it what we would call "Summer"? It's actually pretty cold here at the moment. Most of the country doesn't get that cold but it's actually -1.8°C (28.76°F) just now: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60903/IDN60903.94925.shtml Of course that doesn't stop me wheeling but you know, you're not exactly pining for sunset rides along the promenade when the sun sets at 5:00pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Ah ok, real winter. Pretty interesting that you have different seasons in the same country. I just watched the CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 Yeah, Darwin doesn't get winters! They don't really get summers either there. They get two seasons but they actually call them "the wet" and "the dry" ("the wet" being while the rest of the country are experiencing "summer" and "the dry" during "winter"). So this is the "middle of the dry" for them at the moment, though of course a Darwin "dry" looks to the rest of the country like an inundation ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 18 hours ago, Slartibartfast said: Yeah, I very much like the look of the 18L but am a little perturbed by the battery size. Is there any intention of bringing out different battery configurations for the "L" as there were for the "S"? There is some talk of a larger Wh KS-18L... I haven't been able to confirm it is true, but (being winter and all) it may be worth waiting a couple of months to see how things pan out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 If you get 40km out of a 16S, my super scientific calculations give you these ranges: 18L (1036Wh): 49km (so "50km" - too little for you) 18S (1680Wh): 79km (so "80km") msuper X (1600Wh): 73km (so "75km") Monster 100V (1845Wh): 87km (make it "85km" because the Monster tends to be a tiny bit less efficient if only because it's fast) Monster 84V (2400Wh): 113km (so "110km") If I were you, I'd be eyeing the 100V Monster Nice new electronics, great range, fast, and a big riding difference to your 16S - variety is fun. But only if you have to non-ride it very little, otherwise it might be a bit unwieldy to lug around (but you can always build some trolley handle on it).You might prefer one of the suitable 18 inchers then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yffisch Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 I've started looking for my second wheel. Even though I'm extremely satisfied with my MCM4. I want the wheel to have the same capacity and weight/size as MCM4, but longer distance. My current one is 60-70km (35km in reality distance, 35kmh max speed). Are there actually any such wheels (yet)? I don't want a bigger wheel (14") since I need to have it on trains/busses between my legs, and I don't want the weight to be more than 14-15kg as my current one. I've been looking at MCM5, it seems to be stronger, but heavier and it does not seem to have more range and it's way more expensive. Maybe the MCM4 is the perfect wheel for all my needs at the moment, it's also extremely cheap for what you actually get. Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerome Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Yffisch said: I've started looking for my second wheel. Even though I'm extremely satisfied with my MCM4. I want the wheel to have the same capacity and weight/size as MCM4, but longer distance. My current one is 60-70km (35km in reality distance, 35kmh max speed). Are there actually any such wheels (yet)? I don't want a bigger wheel (14") since I need to have it on trains/busses between my legs, and I don't want the weight to be more than 14-15kg as my current one. I've been looking at MCM5, it seems to be stronger, but heavier and it does not seem to have more range and it's way more expensive. Maybe the MCM4 is the perfect wheel for all my needs at the moment, it's also extremely cheap for what you actually get. Any advice? You can't improve range and keep the same performance without gaining weight and cost. The closest wheel to your requirements with greater range is the King Song 14S and then the MCM5 as you mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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