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IPS i130, tell me about it


Keola Pirata

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My best friend recommends I get the IPS i130. I'd like to use it to commute 14 km to work. I live in the foothills of a mountain range in Hawaii. I know the machine is supposed to have a range of 15 km. I weigh about 61 kg, and the way is mostly downhill on the way there. (I don't mind if the battery dies out, and I have to walk a bit on the way back home if it can't handle the uphills, just not on the way to work.) Most of the way, I'd say about 85% is flat ground along the coastal plain.

Do you think the the i130 can get me all the way there, and all the way back? (I can charge it at the worksite.)

Here is my route to work:

morning commute







 

 

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That's quite a serious commute Keola. As an example, I can comfortably get 12 miles out of my IPS with a 260 Wh battery. Bear in mind that the riding experience degrades when the battery is depleted and I think you would be better looking at ewheels with a battery size similar to mine - or better, especially if you want to get back up the hill. Carrying an ewheel soon becomes tiresome...

You are lighter than me, and as you say, the outward route is downhill so the i130 would probably make it...just!

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Wow, that's quite a commute! Just looking at the distance, I would recommend an 18" wheel with a big battery and a top speed of 30kph or better. 

Reasons:

  • Small wheels are great for tricks, but react rather sensitive to any bump in your way. Even knowing your commuting path inside out, you have to stay much more concentrated than with a large wheel, which is much more forgiving in that respect.
  • Battery: As a rule of thumb, a wheel with a 70Kg rider consumes about 10 Wh per kilometer. So, an IPS i130 (with 132Wh, right?) likely just gets you to your workplace - but the last few kilometers won't be fun. Many riders observe reduced performance of their wheels when the battery level drops below 50%. While I don't know, when that becomes significant with an i130, the total capacity is so close to your commuting distance, that you will travel a considerable distance at very low battery levels. That will force you to ride slow and very cautiously. Your last kilometers will likely be accompanied by constant beeping.
  • Speed: By the specs, an i130 tops out at 20kph. My guess: after a few trips back and forth, you will find yourself riding for long stretches right at this limit. At a much shorter commute than yours, I found that rather unnerving. 

Many reports in this forum and other places agree with your friend, that the IPS i130 is a pretty good wheel for beginners and I don't have any reason to doubt that. Considering your intended use, I believe it is just too small.

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In Hawaii you have temperature on your side, it's perfect for battery efficiency. However, I still think a 130Wh battery will not make it. My 14-inch 130Wh wheel gets 5 miles max on a good day, and the map shows you have 8.6 miles. I'm not even sure a 170Wh battery would do it either, I would definitely look at 260Wh as your minimum. Also consider a 16 or 18 inch wheel for a trip that long, it will help with comfort and speed. Remember that even if the wheel can comfortably go 10mph or faster, you will often be going slower than that due to bad conditions or waiting at traffic crossings. I would budget an hour for that commute, which isn't bad if it's in Hawaii. :)

Running out of battery can be more of a pain than you think. For a small 14-inch 130Wh model that's maybe 10kg (22lb) you can manage to lug it around. But the models with bigger batteries aren't something you would would want to carry several miles. 

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I agree with @Tilmann; a bigger rider-comfortable wheel is what you need for such a long commute. If you have the money, the Solowheel Xtreme that I got is a super robust 18" wheel that would be great -- it's the Lexus among the eWheels ;) I am getting about 22km range in hilly terrain; However, it 'only' goes about 11mph (~18km/hr) which may be too slow for your commute. For a cheaper wheel, I am hearing good stories about the King Song 18" wheel. The Ninebot E+ seems safe and comfortable too but it is a smaller wheel.

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Just remember that batteries degrade slowly over time. The more often they are run to a low state of charge the faster they degrade so even if by some miracle it gets you home when you first get it, that won't last.

I would suggest that an IPS 121 with it's 16" wheel and 350Wh battery would be much more suitable for a reliable commuting vehicle that will get you to work and back reliably.

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