I haven’t posted for a few weeks because I’ve been focused on a new bicycle project. A few years ago, I outlined my step-by-step build of an e-bike using a Bafang 750W BBS02 mid drive motor kit and a Cannondale road bike, You can see the details of the build here at “Bafang E-bike Conversion”. I’ve been extremely happy with the bike since, and I’ve ridden it more than a thousand miles without a problem.
Although I really enjoy riding the Bafang, my Bafang and Cannondale Synapse Neo 1 e-bikes are very similar bikes (see “BUILD OR BUY AN E-BIKE”), so I felt it was time to diversify my e-bikes. Since I enjoy Rail Trail riding, and the trails I ride can get very slippery after it rains, I decided to move the bafang motor off the road bike with narrow tires and onto a Cannondale mountain bike with the widest tires I could fit on the bike. I also added racks so the e-bike could be used on multi-day touring rides.
After a few more test rides to work out any problems with the build and to determine the range of the bike and battery, I plan to give it the ultimate test by riding the C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park) and the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage), a 334.5-mile ride from Washington, DC to Pittsburg PA (COGAP). I have ridden this wonderful traffic-free route approximately 12 times in the past, but never on an e-bike.
It’s always an adventure that I would highly recommend to cyclists of all skill levels. Here is my planned itinerary. So, stay tuned to hear how I make out on the e-bike. Or even better, join me on the ride.
Here is my planned itinerary.
- COGAP Itinerary – Day 1 – Georgetown, DC to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia – Cycle Across America
- COGAP Itinerary – Day 2 – Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to Hancock, MD – Cycle Across America
- COGAP Itinerary – Day 3 – Hancock, MD to Cumberland, MD – Cycle Across America
- COGAP Itinerary – Day 4 – Cumberland, MD to Ohiopyle, PA – Cycle Across America
- COGAP Itinerary – Day 5 – Ohiopyle, PA to Pittsburg, PA – Cycle Across America
Ken Whittaker