[dkw12002]

I'm new to e-bikes awaiting my CR kit in a few days. I have a couple of unrelated ques. First, how do you use your bike's gears with the Hill Topper? I mean, do you start at a hill in a medium gear like 7th, kick in the motor, then pedal in that medium gear all the way up as it appears a couple of people are doing in a YouTube video, or would you select a lower gear like 2nd or a higher gear like 10th, or do you keep downshifting from a higher gear as the hill becomes steeper? Right now, the hill I am thinking of near my home (naturally) is a quarter mile of misery. There is a 4-way stop sign at the bottom, so you can't get much of a start at it. Anyway, I tackle it in the lowest gear, do a few switchbacks, then dismount and walk it up the rest of the way. The second question has to do with the axle bolt that needs to be "tight". The popular video where the guy does the conversion is a couple of minutes does not appear to show him using a tool, but it is hard to tell. I have a quick release, so there is just the one bolt on the right side. Is that the bolt that needs to be really tight? If so, what are my choices for tightening it and would loctite help? My bike is a Trek and the dropouts open downward and the bolt holding the front tire on is cone-shaped with serrations. Thanks, dkw

[dynodan]

Just remember that the more load you put on the battery when climbing hills (especially with LIBs), the shorter it's life will likely be. You will soon get a feel for how much power assist/which gears to use on very steep hills.

The HT wheel comes with it's own axle nuts. It you have a torque wrench, use 30 ft. lbs. on both. I believe there are included instructions re: turn fraction to approximate that. Use a thick wrench.

[dkw12002]

Thanks. I can do that.

[Chris Clean Republic]

Good questions.

The beauty of the Hill Topper is that is works completely independent of your bikes gears (or drive-train). This allows you to use the gears that work best for you.

Generally, I like to keep my Hill Topper equipped bike in a higher gear to maximize torque as I climb hills. The Hill Topper feels like a second rider helping me up some of the steepest hills here in Seattle, where our office is based. Other customers like to keep their bike in a lower gear, and let the Hill Topper do more of the work for them. Either method works.

You can maximize the battery life of the Hill Topper by doing more of the work if you feel up to it. A higher torque will allow the motor to assist, while not straining the battery to much.

As for the nuts on the axle, they can easily be tightened with an adjustable wrench. 30 ft lbs. sounds alright. You can just tighten the nut until it reasonably can't come loose without using the wrench.