[djk]

I haven't seen many posts from cyclists who fit my category...so I'm wondering if the hilltopper is for me...

I ride on regular 2-3 times/wk 20 mph club rides... these are road cyclists all extremely fit, and riding high end road bikes with 700c wheels. I can ride with them fine, except if I get dropped on the hills! Typical rides are 25 to 40 miles per ride and perhaps 1000 -2000 feet of climbing maximum. My questions:

1) I figure I'd add about 6 or 7 lbs for the new wheel and motor, and another 6 lbs for a Li-ion battery. I'd put this on a high end Trek carbon road bike... the total weight of the bike now is about 15 lb! Has anyone equipped a nice light bike with your hilltopper setup, and if so, how well does the bike handle?

2) We bomb down hills at up to 35 mph in the steep areas. Obviously there's no need for the motor...but will those speeds be OK for the hilltopper motor/hub design? I imagine since the compnay is seattle based, you face the steep downhill question daily!

3) any feedback you can provide on the use of the Hilltopper for club sport riding would be greatly appreciated. I'm not entering any races, so riding with a boost is just for added fun to stay with the younger fast riding group!

4) can I buy the wheel setup but rebuild on a rim of my choice later, such as a Mavic Ksyrium rim for narrow clincher tires, like Michelin Pro Race 3 that I prefer?

Thanks

David

[Chris Clean Republic]

Hi David,

All excellent questions. So I'll take them point by point.

1.) We have had a few customers equip their high end road bikes with the Hill Topper before, including one of the owners. He put his Hill Topper on a Cannondale carbon fiber frame. He loves it! With an extremely light weight bike you get the most out of the battery, as there is less mass to move, hence a more efficient Hill Topper.

2.) Going down hill with the motor doesn't pose any problems. I, for example regularly go down some very steep hills here in Seattle with my bike, exceeding 30-35mph, with no problems at all. The motor has a free spinning axle, so unless the motor is engaged, the internal gearing of the motor doesn't move and the wheel acts like a regular bike wheel.

3.) You might be called a cheater by your friends in the club. All joking aside, we have had a number of sports cyclists use the Hill Topper in the same manner as you and they enjoy their rides much more. They can keep up with the really young guys, but still get a good work out.

4.) Yes, you can install the motor into any type of rim that you like. The hub motor is installed, just like a normal hub, but with the main difference being the larger size. You will need to get custom made spokes to precisely fit your new rim, but most bike shops can special order you any size you will need.

I hope this answers your questions. Thanks.