I am looking to get a second Bosch battery to give me the ability to use the electric instead of the CX to tour on.
The stats first, the 625 is 700 gr heavier and £80 more.
What I am trying to ascertain is which is the sensible choice to take on multi-day bike packing.
I can pretty much guarantee I will get at least 70 miles out of the 625. What I don't know is how much less mileage the 500 will provide. I have heard that it is not a simple ratio (which would yield 56 miles) but I don't know if this true or not. Been told to expect something more like 20 miles left.
Has anyone been in the position to make this comparison?
Many thanks
The word "touring" caught my eye and I know diddlysquat about batteries and e-bikes but.....
Sorry, it's not clear to me if you have one battery (625) and are considering buying a second (500) to take with you as backup or to replace the 625? I'm assuming you're considering a second, backup battery.
I'm sure you've thought of it but if going bike packing (which to my way of thinking suggests more off-road, emptier locations) remember that the going can be slower and therefore battery usage higher and places to recharge fewer and further between.
I'd keep in mind, too, the extra weight on the bike. Gear, food, water.
Batteries deteriorate over time. That may be a factor in your decision.
70 miles is a fair distance. I know we're all different but I don't have many touring days that long.
I'd also look at compatibility (do both batteries use the same charger?), things like charging times etc.
Then there's you and your "touring head". If the battery is dead is that going to send you into a tizzy or will you just shrug and apply some more legpower?
I suppose that someone suitably inclined could calculate the impact of carrying the lighter and heavier batteries on the battery powering the bike and establish the "real" benefit of one over the other. But that's very far away from my way of thinking
Finally, one of the most important factors for me to enjoy a day's adventuring on a bike is to minimise the worries and stresses. With a battery there will always be a hard limit. My instinctive reaction is to go for the larger capacity on the basis that I will worry less. Then again, another's instinctive reaction is to go for the lightest weight.
For anything that involves anxiety, I have always found that nothing beats personal experience for putting it to bed. You could load up the bike and set off for an hour or two without using the battery assist to feel what that is really like. Better still, after a long day, do the same. That might help you make up your mind.
Good luck!
