Riding tips Support

When riding up a longer steeper hill, the rule of thumb is it will continuously assist you above 6 or 7 mph. If you can pedal enough to keep the speed over 6 mph, then you are good to go. Here is a more detailed description.

The system works more efficiently (stays cooler) at higher speeds. If the hills are very steep and you can’t pedal enough to stay above 6 mph, then the controller senses high motor current at low speed (this is the problem zone) and turns the motor off after 20 seconds under 6 mph.
It will display E9. Simply turn the controller OFF then ON and get back on and ride (no need to wait).  You can extend the 20 second rule a bit by changing the power setting from high performance (P2) to lower current (P1) for extended range.

The power trailer is designed as an assist. If the hill is too steep for the rider and power assist to crest the hill, then another route is required.

There are 3 power levels.

• P2 is more kick and less range.

• P1 is less kick and more range.

• P0 is P1 with a top speed of 15 mph.

When riding around town, you may notice little difference between P2 and P1 power settings. When using P1 the battery may provide up to 20% more range! And if you are trying to make a low charge last as much as possible, set to P0, use the throttle sparingly, and get even more miles.

To change power levels:
* Turn the controller on
* Press and hold the “battery” button
* While still pressing the “battery” button, press the “>” button (P0, P1 and P2 should appear in the LED window – you can release all buttons now)
* Press the “>” button to toggle between P0, P1 and P2.
* When you see the desired setting, press the “battery” button.
Here is a short video describing the power change and other options. Video of control panel options

The battery display needs to be set for the battery type. Lithium batteries have a very strong voltage throughout the discharge cycle (different than the SLA battery), so the readings will be less accurate. 

Here are a couple things to do:

A) Please set the controller to display battery level for the SLA or Lithium battery:

To change from LA (SLA battery) to Li (lithium battery)

* LA is the default setting

* Turn the controller on

* Press and hold the “battery” button

* While still pressing the “battery” button, press the “+” button

(LA or Li should appear in the LED window – you can release all buttons now)

* Press the “>” button to toggle between LA and Li.

* When you are at the desired setting press the “battery” button

The Ridekick controller keeps track of the battery usage. This can be used to see how many amp-hours (Ah) are used during a trip, or you can estimate how much may be left in the battery charge.

(This is particularly helpful for LiFePO4 batteries because the battery level display is not very accurate.)

It is set up like a “trip odometer” on a car:
* The number of Ah is displayed when the BATTERY button is held down for 2 seconds or more.
* The “trip” is engaged when the BATTERY button is held down for 5 seconds or more. This erases the last number and sets the Ah to “00”

It might be helpful to reset the Ah counter every time the battery is fully charged.

The battery in your Ridekick trailer will provide a little less than the rating on the battery (when starting at full charge). Why less? Battery capacity is specified with a low current level; when the Ridekick motor pushes, it uses a higher current and therefore the Ah we get from the battery is less than the rating.

** The Ridekick SLA battery is rated 12 Ah, but expect 8 to 10 in normal riding. Colder temperatures will also decrease this number.
** The Ridekick LR20 delivers about 18 Ah
** The Ridekick LR30 delivers about 27 Ah

SLA – sealed lead acid

Rule of thumb: keep it charged.

A full charge will last for a few weeks, so it will be ready to go when you are if you charge it when you return from a ride.

AVOID: long periods of time (a week or more) at a low charge level. This causes “sulfation” which diminishes the useful capacity and range of the battery.

Long Term Storage: keep fully charged. Disconnect it from the controller, keep in a cooler place (as low as 35F) and check the charge level every 2 months. If it is below L7, charge it up!
batteryuniversity.com

Rule of thumb: keep it charged during the seasons you are using it.

The LiFePO4 battery does not develop “sulfation” like the SLA battery, so you can “forget about it” at lower charges (for a few weeks) and it will not be harmed.

Long Term Storage: keep charged between L4 and L8. Disconnect it from the controller, keep in a cooler place (as low as 35F) and check the charge level every 2 months. If below L4, charge it for 30 – 60 minutes and when it’s between L4 – L8, then it’s good for another few months.