There are numerous factors that influence the range one gets on a single charge.
Some of them include:
- Terrain-- uphill climbs demand a lot of energy from the battery.
- Rider "contribution" -- the more the rider pedals-- and how forcefully, greatly affect range.
- Wind-- not just the wind that is part of the weather-- but also how fast you are going-- faster speeds create more wind resistance and require more power.
- Tire pressure-- a firmer tire pumped up to the higher end of the recommended pressure range (indicated on the tire sidewall) rolls better and will improve range. Check tire pressure at least once a week.
- Heavy loads-- an average-sized rider pulling a trailer will require more energy to move than a 130-pound rider with no cargo.
- Higher levels of assist use more battery power-- choose the lowest setting for the best range.
- Stop and go traffic-- like with automobiles, you get the best mileage ("range") during sustained travel. Accelerating the bike repeatedly from a dead stop pulls added current from the battery.
- Temperature--Lithium batteries work best between temperatures of 32 deg. F and 95 deg. F....performance will be reduced if operating outside of this range.
- Shifting gears-- One of the nicest features of your new bicycle is its mid-drive motor. This design allows the motor, as well as the rider, to take advantage of gear changes in the shifting system, improving efficiency. To get the most out of the mid-drive motor, you need to shift the gears.
In general, when starting from a dead stop, you should be in low gear. On NuVinci®-equipped bikes, the orange cyclist on the shifter should appear to be riding up a hill. This video explains shifting the NuVinci: Shifting NuVinci
As the bike gains speed, progressively shift up through the gears. For the NuVinci®, twist the grip so that the orange hill gradually flattens out.
If you encounter a hill, shift back down into lower gears. You should also shift to lower gears as you approach a stop, so you are already in the proper gear when you start again.
One other thing that you can do -- especially on a new battery or one that has been in storage-- is to "Cycle" it. To do this, run the battery through a few charge cycles -- fully discharge and leave on a charger overnight. Repeat this 3 times