Stokemonkey FAQ

Isn’t it cheating to put a motor on a bicycle?

Only if you use it for trips that you could enjoy, or learn to enjoy, on your own power alone. We think you should use a regular bike for those trips, as we do. A worse form of cheating is using a multi-ton vehicle for work that Stokemonkey makes easy, while flattering yourself that you are too strong and pure a bicyclist to use a motor.

Hub motors are simple, popular, and most are cheaper. What's Stokemonkey got on those?

Torque, for climbing steep hills with passengers or heavy cargo! Used with common MTB gearing, Stokemonkey can put out more torque than any bike hub motor we know, about four times that of common ones. That's the main functional difference. Quiet, high efficiency at all speeds, lack of drag when pedaling normally, and unlimited choice of wheels are other upsides.

Does it charge as you ride it?

No, it doesn’t generate any electricity. Stokemonkey’s use of your bicycle’s gearing yields far higher net efficiency than the regenerative braking schemes used in some other products (or their marketing material), and the two approaches are mutually incompatible.

The idea of perpetual motion has a powerful hold on many people, and electric bikes seem to flush them out like birds from a bush. Stokemonkey users are regularly informed by casual observers that they wouldn't need batteries, or chargers, or could go much farther or faster if only somehow they could recycle the free energy leaking from the system.

Can you use it in the rain?

Of course. Mud and snow are good too. Try not to immerse it. You should plan on taking the battery inside for charging if the bike has to stay outside, as the chargers aren’t weatherproof.

Will it work without an Xtracycle?

No, we don't support it for other bikes. There are too many bicycle design variations to create a safe, reasonably universal mount for Stokemonkey. Meanwhile, there are already a number of electric bike products for those who do not require the exceptional capability that longtails and Stokemonkey offer together. Stokemonkey is designed to deliver more low-end torque than anybody could need without heavy cargo.

Apart from providing Stokemonkey a mounting point and clearance in your bike’s rear triangle, Xtracycle’s product provides a superior place to carry one or many battery packs, while still leaving plenty of useful cargo space. The extra wheelbase improves handling with heavy loads and at high speeds, permitting you to remain seated on the steepest climbs that would cause the front wheel to lift on ordinary bikes.

Will it work with a recumbent/trike/quad/tandem/yuba/ute/bakfiets/madsen/velomobile/unicycle/pedicab/hovercraft...if it does/does not have an Xtracycle?

See above. Stokemonkey is designed to work with Xtracycle-standard longtail bikes as described in the compatibility notes. In all other cases, fitting Stokemonkey means embarking on an engineering adventure whose success cannot be guaranteed. We can’t provide much if any remote support, nor will we extend our warranty for experimental installations.

That said, Stokemonkey has been successfully adapted to a number of special vehicles including recumbent trikes and at least one velomobile, and we were happy to provide what support we did in these cases.

Mounts for other popular cargo bikes may become available in time.

When are you coming out with a version that doesn’t force the pedals around? Isn’t that really dangerous? And do you want suggestions about how to achieve this?

Don’t hold your breath, no, and no, thanks. If you don’t like having to pedal, consider other products. If you do like pedaling, and our warnings don’t scare you off, we ask you to give it a good try before opining about the worth of driven pedals.

Admittedly, we were a little surprised to discover how well we liked it, too. You don’t have to pedal any harder than you want to, but just moving your legs lightly along will raise your heart rate and make you want to work. It’s not pleasant to let your legs be driven, so you always lead the motor with at least light pressure on the pedals. Thus you feel, shape, gate, and augment the power that goes on to the wheel with your largest muscle groups, not just with your fingertips on the throttle. This accomplishes a much more intimate human-machine synergy than typical power-on-demand or pedal-activated designs, offering sensitive enough control for powered use even on loose or slippery surfaces.

Subjective considerations of feel aside, driving the pedals is essential for cueing you when and how to shift for best power and range. “Improving” Stokemonkey with optional pedaling would break the feedback loop that lets Stokemonkey perform so well.

Is there a learning curve?

Skilled bicyclists will have no trouble using Stokemonkey immediately. It takes between a few moments and a few hours to become accustomed to the sensation of driven pedals, and to add throttle control to one’s existing shifting skills. If you have trouble changing gears smoothly and appropriately to maintain steady pedaling speeds as you start, climb, cruise, and descend, you’re not ready for Stokemonkey.

Many cyclists habitually shift to a very low gear and spin the pedals rapidly as they climb the steepest hills. Yet Stokemonkey provides maximum power at lower pedal speeds. We have witnessed cyclists pedal up staircase-steep grades with Stokemonkey at cadences higher than 120, complaining that the motor wasn’t helping much. It can take a while to learn how to let Stokemonkey do the hardest work.

To lessen the chances of disappointment, we strongly recommend that you equip yourself with an Xtracycle and become accustomed to it before ordering Stokemonkey. You just might discover that you can carry as much as you need without motor help. In any case, having the Xtracycle ready before you get Stokemonkey means that you won’t waste time during the money-back guarantee period just setting it up and getting used to many new things at once.

Is it street legal?

Stokemonkey installations conform to US federal Consumer Product Safety Commission rules for electric bicycles. These federal rules pertain only to safety standards required of vehicle manufacturers, and may or may not be reflected in your local laws governing bicycle use and access to facilities, which may allow higher speeds, or may outlaw motorized bikes altogether.

Local laws vary, and are frequently difficult to ascertain and interpret for unusual vehicles. For example, many laws describe motorized bicycles only in internal combustion terms, while others refer to speed under motor power alone — a mode of use that Stokemonkey does not support.

Ultimately, you are responsible for knowing your local laws, configuring Stokemonkey, and operating your bike in a safe, responsible manner. Because Stokemonkey is virtually silent and requires you to pedal just like a regular bike, it is unlikely to attract unwanted legal attention.

Doesn’t the extra weight cancel out the benefit of the motor?

We usually answer this question by offering to haul the person asking up a nearby hill.

Can I install it myself?

Your local bicycle shop has all the tools and skills required to install Stokemonkey. In many cases, home mechanics will be adequately equipped, too. If in doubt after reviewing the installation instructions, take it to a shop!

Unfortunately, many bike shops have had bad experiences with other electric bike products, and others may profess support for exclusively human-powered vehicles, turning you away to contemplate the car racks they sell, their parking lot, etc. You have been warned. It may help to assure them that Stokemonkey works similarly to a tandem bicycle, using only standard bicycle drivetrain components, and that no electrical expertise is required. Please help us compile a list of shops who “get it” — until then, you’ll probably fare best with Xtracycle dealers.