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Topic: Amp for road bike (Read 2705 times) previous topic - next topic
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Amp for road bike

So my little 100W road rage amp blew (i think it got to hot) on Ragbrai (bike across Iowa event) and i'm looking for a replacement. I'm powering two small 100w 2-way outdoor speakers that are attached on the sides of my rear wheel. The amp is inside basically a cloth lunchbox on-top of my rear wheel. Basically i just need something fairly cheap that will power my speakers with a small lead-acid 12v and is fairly resistant to heat.

Here's the best thing i have found: http://www.sureelectronics.net/goods.php?id=918

Suggestions ?

Amp for road bike

Reply #1 –
I' m pretty sure you don't need 100W...     

I don't see any specs for power output at 12V.    We really don't know if there's an on-board regulator or DC-to-DC converter....    If there's no on-board power conversion we can assume that half the supply voltage gives you about 1/4 of the output power.    If you take the apparent "real" (low distortion) power specs and derate for 12V operation, you might be down to about 10 or 20W per channel.

The fact that it's class-D is good.  Class D is one of the most efficient designs (maybe the most efficient design.).  This means that less power is wasted as heat and your battery will last longer (for a given output-power to the speakers).   

If you want high-power, you're best bet is probably a car-stereo amp.  The higher power amps have DC-DC converters to boost the 12V power supply, and they are designed to withstand high temperatures.

Amp for road bike

Reply #2 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
I' m pretty sure you don't need 100W...     

I don't see any specs for power output at 12V.    We really don't know if there's an on-board regulator or DC-to-DC converter....    If there's no on-board power conversion we can assume that half the supply voltage gives you about 1/4 of the output power.    If you take the apparent "real" (low distortion) power specs and derate for 12V operation, you might be down to about 10 or 20W per channel.

The fact that it's class-D is good.  Class D is one of the most efficient designs (maybe the most efficient design.).  This means that less power is wasted as heat and your battery will last longer (for a given output-power to the speakers).   

If you want high-power, you're best bet is probably a car-stereo amp.  The higher power amps have DC-DC converters to boost the 12V power supply, and they are designed to withstand high temperatures.


Thank you for the info. I agree i need nothing near 100W of real power. The amp i have been using is about the size of two bars of soap and can power the speakers with no problem. It was supposedly a 150w car amp. My only concern is the Iowa heat i expose the amp to. Do you have any specific brands or amp recommendations.