Bone for the eBike Folk

[starman]

Can't help you with your ? Zooport other then saying you get what you pay for. Clearly the battery is a key element as well as a charge unit that doesn't burn your house down.

I did come across this website and found it loaded with good info;

http://electric-fatbike.com/2016/01/02/2015-a-nucking-futz-year-for-electric-fatbikes-and-2016-looks-even-better/

Oh, and since Calif law changed this year re: ebikes you now have privileges that gas powered don't have. ie. don't plan on riding a gas powered bike down the local bike path.

[southwesterly]

You can use the bike path as long it's 49cc or less.

[capobeachboy]

Got a Sondors in July for $500 plus ship and I love it.  The 5" tires float over the sand with the pressure dropped and I've had a gas exploring our local beaches.  I could spend a few hundred more to extend range, speed and or torque but right now I'm happy to do 20mph and the pedal assist lets me get a little workout too. I'll eventually add a rack or hook up my Wheelie trailer but for now it's just a diversion when I don't feel like a paddle or surf.

If you're not familiar Sondors was a crowdfunding eBike with a $75k goal that did over $6M.  He's now on the third wave with thousands of bikes delivered and more options. 
www.gosondors.com

[PonoBill]

Geez, I thought that one day build of a fatbike was pretty simple. The only reason I had to trim the bottom bracket is that my cheapo fatbike didn't use a cassette for the crank, it had free bearings. Anyone can do this with two tools--a crank puller and a bottom bracket removal tool. You can buy good ones for less than 20 bucks.

I've built several hubmotor bikes, and they all share a common problem--a lot of weight either hanging out on the front of back wheel. Makes them clumsy. And if you want more than 300-400 watts the weight gets greater very quickly because of the increase in required motor mass. Second problem is they a single speed devices so the don't operate at their most efficient RPM for much of the time. The first time you try a crank or mid drive system that uses the bikes rear gearset you immediately understand the difference.

Hub motors are much cheaper and easier to build, and that's about the only advantage.

Since I build my own stuff I can solve some of the problems that bother people. Like range anxiety. My recumbent trike has two 48V, 40AH batteries with cutout switches so I can keep one in reserve. I also carry a quickcharger that can recharge one battery in two hours. That's over 100 miles of range in the flats. I did a century ride up Mt. Hood with mine, Had to charge it in the Dalles on the way home, so I had a leisurly lunch at a brewpub.

The fatbike is going to be my "going to Peahi" bike and maybe resurrect my SUP trailer to use it for a solo downwind shuttle (though it's not difficult to arrange shuttles anymore).

For this build I'm going to just carry an extra set of three lipos as my ready reserve. I can stick them in a pack--they weigh a pound apiece. The battery pack I'm building weighs six pounds -- 48V 10AH. I like that better than the commercially available LiFe packs that weigh 20 pounds. Of course if you're not familiar with messing with LiPo batteries you probably shouldn't start with something big.

Capo, glad to hear you got your bike, I didn't think they could actually deliver on that KS campaign, though the big drop in price for hubmotors made it much more feasible. I could build that bike these days for about $350 minus battery and labor, so selling it commercially for $599 is an accomplishment. At the time of the Kickstarter campaign the motor and battery were more than $600.


Oh, and Starman, the BBS02 750W actually delivers 1200 watts peak. they rate it at 750 continuous to pass maximum power regs for all states. Amazing that simply labeling them that way is adequate, but it is. An acquaintance of mine has some of the 1000W HD units and doesn't like them. Quite a bit heavier and more likely to have frame clearance problems. But Bafang will incrementally improve this unit too. They are a remarkably good company.

[dabigkahuna]

I owned an electric bike a few years ago. The main drawback was I never really knew how far I could go before I was trying to peddle a very heavy and inefficient bike back home. I know that battery technology has improved, but if I was going to spring over three grand, I would go for one of these 49cc gas powered bikes. They go 24 mph and get over a 100 miles per gallon.

The two versions shown here are the off road and the beach cruiser.

Now I want one.

Those are about the coolest looking 49cc bikes I've seen.  I built a motorized bicycle 5 or so years ago using a kit similar to the one in this photo.  It easily pushed me around at 30+ mph.  Made a god-aweful noise but worked pretty well.  I'm interested in going electric, not just because it's more eco-friendly, but also because I can legally ride on bike paths.  If your bike is gas powered and you ride on a bike path you run the risk of getting a ticket.

[dabigkahuna]

I've got a buddy in FL who got a Sondors and loves it.  No hills where he lives and he gets a full day's worth of beach cruising from a single charge.

I agree with PonoBill, that chain drive unit he uses is the bee's knees.  Way better than the hub drives.  Thanks Pono for bringing them to our attention.

Got a question while I have your attention.  I'm thinking about building a bike (or converting my mountain bike) for the 8 mile trek to my favorite beach.  The route is flat except for the hill going over a bridge.  I weigh 250 lbs and would have my SUP in tow.  How big a battery bank do you think I'll need for a round trip?

[PonoBill]

Not much if you pedal as well, probably only five amps but it's easier to get ten. Where do you live?

[dabigkahuna]

Not much if you pedal as well, probably only five amps but it's easier to get ten. Where do you live?
[/quote

The Outer Banks of North Carolina.

[PonoBill]

Perfect place for it. Love the outer banks. In the novel I wrote--Riding Sophia--the first stop on the heros trip is the Outer Banks.

[SUPladomi]

No regulation against it on the national seashore?

[Tom]

The law in most states is that if the top speed of an ebike is 20 MPH, it is considered a bicycle and all laws that apply to bikes apply to them. There for you can ride on bike paths and park it in bike racks on the sidewalk. A few states put the speed limit at 30 mph. Most bikes are sold with a 20 mph limit and there's usually a secret code you can enter to up the speed to 30 + mph. I've left mine at 20 mph.

Another thing for those with battery anxiety, remember it is a bike that can be pedaled and you can always get home by pedalling it. Mine has a 30 mile range if run on electric power only and it has a meter that shows percentage of power used. I usually only recharge mine one every two week and I haven't had to peddle home yet. 

[eastbound]

nice "cheater bike":
http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/2/10892588/pro-cyclist-caught-motor-bike

[SlatchJim]

nice "cheater bike":
http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/2/10892588/pro-cyclist-caught-motor-bike

There was a point...oh 10 years ago that I said "who cares?"  Let them cheat, let the steroid companies line up and sponsor them, let the cyclists die horrible cancer-ridden deaths, and let the sport implode because of an unstoppable tide of cheating.  The rest of us can ride e-bikes or whatever we choose and not have to hear another tale from the pit of foolishness that is pro cycling.

As a side note, that's one well hidden motor. 

[Bean]

What a way to raise a kid.  Proud parent of a 19 year old fraud, liar and cheat...

[spookini]

Interestingly, Eddy Merckx (widely considered to be the best pro cyclist of all-time) has come out to strongly condemn mechanicized doping, calling for a lifetime ban for any offender.

Merckx himself failed several drug tests during his racing career... 
But theres' an obvious difference between the two methods:  one is clearly cheating, whereas the other is cheating.  Clearly.

It's an interesting question:  which is worse? 
Mechanized doping gives a quick short burst that might be used 1-2x during a race.  The athlete's fitness is their own -- their muscular strength is their own.
Pharma-doping (esp cortisone, HGH, or EPO) gives an advantage over the length of the entire race.  The athlete's fitness/strength is not their own at all -- it's totally enhanced chemically.  So... which is more "dishonest"??