First foray into electric bikes, need advice

[California98Civic]

Hi Ecky, any update on this project? Did you get the hybrid batteries after all? Buy the new Bafang kit?

[Ecky]

My sister-in-law "borrowed" the bike I planned to do this on and I haven't seen it in six months. Plus, I've moved and nothing is really within biking distance. Chances are when my lease is up I'll move closer to the city, but for now it's on hold.

[California98Civic]

Bummer! New year, new possibilities...

[Ecky]

Update: Found a nice, cheap bicycle. Decided to go with a steel frame, no suspension.

[Grant-53]

It will be interesting to see the power to weight numbers for different builds. Just for comparison in the 1980s I mounted a 34cc chain saw engine powered kit on my Huffy 3 speed with 26x 1-3/8 tires. Cruise speed was 25 mph with a motorcycle windscreen for a Virago.

[California98Civic]

Cool! Will be fun to see you build progress. Keep updating.

What range are you hoping for or expecting? Can you add to that battery capacity if you want? It looks like you are planning your won battery box. I bought the same triangle bag. Although I liked it, it was less sturdy than I expected. I don't think it will hold batteries for long without substantial reinforcement.

[Ecky]

I don't need a whole lot of range, and I don't really know what to expect, given my riding environment. I decided on a geared motor because I plan to do a lot of pedaling too, and I understand they are better for freewheeling and have more torque at low speed. Burlington isn't so much big as very hilly, and I mostly want some aid up the hills. If I didn't need more cells to safely support the motor's power output, a single 4.4Ah battery would probably be more than adequate. I briefly considered a 1200w geared kit for only $40 more, but the battery for it would be pricey, and I really want this to remain more bicycle than motorcycle.

For now I'll most likely grab groceries with the bike and do my local social visits on it, because carrying more than a couple of items is difficult on foot and driving to get them in stop and go traffic on the hills here nets me something like a 45mpg trip, which is abysmal for my car. I just ordered a bike cargo rack and plan to snag a milk crate.

Edit: I really missed cycling. It's been a while.

[California98Civic]

Sounds beautiful. I have a geared motor too, for the same reason: it goes into "neutral" when you are not using it, whereas a direct drive is always engaged.

It is gonna be fun for you, I am sure.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

Just for comparison in the 1980s I mounted a 34cc chain saw engine powered kit on my Huffy 3 speed with 26x 1-3/8 tires.

Friction drive?

I had a chainsaw motor drive kit on a bike when I lived in the Cayman Islands briefly. I needed it to (A) arrive to work not being soaked with sweat (I motored in, pedalled home), and, (B) outrun the pack of wild dogs that sometimes roamed around the rural roads on my route. (Also filled my pocket with gravel to pelt them, shotgun style, when they gave chase.) Mine was friction drive, with a clutch lever on the top tube to dis/engage.

Ecky: why does the geared motor coast better? Does it actually have freewheel components?

PS: I was in your neck of the woods a couple of years ago for a regatta on Lake Champlain. Very pretty part of the world.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Ecky: why does the geared motor coast better? Does it actually have freewheel components?

PS: I was in your neck of the woods a couple of years ago for a regatta on Lake Champlain. Very pretty part of the world.

I'm fairly certain all of the geared motors coming out of China can freewheel, but I'll update once it arrives.

Based on my reading, one downside is that there's no chance of regenerative braking, but given that I already have more battery than I need, I consider it to be the lesser trade-off. The gears are also made of plastic and may need to be replaced eventually, whereas direct drive motors are more robust.

A benefit of the geared hub motor is that it's significantly smaller than a direct drive motor of the same size, so my ebike may actually pass as a normal bicycle at a glance. They're also a bit more efficient, and have more torque at low RPM.

And yeah, really beautiful here. Some other places I wouldn't mind living are Lake Tahoe CA and Lake Placid NY - I think these areas are even nicer, but there's less work and in some aspects, higher costs of living.