Electric bicycle build (introducing "black & red")

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Thanks. I got the motor pre-laced into the wheel. I figured it was safer that way because I had never done it. If I ever build another, I'll learn to lace it myself. There actually is a panier in the photo in post #1... it is hard to see because it is on the far side of the rack... "black and red" is its color. I have had it a few years. And it bumps my heel sometimes! But it's an easy adjustment... my 12 mile commute is to work... fortunately the supermarkets and autoparts stores and such are Ll just a mile or two. But this bike is meant to make it easy to replace my car on lots of commute days. That's partly in case of a car breakdown too.

Make my first trip to work today on the bike.... !

If you can find someone to look over your shoulder the first few times, it helps greatly!

Oh, I see the pannier now! Sweet. Glad to hear there's stuff close; that always makes life easier. What speed did you average on this? I'm usually between 6-10mph on my fatbike in the summer, depending on a few factors.

...and you know where to go when you start wanting to use a trailer!

[California98Civic]

Instead of tons of lighting, I am considering reflective paint, using fine glass beads of the sandblasting variety and acrylic clear coat. I'd paint a couple reflective panels to face backward, paint my battery box, and the rear rack & supports.

Using this instructible, I would be imitating this bike design partly:

[Grant-53]

I am going to try some Krylon Glowz paint on the crank and seat stays for visibility.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

I am going to try some Krylon Glowz paint on the crank and seat stays for visibility.

The man who wrote the instructible I linked above commented that he tried that spray paint and that it had so little glass in it that it did nothing. I haven't tried it. If you do and get different results let me know!

[Grant-53]

This stuff is supposed to glow for a while after exposed to light. The glass beads are highly reflective. Since I ride in town where there are street lights, hopefully the coating will absorb enough light to glow continuously. Out side of town the glass beads would reflect light at long distance which is why it is used on road signs. I also use automotive marker lights with LED bulbs on the fairing.

[Sven7]

Honestly, why bother with reflective paint? Just get a good tail light and headlight and call it a day. It'll probably cost less while being more effective.

For taillights, Planet Bike's SuperFlash and Bontrager's Flare are pretty good, and I use a Serfas 250 headlight. They work well, and blinky lights grab people's attention way better than reflective stuff (and I've tried a few methods).

The main reason I'm so biased toward lights is that if you're using only reflective material, you are depending on the motorist to provide the light, and therefore your safety. When I'm on or near a road, I don't depend on other people do do anything, including turn on their lights. Sometimes reflectors don't light up for the driver until they're too close to do anything about it. That's why I take lighting into my own hands.

I admire that people are trying to develop this reflective paint, but still can't help but think it's a lost cause until we can get cheap, bright, luminescent paint. *shrugs shoulders*

PS- I don't mean to belabor the point, but this is something I ran into time and again until I got lights on all four sides:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-sv...headlights.jpg

[Frank Lee]

Lots of good reflective sticker material out there too. Done, proven, cheap.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Sven7

Honestly, why bother with reflective paint? Just get a good tail light and headlight and call it a day. It'll probably cost less while being more effective.....

Well, paint can't be stolen unless they get the whole bike! ... I bought glass beads for $24 and will have lots left over to play with. Next I buy the spray acrylic clear coat. So for like $30 I hope to get unstealable reflectance on front, back, and sides without attaching more stuff to attract thieves. I'll have one 5000 lumen cree headlight that I can quick release detach and take with me. It'll be so bright that no car at my sides is likely to miss me coming because of the lighted patch on the ground well in front of me. If I end up still wanting taillights and such, I can buy them. All the reflectance will then jjst be an added coolness.

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Lots of good reflective sticker material out there too. Done, proven, cheap.

I did look into that. It would be cheaper, but this has a cool factor I can't resist. Hope it is not good money after bad in the end!

[leanAztek]

Originally Posted by Sven7

The main reason I'm so biased toward lights is that if you're using only reflective material, you are depending on the motorist to provide the light, and therefore your safety. When I'm on or near a road, I don't depend on other people do do anything, including turn on their lights.

Sven7 have you noticed that people with the newer cars don't turn on their lights until it is really dark now? They have the back-lit gauges in the dash so I guess they can see how fast they are going and don't care that it is dark out. I would not depend on reflectors either.

I run 2 SuperFlashes, one on the back of each support for my rear rack. Makes the bike look like a car from a distance and helps people gauge where I'm at better. I put those on solid then have a flashing light on the back of my helmet. My older Light and Motion Seca 750 is plenty bright for side and front visibility. I actually dim it when cars are coming up on me from the opposite direction.

Please have some rear facing light. Sven7 is right.

[California98Civic]

I shaved 3.5" off the ends of my handlebars, which was about all there was room for while still mounting the grips, brakes, and hand throttle for the electric motor.

I'm also building a headlight and a taillight by adapting LED flashlights I already own and never use. It's cheaper, but also I will be able to use standard AA and AAA batteries, which is good for a lot of reasons, but also because I have a supply of free (used) batteries. All the mounting hardware is reused stuff.