vskid3's E-Bike (Sell Insight to buy E-Bike?)
 

I'm considering selling my Insight to buy an e-bike to use for my commute instead (will keep Prius because it makes more sense as a sole car, Insight is a little too small). I'm trying to reduce my expenses as much as possible, and getting rid of the second car (Insight) is one of the biggest and easiest things to do. Unfortunately, fuel costs are the least of my worries. Insurance and registration are the biggest expenses (besides the purchase price) and repairs, while unlikely, will likely be $500-1000 or more for major components. If I were to sell it now, I could make back almost all of what I've put into it.

Now onto the potential replacement. My commute is 4.5-5 miles, depending on which route I take. I usually do the trip 6 times a day, to and from PT, to work and home for lunch, and then back to work and home. The roads are all 25 or 35MPH. Unfortunately, most of the 25MPH roads aren't very wide (for US roads, at least) and have little shoulder. I live in El Paso, TX, so the summer highs are 100+ for several months out of the year and it can get quite windy. I currently have a mountain bike that I bought in hopes of commuting with, but the heat, wind, and not enough room for people to safely pass me has kept me from doing it much (and me being lazy...). I'm thinking an e-bike would help alleviate most of my concerns/excuses, such as being able to keep up with traffic without showing up to work drenched. Nothing fancy or super powerful, just enough to 20MPH on its own should be good enough for me to do 25 while pedalling and part throttle. From what I've read on Endless Sphere, my current aluminum-frame bike wouldn't be an ideal starting point.

Anyone have any advice to offer, whether it be in favor of keeping the car, or bike/e-bike relate?

Cant advise about the bike, but go ahead and list the insight for what you want and see what happens. Ive seen used ones full of moose piss, no interior, bad ima battery, bad ISB, etc gofor 6-7 grand. :eek:

If you're trying to reduce the cost of living (good for you), then getting rid of a car is a great way to go.

Yes - but keep the Toyota if aim is to reduce cost :)

I may be in the market for a new Insight, but you are probably out of my price range.

I have been seeing a significant decline in Insight values the past month or so, at least on IC. Some nice cars are very cheap, it could be smarter to part it out, especially if you are not in desperation for money.

I would keep the Insight and sell the Prius if it made sense, the Insight is rare and awesome and I could get more for the Prius. But the Insight is just too small for it to be our only car. On a recent trip, we had the Prius stuffed with luggage and our dogs' kennel. It still managed to average 48.7MPG for the 2200 mile trip doing the speed limit plus a few on cruise (probably half 65MPH and half 75MPH speed limit). So it'll do as my wife's car, store trips, and road trips.
Galevin on IC sent me an offer soon after I got it, in case I ever wanted to part with it. I asked him if the offer still stands, awaiting his reply. If he doesn't want it, I'll be fine with letting it go for about the current going rate, especially if it'll stay in the "family". Its not in perfect shape, but far from being something I would consider parting out.

Any opinions on e-bikes? I'm planning on building my own, but I'm not against buying a pre-built one and using it as-is or upgrading it a bit.

The important question-are you comfortable commuting,running errands and traveling on an E-bike? And what sorts of weather would you be comfortable doing the above in?

The good news is that you'll still have a car, and if you end up not liking the E-bike it can be elagated to an Emergency backup vehicle if the car needs repairs...overall, not too radical a change. I suppose.

I think DIY is the way to go with the ebike thing. I really want to build one myself, I just haven't had the time. My commute is 7 miles one way, and I think an ebike would be awesome. I'm not willing to fork over the money for some fancy OEM bike though.

The e-bike with streamlining is as efficient as it gets! This is the next big thing waiting to happen. Search 'upright bike fairings' for ideas and figure the bike is going to use something 7/8 the size of what the motorcycles are using. A motor and battery pack can be as cheap as a used GM starter and a couple deep cycle lead acid batteries. The higher end Bionix systems are brushless motors with lithium batteries. Controls may include circuits for recharging going down hill or dynamic braking. I suggest studying the state and local laws for motorized bicycles carefully. Narrow roads are a problem when there are parked cars and steady two way traffic. Research alternative bicycle routes using Google or MapQuest. This is a project well worth pursuing and a classic example for studying a value management decision. Please keep us posted.

This is useful information! Heck, i'd even be seriously interested in an 06! 250,000 miles doesn't even phase some Insight owners as long as it's well maintained. What did he offer you? You might be undervaluing it.

I'd like to see it go to someone that will use it as their primary car. The people on IC just collect them like it's going out of style. It's sad to see them be put out of circulation.

El Paso is known as the Sun City, so most days are sunny (unfortunately, the temps in the summer are usually 100F or more). I would probably drive the Prius on rainy days or when there's a dust storm, depending on if my wife needs it.

Insight is more or less sold. Its sad, but its going to a good home. I doubt I could get more locally or that it would be under such good care.

DIY looks like the route I'll be taking. Seems like all the cheaper ones would need a complete overhaul anyway and anything that wouldn't would already cost several times what DIY would. I think I'll just use my current bike and add a torque arm or two to make up for the aluminum. I'm shooting for a middle of the road build, no lead acid but also no 40mph death trap. 20-25mph top speed on the motor would be perfect and a 20 mile range would either force me to get a good workout in or to top off the battery when I'm home during the day. Looks like I'll be spending about $1000 all together. Pretty spendy in my mind, but its not bad when you consider it won't have registration fees, insurance, or expensive maintenance.

I'm looking into getting new tires for my bike that are better suited to street use. The knobby tires it came with (which really aren't too aggressive) are pretty loud and are probably wasting quite a bit of energy. I also need to make them very puncture resistant. Goathead thorns are very common here and replacing tubes every other day isn't very economical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOc-Cld6HfU

A lot cheaper and you can P & G it.

Well, if the Insight is nearly sold, it sounds like you've made up your mind! May I recommend the following linkage?

Endless-sphere.com • Index page

There probably isn't an electric variant-whether Kit-built or DIY-that these folk haven't tried. Also, if you take deathtrain's advice and go with liquid fuel for range, then-

Motorized Bicycle Forum | MotoredBikes.com

-have pretty much tried it all in the combustion/compression engine department. In addition, just for kicks, you could try these guys-

Hank Palmer's Steam powered bicycle and Robert's Style Boiler

Kimmel Steam Engine Collection: George Nutz Steam Bicycle Engine and Boiler

....yes, there are steam-powerd bicycles out there. :D

Best of luck-and if I ever get my new 8'x8' Workshop up and running, I might try my hand at a simple friction-drive wooden recumbent this Summer, just enough power for hill-climbing assistance. I suspect you'll finish yours first, what with the Insight leaving soon and all...

One more link for luck-

Steve's Recumbent Bicycle Share Project - home recumbent bike builders

-just in case you decide to try the DIY route on the frame too!

I've been spending a lot of time on Endless Sphere, its a great resource. Still haven't posted there, but I will soon to see if they can address some of my specific concerns and questions.

I'm pretty set on electric power for several reasons. I like that it is stealthy/quiet. Even though its legal, I'd still rather not get questioned by the authorities about it. Its also cleaner, provided I don't do something bad to a battery. And along with reducing my overall expenses, I want to move away from fossil fuels as much as possible. I don't know where my electricity comes from, but its a lot less likely to be from fossil fuels than gasoline. ;) And not that it makes much of a difference, my electricity is free.

After doing more research since my first post, it looks like my bike will be fine as long as I use a torque arm or two. I just need to look into converting at least the front brake to a disc to better handle stopping from faster speeds.

Figured I'd mention Mongo, it seems close to what you're after;

48V 15AH V2.5 LiFePO4 Battery Pack
Magic Pie 2 - Rear - 26 Inch - Golden Motor Canada

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps93c0b736.jpg

15ah LiFePO4 & MP2 hub on a Mongoose Snarl, good for just about 30mph for 30 miles (no assist). Two years so far as an all-season daily rider & commuter, somewhere between seven & ten thousand miles on it w/no issues - except the throttle I busted flipping it & the tires I've used up riding it ofc ;)

Regardless of what motor chosen, do not get a "kit" with the battery included from the motor retailer, they're way over priced & over rated for what amounts to an aluminum case with "not as advertised" inside - I'd very much recommend pingbattery.com for your LiFePO4 needs, I'd very strongly recommend against anything other then LiFePO4 - the battery is so very much the most important component on an ebike :)

Nice ebike, BarelyAWake. I read through your thread about it (link if anyone wants to check it out) and it looks like it would work well for me.
Do you have any torque arms on it? They're highly recommended over on Endless Sphere if your bike has an aluminum frame. I'm considering using a cheaper bike like you did, mainly to have disc brakes because it looks like it would cost about the same to add them to my bike as it would be to buy a Walmart bike. How is the regen? Does it kick in when you let off the throttle or when you apply the brakes? Maybe it would be enough to make my rim-brakes be ok.
What's the hottest temperature you've used it in? A complaint I've seen about the Magic Pies is that the internal controllers burn up, so I wonder if the MP3 with its fan would hold up in the 100+F temps I'll be riding in.
Its still going to be a couple weeks before I can start buying parts, I have to wait until after I finish selling the Insight.

As much as I admire WalMart I would not buy a cheap bike for an e-bike project. The big issue is with the wheel bearings. I ride a Jamis Arragon I bought in 2000. I have replaced tires and I switched crank gears for a larger ratio with my fairing. Top quality pads and cables will give very good stopping power when properly adjusted. The regen will help slow you too. Legal speed is 20 mph with motor only. Rigging addition heat sinks might be possible. Paint the case white and a cooling mist for you could be arranged similar to water injection units.

Maxxis makes several tires that are e-bike rated but the popular Hookworm is big and strong. Stan's NoTubes system converts to a tubeless tire with half the rolling friction. See Mountain Bike News for articles and bike reviews. Also NYCElectric is a major dealer in electric bikes and posts reviews. The Bicycleman deals in electric kits and recumbents.

The fairing and tail box as in the low&slow motorcycle thread will help protect you from the elements and improve range.

i would start with a good used mountain bike that is tenish years old. find one for $100.

disc brakes are great for off road use because they are less sensitive to a bent wheel or serious mud/muck. but at 250 pounds i can skid my front wheel with a 10 year old set of avid v-brakes.

90's early 00 alu. frames were very stiff. great for a road going electric conversion. but too harsh to maintain any value as an off road bike today,

if my local bike shop was a walmart... I would walk.

Thank you vskid3! I should mention for others the thread you linked to starts out with trouble, the solder, wiring & connectors of the (now outdated) MP2 left much to be desired - however once repaired they've given me no issue and from all reports the MP3 has addressed this with better connectors & wiring and presumably, soldering as I've heard no complaints whatsoever.

Endless Sphere is an amazing resource, having said that they're not the best when representing the more basic builds, off the shelf kits & simple setups like this - they do represent the cutting edge of ebike tech quite well, high power custom motors & builds abound... but there's a middle ground oft ignored or dismissed.

Torque arms are as good an example as any - they're ofc a good thing that can't hurt to have, but for a mere 1.3hp at most, peak at that (1000w)... they're just not the absolute must as so often presented, aluminum frame or not. A human can produce that much for brief moments (power/down stroke) with as much or more torque. In this application axle rotation if any is far more likely caused by sloppy or loose axle mounting, while axle movement (down & out) is however another matter and not all torque arms are capable of preventing it - fortunately it's a simple fix for those kits that haven't accounted for it with suitable hardware. Five minutes at most w/my dremel fixed the issue, it's not been a problem since in all the miles of abu... erm "use" & there's no torque arm to be seen lol;

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...h_bec3a73b.jpg http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...h_3dc22ce1.jpg

The box-store bike thing I'll get back to - but the regen is normally initiated via switched brake levers during braking (they're included with the kit) which can be an issue if you've integrated levers with your shifters, as mine does. As a workaround I rewired the regen to the disused horn button (momentary switch) and so I'm able to engage the regenerative braking when I please, without using the bicycle's brakes.

This is actually a handy modification as not only does it reduce brake usage, I can choose not to activate the regen on questionable surfaces such as paint, leaves or ice & snow. The braking power of regen is significant, borderline not-quite lockup on packed dirt isn't uncommon - but it's an adjustable parameter within the controller and most are quite pleased with the simplicity of the switched levers so... to each their own I figure.

I have ridden in excess of 100° and I've had no problems, I've even hauled cargo & trailers without issue - however as I do live in Maine it's usually the other extreme I've to contend with, far too often actually it's sub-zero conditions that Mongo is dealing with, without complaint I might add ;)

I'd summarize by saying, the MP is a decent, even decedent (feature rich) entry level hub motor - but there are many hubs to choose from that may or may not be better, the features themselves may or may not be needed or wanted. Again, it's the batteries that are so very important, they're the investment and what will "make or break" a build, your satisfaction with it.

Ahh... the never ending box store bike debate lol

First let me say, of course a better bike is better - it's how good "good enough" needs to be that's the real question here.

Like with all things there's a middle ground, I'd no sooner buy a $100 wallyworld special then I'd kick out thousands for the name brand BSery - they're both a rip off in their own way.

Don't buy by price - make an informed purchase, research the components, look at materials & most importantly weld quality. If you've not the experience to do this, find an unbiased friend to aid you. Paying too much for not enough isn't limited to Walmart - trust me, I ride a recumbent lol

I purchased the Mongoose because it had a stout frame design with simply gorgeous welds, everything else unimportant as it was to be replaced or upgraded anyway - and it's far less expensive to do this yourself then buy a "branded" bike with the same components. The rims are the critical weak point, but a good set of double wall alloys laced up isn't much at all. The bearings may well be questionable - but the rears are replaced with the electric hub motor (sealed BTW) and the fronts have held up without any sign of failure with no more attention then proper adjustment & repacking with a quality marine grade grease, as I have done with all of my bikes & builds with the same result.

It's of course not better then a "better" bike, but it is better then I've needed so far. I've crashed & smashed the thing more times then I'd care to remember and it hasn't failed me, nor has the other "not the cheapest" box store bikes I've motorized & that's the trick of it - buy by your eye, not your wallet lol

Figured I'd throw in a "crash & smash" just for the heckofit, the skid marks left by my cartwheeling carcass amusing if nothing else;

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps19bdae2f.jpg http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...psca1ba5ba.jpg http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps81a2a0db.jpg

...ice & impatience, a bad combo if ever there was one - in any case, moving right along :p

The wheelset is the most questionable on these less expensive bikes, the suspension forks a distant second with the shifters generally being garbage. The wheelset should be upgraded on any motorized bicycle due to the speed & weight increase, the forks will suffice till they fail & honestly, while annoying - the shifters aren't particularly needful with an additional 1.3hp helping you along, I start off aided in 21st (highest) and don't bother shifting again until winter snow, then I put it in the 10th gear or so & leave it be till spring rolls around again at long last :D


I'll skip right over v-brakes/rim brakes as I hate them with a deep and abiding passion, I'll not purchase anything other then disc (or drums for a vintage build)... but if someone likes them & thinks they are "good enough", then again I'll say "to each their own" lol & ride on!

There are some deals to be had if you are looking rugged components not price or flashy finish. I used CV joint grease in cables since it is a moly disulfide type. Good grease/oil and correct adjustment covers a lot of issues. Make sure the bike is the right fit for rider comfort.

Thanks for the info, BarelyAWake. I guess I'll keep the Magic Pie in mind, but I'm leaning towards the ~$250 ebay kits. They're almost half the price of the MP3+shipping and I haven't seen really any complaints about them.

I checked out my Walmart's bike selection, only 3 bikes with front discs, a 26", 27.5", and 29". I pulled the 26" Genesis V2100 off the rack to check the frame size and it was well into my groin even with me on my toes (I'm only 5' 4"). Seemed like a decent enough bike, but way too tall for me. I didn't even try the other two because they looked just as bad for frame size.

I also went to the bike shop where I bought my current bike, a 26" Giant Revel 3, to check with them how much a disc conversion would be. They pretty much confirmed what I'd read online. It would cost nearly as much as another decent bike after the fork, wheel, and brakes.

So now I'm kind of stuck. The v-brakes on my bike are fine right now, but many people recommend disc brakes for an ebike, especially at the speeds I'm shooting for. I would much rather buy another bike that has disc brakes than spend about the same amount to add them to my bike, but it would be even better to use my existing bike as it is.

I'd not worry too much about it vskid3, Giants are fine bicycles & the charm of the hub drives is they're so easy to transfer over to another should you later decide to change. It irks me to say this, but v-brakes do work perfectly well - if stopping power is insufficient, better pads can be had.

I dislike them for other reasons, perhaps not as applicable to a first ebike experiment - persistent maladjustment, long term rim wear, wet conditions, ice & snow pack. As a year-round daily rider/commuter these take precedence but for you, perhaps not so much if all you wish is to stop in a timely fashion lol

If budget is a concern, I'd spend the difference in better/larger batteries then switch the Giant to disk as smaller upgrades like that can come later.

The half-price ebay "no name" drives can be a good deal, again LiFePO4 batteries the critical & expensive bit - but as you prolly well know, with generic ebay stuff "you buy your ticket, you take your chance" & hope for the best... I did so w/my hybrid taddy's drive as it's MP2 usurped & on another bike (s'posed to be just testing, couldn't bear to take it back off Mongo lol) and it's been... good enough ;)

Hm, rain is pretty rare here and snow is almost out of the question, so those advantages don't really apply for me. Using the bike as is is definitely the cheapest way to go. Then I can consider converting to discs when the rim wears out since I'll need to buy a new wheel anyway. I guess we'll just see how long that takes.

I'm for sure going to go with a quality battery like a Ping. 48v 15Ah like yours should be plenty. I could probably get away with even less Ah because I could charge at least for an hour between most of the ~5 mile trips, but I want to keep the battery at a discharge rate its happy with. Even if the battery needs replaced every couple years, I'll still be cheaper than just the gas for the Insight.

I'm going to keep doing some research on the motor, but I'm really leaning towards the ebay ones. I just can't quite justify the higher price for the others. If the total for the MP3 was a little lower I would probably go with it, but there isn't enough to make it worth spending almost twice as much (again, in my opinion).

I have had aluminum rims last for decades. Just keep them clean and touch up with sand paper if needed. Good pads make a big difference. Wear comes from grit. If you get a brush type DC motor consider polishing the commutator to reduce brush wear and resistance.

I agree Grant-53, the difficulty being with the motorization of a bicycle not only do speeds increase, usage (distance) does as well - both drastically accelerating the "normal" wear of any parts that function via friction, including disc brake pads & rotors. However, when your "rotor" is your rim itself the consequences can be a bit more troublesome.

Here's some of my earlier lessons regarding the long-term usage of rim brakes with motor assisted bicycles;

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...h_dfbe8a24.jpg http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...h_13771800.jpg

...and the result of single-wall rims;

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...m/th_wheel.jpg

Miraculously, these "lessons" were relatively painless for me & again, for localized, low speed and/or intermittent use rim brakes will suffice. I hope I don't seem presumptuous as I only hope to spare others the trouble, expense & potential injury I've caused myself by mine ignorance - particularly when the alternative if preemptive is so comparatively inexpensive.

Two very reputable, low cost double wall rim & disc brake wheel vendors I've had great satisfaction with - I generally buy the rims alone & lace to existing hubs, or other aftermarket hubs of better quality;

Alex Rims (or Alexrims)
Amazon.com: Alex Rims: Sports & Outdoors

Weinmann
Amazon.com: Weinmann: Sports & Outdoors

I do so greatly prefer to learn from the errors of others, as I do still make so many of my own lol :p

Please don't get spooked by my above post regarding brakes & rims, I'm hard on bikes & average at a minimum five thousand miles a year, in all environments & conditions, usually at least three times the speed of your average bicyclist... so consequences present themselves to me a bit sooner and in a little more exciting fashion then is the norm, I s'pose I could be called the "worst case scenario" lol

Generally, SLA (sealed lead acid) is only good for about 300 cycles, whereas lithium is around 1000 & LiFePO4 roughly 2000, without memory effect or thermal instability of other lithium variants - so you'll not need replace such a pack for a very long time given your expected usage.

I agree many hub motors shouldn't cost what they do, the MP kits a "middle ground" they're not nearly as costly as some, not as inexpensive as others they're still a touch more costly then I personally think they should be given they're basically just brushless electric motors w/fancy controllers... Some of the MPs features are quite nice for prolonged ebike use & commuting, there's a plethora of fail-safe functions that may still allow you to limp home if there's a fault in controls, pack or motor, the cruise control very handy for maximizing efficiency via throttle control, the integrated lighting nice for those that don't wish to bother creating their own.

On the other hand these fancy features aren't needful for all riders, in fact that's another reason I also chose a "generic" for my hybrid build as those "extras" weren't helpful at all, what good is a cruse control on a secondary system, lighting when it's already had.

The only troublesome bit is the questionable nature of many ebay vendors, bought sight unseen there's no real way to tell what you're getting until you've gotten it & their return policies, warranties & reputation as random as the internet itself - one botched order & failed return would pay the difference between that and a more reputable product, then again if successful you get a massive savings...

Your call - I've done it myself & doubtlessly will again, I've gotten burnt and I've gotten great deals too... I jus' can't in good faith recommend such save to say, be sure to read the comments ;)

The fatigue strength of aluminum comes in to play over time verses surface wear. Maintaining good spoke tension and tire inflation helps. A full suspension frame may help reduce impacts at higher speeds. The suspension stem and seat post on my 2000 Jamis Aragon along with sealed bearings has contributed to long and trouble free commuting at 10-12 mph. You may be running at up to 30 mph with more weight. Look for components suited for serious downhill riding.

My rims are double wall, so they do have that going for them. In any case, they should last long enough to give me a break from spending money on the bike after converting it.;) Something people often cite as a reason for going with discs is the added weight of an ebike. Fortunately for me, I'm only about 130lbs and my bike is 34lbs, so even with the motor and batteries, I'll only be at about 200-220lbs total.

I rode my bike to and from work yesterday after lunch. The speed to be able to keep up with traffic would be nice (most drivers gave a good amount of space when passing, though). The biggest drawbacks are the heat and wind. It was only 80F but I felt like dying because I was riding in uniform and had a backpack on. I can do without the backpack (just couldn't find something smaller to put on the rear rack), but I'm pretty much stuck with the uniform. Wind was either calm or at my back on the way to work, but was about 10MPH against me going home, which hurt my time. I decided the knobby tires have to go, they feel pretty unstable at 15+MPH. I'm thinking of getting Continental Double Fighter 2's to replace them. Reviews are pretty good for them and they help with rolling resistance a ton. Only con is they don't last a super long time, but not bad for the price and performance.

I'm currently considering a Crystalyte motor kit from ebikes.ca. They're more than the ebay kits and the MP3, but are held in higher regard from what I've seen. And they come with a Cycle Analyst (pretty much the ebike version of a SGII) which is $120 on its own. Pretty much set on the 48v 15Ah Ping battery.

I've heard many great things of the Crystalyte, it seems the hub of choice for novice & modder alike - it may not be a budget choice, but a safe one regarding known quality & preformance w/o doubt ;)

I'm forced to run knobbies in the winter but I did try a few "hybrid" tires similar to the Conti you've linked above as I do still like to trail, even if just the path to my shop which can get quite ugly at times - thing is, I never quite managed to find one that didn't end up being uncomfortable as the transition from slick to knob whilst leaning to turn at speed is disconcerting at best, dangerous if unaware (loaned ride or whatever) & despite trying a few different variants of hybrid slick/semislick & mild/aggressive lugs... they all seemed "the worst of both" rather then the best, but that's pure personal preference - I'm sure it's something folks get used to, even love.

For wear, these were one of the best I tried as the center slick is as thick as the knobs are tall - it seems to last near forever but it's an extreme transition;

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps16e2ac15.jpg
Kenda Kross Plus Hybrid Wire Bead Bicycle Tire

I'm switching back to these on everything 26" I have as I do with great joy every spring season as it's a sure sign of sunny summertime to come - these too last seemingly forever, slightly harder compound then you'd expect of a semi slick they're also quite thick in the treaded area;

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps9c7c08a3.jpg
Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire

I went ahead and got the Double Fighters. They look like they're between the tires you posted as far as aggressiveness of the side lugs. They should be arriving tomorrow, so we'll see how they do. My biggest worry is getting a flat from the goat head thorns we have here, but the other day the road didn't seem to have many/any on it, so hopefully these tires will do ok. I've looked at those Kenda K838's before and they look pretty good. If the thorns don't cause me any problems with the Double Fighters, I'll probably try them next. If thorns turn out to be more of a problem than I'm anticipating, then something beast like Schwalbe Marathon Plus' might be in my future.

Still not sure which kit to get. I would prefer to keep the total for the kit and battery under $1000, but that gets difficult with a nearly $600 battery...

Finally pulled the trigger on a motor kit and battery. I bought this 48v 1000w kit off ebay. It costs a little more than their cheapest kit, but it comes with a half-twist throttle instead of a thumb throttle and has a speedometer (we'll see how good it ends up being). Should be here by the end of the week. For the battery, I went with a 48v 15Ah LiFePO4 from Ping. I should get it in a few weeks.

Got the new tires and thorn resistant tubes (no Slime) put on. They're much quieter than the knobbies, but I can't really tell how they compare for rolling resistance. My commutes seem a little easier, but that could easily be attributed to me getting used to it. I've ridden to work a few times with them and no thorns or leaks so far.

I'm still considering getting another bike. Mine is a little tall for me, but about perfect for my wife, who wants a bike. So I could give her mine and I could get another that is a little smaller and has disc brakes. Going to go to a bike shop or two today and see what they have. I would like to go with used, but Craigslist seems to be my only option here. Hopefully these shops will have some used bikes that will work.

Having a good bike fit is crucial! See the website for Lennard Zinn bikes to get sizing recommendations for a mountain bike.

Make absolutely sure the rear axle can't spin out and rip the wires out of the motor. Most bikes will need a torque arm to protect your investment. And, keep track of the motor temp. If you bog it up a long hill you can fry it. See the simulator at ebikes.ca.
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eBike Simulator - Tools
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Looks like good size calculator, I'll have to measure myself and see what it recommends. The bike shop I went to Monday and the one I bought my bike from both thought the size I have would be fine for commuting. The one I went to Monday said the handlebars would probably be too close on a smaller bike.

Ya, I'm definitely going to have a torque arm. I'm interested in ebike.ca's version 4 torque arm as it looks like it'll work with the way my frame is around my dropouts, but the shipping from them is almost $20. I found that EM3ev.com sells the same arm and it'll end up being about $15 less including shipping. I'll keep looking, but that's likely what I'll go with.

I don't think motor temp will be an issue, but I will keep an eye on it the first few times I ride it in 100F+ temps. Guys on Endless Sphere have put 2-3k watts into this motor before having any heat issues. My commute is flat besides one short hill, so it should be fine.

I should have bought my battery earlier, I don't know how I'll be able to wait after I get the motor.

Got the motor kit and battery. Flipped my bike and stuck the motor in and hooked everything up to test it and it seems to work great. It hit 42MPH with no load according to the speedo it came with, so we'll see how it does when its right-side-up.
Waiting on the torque arms. I ended up getting them from ampedbikes.com. I got two, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get them both on. They're supposed to be here Monday, I'm crossing my fingers that they arrive Friday or Saturday so I can ebike to work on Monday. :D

Last week I found my front tire with just a few PSI in it. I discovered that I had picked up more thorns than I thought, with many of them broken off in the tread. I went ahead and Slimed both tires. It took about 40 miles for the tires to get the flat, and its been 60 flatless miles since I put the Slime in.

I want to mount the battery in the triangle for weight distribution and handling. Unfortunately, it only fits laying down, 6" wide. My crank arms just barely clear it, and that's without any extra casing on it. I think I'll just mount it to the rear rack for to get it going and experiment with triangle mounting later.

Hopefully my torque arms will arrive and I'll have a busy weekend.

One Less Prius Bumper Stickers, One Less Prius Bumper Sticker Designs

http://www.truckinweb.com/editorial/...33962252858772

If you have power envy just remember the 1500hp GE diesel locomotive is a hybrid. Of all the bumper stickers shown, the only one I would seriously consider is the one about reducing foreign oil so our troops don't have to go in harm's way. Our son spent two tours of duty in Iraq protecting civilians. It won't be long before farm trucks and SUVs are diesel electric rigs set up to run on natural gas or vegetable oils.

Our local transit buses now have bike racks on the front.

Torque arms arrived today!!!!

Spent the afternoon getting everything put together. Took about 4 hours. The biggest time consumer was figuring out where and how to mount stuff like the controller and battery.

Took it for a spin around the block and topped out at 32mph! It was kind of scary at that speed, fortunately the speedometer that came with the motor kit allows me to limit the top speed, I set that to 27mph. After making sure it wouldn't fall apart, I let my wife go for a little ride on it, now she wants me to drive the Prius and she'll ride the bike.;) I rode it to work in about the same time it would have taken by car, so work well as a car replacement.

The battery and controller are both mounted to the rear rack for now. You can definitely tell that there's more weight back there and that most of it is fairly high. I haven't weighed it yet, but total weight should be 70-75lbs, before weight was 34lbs. I cut out the bottom of the bag that came with the motor and set the rest of it over the battery and controller as camouflage.

Disc brakes are definitely going to be a future upgrade. The speed increase doesn't seem that big until you're trying to stop from 25+mph. The current brakes do the job for now, but I would much rather have a non-structural part being worn by the brake pads. The motor came with a rear disc and caliper, but the caliper seems junky. My bike does have the mounts for a rear caliper, so I think I'll convert the rear in a month or two with a disc set that is bigger/better than the one that came with the motor. Not looking forward to eventually paying to do the front, but I think it'll be necessary.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I can see why guys that are into ebikes are crazy about them. :thumbup:

Which battery and charger did you buy?

I went with a Ping 48v 15Ah LiFePO4 battery and I'm using the 2A charger that comes with it. Its about 50% more than similar capacity batteries on ebay, but Ping has great quality and customer service. A 5A charger was optional for $44 more, but the range provided should get me through most days with minor pedaling, so overnight charging is good enough.