E-Bikes Who , What , Why

If it was iscg spacing it would fit on about 2% of bikes. As it is won’t fit on iscg spaced bikes-tbh probably better that way motors a far size if you caught up on it you’d rip the tabs off your frame easy.

Normal BCD chainrings are no issue. Can run any BCD you want. California ebike do adaptors -so does eBay China. I have a 4 bolt 104 waiting for when I want to experiment.

Thats me told, fair point.

My brother got a bafang hd1000W on a ridiculously heavy cheap fat bike right now, full throttle he gets around 15 miles out of it, probably more on the flat. I’d guess mileage would go up considerably if he properly peddled. It’s a beast though and I’ve only had a shot here and there floats up silly steep hills.

Managed to head away into the hills with him at the weekend there for an overnight camp, was pretty solid weight wise. so we only went so far, but a slight uphill for 5 miles fully loaded was extremely easy, he’d have made 50 yards if for not engine!

think he’s going to buy a decent bike and stick it on that, which should help with the ridiculous weight issues and give him more range, or atleast confindence in the range(I think that’s the main issue, just getting to know it’s limitations.).

I’ve still to take the thing out for a proper test ride though, hopefully get to do that this weekend and I’ll find out the actual range of the thing and give him something to aim at. We’re being very conservative at the moment though as he’ll not get back if he runs out of battery!

I suspect if you take it easy, you’d get a fair distance, but I also think the 1000W motor could but through the battery very easily if you blasted it. Dunno, like I say still to build confidence with that.

Still though, least I don’t need to buy one, can just use his until I feel like one. As someone else said, they’re only going to get better in the years to come. plus I’m starting to feel good on my bike this days anyhow, so don’t need one, and I suspect him on this fat ebike and me on a normal bike will improve my fitness somewhat. Would be a commuter if I did get one.

What your brother has is an electric moped, not an e-bike.

simondbarnes – Member
What your brother has is an electric moped, not an e-bike.

Can’t say your opinion particularly matters! 😆

Its not his opinion, its the law that says its an electric moped.

Can’t say the law particularly matters either! 😆

It will if he has an accident even if not his fault and gets some lovely points on his licence for riding an untaxed/most moped..

Not really my concern tbh.

Fascinating response 🙂

Can’t say your opinion particularly matters! 🙂

Well that’s me told 🙂

Keep on topic

Thanks for the replies to my questions earlier in the thread.Just out of interest, has anyone tried one of the add-on motors that sits inside the seat-tube and drives the cranks via the axle? I know they’re aimed mostly at professional road racers, but the relatively low weight and profile might make the local night riding bust-up more entertaining… maybe 😉

Edit: this sort of thing http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/542/motor-doping-is-happening-and-weve-tested-it

Not cheap… you could buy an e-bike for that 🙂

GMBN or whatever its called (Global mountain bike network?) did a test of one of these systems, it wasn’t a very good test but it seems a crude compared to some of the dedicated bikes.

I’ve got the Bosch’d 140 Cube Stereo, had it about 6 months now. Genuinely suspect I’d have given up biking at the moment without it.

Had a terrible year last year with a broken wrist and a slow start this year trying to get back on the bike. Mates on the other hand had a great year last year and are as fit as I’ve seen them. They were going out with me week on week seriously reducing the mileage and route choice they would have done. I wasn’t really up for motivating myself to go out alone. E-bike bridged the gap nicely even if I haven’t got anywhere near the level I previously was.

Enthusiasm has gone again, if I didn’t have the E-Bike to meet my mates every week I suspect I’d stay at home and do no exercise at all. Initially I’d keep up with them on Eco, tour if they were on quick XC bikes, now always on Tour.

Seriously torn about the fitness aspect, it felt like it was improving things initially but when I went back out on my old bike my fitness was nowhere.

Would love a go on a fatty version, just makes so much sense.

stevemtb – Member
Seriously torn about the fitness aspect, it felt like it was improving things initially but when I went back out on my old bike my fitness was nowhere.

They are good for people that are seriously unfit and will improve them a little, I can’t see them improving fitness dramatically though. My best estimation is that for the sedentary folk, aye brilliant, least gets them moving, but if you are just lacking a bit of fitness to keep up with your fit mates, an e-bike isn’t going to do squat for you. You’re going to have to get out there on a real bike and earn your stripes.

Depends what you are after I suppose, I guess that’s what ebikes does these days is create more extremes of people that just want to get out on the bike and people that ride for fitness.

I think there’s room for all tbh.

Whats the deal with the brake lever cutoff on the retro fit stuff?

I know it cuts the motor but you don’t seem to see the same thing on the built in models, are they just better hidden or is it a different set up?

built in the the break lever so work fine ime.

mines are in the brake levers as well.

There as some retrofit ones for hydrobrakes but im happy with my cable disks

The bosch ones have a torque sensor in the motor, so as soon as you stop pedalling it cuts power to the motor.

Must admit, the more I read about them, the better they sound.

How to they cut in the power? For example, I’d be doing a 23mile each way commute at my current work. I can do it one way fine, but after a nightshift, i’m just too tired to do it all the way back so often bail onto the train, but would seriously consider the return journey more if I knew that I could have assistance to maintain a speed that gets me home within reasonable timeframes.

Can you set the power to maintain a certain speed, or is it that you pedal, and you then specify how much power you want assisted – which results in whatever speed you manage?

I’m thinking of when you come up to traffic lights, you might pedal to change gear but also be on the brakes slowing down, you wouldn’t want the motor still assisting you.

On the retrofit, braking will cut the motor so that’s fine but on a built in system, do they also have sensors in the brake that do the same job, albeit better hidden or does the motor work in a different fashion so they don’t need a brake kill switch?

Edit: just seen this as I was typing which makes sense

martymac – The bosch ones have a torque sensor in the motor, so as soon as you stop pedalling it cuts power to the motor.

or is it that you pedal, and you then specify how much power you want assisted – which results in whatever speed you manage?

This I think, so you’d go to work using less leg power and be less worn out so come home using less power.

fisha – Member
Can you set the power to maintain a certain speed, or is it that you pedal, and you then specify how much power you want assisted – which results in whatever speed you manage?

You just set you power assist level where you like it and you’ll cruise along at your own pace, higher the assist faster you’ll go (well the legal ones cut out at 15.5mph, the illegal ones don’t, which is disconcerting at first when pointing downhill! 😆 )

btw you can also change the assist continually, ie going uphill, you could have in /6/7/8/9 on the flat /3/4/5/6/ or down 1/2/3/4/ or off.

“The bosch ones have a torque sensor in the motor, so as soon as you stop pedalling it cuts power to the motor.”

My bafang also has a sensor in the motor. it cuts the power after 2 seconds of non pedaling.

The brake levers kill the power instantly.

With the bosch nyon display (which includes satnav!) there is an accompanying app which allows you to cut the power out at a lower speed than the 15.5mph limit.
Could be useful to increase range.
Ive ridden mine (after a 12 hr shift) from work to home (33miles) and only used about half the battery. There is a fair bit of climbing on the route, for comparison, my car which will do around 59mpg on flattish terrain, only manages 50mpg on the same route.
I am really heavy though, 20 stone, so this may not have such an effect on you.
Personally, if its flat I would just go up to the speed limit and stay at that for as long as possible, this seems to be the most economical way, as you aren’t wasting power accelerating and braking all the time. This tends to result in being a bit breathless but not totally knackered.

And just so we clear, i dont think I could ride a normal bike home after a12hr shift.

Does anyone do a kids ebike for a 5 year old ? Or can I fit a an ebike kit to her Early Rider Belter 16″ ?

I see haibike and KTM do some 24″ bikes (prob good for about 8 year olds)

no . because the law states 14 years minmum age,

Is there a rough formula for figuring out how far you should theoretically go on an ebike?

Something cocerning, MaH, V, overall weight(bike weight/e-kitweight/rider wieght/luggage wieght)?

I know there are other variables. but would be interested the know an estimated distance on the flat for the above.

volts x ah = watt hrs

20wh/mile is normal working average how ever im getting more like 8-10wh because i pedal. id imagine this morning id have been using more – hilly ride into the office carrying 100lbs of hand tools / computer equipment and PPE

how do you figure out 20 WH/Per mile?

its just an accepted average figure formed by empirical data. For me its inaccurate as i pedal more but for someone whos heavy on a heavy draggy bike it might be inaccurate the other way….. equally if you ride on the flat or uphill it will make a diference.

Try the lads at endless sphere but i suspect your pissing in the wind trying to get all accurate about it.

Cool, just curious as to theoritical limits.

My brothers bike is 48v 11.6Ah

556.8WH

so @ 10WH = 55.68 miles
so @ 20WH = 27.84 miles
so @ 30WH = 18.56 miles
so @ 40WH = 13.92 miles
so @ 50WH = 11.13 miles

I wonder is there an average watt hour display on the bafang? Seems the crucial stat for gauging how far you can go on a particular day?

there isnt but try king meter or one of the alternatives.

ta.

Another thought: I also guess a 1000W bike, could run through 556 what hours in abour 33 minutes if used at full pelt continuously?

I also guess there’s only 2 ways to reduce WH, and that’s to lose weight, either from yourself or the bike. Or to pedal and use gears more efficiently?

I also guess there’s only 2 ways to reduce WH, and that’s to lose weight, either from yourself or the bike. Or to pedal and use gears more efficiently?

I just had a flashback, to my mates New Hudson autocycle and the Autocycle Clubs LEJOG charity run.
Everyone else swore he’d messed with the engine, overbores, fine tuning, fancy carb jets or whatever, as the secret to his speed on the run.

He’d just spent weeks beforehand getting each and every bearing running to its very best tolerance to eek out every last ounce of power from the puny Villiers engine in to forward motion with the least frictional losses 😀

For the longer ride questions, I chucked slicks on mine and took it on an Edinburgh to St Andrews rides with mates all on road bikes. 65ish miles, all on eco mode and there were two bars of battery left for the others to have a mess around with when we arrived. There was a lot of time spent over 15.5 with no battery assist, I was burst towards the end but not sure I’d have made it at all on a road bike.

Actually not all on eco, there are a couple of tough hills near the end which I thoroughly enjoyed ripping past my mates using turbo mode!!

@ulysse

ha, fair point, taken! 🙂