Bike chased late Friday night by loons

[guerney]

There I was... minding my own business proceeding uphill... and as I passed a pub in quite a rough area during my long journey home, I heard a car engine revving up and a horn (it's headlights were already on when I passed it), then expletives and someone shouting "GRAB HIM! GRAB HIM!", and the sounds of running footsteps trying to catch up with me. Luckily it was uphill, no contest lol.

Turn up the volume to hear some of the looniness as their mates overtake in a car, heads sticking out of the windows, after lurking for a time behind me. Other vehicles never pass by too close these days/nights, because of the Oxford Safety Lollipop sticking out 39.9cm from the end of my right handbar (visible at 17 seconds). And this is why I hate failing to avoid cycling home Friday nights!

They sound just like the group of seven Sur-Ron riders I encounter every so often. I probably wasn't going fast enough for my 250W BBS01B converted Dahon folding bike to interest them. Note the grindless sounds of my snappy and smooth gear changes - the Bafang gear sensor works wonderfully on my bike, even when powering uphill chased by loons.

Suddenly I'm quite serious about increasing the amp limit from 15A to 19A in the Bafang controller's firmware, for faster hill climbing/uphill chasing loon evasion...

 

[WheezyRider]

Very disconcerting, hope you reported it to the police?

 

[guerney]

In that situation going uphill, I'd certainly been mugged if I'd converted my bike using a legal 250W hub kit! It's increase BBS01B controller amps time!

Very disconcerting, hope you reported it to the police?

I really hadn't considered reporting them to the cops - what could these loons be charged with? Anything less than the guillotine will only antagonise them, and they'd know it was me... I often pedelec home late at night, and they might try harder (use the car's advantages) to divest my bike from my possession next time and/or mete out a bloody revenge. At one point I thought about turning right to a more level road to increase my speed, but that would have encouraged these out of control funsters to engage in hot pursuit, and on a much quiter road than I was on. Damned wolves.

I believe they noticed my camera while speeding away (or was I imagining that?), but rather unhelpfully the car passes by too far away, the middle section of it's number plate lights is not working when it's closer and dark, and by the time the plate is illuminated by my headlights it's even further away and moving fast. My GoPro Hero 7 Black captures plates of close passers very well indeed, but it's failed me in these circumstances. This wasn't at all a close pass.

Are the first characters of this plate BN72 V? Best I could do with this footage. Too far away, too dark, too fast:






Enlarged and brightened... something N7? I think it's also time to seriously consider adding a third 1800LM headlight pointed to the right and down, to illuminate plates while they're closer, in such a way as to not dazzle oncoming traffic.








Further away... BN72 V something something?

 

[egroover]

Looks like a Hyundai i20 possibly the n line version

 

[Az.]

Suddenly I'm quite serious about increasing the amp limit from 15A to 19A in the Bafang controller's firmware, for faster hill climbing/uphill chasing loon evasion...

Your plan is to get faster than SurRon hell riders?

 

[guerney]

Looks like a Hyundai i20 possibly the n line version

View attachment 52765

Thanks! Good spot! I'm tempted to swing by that pub later on tonight, to see if I can get clear view of the plate. Might be their regular haunt.

 

[guerney]

Your plan is to get faster than SurRon hell riders?

I want to be much faster than the runners on foot uphill - those running footstep noises last night sounded like they got far too close! Increasing controller amps will only increase speed going uphill, also acceleration, and torque... the motor would still cut assistance at 25km/h. Seven determined ♫ Sur-ron-ron-ron-a-Sur-ron-ron ♫ hell riders would get me for sure.

I was thinking of doing this anyway, to increase towing speed up steep hills:

 

[Az.]

I am sorry Guerney for what you have experienced. I might be wrong, but I think those idiots were attracted by your specific bike lights. They usually gather in numbers and they feel brave when together. If I were you I would avoid that area.

 

[egroover]

Maybe it's time in addition to upping to 18a to also fit a throttle with a higher assist top speed (in the controller settings), you can still peddle like hell but with the throttle open it'll overide your normal 25kph pedal assist fixed top speed

 

[egroover]

I am sorry Guerney for what you have experienced. I might be wrong, but I think those idiots were attracted by your specific bike lights. They usually gather in numbers and they feel brave when together. If I were you I would avoid that area.

Yep I agree on avoiding the area even if it means a longer detour. Maybe change your shift pattern to finish earlier too for a couple of weeks. These goons will move on to something else to entertain themselves

 

[guerney]

I am sorry Guerney for what you have experienced. I might be wrong, but I think those idiots were attracted by your specific bike lights.

I'd rather be chased by loons than be rendered invisible again to traffic night and day, not see potholes, and experience close passes again.

They usually gather in numbers and they feel brave when together. If I were you I would avoid that area.

Yep I agree on avoiding the area even if it means a longer detour. Maybe change your shift pattern to finish earlier too for a couple of weeks. These goons will move on to something else to entertain themselves

Sadly this is quite a large nasty area with no easy way around... but I am thinking about alternative routes home. I'm not scared of these guys. I'm quite happy in violent situations - let's just say I'm well prepared despite not carrying any weapons. I should say "comfortable" rather than "happy" lol, else risk sounding like a psycho. If I was cornered, I'd start by quickly detatching my Dahon seatpost with heavy saddle and wield it like a club, hammering out justice...

 

[guerney]

Maybe it's time in addition to upping to 18a to also fit a throttle with a higher assist top speed (in the controller settings), you can still peddle like hell but with the throttle open it'll overide your normal 25kph pedal assist fixed top speed

I do miss my throttle! A throttle would certainly help quicken a getaway from a standing start. On the other hand, with "Keep current" at 100% @15A while moving, I can't tell that there's any difference to throttle. The BBS01B did well last night - those running steps just sounded too close, and it took me longer than I would have liked to increase my uphill speed. Bloody hill, unlucky.

 

[egroover]

I do miss my throttle! A throttle would certainly help quicken a getaway from a standing start. On the other hand, with "Keep current" at 100% @15A while moving, I can't tell that there's any difference to throttle. The BBS01B did well last night - those running steps just sounded too close, and it took me longer than I would like to increase my uphill speed.

Yep so on highest assistance and peddling the throttle wouldn't make any difference (other than acceleration from a standstill) up to your set pedel assist limit (25kph) but the throttle would keep the assistance beyond 25kph when open up to whatever you set the throttle top speed (on the motor is maxed out), so on the flat peddling hard you'd probably hit at least 27-28mph (gearing dependent)

 

[guerney]

Yep so on highest assistance and peddling the throttle wouldn't make any difference (other than acceleration from a standstill) up to your set pedel assist limit (25kph) but the throttle would keep the assistance beyond 25kph when open up to whatever you set the throttle top speed (on the motor is maxed out), so on the flat peddling hard you'd probably hit at least 27-28mph

I believe I probably would @20A - closer to no load speed. I'll have a fiddle with PAS firmware settings later followed by a test, have to replace brake pads and true a wheel anyway. It'd be just my luck to get booked for having an unrestricted throttle, after running into a crackdown on delivery riders on a high street somewhere. I don't want to be mistaken for one of those.

 

[egroover]

I believe I probably would @20A - closer to no load speed. I'll have a fiddle with PAS firmware settings later followed by a test, have to replace brake pads and true a wheel anyway. It'd be just my luck to get booked for having an unrestricted throttle, after running into a crackdown on delivery riders on a high street somewhere. I don't want to be mistaken for one of those.

Someone needs to come up with a throttle that looks like a retro bell !

 

[guerney]

Someone needs to come up with a throttle that looks like a retro bell !

Or one controlled wirelessly via skullcap electrodes! Think fast, go fast!

 

[guerney]

I am sorry Guerney for what you have experienced. I might be wrong, but I think those idiots were attracted by your specific bike lights.

I don't know what you mean.

 

[egroover]

In cinemas, this summer, Close Encounters of the Guerney Kind

 

[guerney]

In cinemas, this summer, Close Encounters of the Guerney Kind

View attachment 52779

Very tempted to add this 6000LM to the two 1800LM headlights on my handlebar, pointing forwards and angled down... then point one 1800LM to the right and down, to illuminate passing number plates more clearly for the GoPro. The older 1800LM is dimming and yelowing with much day and night use, will need replacing at some point. I don't think the 3A inline blade fuse on that circuit from the battery would need uprating, will need to measure amps used to be sure.

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UPDATE: Naively completely taken in by the fiendishly clever and totally honest advertising below, I've ordered one. I don't particularly want 1800+1800+6000= 9600LM on my handlebar, will try to achieve the close dark number plate illuminifying objective stated above, with a mere 7800LM. I say no to dim and weak.

 

[saneagle]

When you try to solve a problem, you have to be careful not to create new ones. Sometimes less is more.