My second ebike

[Haku]

Spotted this on eBay and decided I had to have it:

It came with an internal 20x D NiMH battery pack which held very little charge (no suprises there) so I made a lead to plug in my normal Urban Mover 26v li-ion Panasonic battery strapped to the luggage rack. The motor wouldn't run properly at first so after investigating I unplugged the (faulty) sensor that cuts off the motor when the rear brake is engaged and now the throttle acts like a normal throttle and not a 'power assistance level when pedalling' setup.
Just have to be careful not to brake and throtle at the same time, but it means I don't have to push it up steep hills, just twist the throttle slightly.

It's heavy, old, only one gear and the first ebike Urban Mover made, in fact it was their demonstration model that's seen little use, but it's extremely comfortable and a lot of fun to ride

I want an internal li-ion pack for it, almost undoubtably it'll have to be custom made, the real problem with that will be the battery management circuit.

 

[flecc]

It's not an original Urban Glider design Haku, regardless of what they might say, though they have modified it with a different motor and NiMh in frame.

It was originally actually a design and product of the world's largest bicycle manufacturer, Giant of Taiwan, and unpowered it's model name is the Giant Revive. There was also an electric version using a modified Panasonic unit and that one was called the Giant Revive Spirit. I seem to remember that pedelecs member FishingPaul owned one of these once.

It's a fine bike, semi-recumbent, very heavy as you've said, but it was designed to be a comfortable urban bike, not a speed machine. Sadly the public never took to it at the time, though the heavy and very slow Boris Bikes on hire in London seem popular and there are performance similarities. Therefore Giant discontinued them and Urban Glider seem to have adopted the design from Giant. There were several versions, with cast wheels or with spoked wheels, some with derailleur, some with hub gears, some had the enclosed chain, but most versions had the unique and very good saddle and handlebar stem adjustments. Here's are photos of various versions:

With spoked wheels

With pressed wheels

And the Revive Spirit electric version

Of course one of Giant's main businesses is making frames etc for many of the other well known brands, so the frame, forks etc on yours are likely to have been made by them anyway.
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[Haku]

When I went to pick it up we had a natter about bike stuff and during the conversation I was told that Giant copied the design a year after Urban Mover came out with this UM30 ebike, and were manufacturing it in the building next to where Urban Mover were having theirs built, first coming out with a normal bike and then produced an ebike version, as well as trying to claim UM copied them.

Wether UM copied Giant or Giant copied UM I really couldn't give a toss in this situation - I've got a very nice ebike that only cost me £202

 

[flecc]

I'm sure it was Giant's originally and I bet they made yours, it was one of a batch of unique designs they produced at that daring time some years ago, another being the unusual Giant Halfway folder with it's car style side mounted wheels. Certainly UM definitely did not have anything remotely like it at the time, their designs then being traditional framed e-bikes with big heavy SLA batteries behind the seat post. They were one of the last to go modern.

However, as you say, it's a fine design and one that I liked having much to enjoy. At that low price it's a real winner and a great buy.
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[flecc]

I was told that Giant copied the design a year after Urban Mover came out with this UM30 ebike, and were manufacturing it in the building next to where Urban Mover were having theirs built, first coming out with a normal bike and then produced an ebike version, as well as trying to claim UM copied them.

This was so outrageous a claim that I've done some checking. Urban Mover were only incorporated as a company in 2003, having done some R and D in preparation. At that time they produced some funny little pavement scooters etc as well as lead-acid electric bikes.

In contrast, Giant started in 1972 and became the world's largest bike maker by the mid 1990s with a number of factories in Taiwan, China etc. They are technological leaders in bike design, innovators in carbon frame technology and the world's largest producer of them now. They make frames, forks and even whole bikes for many of the famous brands worldwide. I can't remember when the Revive model first appeared, but it was years ago and it's long been discontinued, so it's design probably dates back to around Urban Mover starting out in 2003. Giant have been making e-bikes since 1999 and had a Panasonic powered model from year 2000.
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[morphix]

Wow what a strange looking bike, unusual design. Looks quite modern and almost like something Sir Clive Sinclair might of come up with!

Speaking of Sir Clive, I notice he brought out a folding bike (non-electric) called the A-bike which looks crazy to ride, but is probably one of the smallest and lightest folding bikes on the market. Check out the price tag though!

 

[flecc]

Speaking of Sir Clive, I notice he brought out a folding bike (non-electric) called the A-bike which looks crazy to ride, but is probably one of the smallest and lightest folding bikes on the market.

Another one that annoys, it's actually not designed by Sir Clive Sinclair in any way, it's the design of a young inventor who appeared on BBC 1 TV news with Clive at the time when Clive sponsored him with manufacturing it. Hopefully someone else will remember that and back me. Online everywhere Clive is credited with it's invention, and one site even has the cheek to claim it results from years of research by Sir Clive and his team.

Not practical with those small wheels anyway. He's having another attempt with an 8" wheel version now.

P.S. Found him, the designer of the A bike concept was Alex Kalogroulis. He has disappeared from design credits since Sir Clive cunningly employed him as well as backing his idea, thus enabling him to claim the design credit for his team. Smart, but a bit snide.
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[morphix]

Another one that annoys, it's actually not designed by Sir Clive Sinclair in any way, it's the design of a young inventor who appeared on BBC 1 TV news with Clive at the time when Clive sponsored him with manufacturing it. Hopefully someone else will remember that and back me. Online everywhere Clive is credited with it's invention, and one site even has the cheek to claim it results from years of research by Sir Clive and his team.

Not practical with those small wheels anyway. He's having another attempt with an 8" wheel version now.

P.S. Found him, the designer of the A bike concept was Alex Kalogroulis. He has disappeared from design credits since Sir Clive cunningly employed him as well as backing his idea, thus enabling him to claim the design credit for his team. Smart, but a bit snide.
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Damn what a cheek. The guy must be really peeved who invented it.

 

[morphix]

Snooper Folding E-Bike! £649 Heh

Snooper E-Bike Compact Folding Electric Bike

 

[flecc]

Damn what a cheek. The guy must be really peeved who invented it.

He's still part of the team and earning a designer's salary instead of being the engineering student he was, so I don't suppose he's complaining.

Deisgn jobs with well known companies aren't too easy to come by.
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[flecc]

Snooper Folding E-Bike! £649 Heh

Interesting, might be ok to ride.

Sinclair have apparently released an electric A bike, bad enough hitting a pothole with those tiny wheels without being powered in.
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[morphix]

Incredible! With those miniscule wheels it's a wonder it can hardly move

 

[Cyclezee]

Here are some photos of the Giant Revive I had 3 years ago, it was OK on the flat but useless on hills and hard to pedal. Just too heavy.

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J hn​

 

[Haku]

One main reason I bid on the UM30 was its looks, especially the colour and the cast 3-spoke wheels. I have to say I don't much like the look of the similar design ebike from Giant, why do designers try to hide the extra gubbins needed by ebikes by making curvy 'swoosh' shapes?

I've been looking at prices for tabbed 18650 cells and I'm pretty confident I can make a long thin 28 cell, 26v 12Ah pack for under £100 to fit inside the frame, the biggest hurdle is getting the protection circut board.


On the subject of Clive, my brother's been wanting an A-Bike for a while now, looks fun to ride for shortish flat distances instead of walking but not roads not nowadays because even on a 26" wheel bike the pot holes are horrible.
I saw that show 'Micro Men' recently about the story behind the Sinclair and Acorn/BBC Micro, thoroughly entertaining if you can get hold of it (I never knew Clive got into a punch up in a pub!)
BTW it was the Zike that got me into ebikes almost 4 years ago, not the actual bike but the idea of power assisted pedalling, I remembered the Zike and thought that ebikes must have gotten a lot better since then, I was right.

 

[flecc]

One main reason I bid on the UM30 was its looks, especially the colour and the cast 3-spoke wheels.

I hadn't realised that John as well as Paul had the Spirit version.

Can't see that they are much different apart from the Giant's integrated battery box and Panasonic motor and cowlings, but the UM does look neater and more modern. I like the concept and I think it's a good bike for it's intended purpose Haku, urban use especially if not too hilly since it's weight hits it then. The price makes it even nicer.
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[flecc]

Here are some photos of the Giant Revive I had 3 years ago, it was OK on the flat but useless on hills and hard to pedal. Just too heavy.

Revived (sic) today with the latest 300 watt motor and the least restrictive software program it could be much better John. Don't think Giant would risk it again though, and UM don't seem to have stuck with it either. The cycling public are just too conservative.
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[Cyclezee]

Just to make it clear, I only had the Revive for about a month 3 years ago before selling it on. It was in mint condition and virtually unused. It cost me £375 and I didn't make a loss on it

J hn

 

[flecc]

I bet you didn't make a loss John, I could see it was like new. The s/h price is the advantage with these unpopular modern designs, difficult to move so people lose heart and sell low.
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[Cyclezee]

I bet you didn't make a loss John, I could see it was like new.

You are right Tony, I didn't make a loss From memory they were well over a £1000 when new and very few were ever sold.

J hn

 

[flecc]

The electric Revive Spirit was £1500 near as it mattered, hugely expensive at that time, so not just futuristic in design.
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