New build.

[cwah]

Agree woth d8veh, that looks like a really nice build. What are the final specs?
- price
- weight including battery
- speed, distance and wh/km?

And also, i gave up the lipo for now because of the hassle to charge them. Too many connection disconnection to charge them. I created a bulk charge harness to charge with normal charger and cellog to monitor them all. But too much hassle!

Have you found a way to charge and monitor them hassle free?

 

[amigafan2003]

Ok sure, a quick summary wouldn't go amiss

Bike is a 2011 Trek FX 7.5.

The motor is now a Cute 100, which has replaced the Tongxin used originally. Nothing wrong with the Tongxin but I was getting fed up "baby sitting" it - it's nice to just be able to throttle up from a stand still with the Cute 100, where as the Tonginx used to slip it's clutch.

Controller is a Lyen Mini Monster Sensored Mk II (changed from the mini Monster sensorless - the Cute 100 didn't like the sensorless controller and used to stutter).

Battery is a 63v 12ah unit, made up of 9 4000mah Zippy 25 Compact lipo packs, connected in 3p15s config using an IceCube harness. Each group of three paralleled packs has the balance JST-XH connectors paralleled up as well. I've encased it in carbon fibre and it lives in a cycleezee bag. It weighs bang on 5kg.

Charging is primarily via a modified NES-350-48 power suplpy unit, current modded to put out 7.75amps and cut off at 62.25v (4.15v per cell). It's a simple one plug connection to charge and takes around 1.5hrs to charge after a normal commute (putting back between 7.5ah and 8.5ah on average). So far, I have NEVER had to balance the pack using my hobby charger and all cells are staying within 20mv and that's 80 charges so far. I also religiously stick to the "80% DoD" rule and I've never taken more that 9ah out of the pack. If balancing is required I can just unplug the end of the harness and plug in the parallel dapter and balance charge on the hobby charger.

Regards performance, it'll cruise along at 25mph with a neutral wind and 22/23mph into a reasonable headwind and I've seen 30mph with a good tailwind. I pedal all the time, but not that vigourously (unless I'm trying to mess with someones strava segment ). Watts per mile is averaging out at about 22 watts/mile so range is 25miles on max speed setting, which is more than enough for my commute of 19miles.

Fastest commute is:-

Workout Details - SportyPal

Same commute in the car is 30 mins as a minimum - up to 50 mins it's summer or Blackpool clowncil are digging up the prom road again!

Bike is fitted with a three speed switch, position 1 is set to 16mph, which I used around peds when the prom is busy, speed 2 which I use to extend range or when there is a stiff headwind or it's really cold (doing 25mph in sub zero temps things get a bit nippy) and speed 3 is set to 115% - which is 25mph assuming neutral wind.

Power is 800watts peak which the cute 100 seems to be handling no probs - nice acceleration, nice assist up the couple of hills I have (only 200m long each) and I've ever only had the motor warm to the tocuh - I've measured it at 55c at it's hottest - well within spec.

The bike is fitted with a "failsafe". If I'm more than 1m from the bike, the bike defaults to, and cannot be brought out of, speed setting 1 - or 16mph. Motor is stamped "250w".

All in the bike weighs 21kg and that includes a tough rack, full mudguards, lights, toolset and pump.

I'm averaging 4 rides a week with my longest unbroken streak being 3 weeks every day at the end of August.

The bike has covered 5000miles in 15 months and saved me approx £1900 in fuel costs alone. I haven't kepts a track of how much the bike has cost me though! I've only replaced the brake blocks and I'm just about to change the chain for the first time - as it's just reached the 0.75 limit. Brakes are about to be upgraded with a pair of Magura HS33 Hydraulics that I got for £40 from a friend at work - used three times in the dry!

 

[cwah]

Really nice spec:
25mph, 25miles distance at 21kg! That's how I envision selling ebike to mass market consumer. Not these ridiculous slow, heavy and low distance bikes we find on most shop now!

I may try the cute100 later, I really only heard good things about this motor, congratulation

I hope these zippy compact will worth their value

 

[wurly]

Workout Details - SportyPal
I just watched this. It must be a very nice ride this time of year with all the illuminations. Not many hills either. Nice distance for everyday commuting.

 

[amigafan2003]

Workout Details - SportyPal
I just watched this. It must be a very nice ride this time of year with all the illuminations. Not many hills either. Nice distance for everyday commuting.

Yeah it is, makes lights on the bike kinda redundant Apart from the bit where I cycle behind the tableaux - it's pitch black! Only really busy with peds Fri/Sat/Sun as well and October half term. The traffic on the roads is crazy though - that's why I love taking the bike at that time of year.

In all honesty - it's a glorious ride to work - best thing Blackool clowncil ever did was making the whole prom an officail cycleroute from Fleetwood all the way to Star Gate - 13 miles of car free cycling.

 

[smudger1956]

Great read that, thanks, amigafan2003.

 

[103Alex1]

Upgrade time

These brakes are ace and the quick-release lever makes removing rear wheel very easy. They need to be adjusted spot on to give their best though .. if your rear dropouts have as much play as mine do, it's a load of fiddling about every time you adjust the chain tension or change a tyre ... but to be fair there's a lot of useable play even if you don't have time to get them spot on every time.

 

[amigafan2003]

Yeah, I know what you mean, I've used Maguras before. The Trek has a nice frame though and the rear wheel drops back into the exact same place every time though - it's a really nicely finished frame.

 

[amigafan2003]

God I'd forgotten how much of a PITA setting Magura's up is!

Next job - hook up a reed switch to act as a brake cut out!

 

[amigafan2003]

Ok - just spent an hour in the garage fitting a brake cut off switch to the rear Magura lever:-

First up - one reed switch and a magnet.

Solder fly leads to switch:-

Encapsulated in heat shrink for weatherproofing:-

Epoxy magnet and switch to underneath the lever (zip tied in place whilst epoxy dries):-

Epoxy dry and zip ties removed. the pad adjuster is still accessable and I've zip tied the lead to the lever body to provide some stress relief:-

 

[amigafan2003]

Continued from prev post (too many photos).

Job done - wouldn't even know it's on from above. tested and works a treat - activates about 1/4 into the lever travel - so shouldn't "false trigger" if I'm just resting my fingers on the lever:-

 

[103Alex1]

First up - one

Solder fly leads to switch:-

Encapsulated in heat shrink for weatherproofing:-

Epoxy magnet and switch to underneath the lever (zip tied in place whilst epoxy dries):-

Epoxy dry and zip ties removed. the pad adjuster is still accessable and I've zip tied the lead to the lever body to provide some stress relief:-

About to get a solution mapped out for mine and wondering if this would be viable / best approach for me too - it's one of the outstanding ???? on the how to's....

Photos of left hand combined hydraulic disc brake levers / gear shifters (from top, underside and facing bike) :







Brake / shifter handle pushed down / anticlockwise moves front gearing low-high and separate thumb lever to move back high-low.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

This one's going to be tricky. Without the bits in front of us, it's difficult to advise. I've never seen one like that before, and the up and down movement really complicates it.
After seeing torch pressure switches for guns, I thought I might be able to use one on the brake lever:
1pcs Remote Pressure Switch For UltraFire C2 Flashlight | eBay.
They have three flat microswitches inside, but the pressure to operate was a bit too high. Also, they're a little too wide; however, it might be work if you thin one down a bit and remove one or two of the switches, which is fairly simple.

It may be possible to make your own pressure switch using the microswitch below, that should fit snugly in the underside of the lever, where it could be epoxied in place.

Quality Momentary Tactile Push Button Switch SPST Miniature/Mini/Micro/Small PCB | eBay

 

[Old_Dave]

I've said it before... but I'll say it again

BionX Press Switch for Magura brakes | enables motor cut-off even for hydraulic brakes

"The switch is simply inserted into the hydraulic tube of the brakes"

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've said it before... but I'll say it again

BionX Press Switch for Magura brakes | enables motor cut-off even for hydraulic brakes

"The switch is simply inserted into the hydraulic tube of the brakes"

Yes they're a very neat solution. You only really need one on the back brake, which makes it a bit more affordable.

You have to bleed your brakes afterwards, so you should make sure that you have the stuff and know-how to do that first, and you have to use the correct hydraulic fkuid or else they don't work. There was a thread about them on ES a while ago.

For every difficult problem, there's always a simple solution
Corollary: Every simple task ends up being very difficult.

 

[amigafan2003]

I've said it before... but I'll say it again

BionX Press Switch for Magura brakes | enables motor cut-off even for hydraulic brakes

"The switch is simply inserted into the hydraulic tube of the brakes"

I like the Magura switch.

But it isn't £2 ;-)

 

[103Alex1]

Some very interesting points being raised here. Amigafan, you've definitely got yourself a nice effective cheap solution there and for a standalone brake lever it looks just the thing.

Had another look at the lever operation and main thing is on these particular combo-shifters, there is quite a lot of inward travel of the whole unit which incorporates the brake levers when changing gear. I suspect (if I understand in broad concept how the reed-switch approach works right) that it could be quite hard to get the switch to engage at the right point.

d8veh, that's a clever idea .. the brake lever doubles as the gear lever though, so is there a chance of the cut-off engaging during a gear change if the switch is integral to the lever itself ?

Old_Dave I have to admit that solution looks the most compelling despite the cost. I'm pretty certain the brakes are Deore XT hydraulic discs. The shifters are Deore XT ST-M765. The oil reservoir is accessed via the screw-on plate on the housing behind the handlebar attachment so should be easy enough to bleed and spec out the right fluid. I presume there should be no need to replace the hose to fit in the switch - hosing currently fitted is SM-BH63 1300 but that's discontinued now.

From the picture on your link of the BionX solution I can't really work out where the bits would actually go. Presumably you insert one of the parts with the switch into the hosing at the shifter-end and other bits are to refit that to the shifter mount ... or am I barking up the wrong tree with that ? I am envisaging the cable with a connector running from the shifter mount and needing to be hooked up to a suitable coupling lead into the controller ......

Sorry to digress on this thread about this one - can move it over to another thread if preferred !

Pics of combo-shifter mounting - the hydraulic brake cable enters the opposite side to the shifters/levers - and of brake cable entering the rear brake mech for completeness :

 

[Old_Dave]

I can't really work out where the bits would actually go.

Anywhere on the hydraulic brake pipe ...

Which means the most convenient place where the pipe is straight..

Kinda looks like..

cut pipe, fit part to one end of the cut pipe, if other end of pipe is too long and you cant loose the extra..then cut off a bit (equal to the additional internal length of the unit) and fit to unit, bleed brakes, attach wires to a jack socket for the plug to go into (or maybe cut the plug off and extend the wires so that they will reach your controller, make a nice cuppa tea.

Cosmetic surgery isn't cheap

 

[103Alex1]

Anywhere on the hydraulic brake pipe ...

Which means the most convenient place where the pipe is straight..

Kinda looks like..

cut pipe, fit part to one end of the cut pipe, if other end of pipe is too long then cut off a bit (equal to the additional internal length of the unit) and fit to unit, bleed brakes, attach wires to a jack socket for the plug to go into (or maybe cut the plug off and extend the wires so that they will reach your controller, make a nice cuppa tea.

Cosmetic surgery isn't cheap

.. ah - I see .... this is why I ask such questions of those more knowledgeable ! Had in my little head that if it went in the hose it must be at one end of the hosing or the other . But the reality is of course having the courage to cut a section out of one's hydraulic hosing so it can go anywhere suitable along the length.

Thinking maybe bleed brakes before cutting said hosing ?

Cosmetic surgery is neither cheap nor painless - may have to anaesthetise myself before taking a Stanley to that hose when I see what it costs to replace if I'm a little 'keen' with my cutting out !

 

[Old_Dave]

Thinking maybe bleed brakes before cutting said hosing ?

You can...

But you will doing again after

if I'm a little 'keen' with my cutting out !

There may be no need to remove any of the hose... as the extra length caused by fitting the part may not cause a problem.