Newbie but Oldie

[langtry]

Puzzled

Hi 4 Beaches O or John?,

Nice to hear from you and to know another Ezee Liver is out there having fun.
In my last post you will have noted??That I said I had travelled eight and a half miles and it took four and a half hours to recharge to full? Well,to-day,I went out in the sunshine and managed a very satisfying fifteen miles on mixed terrain,ie some flat and a fair amount of inclines etc,however,what I found puzzling was that to recharge to full capacity this time took only three and a half hours?I am sure there must be an explanation for this?Any ideas?
Prhaps you might be good enough to keep me informed on how you find the liv?Always very interested to know how fellow users are getting on,it helps to educate ones self?
On route this morning I met up with a couple of bikers on the racing type of bike,we stopped for a chat,both these men were literally sweating so much it was dripping from them,and I get the feeling they might be converted,because they asked an awful lot of questions.
I myself even though wearing a big coat was quite calm and no sweat at all,
I reckon I should have had an e-bike years ago.

Best regards,

langtry

 

[flecc]

When the charge duration reduces like this Langtry, it's an indication that the battery is fully run in. Broadly speaking, all your future charges will be a bit shorter now than they were originally. However, the riding conditions can vary the amount of current used, and therefore the charge time as well, so comparisons are only valid for an identical route ridden in identical conditions.
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[4beeches0]

Hello Langtry

Now I have completed my four recommended full discharge runs (or as near full discharge as I dare do) I had a run today where I wasn't trying to eak the maximum mileage out of my battery. I found using three quarter throttle and just gentle pedal assist I was maintaining 16 to 17 mph with ease. With disregard for battery power consumption the bike sails up hills that I really used to struggle with on previous 'non-electric' bikes. I think it was flecc who suggested upping the high gear by maybe fitting a rear cog with two teeth less. I do find the highest gear a bit on the low side and my legs won't go round fast enough so I shall investigate this modification. How are you finding the saddle ? I would be interested in your view on this important item !

John (4beeches)

 

[flecc]

I think it was flecc who suggested upping the high gear by maybe fitting a rear cog with two teeth less. I do find the highest gear a bit on the low side and my legs won't go round fast enough so I shall investigate this modification.

John (4beeches)

Might be confusion here or just the way it's worded, John, those two sentences could be opposites. If your legs don't spin fast enough, and you want them to spin faster, the gear is too high and needs to be lowered. That's done with a rear sprocket with more teeth.

Your present gear is too high and needs to be lowered for the legs to spin faster, so you need a couple more teeth on your rear sprocket.
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[langtry]

HI,

Thanks for your comments,John and Flecc,all duly noted,whether I remember them when needed is another matter/ On the subject of gears/sprockets/this has also caused me to question if at some point I should consider changing to higher,because at times,like you John I can not peddle fast enough,however,I am unsure about this because I think that there could be a time when having the higher gear upped,so to speak could prove difficult at a time when you peddle without throttle assistance?as I say unsure at this point.Another topic,ie throttle adjustment????sometimes I find that one has to turn the throttle quite a way before it seems to kick in,was this the reason for your adjustment?(Is it a simple adjustment that a simple fellow might tackle?)
andthe last point raised,re saddle,I am finding that it is a bit hard on the bum,oops no offence meant here.I had a look around my local Halfords to-day and saw something that could be of interest,it was slightly wider than the saddle supplied,might give it a try shortly,cost is £20.not too big a gamble?Could it be that moving from a conventional machine to an assisted one with less peddling done,it means you are sitting still more and need extra comfort around the rear end? Finally(for the moment)any thoughts on the need of a rear view mirror?or indicator lights?????

Regards,

langtry

 

[flecc]

The hall effect throttles work that way Langtry. They have either a small magnet at each end of travel, or a bar magnet alongside doing the same thing.

In both cases, the magnets are rotated past a sensor, so the influence of one magnetic field is changed to the other field for the sensor. Unfortunately, magnetic fields aren't linear, so at first there's little strength and as the rotation nears the centre point, both fields are at their strongest and the changover transfer is quite fierce. If you've ever played with a magnet at picking things up, you'll know how little happens until you reach a certain closeness and then the attraction is sudden.

That's the reason for the throttle action, very little at the start and finish ends, with most of the action in the centre, and of course little can be done about it apart from moving to a different universe. One member has added a stop to make the throttle start at a sightly advanced rotation point to get rid of waste movement, but of course that doesn't change the fundamental problem.

I won't ride a bike without a mirror, and since bikes are about the slowest vehicles on the roads and therefore the most overtaken, they are more essential for them than any other vehicle. Half a glance over a shoulder before pulling out past a parked obstruction or right turning just isn't good enough, particularly in urban/suburban heavy traffic areas.

I'd go as far as to say they should be standard equipment and riding without one a prosecutable offence carrying heavy fines. If one takes an impartial position and looks at all the many drivers complaints about cyclists, a very high proportion concern cycling actions relating to inadequate awareness of traffic approaching from behind.

Riding with a mirror and seeing an obstruction ahead, a mirror shows whether a hand signal is needed, and it allows awareness of the speed of approach of something from behind. Knowing if you are likely to arrive at the obstruction at the same time means easy avoidance of that situation, which helps both the rider and driver to have a smooth and safe passage along the road.

It's also good for looking at the faces of lycra clad riders when you fly past them uphill on your quiet e-bike!

I don't believe in indicator lights, most too small, low, dim, and close to the bike to be much use. A bold hand signal is level with most drivers faces, so more obvious and difficult to miss. It also has the value of attracting attention due to uniqueness, so few ever doing it these days!

To take care of nights, the gloves need reflective strips on the uppers, or as some have done, flashing LEDs.
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[Brangdon]

On the subject of gears/sprockets/this has also caused me to question if at some point I should consider changing to higher,because at times,like you John I can not peddle fast enough,however,I am unsure about this because I think that there could be a time when having the higher gear upped,so to speak could prove difficult at a time when you peddle without throttle assistance?

Quite so. When I was running my new battery until it cut out, I had to peddle it up hill, and then I needed the lower gear.

On the other hand, now that the battery is run in and my commute is under 5 miles, I shouldn't need to pedal with flat battery ever again. Or at least, it should be rare enough that I can walk up the hills if needed.

On saddles, when I tested the Liv I also test-road a Sprint, and that had a much more comfortable seat. However, my commute is short enough that it doesn't really matter.

Many decades ago, as a child, I had a mirror on my push-bike, and found it was useless. It was too small, and on a stalk that was too unsteady. So that put me off mirrors generally. However, I do miss the mirrors I have in my cars. Maybe it is just a matter of finding a good one.

 

[rooel]

I totally agree about mirrors, flecc. I have used a bar mirror for over 20 years and now find it almost impossible to ride on public roads without one.

Yet I have before me page 21 of the latest edition of the Highway Code, which, under an erroneous chapter heading "Rules" for Cyclists, says "should wear a cycle helmet" a totally useless precaution against crashes, and only a very slight protection for less than 5% of the body. True it says these "rules" are in addition to advice in later sections which applies to all vehicles and does recommend the use of mirrors, but in the same cycling chapter on page 23 the Code recommends "look all round" before moving away from the kerb, turning or manoeuvring without a word about mirrors. The later advice about mirrors is lost in a myriad of mixed advice mainly concerned with driving two, four, and more wheeled motor vehicles.

The only mirror I can recommend is the Mirrycle Mountain Bike mirror which can be adjusted to any angle, and does not suffer from vibration. To give a fine wide view behind it does use a convex glass which makes vehicles seem further away than they really are, but I have found that the brain soon adjusts its perceptions to cope with this.

 

[flecc]

And we are also in full agreement about helmets too, Rooel. This very clearly indicates the difference between the practical cyclists that we are and the rule making safety minded administrators who lack the relevant experience.

I like the Cateye round convex bar end mirror, but any convex mirror giving a wide enough view is infinitely better than riding without one.

I often make the observation that the most powerful motorcycles always have two mirrors, though they never get overtaken by anything, so if they need them, we most certainly do with the frequency of things passing us.
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[langtry]

Thank you all for interesting comments,again duly noted.I mentioned a little earlier about mirrors,and did actually look what was on offer at Halfords,but they looked so feeble,not worth considering,when I came out there were two bikes(not electric) outside both with mirrors fixed into the end of the handle bars,awkward if you had to park your bike against a wall or similar?
I remember many moons ago having a mirror on the handlebars and as mentioned,because of excessive vibration it was rendered pretty useless.These days on ordinary bike I always pulled into the kerb before making a right turn because I find it difficult to look over my shoulder whilst riding,also trying to rely on sound ie, cars coming up from behind,not a lot of use,must be something to do with advancing years?Anyhow,after all this talk to-day between a number of us bikers,I have ordered a mirror (perhaps should have been two?) from 50 cycles,it looked about the best I have seen to date,not sure I have done the right thing,we shall see?
Subject saddles,Since I have had my Liv,I have for pleasure been riding an average 10/12 miles a day,and feel the need to change my saddle so will be looking around for something more comfortable,no doubt this might be difficult because ordering from the net is not to say the new one would be comfy,bit of a gamble,I like to try first where possible.Going back again now,sorry,mirrors,just seen some on the net that are fitted down low on the frame,so that one would be looking along the bike between the legs,looks a bit awkward to me.

Regards,

langtry

 

[flecc]

That frame one looks awkward to me as well Langtry, and I believe it was designed for drop handlebar sports riders primarily.

Although there's a nuisance factor with mirrors getting knocked out of adjustment, I don't find that a problem. I've just developed the automatic habit of glancing at the mirror for alignment as I set off each time, correcting with a touch if necessary. To aid that I leave the mirror locking screw just slack enough to allow a correction.

I don't find handlebar vibration a problem at all with the Cateye mirrors I use. Indeed, even on the T bike with a narrow front tyre at 80 lbs pressure, there's no vibration at all on the roughest lanes around here, so the mirror stem designs have obviously improved.
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[allotmenteer]

On the subject of mirrors, there is a cycle helmet on the market called the Reevu which has mirrors in it which allow you to see behind without turning your head. I don't know if they are much good and you would still have to look over your shoulder before maneouvering but it would solve any handlebar vibration problems.

 

[flecc]

On the subject of mirrors, there is a cycle helmet on the market called the Reevu which has mirrors in it which allow you to see behind without turning your head. I don't know if they are much good and you would still have to look over your shoulder before maneouvering but it would solve any handlebar vibration problems.

Seeing the amount of picture shaking from videos taken with helmet mounted cameras, the last thing I'd use is a helmet mirror system

Looking at the comments about vibration, I think it's a problem from the past that just isn't relevant with well designed mirrors today. There's still the odd silly old style design around that uses a long steel mounting stem, and that's bound to vibrate, but better designs like the Cateye ones are free from any vibration loss of vision. They use properly specified mass damping plastic stem materials which help cancel any transmitted shocks while preventing harmonic vibration.

As said, even with an 80 lbs pressure narrow front tyre I'm not aware of seeing any shake at all. You can see the round Cateye mirror on that bike in this photo.
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[langtry]

Thanks Flecc for the info,but as you might have expected,I am now prompted to ask more questions.First,the photo??Like the look of the mirror,and strange as things turn out sometimes,I went on my longest trip to date,to visit my Brother in Gosport,Hants,(29 mile round trip)I was able to give battery one and a half hour charge which got me home with power to spare,charge to full, took four and a quarter hours during the afternoon.Whilst with my Brother(motor cycle maniac) he gave me a new mirror,chrome,(motor cycle mirror) he fitted it for me and looks good,but yet to make the correct adjustment.Back to batteries,I did just 6 miles to day from a full battery,but charging took just over three hours,I had thought that on such a short journey,charging would have been so much quicker.Obviously not.
Back to your picture,and if there ever was doubt,this will prove,just how thick this Newbie is?
What on earth are the two cow horns?and is that really a horn I can see underslung on the left of the handle bars?on the right something is underslung next to the grip?Sorry about the silly questions,but if I dont ask how am I to learn,never mind, might give fellow bikers a laugh or two.

Best regards,

langtry

 

[flecc]

Hello Langtry, those "cowhorns" often caused puzzlement, and the airhorn!

If you click this link and read the two sections in a row, all will be explained.
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[langtry]

Thank you Flecc,understood. But,roaming this forum there is mention of puncture proof tyres??Are you in fact saying you do not have these fitted?if not why not?I have thought of changing to puncture proof but they seem expensive and there is quite a number of different makes around,any special preference? Mind you,they look hard to fit?Can the novice do this?or is it for a specialist? I have seen puncture proof tubes at Halfords,would this be any easier or cheaper?


Regards,

langtry

 

[gkilner]

Hello, just a quick note to say that I bought one of those tubes from halfords with the sealent/slime inside. Believe it or not I got a puncture the very next day! The sealant just made a mess and it wouldn't seal the hole.

Lots of people on here recommend the Shwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, I fitted one to my bike recently - fine so far.

I'm a novice and fitted a Shwalbe Marathon Plus with no problems. It was no more difficult to fit than the Continental Travel Contact tyre I have on the rear wheel.

 

[flecc]

On that Torq as was, I was wearing out the original Kenda tyres first, but when converting it to the T bike, I fitted Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres and dispensed with the "cowhorns".

There are many puncture resistant tyres using a kevlar layer to resist penetration, and Schwalbe make those too, but the Marathon Plus is extra special.

It uses a thick inner layer of a penetration resisting rubber which can take drawing pins etc without any puncture and which tends to drive objects back out. My use of them goes back four years and I've never had one puncture. Here's a pic:

They are a bit stiffer laterally so a bit tougher to fit, but still perfectly possible for anyone, tips if required. They are also expensive, recommended price over £25, but often available cut to very much lower. They last well though.
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[Ian]

The sealant just made a mess and it wouldn't seal the hole.

My experience exactly

 

[4beeches0]

Marathon Plus can be a little tricky to fit. The way I do it is to make sure the tyre bead is in the well of the rim diagonally opposite the last two or three inches that you are trying to spring over. One way of achieving this is to 'pull' the bead of the tyre as deep as possible into the rim using plastic ties, or even string, as a temporary hold while you flip the last section over the rim. Hope I have explained this process well enough but I found this technique eased the whole process. Whilst Marathon Plus are rather expensive I think its worthwhile insurance against the trauma of having a puncture away from home.

Talking of insurance I have added insurance against theft of my eZee Liv to my home contents insurance at an agreed valuation of £800 (£700 plus extras) for a very reasonable £23.00 per annum. The only proviso is that it is padlocked to a secure fixture (like a concreted in cycle rack for example) which are now quite common in most towns and supermarket car parks.

John