Number Two

[anotherkiwi]

I'm thinking of a home made metal bracket which uses the motor bracket. Or is there a 3D printer thing in my future???

 

[trex]

with 3D printing you have to design for the bike, like this one:

 

[anotherkiwi]

I promised a couple of photos of the new bits on the bike a long time ago (before the rain...) today the sun is out. Yes I was in black and white mode without realising



Above at the top the HW brake sensor, large BMS Battery controller box, the external PAS and the Shimano STEPS cranks. The cable run is a little bit tidier than it was too.



The twin chainring setup using a Precialps 104 BCD spider, Truvativ 42 and Shimano 32. The 42 tooth chainring gets me to about 45 kph before spinning out which is fast enough. I also tested the 32 tooth chainring on my local >13% test hill and it is very gentle with the motor which wasn't even luke warm at the top. The only scary part was coming back down and wondering if I was going to go over the bars when stopping at the stop signs...

The goal of being able to climb anything that Navarra throws at me seems to be attained. I rode back home on the flat and it pulls 25 kph in 6th no problem which is enough for in town.

And finally the daytime running LEDs on the new b+m headlight seem to work - two ladies actually stayed put at stop signs! I think it was the light that scared them because the had started to initially inch forward seeing me on a push bike but changed their minds.

 

[anotherkiwi]

External PAS update:

The external M33 motor mount locking ring was machined down to 4.01 mm thick (from 6.24 mm) at great expense by a local company and now the PAS sensor is back on its holder and locked firmly in place between the two M33 rings. I Dremeled the centre out of the magnet disk and replaced that with a holder made from a coffee can bottom. Quick and nasty prototyping for now but it works without rubbing anywhere and a nicer better finished version will be drawn up in FreeCAD and cut out with the proper tools. I think I will try machining a square into the crank arm the thickness of the metal disk which combined with a square hole in the disk itself will mean zero extra thickness at the crank and epoxy glue should hold the two together.

Gearing update:

The CD motor is much more able at assistance level 2 than my hub motor because of the use of the gears. I am doing much more of my riding in levels 2 or 3 now that I have the 42 tooth chainring on the front. On the road 3rd gear is the most used with this chainwheel. With the 32 tooth chainring the bike shoots up to 25 kph cut off in a couple of seconds then stays put at 25-26 kph in 6th and 7th gear which is quite enjoyable around town on the flat because it requires very little pedalling effort at normal cadence.

Battery update:

I have been using only 10 Ah of Lipo the last few days and surprise, surprise! It sags on hills, although not as badly as the 10.4 Ah Li-ion battery. My test hill was https://en.cols-cyclisme.com/pyrenees-ouest/france/col-de-saint-ignace-depuis-ascain-c1483.htm and I got a bit over 1 Volt sag on the 7% bit. My thought is that Lithium batteries perform best at 1C or lower whatever their chemistry (and whatever the C-rating claims of the battery manufacturers). If you live in a hilly area and ask for the full 15 Amps from your controller on a regular basis I suggest buying a >15 Ah battery.

 

[anotherkiwi]

First time on the train

So now that everything is working I decided to go south with the idea of getting some winter wear for riding in the colder days ahead. Yesterday was brilliant sun and 19°C so I was feeling that my goal a bit out of touch with reality. The ride to Irun station was uneventful other than almost being run over by a "lady" in a hurry. I have significantly downed my pace aiming for average speed as close as possible to 25 km/h but mainly comfortable riding more than a sprint. Is it age or is it wisdom creeping in?

Got on the train and put the bike on its stand, the first corner it fell over of course... On the way down the headlight struck the seat belt holder used for wheelchairs and the back bit broke off. I picked up all the bits of plastic and should be able to superglue it back together. But... the main led no longer lights up... With luck I will be able to disassemble and the LED will be unplugged or it will be another simple shock induced contact issue easy to fix. I do still have the daytime running LEDs and the rear light working, I will get to use my spare headlight after all till I get to taking the controller box to bits again, the wiring is a bit complicated to unplug. I am very lucky it wasn't the LCD that broke which makes me even more convinced I need to get it off the handlebars.

Ride back in warm sunny weather reminded me why I have a pedelec in the first place. I discovered 5 km of brand new cycle path which is very practical but getting to Decathlon S. Sebastian is still very complicated and involves some riding on (empty) footpaths. I stopped off to get some fishing tackle in Hendaye (fresh fish in the fridge!) and rode back along the coastal road with power assist, after breaking down the last time, the difference on this stretch of road is like the difference between night and day! 50 km ride and the battery is down from full charge to storage level (38.5 V) so I think 100 km range could be on the cards.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Front light cannot be repaired...

b+m got back to me after my service inquiry: no spare parts so the black plastic bit that I can't glue will not be replaceable, the light is ultra-sonic welded so can't be dismantled to look for a broken contact...

I will keep it on the bars for now because it is powering the tail light and the position LEDs still work both day and night (at night they are used for short range lighting i.e. just in front of the wheel).

I will go back to using my battery powered headlight for night time riding so I have everything covered. I will replace the light with the premium version next year. It has an on/off switch and 10 more lux.

Working on ideas to plug the hole in the back of the light.

 

[anotherkiwi]

1609 km (1000 mi) report

I did a 50 km shopping run to the Asian supermarket today. On the way home I changed down to the 32 tooth chainwheel because besides Basque Country hills I had a sack of rice and other stuff in the panniers. Result 5.82 Wh/km! Average speed 21.6 km/h.



I don't know what to do with this bike. The headset started complaining on the way home again, I will not be able to tighten it down indefinitely... Strip all the good bits off and put them on a new frame and fork? Upgrade the fork and headset on the same frame? The tiny triangle prevents me from using a HL battery with internal controller.

 

[anotherkiwi]

A quick update on the ongoing adventures of Number Two.

I have been running the 2 x 6S packs and 44.4v on the GSM with the 36v controller - hot off charger voltage 49.8v just squeezes under the 50v limit of the cap in the controller.

- cadence is much better, estimated 100-110 rpm
- motor runs silent!
- climbs like a goat at speed
- I have seen over 600 W on the LCD a couple of times
- but the controller gets too hot and cuts out...

Now that I have a trike I am using this bike as a round town transport vehicle only, adventure/leisure vehicle being the trike.

Soon I will migrate the GSM to the trike and I have the Mxus lined up to be laced into a 28" DT Swiss e-bike rim:

- new crankset with 38 tooth single chainwheel and chainglider chain protection
- 11-32 DNP freewheel for the Mxus
- custom battery box with 09 bottle controller

I pretty much use 10 Ah LiPo all the time now instead of the big 20 Ah battery and get about 45 km range between charged and storage voltage so the battery box will be big enough to fit 36v 10 Ah LiPo.

Bike components are working fine, the blocks in the Magura HS11 hydraulic brake are the originals and have done 3600 + >2000km. The entry level Acera rear mech shifts like a dream compares to the Alivio on the trike! It is so smooth and quiet as to make me look down to see if it has actually shifted! Wippermann chain reminds me it needs some dry lube from time to time. Tyres like new compared to the tyres on the trike which only have a few hundred km! The bad point is the headset which starts complaining after about 30 km and some play starts to creep in.

This bike has been very reliable though I don't go out very often in the rain (it has seen a few Basque downpours however). Comfortable and fit for purpose I guess is a good description.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Well wouldn't you know! No sooner I write an update then wham! "Accident"... My fault, riding too fast, thinking about something other than concentrating on my riding, leaned into a blind corner and someone was coming the other way

For some reason the front wheel blocked up (lots of metal hatches in the road there) and I went straight over the bars. Motorcycle 101 never brake hard in a corner

Number Two needs a new front wheel, the rim is totalled, I have cracked ribs and a few scratches and 5 fresh farm eggs made a real mess in the pannier.

No I wasn't wearing a helmet. No I didn't bang my head

 

[Nealh]

Ouch, that will be you off the road for a few days.
Cracked ribs hurt.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Replaced my Magura HS11 brake shoes after about 7,000 km. I really should have done it sooner! Wear has greatly increased since I moved to a steep area last September and I am also doing many more km a week now.

+1 for the ease of maintenance on these brakes, way to go Magura!

Riding home it was -3° C, cold enough to make the back Avid brake wire sticky, not the hydraulic brake however another positive point.

The climb home used 9.333 Wh/km, the almost discharged battery still giving 635 A (controller) peak, loving the 44.4v solution.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I now have all the bits to electrify the trike which has it's own build thread so Number Two is back to being a round town, shopping and fishing bike.

A new chain - climbing hills over 10% gradient daily has taken it's toll, a new Wippermann chain is arriving any minute now. The original chain gave about 5000 km.

Moving to 8 speed - I decided to move to 8 speed because I'm putting a new Deore rear derailleur on the trike and I have quite a stock of almost new 8 speed cassettes here. In over 20 years of ordering stiff on the internet I have never had to open a dispute until today. the Chinese bloke who was supposed to send an 8 speed shifter/brake lever sent me a 7 speed by error...

I will mount the 11-42 8 speed cassette I bought recently. I will also mount a 42 narrow wide precialps chainwheel, that should allow me to have a decent chainline and be able to drag full trailer loads back from the garden center etc. There is also a dinghy I might need to put on a trailer... 42:11 is 45 km/h at cadence, plenty enough speed for around here, the hills are so steep you don't need to pedal downhill.

The trailer is being rebuilt with a box and new rims and tyres.

I will mount a his and hers saddle and a quick release on the seat-post for those him and her rides.

 

[vfr400]

I just looked at post #1. It's interesting to see how the price of batteries has changed. Lipos still cost about the same, but the price of ready-made ebike batteried has crashed in the last year. Now you can get a reasonable 20 amp Dolphin or Shark battery for €180, which is the sa e cost as the lipos.

 

[anotherkiwi]

All of those having trouble getting wired tyres onto 28" rims should have a go with 16" rims! There isn't much rubber to stretch that is for sure.

My ugly duckling trailer that has been limping around with one bent steel rim almost since I got it is transformed with a shot of satin black paint and new aluminium wheels shod with Big Apple tyres. I just need to get some epoxy and varnish on the new marine ply floor and it is ready to roll.

Now I love aluminium lockable boxes just like the next bloke but my bank account voted for a plastic Euro container with lid. It costs roughly a fifth of the price so I won't mind drilling holes in it to mount all sorts of stuff like say fishing rod holders!

Photos to follow.

 

[harrys]

Battery prices have indeed changed. When I built my first ebike in 2015, good USA made packs were close to $800 (All-cell). I bought a cheap 36V10AH chinese Dolphin for $280 USD from an ebay vendor. That vendor later evolved into Unit Pack Power, and now I can get a 36V13AH Dolphin for $200 USD. That original pack still works OK . Probably still has close to 7-8AH in it.

 

[Nealh]

I have done so likewise Tony, I bought a very good size ABS crate with a snap on lid that sits very nicely on my Carryfreedom, the crate it self I strap down with a pair of sprung buckled straps. Bike/trailer and everything got smothered today as rain has been heavy and the bike tracks are kicking up plenty of muck and a lot of standing water, brush and water can used to night to clean the worst of it all off. Trailer has no guards so have an ABS dustbin lid coming and some ali strip to fashion up a pair of mudguards.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I only tow on the road but I may 3D print mudguards in the future. When choosing a printer, large print volume was a deciding factor so a mudguard printed in two parts that snap together is on the cards!

The box will be through bolted to the trailer floor with 3D printed wing nuts to make removal easier, I can park in my corridor/entry hall so pretty close to the kitchen cupboards and the fridge. The box is large enough to hold my icebox and a couple of supermarket reusable bags worth of shopping.

Today is not a day to be out on the road with a trailer let alone a bike - gusting to 60 kts...

 

[anotherkiwi]

Somewhere in the French postal strike there may be an eight speed shifter/brake lever combo, the nice Chinese man first sent me a 7 speed one by mistake... As soon as it gets here there will be two bikes in bits in the living room:

- Alivio 8 speed rear derailleur off the trike (replaced by Deore 9 speed)
- 11-42 8 speed cassette instead of 12-32 7 speed
- original 46 tooth chainwheel back on the GSM. I will replace with a 42 tooth narrow/wide precialps one if it fails the climbing test out the back of my apartment. Fingers crossed, I want to keep the budget down despite the 46 tooth being boat anchor weight...
- new Wippermann Connex chain after somewhere over 4750 km (remember all those km without a speed sensor at the beginning of this thread)

I will also open the controller holder box for the first time since I mounted the lights to do a brief checkup (fingers crossed) and look at the headset bearings.

Gearing comparison: