Yet another all in the wheel device. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3039472/a-detachable-wheel-that-makes-your-bike-electric-is-about-to-hit-the-market#1
Any comments on this one?
Any comments on this one?
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Omni Wheel by Evelo
- Thread starter Croxden
- Start date
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Deleted member 4366
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They did say that it has a smart pedal sensor. The problem with these promotional videos is that they never give you all the facts. You have be a detective to figure things out. They say you can convert any bike in 30 minutes, but the video shows it taking about 10 seconds, so what do you do in the other 29 minutes and 50 seconds?
My worry was about how it resists the torque. If the wheel just clipped in like it shows, there would soon be a lot of people with broken forks and bandaged faces, but if you stop the video at 1:33, you can see some sort of device between the fork leg and the wheel, which I assume is a torque arm of some sort. So, how have they made it so that it fits any fork? Hopefully, they've designed it like that, so could be an excellent solution for ham-fisted non-technical people.
My worry was about how it resists the torque. If the wheel just clipped in like it shows, there would soon be a lot of people with broken forks and bandaged faces, but if you stop the video at 1:33, you can see some sort of device between the fork leg and the wheel, which I assume is a torque arm of some sort. So, how have they made it so that it fits any fork? Hopefully, they've designed it like that, so could be an excellent solution for ham-fisted non-technical people.
That is all they have. Take a look at the video. These wheels do not come with throttles, just pedelec sensors..
As for pricing, they are about half of an average ebike. Unlike kits they already come with batteries. In fact I don't think you can get a kit together for MUCH less and it would certainly require more work to install and maintain, let alone trying to get a warranty from those Chinese sellers that sell kit parts at reasonable prices.
Well looking at the videos and photos the wheels come with torque arms. There are plenty of production ebikes from front wheel mounted hub motors. There's a banner for a front hub driven Woosh ebike on the right side of this page
I don't think there's much of a difference here.. There are plenty of ways to secure a hub in the front form. Torque washers, torque arms, make sure the bots are tightened properly and you're good to go.
I am usually skeptical about having too much computer parts in a transport. First, would it pass EN15194 EMF test with all the wireless gizmos? secondly, what happens if the battery on the LCD dies?
Apology for my ignorance, should have paid much more attention to the video. On the pricing issue though, there are plenty of UK suppliers for hub motor wheel kits, so warranty is not an issue. They are about £200 without battery. How much does the the Omniwheel cost? Also, is the pedelec sensor built inside the wheel or do you have to install a pedelec sensor on the bottom bracket?
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$999 or about £650. The 14Ah option doesn't seem to be much more expensive though. Yes, you can get something less expensive but this is a question of convenience for a lot. There are plenty of people who just want to swap the front wheels and go without having to run wires or do anything else.
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It's not as simple as that. Fitting a front motor to a set of forks takes a little skill and understanding. Lots of people do manage it without any experience, but some end up with broken forks. We have no data on the success rate, but I've personally handled three sets of broken forks. Some drop-outs are only 9 mm so require accurate filing. Others are 10mm. Some people break their drop-outs when they don't realise the significance of the axle becoming uncentralised, so the drop-outs pop when they tighten the nuts. Until we see the mechanism for resisting the torque, it's not really possible to comment on how robust it is. We have to assume that the designers have done their homework.
350w is the rating and you can clearly see the torque arm around 0:25. There isn't much danger in a 350w motor spinning out and breaking the fork.
The video does not show how the torque arm is secured to the fork.
So you have a conventional bottom bracket pedelec sensor and a wireless LCD.
To me, the simplification on the wiring consists of eliminating a cable to run from the front wheel motor to the LCD on the handlebars, which is not much. On the mechanical fitting side, you eliminate the battery which is considerable but that comes with a bad weight distribution.
So you have a conventional bottom bracket pedelec sensor and a wireless LCD.
To me, the simplification on the wiring consists of eliminating a cable to run from the front wheel motor to the LCD on the handlebars, which is not much. On the mechanical fitting side, you eliminate the battery which is considerable but that comes with a bad weight distribution.
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Most pedelecs don't have them or need them, they are mainly a feature on throttle equipped bikes.
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The requirement is that the motor has to stop providing power within 0.5 (?) seconds of pedalling. Many pedal sensor systems don't, and that applies to torque sensors as well as speed sensors. For those, you need brake cut-offs. Otherwise your motor will be fighting the brakes, which isn't good. We have to assume again that Evelo have covered that, but I wouldn't count on it.
Wiring for crank drive kits like the BBS01 is pretty simple but not for hub kits.
The most logical place to install the controller is to attach it to the head tube or hide it within the front light and yet, nobody seems to offer this sort of products.
The most logical place to install the controller is to attach it to the head tube or hide it within the front light and yet, nobody seems to offer this sort of products.