Professional ebike consultancy charges

I recently received yet another request from a supplier who wanted my advice on converting Bromptons to electric power.

 

"Hi, just wondered if you would be willing to help us with some feedback?

We are working on a conversion kit for Brompton bikes. Our main problem is the battery pack.

What would you recommend by way of

- capacity. What would be most popular in your view?

- position: front bag? rear bag? frame bag? frog case? rear rack fixed mounting? Each has its pros and cons, but would be your recommendation?

All suggestions welcome. Many thanks and kind regards,"

 

Just to let any other suppliers know that my hourly rate for this consultation is £200+VAT.

 

For any member of the forum who is not a supplier and does not wish to make a profit from my advice or help, my hourly rate is free

 

Regards

 

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

 

Very reasonable, are you a solicitor, accountant or doctor;)

No I am an ICT manager and work in the public sector, so these charges would help greatly to boost my apparent excessive salary and over inflated Government pension as reported by the national press

 

I should add a "smart" supplier would read back through all my conversion threads (and the many other excellent contributions made by others here) and get the advice for free!

 

Regards

 

Jerry

Edited October 26, 201213 yr by jerrysimon

£200 an hour is a very reasonable charge. However, I've helped manufacturers/importers, four in particular in the past and I have a current small involvement, but as a retired person I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of charging and the extra admin involved. The pleasure of seeing the industry progress is payment enough and keeps life simple.

I wish someone would make me a job offer - fed up to the back teeth of my current role in IT ;-)

pretty obvious john,at those prices he is a VET !

I wish someone would make me a job offer - fed up to the back teeth of my current role in IT ;-)

 

Sorry not recruiting but losing staff

 

Jerry

Wasn't Brompton by any chance Jerry?

 

For me, a Frog battery every time for standard requirements, bolt-on solution, standard design, available in various capacities to suit most users, relatively cheap and does not effect folding apart from requiring the extended seat post to enable positive locking and not being able to drop the seat post fully.

 

For light weight solutions - see Jerry's build.

 

For power solutions - see Cwah's build. caution required!

Edited October 26, 201213 yr by shemozzle999

I wish someone would make me a job offer - fed up to the back teeth of my current role in IT ;-)

 

Count your blessings! A short while ago I dined at a good Dorset restaurant where in a discussion with the young waiter while leaving, I discovered he'd been doing that job for well over a year while desperately searching for an IT job after leaving university with good qualifications. This was a very presentable, articulate and intelligent young man who would love the chance of doing your job rather than serving at tables. A dreadful waste of potential and frustrating when I could do nothing to help beyond leaving a hefty tip.

Count your blessings! A short while ago I dined at a good Dorset restaurant where in a discussion with the young waiter while leaving, I discovered he'd been doing that job for well over a year while desperately searching for an IT job after leaving university with good qualifications. This was a very presentable, articulate and intelligent young man who would love the chance of doing your job rather than serving at tables. A dreadful waste of potential and frustrating when I could do nothing to help beyond leaving a hefty tip.

That doesn't surprise me, many IT graduates know very little about computing outside the software programming they studied because it was the easy/fun option. I've interviewed lots and been shocked at the lack of foundation knowledge. And that's coming from someone who found out from a school newsletter today that he's not got enough qualifications to be an admin assistant at the school.

Two hundred pounds an hour? Forget lawyers and doctors. A local window repair firm charges £55 per quarter hour or part thereof. So a local pensioner was charge £110 for twenty minutes work. Before I retired, I ran a Washing Machine Repair business, and I knew lots of local people in the trade, including an engineer who worked for my main competitor. Their charge was £50 per hour or part thereof. He fixed a machine for an old lady, it took about twenty minutes, and he billed her for $50. She made him weed the garden for the remainder of the hour!

That doesn't surprise me, many IT graduates know very little about computing outside the software programming they studied because it was the easy/fun option. I've interviewed lots and been shocked at the lack of foundation knowledge. And that's coming from someone who found out from a school newsletter today that he's not got enough qualifications to be an admin assistant at the school.

 

True, I was aware of this general view in the industry, but it's still a dreadful waste of the potential to reach the right standard. We all have to start somewhere and industries/commerce do have a long accepted responsibility to at least finalise training of suitable personnel into their specific jobs. The best companies do it.

Wasn't Brompton by any chance Jerry?

 

That's a long story, that is probably best not discussed here

 

Jerry

Edited October 26, 201213 yr by jerrysimon

True, I was aware of this general view in the industry, but it's still a dreadful waste of the potential to reach the right standard. We all have to start somewhere and industries/commerce do have a long accepted responsibility to at least finalise training of suitable personnel into their specific jobs. The best companies do it.

 

Well my company (Hewlett Packard) have quite an extensive graduate program - part of their move to an industrialized delivery system (which is corporate speak for " they are cheaper than the staff who have been here for 20 years").

 

Had three start here just last week.

£200 an hour is a very reasonable charge. However, I've helped manufacturers/importers, four in particular in the past and I have a current small involvement, but as a retired person I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of charging and the extra admin involved. The pleasure of seeing the industry progress is payment enough and keeps life simple.

I feel exactly the same. I'm sort of retired now. For me it's just a hobby and I'm happy to help anyone. Many of these businesses are struggling to make a living, but I'd hope that if they hit the big-time because of one of my idea/s, they'd remember me.

That is an admirable aim and desire to help the industry.

 

My initial post was of course mostly in jest. Whilst valid questions from someone starting out, the quality and depth of the questions did make me wonder whether the company had a deep enough understanding and experience to have any long term future in coming up with marketable and profit making EBrompton kit.

 

I very much consider myself an amateur and would not touch such a venture with a barge pole. As we know EWC have struggled hard to deliver a solution for electrifying Bromptons even after resourcing the company properly. Brompton now themselves, seem to be going back to the drawing board to rethink their E offering.

 

Regards

 

Jerry

Edited October 26, 201213 yr by jerrysimon

That mirrors my experience in many cases Jerry, entrants having little knowledge of the industry and having clearly having done no homework before taking the leap. Unsurprisingly, most aren't with us any more.

 

The e-bike market in Britain is as tough as any market could be and only the most skilled and best resourced can succeed long term.

I've been thinking recently about ways to handle the additional battery weight on the brompton on other area than the front bag.

 

With an additional 12kg of battery+controller+bag on the front, handling isn't that nice and control not that smooth.

 

Was also thinking on a "wiring framework" to allow wires to stay in good place when the bike fold and unfold

 

A windshield would be cool too!

 

Just don't have time to test all of this but if some supplier do the test it may benefit a lot of people

That mirrors my experience in many cases Jerry, entrants having little knowledge of the industry and having clearly having done no homework before taking the leap. Unsurprisingly, most aren't with us any more.

 

The e-bike market in Britain is as tough as any market could be and only the most skilled and best resourced can succeed long term.

 

If only batteries were 2-3 times lighter and 2 times cheaper, the market could really grow.

 

I've seen recently a friend remaining distance after a full charge... 950km!!!! That was for a normal car, but you can clearly see the difference between an electric bike that will struggle to do 50km and what petrol can do..

A dreadful waste of potential and frustrating when I could do nothing to help beyond leaving a hefty tip.

 

....how much was it ? ....5 / 10 / 50 a £1

....how much was it ? ....5 / 10 / 50 a £1

 

£20 note in addition to the service charge already paid by credit card.

£20 note in addition to the service charge already paid by credit card.

 

....good on yer' flecc...I've been known to leave the odd £2 coin but that's my limit I'm afraid.

The moral is, if you are a waiter, and want good tips, learn to tell a good story.

The moral is, if you are a waiter, and want good tips, learn to tell a good story.

 

 

In this case the story wasn't offered, by the door we asked about his presence as a waiter as we left since he didn't seem to fit the position. The bill had already been settled. I think he was probably hoping that one oif us had a connection with I.T. and might have or know of an employment possibility.