I think the new currie has a freewheel attached to the bike wheel, but do check with 50 cycles. I thought lots of geared hub motors came with freewheels? I've not yet properly tried the powabyke but from the look of it the only thing that spins is the hub, not the motor or the gears. Seems like a nobrainer to me, unless you want regen.
Schwinn I-zip?
- Thread starter AndrewFleming
- Start date
Yes, I got the impression the Izip does freewheel ok from 50cycles, but wasn't definitive: one member here & a reviewer elsewhere have said they found the Izip "hard to pedal unassisted" which made me wonder. & yes, a no-brainer it would seem (it literally hadn't occurred to me at all till the subject came up here!) - hub motors mostly seem to isolate the motor (though some old ones fail to do even that it seems...) but often (apparently) not any internal geared reduction, so you pedal through the geared reduction "the wrong way" & resistance increases as you go faster, making pedalling unassisted at high speed more difficult, I've heard.
So your curries are ok in that respect? & you think the Izip would be? I'll check with 50cycles to be sure
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P.S. I've seen some videos of Currie bikes - the mongoose one in particular is relevant to the izip since its the same motor i think - but they're not too clear, & I cant see the wheel detail well enough to see what freewheel is there? Is it visible, or in the wheel hub you think? Can see the currie's chain drive & cogs, but no more.
P.P.S. Do you know if its possible to get a Currie add-on "kit" that has the "chain drive" setup - not driving via the spokes?
Stuart.
So your curries are ok in that respect? & you think the Izip would be? I'll check with 50cycles to be sure
.P.S. I've seen some videos of Currie bikes - the mongoose one in particular is relevant to the izip since its the same motor i think - but they're not too clear, & I cant see the wheel detail well enough to see what freewheel is there? Is it visible, or in the wheel hub you think? Can see the currie's chain drive & cogs, but no more.
P.P.S. Do you know if its possible to get a Currie add-on "kit" that has the "chain drive" setup - not driving via the spokes?
Stuart.
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I forgot to mention - the 50cycles Izip has a Shimano 7-speed freewheel "block" i.e. not a "freehub cassette", so would that imply that the motor/wheel must have its own freewheel?
Any geared reduction in a Currie takes place in the motor & chainwheel cog system, no? So shouldn't have the same issues as hub motors? That's another reason I'm warming to the Currie
As for the difficulty of pedalling unassisted, that could mean "difficult to accelerate" which is possible for a quite heavy bike, & in the context of using motor power to "get speed up on a relatively flat canal towpath as the bike is hard to pedal unassisted" it seems clearer to me, since the towpath if a bit muddy, would be hard work to get up speed on even a lighter bike.
I read elsewhere that "since the top speed is only 15 mph, and the bike is quite heavy compared to traditional bikes, it's alot of effort to go faster than 15 mph, since the electric motor freewheels and offers no assistance at speeds over 15mph" which I find harder to reason out unless either the freewheel is somehow resistive at higher speed or, possibly, the rider is unaware & unfamiliar with the extra forces acting against travel at speeds of 15mph+ such as much higher wind resistance. I've heard it said that when the power assist subsides at the motor's top speed, it feels like you hit a strong headwind suddenly, and it seems to me that's what is being said: so its not really due to the bike's weight that its harder to go much faster, but simply because you are overcoming air resistance by legpower only beyond that speed, and suddenly its not so easy to accelerate further.
So its not conclusive, but I'd be surprised if the Izip did not have a reasonably good freewheel.
Stuart.
Any geared reduction in a Currie takes place in the motor & chainwheel cog system, no? So shouldn't have the same issues as hub motors? That's another reason I'm warming to the Currie
As for the difficulty of pedalling unassisted, that could mean "difficult to accelerate" which is possible for a quite heavy bike, & in the context of using motor power to "get speed up on a relatively flat canal towpath as the bike is hard to pedal unassisted" it seems clearer to me, since the towpath if a bit muddy, would be hard work to get up speed on even a lighter bike.
I read elsewhere that "since the top speed is only 15 mph, and the bike is quite heavy compared to traditional bikes, it's alot of effort to go faster than 15 mph, since the electric motor freewheels and offers no assistance at speeds over 15mph" which I find harder to reason out unless either the freewheel is somehow resistive at higher speed or, possibly, the rider is unaware & unfamiliar with the extra forces acting against travel at speeds of 15mph+ such as much higher wind resistance. I've heard it said that when the power assist subsides at the motor's top speed, it feels like you hit a strong headwind suddenly, and it seems to me that's what is being said: so its not really due to the bike's weight that its harder to go much faster, but simply because you are overcoming air resistance by legpower only beyond that speed, and suddenly its not so easy to accelerate further
.So its not conclusive, but I'd be surprised if the Izip did not have a reasonably good freewheel.
Stuart.
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I've considered that Flecc, thanks, but not having spoken to him about the Currie & being a bit bemused by alll the seeming different makes/speeds/powers & fittings (spoke/chaindrive etc.) - I got impression from his site that his kits are the spoke-fit type? which don't sound ideal to me - besides, I suspect the freewheel on the Izip is in the rear wheel, not the motor... and it is the Izip I'm after info on after all, which I'm not aware he has experience with... also its nice to get a good healthy mix of ideas/opinions here
Also, now I think of it, if I was to have a Currie kit on the bike, to get the range I want I'd have to fit 5kg+ of NiMH battery to the frame & for me that's just not practical I've concluded: I'd prefer a simpler, "custom built to hold batteries behind the seat tube" type of bike - in other words I'd end up getting something like an Izip & try upgrading to NiMH myself, not an add-on kit, I now think?
P.S. I'm quite inclined to take up 50cycles offer to head over to their Loughborough workshop, try out the bikes (The Liv is expected on Monday!) & take my pick & ride home via the train.
Stuart.
Also, now I think of it, if I was to have a Currie kit on the bike, to get the range I want I'd have to fit 5kg+ of NiMH battery to the frame & for me that's just not practical I've concluded: I'd prefer a simpler, "custom built to hold batteries behind the seat tube" type of bike - in other words I'd end up getting something like an Izip & try upgrading to NiMH myself, not an add-on kit, I now think?
P.S. I'm quite inclined to take up 50cycles offer to head over to their Loughborough workshop, try out the bikes (The Liv is expected on Monday!) & take my pick & ride home via the train
.Stuart.
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Cheers Flecc . Well, as you rightly say, proof of the pudding is in the eating so I guess the time has come to take the bull by the horns & dive straight in, putting my best foot forward & any other mixed metaphor I can mix in hahaha!
Good timing though to go this week, since the de-Liv-ery is expected Monday - maybe I won't be the only one tryin it out now then, everyone get in the queue!
I bet I'll end up buying a Quando or Torq in the end! If a quando could be geared, it'd be a contender certainly, though I'd prefer NiMH if possible for future recelling options...
Stuart.
. Well, as you rightly say, proof of the pudding is in the eating so I guess the time has come to take the bull by the horns & dive straight in, putting my best foot forward & any other mixed metaphor I can mix in hahaha!Good timing though to go this week, since the de-Liv-ery is expected Monday - maybe I won't be the only one tryin it out
now then, everyone get in the queue!I bet I'll end up buying a Quando or Torq in the end! If a quando could be geared, it'd be a contender certainly, though I'd prefer NiMH if possible for future recelling options...
Stuart.
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Yes, the Quando isn't ideal as one's only bike, since without gears the cycling experience has limitations. Trouble is, no one bike does it all, hence our quandaries and me ending up with three!
If only the Torq had 26" wheels from the beginning, things would have been much easier. It would still have been a 20 mph job, but with better hill climbing at both ends, motor and rider, and would have suited shorter people as well.
That would have got very close to suiting everyone. A missed opportunity I think, all for the pursuit of an occasional extra 2 mph.
P.S. The battery shells are the same, an eZee Li-ion battery can be recelled as an NiMh very easily, though a new charger would be needed of course. It wouldn't be all that cheap to do it though, since individual cells have to be used, not cellpacks. The eZee NiMh has the cells mounted as five columns of six, in cruciform formation with the fifth column in the centre.
.
If only the Torq had 26" wheels from the beginning, things would have been much easier. It would still have been a 20 mph job, but with better hill climbing at both ends, motor and rider, and would have suited shorter people as well.
That would have got very close to suiting everyone. A missed opportunity I think, all for the pursuit of an occasional extra 2 mph.
P.S. The battery shells are the same, an eZee Li-ion battery can be recelled as an NiMh very easily, though a new charger would be needed of course. It wouldn't be all that cheap to do it though, since individual cells have to be used, not cellpacks. The eZee NiMh has the cells mounted as five columns of six, in cruciform formation with the fifth column in the centre.
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Too true, though I hope one bike will meet my fairly simple needs - for now, or until I get "bitten by the bug" too! (hey, my other bikes a Swizzbee...).
I think a simple bike motor geared to a ~15-18mph speed limit should suffice for me, and with reasonable peak power should handle most terrain I'm likely to come across & provide nice torque/acceleration from few mph upwards on starts.
All too easy to be drawn into a pursuit of speed, at the expense of those factors, especially with a "single-gear" hub motor I guess... ...
).I think a simple bike motor geared to a ~15-18mph speed limit should suffice for me, and with reasonable peak power should handle most terrain I'm likely to come across & provide nice torque/acceleration from few mph upwards on starts.
All too easy to be drawn into a pursuit of speed, at the expense of those factors, especially with a "single-gear" hub motor I guess...
...
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eZee already make one of these, it's called the Sprint. Very reliable and powerful 500 watt motor, geared liberally so it can easily run past that speed, and good hill climbing, better than the Torq's.
Yes, I know what you're going to say, wrong styling.
.
Hehehe! Yes, and at the price of it I'd want it to be exactly right. 7 gears look very handy, but not well-suited to my "urban" riding style
I'm still sort of considering the Liv, given it arrives in time, but its just the Izip gearing is better (7-speed vs 3), the battery is upgradeable to Nimh (I think) if required, with the money saved (~£200) with about same capacity as Liv, Izip frame is really only 3.5-6.5kg heavier (best guess: 35-38kg minus 8kg SLA = 27-30kg Izip frame & motor, cf 23.65kg Liv), the Currie may be noisy but possibly a bit torquier too, styling wise again, the Liv looks a bit too much of a "shopper" I'm afraid, and @ £200 less the Izip is very useable up to 12-14miles or so...(as is...) suits me I think
I'm still sort of considering the Liv, given it arrives in time, but its just the Izip gearing is better (7-speed vs 3), the battery is upgradeable to Nimh (I think) if required, with the money saved (~£200) with about same capacity as Liv, Izip frame is really only 3.5-6.5kg heavier (best guess: 35-38kg minus 8kg SLA = 27-30kg Izip frame & motor, cf 23.65kg Liv), the Currie may be noisy but possibly a bit torquier too, styling wise again, the Liv looks a bit too much of a "shopper" I'm afraid, and @ £200 less the Izip is very useable up to 12-14miles or so...(as is...)
suits me I think
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good finds Nigel, I'd be curious to see what the TGA sells for, also an ezee sprint here eBay.co.uk: Ezee Sprint Electric Bike, spares or repair (item 250090763482 end time 11-Mar-07 16:44:13 GMT)
I'm finding Izips in odd places, like Dixons?! £4 delivery too - not bad for a 36.3kg bike (EDIT: oops, delivery is free with code SALEFREEDEL) though here its £300, free delivery - both only seems to be the ladies/"unisex stepover" (yeah, right!) model... still, nice in silver I think... wonder how long free delivery takes...
(EDIT: oops, delivery is free with code SALEFREEDEL) though here its £300, free delivery - both only seems to be the ladies/"unisex stepover" (yeah, right!) model... still, nice in silver I think... wonder how long free delivery takes...
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coops, when you said dixons i checked the date to see if was april 1st IMO when electric bikes get into mainstream shops we will see a move forward in sales.
mike
mike
Hehehe! Would I play such a trick?...who, moi?...electric.mike said:
... but you're giving me ideas though - April's not far away now! But yes, even though Dixon's are internet only now, to see ebikes in familiar stores is encouraging, especially since that will possibly make them seen by people who are unaware of their existence!... and free delivery ain't bad either!
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Well, I think I've decided to give the Izip a go - after all, its a good starter electric bike & not a bad deal for what it is: may be only a steel frame, but with a built-in battery carrier & currie motor its quite versatile & fun; cheaper than if you bought a steel frame & electrodrive kit separately & even then you'd be struggling to attach the batteries to the bike frame somehow
So for all the reasons I said, I think I'll go for it I can't wait to start zipping around!
Forgot to say - to that end I'll even see if the supersized Asda here (they sell bikes!) have any since WalMart sell them ($280!!) & they own Asda now - so I won't have to wait for delivery!
So for all the reasons I said, I think I'll go for it
I can't wait to start zipping around!Forgot to say - to that end I'll even see if the supersized Asda here (they sell bikes!) have any since WalMart sell them ($280!!) & they own Asda now - so I won't have to wait for delivery!
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