Thinking Of Not Fitting The Brake Switches ?

[crotchrocket]

My bike has integrated brake levers and gear switches. i'd need to get some new gear selectors to use the electric switch brake leavers that came with my 8Fun kit.

I ride a motorbike each day and i can't see myself making the mistake of using throttle and brake. However one question was that at low speed on a motorbike you use back brake and throttle to help stabilise you at crawling speed. COuld you do that with an e-bike? Or would damage occur over time?

Should i get the brake levers plumbed in?

 

[Fordulike]

I pondered this question when planning out my new summer build.
The current bike that I have (Cyclamatic), has a half twist throttle and cut-offs.
Maybe it's the way that I ride, but I have on occasion still got the throttle partially open when coming to a stop.
Without cut-off levers, this could lead to a mishap, especially when the ground is wet.
I must add that I ride mostly beaten paths and loose gravel tracks.
Also, I sometimes hold the throttle open and use the cut-off levers to bring full power in and out, when I want it.
I purposely bought a bike for my summer build that has separate gear levers and brakes.
I personally would fit them from a safety point of view

 

[neptune]

In my opinion, brake cut offs are not essential. My early Powabyke does not have them . At very low speeds I use pedal power in traffic. I used to ride motorcycles, and to me it is instinctive to close the throttle before applying the brakes. If you accidentally keep a tiny bit of throttle on, the motor will automatically shut off below about 3 MPH on my machine.

 

[piotrmacheta]

I have never used brake cut-of switches and it's fine. I also ride motorbikes so maybe that's why. I have hydraulics on my bike. They are powerful which means that if you operate throttle and brakes the brake win. Probably not good for a geared hub and the the battery if you do both at the same time but you will stop. Just rememeber to let go of the throttle when you want to stop - it's instinctively natural!

 

[wurly]

Motors and batteries don't like being treated like that, It strains the workings of the motors which aren't very strong and battery current might rise beyond the batteries/controllers safe limits. Besides, you have a geared hub with a freewheel, for low speed i don't think you will be using the power anyway.

I have had magnets fall out of throttle assemblies and jam the throttle, so for that reason alone i would fit a cutout switch of some kind. If you want to keep the levers maybe it's possible to fit a microswitch somewhere on the brake assembly. I think others have used reed switches and magnets on the cable.

 

[paulhipwood]

I have fitted the 8Fun kit to my bike.
I do not use the throttle much, generally I use the pedelec mode.
I would not be happy, not to have the switched brake levers.
If I am in trafic I can pull the brake lever just so it stops the motor and then pedal under my own power until I can increase speed safely.
If I did not have this facility I think I would lose control, I would not like to use the brakes to control the hub motor.

regards
paul

 

[aseb]

I've had my bike set up both ways, currently it has the throttle cut-off enabled, mainly because I've been running with regeneration enabled. The regen works like a reasonably effective brake at higher speeds so there is a definite advantage in this situation.
Previously there was no throttle cut off fitted when it was the standard powabyke and I hadn't really considered it as something that was necessary until my bike took off at full speed, the brakes weren't too effective but fortunately this had happened on a very quiet road. This turned out to be a wiring problem but the incident showed me the value of the cut out switch and I'll always have one fitted from now- if that had happened at a junction or in traffic an accident would have been quite probable.

 

[rog_london]

Brake cut-off switches are rather like insurance - you never know if they're any good unless you need them!

Seriously, two observations: firstly brake switches deal with the idiot who might not realize that it's a serious matter to hold the bike stationary on the brakes while having the throttle open - which could damage the motor, or the battery, or the controller. Secondly it gives you some protection against a full-power wiring fault, though it's not 100% foolproof as such a fault could bypass the brake switches. I know I mentioned it elsewhere, but brake switches don't cut the power - they tell the controller to cut the power. That's because they can't in general handle the battery load current directly.

Rog.

 

[NRG]

Brake cutoffs are a good idea but if you are unable to fit them then they can still be used as a 'disable' switch.

Take one of the brake levers with the switch from the kit, cut the wire at the switch, add a small toggle switch and water proof cover and solder it to the wire. Heat shrink wrap the switch and wire and then connect back up to the controller.

Mount in a convenient place on the handle bars.

 

[JuicyBike]

When you're showing off to the girls, riding slowly through tight turns, looking good, Robert Redford style, keeping a brake handle slightly depressed to operate the cut-off can avoid those embarrassing moments when the motor cuts-in and throws you off balance...

Just a thought...

 

[amigafan2003]

You can fit cut offs to integrated brake levers:-

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/9442-new-build-4.html#post122119

 

[jerrysimon]

That was a nice build and neat integration idea for the cutoff switch Amigafan. I must have missed that one.

I use cutoff brakes on my daily commute Brompton but just a cuttoff switch on my Moulton.

It only has one brake anyway as the rear is a back pedal brake.

Regards

Jerry

 

[Pedalo]

I've also seen the use of mini reed switches and magnets glued to the existing brake lever. This seems to be a good approach if you don't want to change too much on the existing bike.

 

[flecc]

I don't bother with them, just shut the throttle as I've always done on motorbikes.

In the unlikely event of a fault producing full throttle still, the brakes easily overcome any bike motor. Most pedelec crank units don't have them anyway, stopping pedalling being the same as shutting off a throttle.

 

[crotchrocket]

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

What i had not considered when i wrote this thread (as i hadn't ridden an bike with pedelec sensor) was the short period of time the motor stays active for when you stop peddling. In my mind, i wouldn't have been peddling and braking, however now i know the system i will install a switch or just one sensor for the brakes. Its not been an issue thus far, as i tend to knock it into manual throttle mode when stopping so that i can engage it starting off again.