C
Cyclezee
Guest
One very important fact I should have mentioned, I got the bike less than 3 weeks after placing an order!
J
hn
J
hnTrek Cytronex - First Impressions.
- Thread starter Chris_Bike
- Start date
Sounds good Chris, thanks for all the information. I think the speed difference really will be very fractional, probably too small to be measureable, and would probably be more than offset by speed gains from the livelier feel anyway.
Stuart.
Stuart.
Yes, Mark's been really good on delivery so far - I just hope he can keep up with the demand that I'm sure will grow as more people get to know about the bike.One very important fact I should have mentioned, I got the bike less than 3 weeks after placing an order!
J
I read about this bike with some interest. At a push I can ride a conventional bike 100 miles in a day. So what the hell do I want an electric bike for. Well I have this terrible chronic condition, that no matter how fit I become, it always seems to get me. I call this condition "The 10 miles from hell to home syndrome". An electric bike that looks and rides like an ordinary one could be the answer I have been looking for. The jury is out on the reliability and after sales service, I hope it's as good as it seems to be by the opinions stated, so i can purchase one relatively worry free.
It's a great bike Echowind, but I wouldn't buy it just for the last 10 miles. Apart from anything else, you would have to carry the weight of battery + motor for the previous 90! You could just plan to ride 10 miles less.......
On the other hand as a means of getting to work, going to the pub or even just getting into cycling again if (like me) you have virtually stopped, it's peerless!
It's a great bike Echowind, but I wouldn't buy it just for the last 10 miles. Apart from anything else, you would have to carry the weight of battery + motor for the previous 90! You could just plan to ride 10 miles less.......
Fitness isn't just about miles chris, its about time in the saddle weather conditions and effort. All electric bikes are capable of 10 miles plus, but most of them would be a nightmare to ride any serious distance. I don't spare myself or the horses when I go out, its the just the way I'm made.
Fitness isn't just about miles chris, its about time in the saddle weather conditions and effort. All electric bikes are capable of 10 miles plus, but most of them would be a nightmare to ride any serious distance. I don't spare myself or the horses when I go out, its the just the way I'm made.
I found no problem from having a Tongxin motor in the front forks of my bike, Stuart. When my controller had failed I rode it a few times just as a normal bike and I could forget the motor was there. One of my rides was 25 miles+ including off-road and downhill on-road sections with high speeds, and it was fine throughout.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
I was very impressed with the bike you converted Frank. Pity the controller let you down.
Your Tongxin project was partly responsible for me choosing a Cytronex.
I just wonder if a Cytronex battery and controller would work with your Marin?
John
Your Tongxin project was partly responsible for me choosing a Cytronex.
I just wonder if a Cytronex battery and controller would work with your Marin?
John
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Cytronex Slide Show
To see a slide show of my Cytronex, click on the link below. You can also view individual photos via the same link.
J hn
Aldby's latest slideshow on Flickr
To see a slide show of my Cytronex, click on the link below. You can also view individual photos via the same link.
J
hnAldby's latest slideshow on Flickr
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Iteresting, John - excellent slide show - what a beauty! I bet you might have taken it for just a tiny spin round the block, even with your sore hand...?
I had wondered where they had put the controller but now everything is clear. Obviously it will have all the dirt and water going down there, but they seem well sealed so should be ok. The piece of pipe down the down tube for the cables looks well done. Another sensible choice they have made is to fit the kit to a black bike - so much easier to hide bits of wire against black!
Thanks also for your comments about my attempt at a Tongxin powered bike. I believe the Cytronex controller and battery would work with my motor - at least at first. My motor is the 260 rpm one, designed to create a bike like the Torq. It gave high speed assistance on the flat - 22-25 mph I recall. I would fear that using it like this puts a lot more stress on the controller, and that I would only blow another one. I think the way that the Cytronex guys have designed it - with the 175 rpm motor - is far more likely to lead to a happy controller life.
The other thing that should work of course would be if you put my wheel with its 260 rpm motor in your bike. It would liven things up a bit for you, but I wouldn't want to risk blowing your controller!
Frank
I had wondered where they had put the controller but now everything is clear. Obviously it will have all the dirt and water going down there, but they seem well sealed so should be ok. The piece of pipe down the down tube for the cables looks well done. Another sensible choice they have made is to fit the kit to a black bike - so much easier to hide bits of wire against black!
Thanks also for your comments about my attempt at a Tongxin powered bike. I believe the Cytronex controller and battery would work with my motor - at least at first. My motor is the 260 rpm one, designed to create a bike like the Torq. It gave high speed assistance on the flat - 22-25 mph I recall. I would fear that using it like this puts a lot more stress on the controller, and that I would only blow another one. I think the way that the Cytronex guys have designed it - with the 175 rpm motor - is far more likely to lead to a happy controller life.
The other thing that should work of course would be if you put my wheel with its 260 rpm motor in your bike. It would liven things up a bit for you, but I wouldn't want to risk blowing your controller!
Frank
C
Cyclezee
Guest
The ladies version is gold Trek Bikes | Bikes | Bike Path | 7.3 FX WSD and in my opinion, is not as attractive as the black.
The motor label on this one says 180w and 175rpm Flickr Photo Download: 100_2363http://www.flickr.com/photos/27682422@N06/2580306264/?eOrig=2580101008
I think I will stick with the current setup during the warranty period at least, but it would be interesting to see how far you could increase performance without blowing the controller Frank.
This type of bike clearly has 'tuning' potential which others do not.
Mark has a faster setup, but I reckon it would be illegal to market it?
John
The motor label on this one says 180w and 175rpm Flickr Photo Download: 100_2363http://www.flickr.com/photos/27682422@N06/2580306264/?eOrig=2580101008
I think I will stick with the current setup during the warranty period at least, but it would be interesting to see how far you could increase performance without blowing the controller Frank.
This type of bike clearly has 'tuning' potential which others do not.
Mark has a faster setup, but I reckon it would be illegal to market it?
John
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Very nice looking John and very neatly put together. I will alost certainly buy one once my bank balance recovers from the agattu's.
Agree -the black is better - even if you don't need to lose an extra 10m or so of wire!
One thing I'm sure you'll notice with that bike, John is that it will have a much more responsive feel compared to most electric bikes, because of the shorter chainstays and wheelbase, which are elongated on most electrics to accomodate a battery. You'll be able to turn it more sharply, for example to get through sets of overlapping bollards and railings on cycle paths.
Although it looks quite sporty, looking at that spec its actually got a fairly relaxed geometry for a non-electric - more like a touring bike than a sports bike. I think that's a good thing, as while at the same speed, it will feel faster than a Wisper or Kalkhoff, it won't be really 'twitchy' and harder to control like a racing bike.
One thing I'm sure you'll notice with that bike, John is that it will have a much more responsive feel compared to most electric bikes, because of the shorter chainstays and wheelbase, which are elongated on most electrics to accomodate a battery. You'll be able to turn it more sharply, for example to get through sets of overlapping bollards and railings on cycle paths.
Although it looks quite sporty, looking at that spec its actually got a fairly relaxed geometry for a non-electric - more like a touring bike than a sports bike. I think that's a good thing, as while at the same speed, it will feel faster than a Wisper or Kalkhoff, it won't be really 'twitchy' and harder to control like a racing bike.
very wise!
I think Mark's faster set-up is basically what mine was - a 260 rpm motor.
It would be easy enough to get a faster suzhou bafang and make the Wisper more like a Torq. I think there is one for sale at the moment where the owner has done just that. The Panasonics are obviously too sophisticated for tinkering, although having said that the sprocket change is an easy tweak!
I'm glad John's photos have gone down so well. They certainly help to show how it's all put together. Lynne and I both took our bikes to Jack's race this morning - a 55 mile affair on a really hilly circuit. There were plenty of long drags of 12 - 15% followed by long downhill stretches.
I left the bike on low power all the time and my battery gave up at 16 miles. I record it because this is the lowest range I have ever achieved - on the hilliest circuit I have ever ridden! Lynne's lasted to nearly 20 miles. (She used a mix of power settings but she's a lot lighter than me!). My average speed was 13.9 and the maximum 33 (as I said, the downhills were great!)
I left the bike on low power all the time and my battery gave up at 16 miles. I record it because this is the lowest range I have ever achieved - on the hilliest circuit I have ever ridden! Lynne's lasted to nearly 20 miles. (She used a mix of power settings but she's a lot lighter than me!). My average speed was 13.9 and the maximum 33 (as I said, the downhills were great!)
I really don't think that was the issue Frank, controllers can die for all sorts of reasons. The controller is current limited so should be well protected from anything you could throw at it. While the different rpm of the motor could make a difference if that is done with different windings, the size of the wheel cannot really affect it.
My offer is still open if you want to send me the controller to check it out and help get your bike going again..
John
It is a thing of beauty so well done Mark and Cytronex - a really neat installation. We discussed this on pedelecs maybe a year ago - how to create an electric bike that looks and feels like a real bicycle - we thought the Diavelo came close but nothing came of it. Now it looks like you have achieved such a thing. I am not in the slightest bit worried about the Tongxin motor have run one for 9 months or so (and given it quite a bashing) - it hasn't disintegrated yet. The controller is a different matter though.To see a slide show of my Cytronex, click on the link below. You can also view individual photos via the same link.
J
Aldby's latest slideshow on Flickr
If this had come out earlier it would have been on my shopping list but I have a Torq and Agattu already - maybe this is a replacement for my Torq. Mmm...
PS I have a question mark about how it will work in town. I think I'll have to wait for more reviews to come in to find an answer to my question. Are any town/city commuters thinking of buying a Cytronex?
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