gwsaltspring
100 W
I get the impression that the 5 series is hard to come by in Canada anyone know why?
Greg
Greg
Clyte series 5 availablity, what gives?
- Thread starter gwsaltspring
- Start date
*** Rumors Mongered Here***
Perhaps the Canadian authorities have caught wind of people going 60 mph with these things & have thrown up a bureaucratic roadblock to restrict their import. :wink:
Seriously though, there aren't that many crystalyte vendors in Canada & probably only one distrib with an exclusive so it may just come down to supply & demand.
Perhaps the Canadian authorities have caught wind of people going 60 mph with these things & have thrown up a bureaucratic roadblock to restrict their import. :wink:
Seriously though, there aren't that many crystalyte vendors in Canada & probably only one distrib with an exclusive so it may just come down to supply & demand.
Electricrider is the only US distributor allowed to order the X5's..
However, any canadian distributor can order them, Crystalyte is not a huge manufacturing outfit, it's a small shop and i get the impression it will stay that way. Even if someone had the budget for 10,000 units.. it would not happen.
- But that's a good thing in a way.
Guys like Lowell who understand the mechanics involved will put together a machine that rocks.. but doing this is not an easy task and if the market is flooded with these things it won't be long before the law steps in and puts a stop to it , or someone breaks bones or worse ,ruining it for everyone.
Nothing wrong with running these X5's at 36 and 48v, it's within reason when used on a heavy bike and very heavy rider, but hopping them up for 70mph requires special care.
However, any canadian distributor can order them, Crystalyte is not a huge manufacturing outfit, it's a small shop and i get the impression it will stay that way. Even if someone had the budget for 10,000 units.. it would not happen.
- But that's a good thing in a way.Guys like Lowell who understand the mechanics involved will put together a machine that rocks.. but doing this is not an easy task and if the market is flooded with these things it won't be long before the law steps in and puts a stop to it , or someone breaks bones or worse ,ruining it for everyone.
Nothing wrong with running these X5's at 36 and 48v, it's within reason when used on a heavy bike and very heavy rider, but hopping them up for 70mph requires special care.
Nimbuzz
1 kW
Everyone keeps talking about X5s but I'm still waiting to hear about one single X5 wheel that has held up. That is other than having a custom wheel built like Devin and Lowell's.
Xyster, are your wheels stock?
Nimbuzz said:
Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to do any sort of long term test on the stock rim and spokes, but up to the point I hit a rock and cracked it, everything seemed fine. I did have to adjust the spoke tension and true the wheel out of the box though.
xyster
10 MW
Nimbuzz wrote:
Over 1500 miles and the only problem I've had with the stock wheel/motor unit I bought from ebikes.ca is two broken spokes which I replaced in place, without removing the wheel.
Over 1500 miles and the only problem I've had with the stock wheel/motor unit I bought from ebikes.ca is two broken spokes which I replaced in place, without removing the wheel.
Nimbuzz
1 kW
"...two broken spokes..." Yep, That's what I'm talking about = still waiting.
xyster said:
How is the wheel holding up now? Any idea on how much spoke tension you're running?
http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/wheels.html
"And yes, spokes do break, but it's not usually as the result of an impact, typically they just break as you're rolling along. Spokes break as a result of fatigue. If your wheel is loose, then every time the wheel goes around, it flexes a tiny bit, and eventually it breaks. In fact spoke breakages are the most telling sign of wheels that don't have high enough tension. If your spokes are tight, the spoke doesn't move as the wheel turns, so they can last much longer. Thus a high-tension wheel is one that will last a long time with few spoke breakages."
xyster
10 MW
It's been fine since. One broke after going over a hard bump that also broke the back rack. The other broke as I was checking the condition of the others. They both broke at the point where the elbow rubs against the hubmotor's eyelet flange so I totally agree that tension has a lot to do with failures. Justin said adding a washer to prevent back-and-forth wear could help. I just popped in two replacements about 700 miles ago, tightened all the spokes to the point they couldn't easily be tightened further, and there's been no prob since. I have no idea the specific spoke tension. How could I measure that? Twang it, note the vibration in Hz, and do some physics hocus pocus?
Nimbuzz
1 kW
Well my X5 wheels keep coming loose. Thus all my questions. My Tidalforce wheels never come loose even with hard mountain riding. So I don't actually get to ride my X5 very much. It is a rear w/7 speed.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
"The second way of judging spoke tension is by plucking the spokes where they cross and judging the musical pitch they make. If your shop doesn't have a piano, and you don't have perfect pitch, you can compare it with a known good wheel that uses the same gauge of spokes. This will get you into the ballpark. Before I started using a spoke tensiometer, I used to keep a cassette in my toolbox on which I had recorded my piano playing an F#, a good average reference tone for stainless spokes of usual length. (For more details on this method, see John Allen's article: Check Spoke Tension by Ear.)"
I'm not sure if this method will work for the shorter spokes on a hub motor though. Maybe someone could calculate the frequency adjustment for spoke length?
"The second way of judging spoke tension is by plucking the spokes where they cross and judging the musical pitch they make. If your shop doesn't have a piano, and you don't have perfect pitch, you can compare it with a known good wheel that uses the same gauge of spokes. This will get you into the ballpark. Before I started using a spoke tensiometer, I used to keep a cassette in my toolbox on which I had recorded my piano playing an F#, a good average reference tone for stainless spokes of usual length. (For more details on this method, see John Allen's article: Check Spoke Tension by Ear.)"
I'm not sure if this method will work for the shorter spokes on a hub motor though. Maybe someone could calculate the frequency adjustment for spoke length?
When I checked the musical pitch on my rear wheel this spring there was a series of spokes that played the first five notes of 'O Susanna', swear to god.
xyster
10 MW
Bummer, Al. Mine is a rear 5304 in a 24" wheel with 13 gauge crytalyte spokes and a 3-speed freewheel. Justin at ebikes.ca dished and trued the wheel perfectly.
Is your wheel loose in the dropouts? Loose on the spokes? I don't understand...
I had to shave about a millimeter off the axle to get it to fit my dropouts.
patrick_mahoney
100 W
I bought my X5 as a bare motor and had it laced at my local bike shop. No issues at all with it - but this is more of a tribute to the boys over at "Recycled Cycles" in Fort Collins.
Nimbuzz
1 kW
patrick_mahoney said:
That's what I'm considering for the next step. What rim & spokes did you use?
Thanks,
Al
PS I really like your signature has all your bike & battery details --
Crystalyte 5304/26", 72V 20A Crystalyte controller, 44V 18Ah home-made 18650-based lithium-ion battery pack
I think this is important as it shows what you have experience with and frames your comments. Like it shows, this guy comepetence and knowledge to make a battery pack and etc. I think more of us should do this. A Ducati forum I frequented many members had a list of their model Ducati and the mods so it served the same purpose plus it educates everyone to others preferences.
So I would have Tidalforce M750X 36v, 15ah Point One Lipo, XT brakes, Hookworms
patrick_mahoney
100 W
Nimbuzz said:
I left it up to them. I told them "make it really, really strong - cost is secondary", gave them a couple of photos of x5304's shown at electricrider.com and jvbike.com. They messed with a fair bit and came back with their own thing about two weeks later and charged me about $100.
I can take photos of it... but I have no idea what they used.
gwsaltspring
100 W
I'd be interested in seeing a photo Patrick.
Greg
Greg
Nimbuzz
1 kW
Xter, The spokes loosen up after a few miles of easy suburban riding. I had an early version that was sent back with this and wheel configuration problems. That has been corrected and the new wheel was put in a sturdier double wall eyelet rim and it looks a lot better but it still loosened up in less than 10 miles. It's back from shop but now I'm manufacturing a torque arm.
I don't mind the project too much as I have a reliable Tidalforce but I don't know how an X5 can be recommended to an innocent with no torque arm and spoke problems.
Al M750X, Point One Lipo
I don't mind the project too much as I have a reliable Tidalforce but I don't know how an X5 can be recommended to an innocent with no torque arm and spoke problems.
Al M750X, Point One Lipo
greasypants
10 W
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2007
- Messages
- 98
Haven't had any problems with my 5304 which was dished right out of the box. Only have a few hundred km on it , I guess I should check for any loose spokes.
Nimbuzz
1 kW
greasy -- That's good to hear!
1) Yes, please check the spoke tension and get back to us.
2) What Torque Arm, size rim, freewheel/cogset, frame, controller and battery are you using?
Thanks,
PS Patrick M -- we would still like pics of your wheel. I'm looking to see if your spokes bend like mine in the pics earlier in this thread. Is yours a 26" rear and what torque arm, battery and controller do you use?
1) Yes, please check the spoke tension and get back to us.
2) What Torque Arm, size rim, freewheel/cogset, frame, controller and battery are you using?
Thanks,
PS Patrick M -- we would still like pics of your wheel. I'm looking to see if your spokes bend like mine in the pics earlier in this thread. Is yours a 26" rear and what torque arm, battery and controller do you use?
gwsaltspring
100 W
I would second that request for a pic of Patricks bike and wheels.
Cheers Greg
Cheers Greg
