I used to want a fast e-bike, but now I want a . . .

[StudEbiker]

When I first got an e-bike I was really concerned with the speed. My first e-bike was an Aotema front hub kit on a no suspension at all carbon fiber MTB and it would do 27 mph on 36v LiFePo and I liked it, but I kept riding other bikes and trying other motors and slowly my tastes and desires have changed.

So to continue with the thread topic.

I used to want a fast e-bike, but now I want a comfortable & reliable e-bike with enough battery that I never suffer range anxiety, as much torque as I can get, a very usable cargo capacity, and a top speed very close to the legal limit where I live of 20 mph.

How about you? Has your likes and goals in an e-bike changed since your first e-bike?

 

[zener]

I aim for lighter ebike.
Much improvement are in the batterie possible e.g. lithium-air and i would like to shave 3 kilos from my 7,5kg magic pie but keeping same power and speed.
I like to drive mostly in the 40km/h range becouse it looks like a lycra and its the best compromise for efficienze and speed.
I currently are undecided wether i build a cargo ebike or just a trailer.

 

[Pat Eaton]

Delta trike recumbent partially faired commuter for 70km round trip,on riding days. 44 volt konion 21ah battery with a 9c front hub 20” wheel. Crushing speed 45km/hr fun.

That is what I want and what I got with help from this forum and Atomic Zombie.

 

[teslanv]

My First build was for a Mid Drive commuter. It does it's job well, but I caught the speed bug.
Next build will be modding a 9C clone Rear hub for maximum watts, on a Full Suspension Kona. 20S LiPo and 18FET x 4110 Lyen Controller.

 

[PRW]

..... fast, reliable (i.e. not break down and leave me pedalling for miles), stealthy ebike, where people can't see at first glance that it even is an e-bike....

 

[999zip999]

I use to good 34mph, but now happy with 30mph with a 2810 @ 72v30amp. Plus I found 24mph on the beach to fast, but found 15mph is fine. Thanks to Dogman.

 

[d8veh]

I started on a European 260w 15 amp bike that couldn't get me up steep hills, so I then tried various crank drives up to 30 amps. That didn't really do it for me, so back to hub-motors, but with higher torque from 30 amp controllers. That seemed just about right for me until I tried the Xiongda two-speed motor. It has enough torque in low gear, and reasonable speed in high gear even at 36v. I don't particularly want/need very high speed, so this one feels just about right. I soldered the shunt for a bit more torque, so it can get me (100kg) up a 15% incline and still bowl along on the flat at just under 20mph both without pedalling - with pedalling, a bit more. I think that this motor will make a lot of people happy. With 12S,it's even better.

 

[Tench]

I think the need for speed is a common requirement for the newbie, I felt it myself and satisfied it. How ever like yourself my thoughts have changed, probably because after having gone fast you realise that even when you own a fast bike the majority of the time you ride much slower. So my current build is for torque, it might just about do 30mph which is plenty with the emphasis on climbing and efficiency at lower speeds.
I have no doubt there are folk who want to go faster with each build and I can understand that too, each to their own.

 

[Joppo]

Nice topic.
At first I wanted one e-bike that I could of road with and drive on the road. Realized after a while that you can't do that without compromising a few things. I want speed on my off-road and comfort on my commuter so now I'm building two e-bikes and hope I can enjoy my rides a little more

 

[kudos]

When I got my first kit, all I wanted was to able to go up the steepest longest hill on my island without pedalling.

Nailed that first time I tried with the HS3540 on 48V.

Speed was never a big issue for me, I now run the HS3540 on 82V and I honestly don't know how fast it goes because I've never maxxed it out, but I know it's in the 40's mph.

My next goal was to do a lap of the Island which is 24 miles, I did that for the first time just recently.

Now, how to fit the largest amount of Watt-Hours on my bike and still leave it looking like a bike is the only real issue.

Kudos

 

[dogman dan]

After you fry enough batteries going fast, some do turn back towards efficiency and or greater utility. Frying motors is great fun, but using up the batteries fast less so.

Live for Physics now loves a light weight road bike build and pedaling himself into shape again. Whoa, who saw that coming.

But guys like Teslanv, do go ahead and hot rod a dd hubmotor and get in the 40 mph club. It's so fun. I've done a lot of fun hog sport in my life, and the races in Tucson rate right up there with flying the hot air balloon.

Myself, a health issue slowed me down big time. I took my dirt bike from 3000w to 1200. Slow is more my speed now. My cargo bike is still fast at 30 mph, but I'm looking at a slower motor for it at this very moment. On a long ride, 15 mph is the speed if I want 60-80 miles of range.

For me, I'd rather ride my longtail nearly every street trip. I just love being able to carry a huge cartload of groceries, and leaving the damn car parked. Max utility is the bomb, and longtails are the tool for it.

 

[sculptingman]

Relatively new to ebiking... What I wanted in an ebike?

I wanted perfection.

I wanted the torque to climb 20% grades on motor alone... and the ability to ride easily at 15-20...AND the ability to top 35 if I should need to to negotiate traffic or escape a dicey situation.
I wanted it to look sharp, be well balanced and handle like an urban bike... Yet I wanted to be able to load 50 lbs of groceries in the panniers and get 500 vertical feet back up to home without breaking a major sweat.

I wanted it to weigh under 35 lbs without battery so I could lift it to my cartop rack...

The 750 watt Bafang BB motor coupled with a wide ratio IGH ( Alfine) on a light aluminum framed bike with a 48 volt 11ah battery was the ideal solution. Keep it in 5th gear or lower and it tops out at 20. 6th or 7th and some moderate pedaling gets me to 30. And 8th, and some serious pedalling can reach 35 or more.

To me, the point of decent speed is to be able to run the motor and battery at 18 mph without them even getting warm.

And thus far... The bike has excellent range, as well... And even with power off, rides easier than any beach cruiser.

 

[dogman dan]

Yep. If I was a brand new guy getting the first kit, I'd be very tempted to go for that bafang. I hope I can test one in the next year or so.

Some of the previous offerings in bottom bracket drive sucked pretty bad. My ford think for example. Inefficient brushed motor, and it eats controllers like popcorn. As a nice bonus, it's louder than a gas moped too!!!

But I keep hearing a lot of good things about the bafang, and some other new brushless bb drives.

For a really big cargo bike though, I'd still love to try a stokemonkey.

 

[z50king]

I am reading on here and saving money to build my first eBike. I have had my share of fast things in other hobbies. I want something that is built strong and runs at a moderate speed for a long time. I like in the foothills of socal so any ride I take from home will have some hills. I have ridden bikes all my life so I am not afraid of some pedaling. I am really looking for something that has it's efficiency in the 20mph range. I know how to take care of lipo and they will be my power source.

 

[r3volved]

My ideal would definitely be a range of ebikes for various purpose. My bike now is great for a first timer and getting to know the build process and ideas but I'd like an ebike purpose frame with DS and moto tires.
I really like the idea of a moto seat as well, like the Russian chaika or motoped, for commuting. I prefer more moped style for commuting rather than peddle.
I'd really like a cargo bike for actual groceries and dog food. Extended with panniers or something would be nice.
I also got obsessed over the winter with the idea of a recumbent trike setup like snowmobile like doctorbass has done.
I just want to try all ideas.

 

[xenodius]

My bike accelerates redonkulously fast, is efficient, can go 70 miles if ride at legal speed, can go almost 60 otherwise, is super comfortable, and had lots of cargo space. But I still want a mid-drive velomobile for touring, and possibly a mid drive fatbike...

 

[footloose]

Well, here's my progression...

1st bike? Wasn't really into electric but wanted a boost for commute. Answer: Adrian's Commuter Booster.

Great bike! Problem? Not a hill climber. So....

2nd bike? Mac 10T, '48 V', old mountain bike frame.

Great bike! Problem? Too big for a "throw it in the back" commuter bike.

3rd bike? Q100, '48 V', folding bike frame.

Great bike! Problem? Not enough "guts" for these hills.

4th bike? BBS02, '48 V', old Raleigh DL1 frame.

Great bike! Problem? I don't know yet, but bet there is one :lol:

Live , learn, enjoy.

Hey, p.s. --really "fast" on most bike frames = scary. Fun to go >30 mph at times, but mostly ~15-20 mph seems better (safer, more efficient, still fun).

 

[waynebergman]

For me I like the quiet. I also want slow speed torque and slow speed smooth control at the throttle. I also want to stick to around 50 volts and around 14ah to keep the weight and cost of the bike down. I have a mid drive that will do close to 40mph and its cool and fun to blast along at 40 but when it comes down to it my main list of must haves for a fun bike on the trials is..... light, quiet, and good torque. I come from a gas dirt bike back ground and if I am going to switch over to electric it has to be light (under a 100 lbs or forget it) and quiet or I might as well be riding my old stinkers. I am content with my ride now as it is..... 50v 14.3ah Lith mang on a Giant DH Mac 10t in the wheel. What I think I have learned over the last couple of years tinkering with the electric bikes is they are super fun but not quite there yet in regards to trouble free fun.

I think my first kit that was a DD HS 3540 was not at all what I needed but I took riding it first to know this. It is a shame there is not a better way to for a person to actually ride and test the different systems out there before buying. I think if I had a bit more patience and took more time reading the posts on the sphere here I may have saved myself some heartache but once I got the bug I just could not wait and pulled the trigger on the HS3540. Big mistake for someone wanting to have some fun on single track that is not prepared to lug around a lot of battery power.

So studebiker regarding your question in the post...."Has your likes and goals in an e-bike changed since your first e-bike?"....I would have to say my goals have not changed at all. I new from the it is outset I want slow and quiet but I had to buy and try as I went and after a few mistakes I am happy for now. Super happy actually, but still waiting for a yet to be developed 2 speed hub motor that will be able to handle trail duties in 2000 watt range and a light battery to go with it.

 

[Cephalotus]

The 750 watt Bafang BB motor coupled with a wide ratio IGH ( Alfine)...

How long and how many miles did you ride that combination. I always believed that the Alfine 8 and 11 have reliability issues when coupled with a strong middrive motor. Shimano not even gives warranty if you use them in a human powered tandem.

 

[dogman dan]

That is an issue. No doubt more robust IGH designs are on the boards already. Cheap and plentiful might be a long wait.

Derailleur shifting under power is an issue with a right side chain drive. Incredible how harsh shifting a 250w 24v bb drive is. The solution is easy, leave it in high. Oh right, that's how it blows the controller on my bike. I remember a lot of old cyclone threads about batteries getting huge amp spikes and dying. Three guesses which gear they were starting in.

I just quickly got the hang of letting off a throttle to shift my Ford Think bb drive bike.

But having to shift is the dark side of being able to shift. We have a big population of people that never shifted anything now.

Supposing you don't have a spaz attack just thinking about shifting, the 750w (1000+w peak) bb drive should do it all quite well. The first thing I wondered about was how loud it would be. Reports are it's fairly quiet. Cyclones, Curries, and home made chain dives have typically been a bit noisy. That think bike of mine, unbelievable loud with all metal worm gears. Skillsaw loud. I can't stand to ride the thing further than 3 miles.

 

[SkyknightJohn]

I'm still a relative noob, 2.3yrs a member + 1 prior year as a lurker. It's my third summer actually riding, and I still want it all. I want my cruiser to go faster than 25 mph and forget pedalling. I want a super-efficient toque-sensing BB recumbent for long rides with some exercise. I want a power-laden cargo bike to eliminate any need for a car. I want a super stealth commuter. Is that so bad? Oh, and a silent belt-driven mid-drive with a magical IGH that can handle plenty of power. Mostly, I want batteries to become more affordable so I can do all this. The rest seems relatively easy to accomplish given time. I believe I'm headed toward having a stable of bikes, each suited to its own particular mission. Ho-hum. As somebody said in another thread, at least it's not a crack habit. :lol:

 

[alsmith]

I started off with a UK legal 15mph production ebike to make sure ebikes were what I wanted (spondylosis getting worse), once I'd decided it was for me I built in room to set up in different ways. A crystalyte motor, Lyen controller to work over a wide voltage range without having to swap things over, 2 x 36 Volt batteries that can be used singly, or joined as 72 Volt or double capacity 36 Volt. I mostly leave it as 36 Volt- it gets almost 30mph which is double the 15mph UK limit. 72 Volts gives a big grin

 

[Supertux1]

I think a lot of first time builders focus on how to get the damn bike to move fast and don't think much beyond that. Batteries and controllers in all sorts of places that leaves little options left for the usual biking extras that make riding and going places that much more enjoyable. Like pannier bags, fenders and a place to put tools, your rain gear, books, laptop or tablet, your drinks, wallet, keys phone etc.... You'll have an ebike that goes fast, maybe too fast for your bike parts, but can't really go anywhere with, or have to wonder what the rain is going to do to your openly mounted electronics secured with duct tape and bubblegum.

I started off on this route and wanted a Crystalite DD motor and a LifePO4 square battery, 3kw for speed, battery mounted wherever and all else be damned. I'm glad I talked myself out of it and settled for something a little slower and less watts, that decisioned opened up so many options for the bike to be useful as a whole, not just as speed machine. So far I have enjoyed the 14s9p cell_man triangle pack (50ish volts) and an upgraded MAC 10T, my second year on it. (bike in sig)

 

[wineboyrider]

I'm still a relative noob, 2.3yrs a member + 1 prior year as a lurker. It's my third summer actually riding, and I still want it all. I want my cruiser to go faster than 25 mph and forget pedalling. I want a super-efficient toque-sensing BB recumbent for long rides with some exercise. I want a power-laden cargo bike to eliminate any need for a car. I want a super stealth commuter. Is that so bad? Oh, and a silent belt-driven mid-drive with a magical IGH that can handle plenty of power. Mostly, I want batteries to become more affordable so I can do all this. The rest seems relatively easy to accomplish given time. I believe I'm headed toward having a stable of bikes, each suited to its own particular mission. Ho-hum. As somebody said in another thread, at least it's not a crack habit. :lol:

YEAH! EXACTLY! LOL
Can you really have too many ebikes? WTF?

 

[wineboyrider]

My first ebike was an ezip Mountain Trailz with lead acid and then went to 36v and fried the motor and batteries. My first build was a specialized cyclone that got me 30+ mph, but I soon learned too hate the maintenance on the chain the gears etc. My goal is to either build a long tail like Dogman's or buy a recumbent and electrify it as my next build, but I still would love a BBS02 on a fast road bicycle and also on a MTB as we have some cool trails here. Batteries are the biggest obstacle as I have a whole bunch of bike frames laying around that need either scrapping or building...