Hey guys, Glad I found ES. Tons of useful info here.
It would be great to get some general feedback on my build. I was originally going to use Yuba Mundo frame, but eventually decided it would be too long for my purposes. If only there was a strong steel mid-tail bike frame available. Time is more of a problem than money in this case. I'm good with electronics, but not with metal work and welding.
My main goals and priorities are:
- Hardtail, strong steel frame and parts with front suspension
- Reliability and durability (more important than cost)
- The ability to carry one passenger for relatively short distances
- Reasonable grunt and speed when needed
- Ideal max range of around 25km/15miles with pedalling
- A rear derailleur + limited number of gears to keep up with the motor
How I think I can do this based on what I know so far:
- Use my existing Redline Monocog 26" frame. It's a heavy chromoly frame with thick dropouts, and I trust it to carry a lot of weight safely.
- Add a rear rack/passenger seat from http://www.thebikeseat.com/
- Use a center frame bag for batteries. Haven't decided on type/chemistry. A safer chemistry yet still higher V is appealing.
- Crystalyte HT3525 motor (running at a higher voltage?) + controller to match. Seems somewhat lighter weight but still fast enough.
- A rear rim and spoke combo that's as bullet-proof as possible without being motorcycle-style heavy. Perhaps moped spokes.
- Decent disc brakes
- Crazy Bob tires, these seem perfect.
- Cycle Analyst 3.
- A car horn. I've ordered the Fiamm Freeway blaster, both high and low notes. Because I can.
Regarding the passenger thing, I know it's going to be very rear-heavy. I've already carted my wife around beach paths using a standard rack + cushion. It's a fun way to get to the shops and I've never found the rear weight to be an issue at all. We're both short and not fat, so that helps (120kg/265lbs total passenger weight between both of us). I'm more concerned about the motor and rear wheel components coping with these rides.
Issue #1 is the straight dropouts on the Monocog frame. The stock setup uses BMX-style chain tensioners on each side. They're very strong and chunky, but I've yet to find someone who has done an appropriate motor + torque arm setup in this type dropout. Is these config usable without any complicated fabrication?
Issue #2 Wondering if the seat mount/rack + disc brakes + motor/torque arms can all be mounted without too many problem.
Issue #3 I'd like to source my parts (to Australia) fairly quickly, since I'm currently bike-less after trashing my wheelset on the monocog (from smashing it around and years of neglect, not just from carting the wife).
So far the only parts of ordered are for the car horn set. Honking my horn will not doubt be fun, but it's just not the same as riding. I'll start ordering more general bike upgrades for it tonight.
Just to show the frame/geometry:
I'm not against scrapping the frame and starting over, I was actually extremely tempted to buy that Stealth Fighter currently for sale in Melbourne. The Monocog just seems like a nice strong frame for an electric build. I should probably be more patient.
Cheers, and thanks for any input.
It would be great to get some general feedback on my build. I was originally going to use Yuba Mundo frame, but eventually decided it would be too long for my purposes. If only there was a strong steel mid-tail bike frame available. Time is more of a problem than money in this case. I'm good with electronics, but not with metal work and welding.
My main goals and priorities are:
- Hardtail, strong steel frame and parts with front suspension
- Reliability and durability (more important than cost)
- The ability to carry one passenger for relatively short distances
- Reasonable grunt and speed when needed
- Ideal max range of around 25km/15miles with pedalling
- A rear derailleur + limited number of gears to keep up with the motor
How I think I can do this based on what I know so far:
- Use my existing Redline Monocog 26" frame. It's a heavy chromoly frame with thick dropouts, and I trust it to carry a lot of weight safely.
- Add a rear rack/passenger seat from http://www.thebikeseat.com/
- Use a center frame bag for batteries. Haven't decided on type/chemistry. A safer chemistry yet still higher V is appealing.
- Crystalyte HT3525 motor (running at a higher voltage?) + controller to match. Seems somewhat lighter weight but still fast enough.
- A rear rim and spoke combo that's as bullet-proof as possible without being motorcycle-style heavy. Perhaps moped spokes.
- Decent disc brakes
- Crazy Bob tires, these seem perfect.
- Cycle Analyst 3.
- A car horn. I've ordered the Fiamm Freeway blaster, both high and low notes. Because I can.
Regarding the passenger thing, I know it's going to be very rear-heavy. I've already carted my wife around beach paths using a standard rack + cushion. It's a fun way to get to the shops and I've never found the rear weight to be an issue at all. We're both short and not fat, so that helps (120kg/265lbs total passenger weight between both of us). I'm more concerned about the motor and rear wheel components coping with these rides.
Issue #1 is the straight dropouts on the Monocog frame. The stock setup uses BMX-style chain tensioners on each side. They're very strong and chunky, but I've yet to find someone who has done an appropriate motor + torque arm setup in this type dropout. Is these config usable without any complicated fabrication?
Issue #2 Wondering if the seat mount/rack + disc brakes + motor/torque arms can all be mounted without too many problem.
Issue #3 I'd like to source my parts (to Australia) fairly quickly, since I'm currently bike-less after trashing my wheelset on the monocog (from smashing it around and years of neglect, not just from carting the wife).
So far the only parts of ordered are for the car horn set. Honking my horn will not doubt be fun, but it's just not the same as riding. I'll start ordering more general bike upgrades for it tonight.
Just to show the frame/geometry:
I'm not against scrapping the frame and starting over, I was actually extremely tempted to buy that Stealth Fighter currently for sale in Melbourne. The Monocog just seems like a nice strong frame for an electric build. I should probably be more patient.
Cheers, and thanks for any input.
