a11yhacker
100 µW
I've been searching for a community that might be able to help me with this project, and I hope someone here can help.
I have a lifelong physical disability that prevents me from using any foot-pedaled bike - I can walk slowly, but can't move my legs in the correct motion to pedal a bike. When I was a kid I had a handcycle, but I am only able to pedal with one hand due to the same disability.
This was fine when I was 10 and weighed 60 lbs, but now I am older (40) and heavier (150lb) and have some RSI issues in my usable arm. A few years ago I tried a handbike, but found it very difficult to propel my adult body and adult-sized handcycle with one arm.
I'm interested in getting back into the handcycle game, and I'm hopeful that an e-bike setup with pedal assist could help. Unfortunately there's not much info about handcycles (ebikes or not) online, and most of the info on this site is way beyond my level of understanding.
I'm planning to buy a new handbike, probably the Top End Excelerator XLT https://www.spinlife.com/Top-End-Top-End-Excelerator-XLT-Handcycle/spec.cfm?productID=392. For now, this will be for short distance recreational rides around my mostly flat neighborhood and nearby bike trails. My main use for the ebike portion would be to have some kind of pedal assist, so I can pedal with one hand and get some exercise without straining too much.
I'd like to buy an ebike kit online and set it up myself if possible. I know there are many options here, and many tradeoffs to consider. I have a few strong priorities:
1. Weight. The bike itself is 35 lb, which is at a level where I can easily pick it up, move it, walk it, etc., and I'd like to keep it that way if possible. I know some components, like the battery, are necessarily heavy, but I'd like to reduce weight where possible.
2. Compatibility with my bike. It should be compatible with the same braking system (in this case, pedaling in reverse I guess?), and ideally with the gear shifting system too (unless this goes away with the installation of a hub motor? as I said, I don't really understand this stuff.) I've seen some discussion about front wheel motors vs. rear wheel motors, but I don't think it directly applies to the bike/trike that I have listed above, since all of the gears and whatnot are on the front wheel only.
3. Simplicity of setup. Ideally I'd like something I can easily swap in with tools that I have at home. From this perspective it seems like swapping in a hub motor for the front wheel makes sense, but I have no idea what I'd need to look for here (other than a wheel of the right size), or any idea what to do with the gears and stuff. I'm reasonably handy and technically competent, including working with electronics, but I have basically zero knowledge of how bikes and gear systems work.
That's it. Importantly, at this point, I *really* don't care about cost (up to $2k or so), power efficiency, speed, customizability, range, longevity, etc. Most of the discussions I have seen online about e-handcycles have been about the most efficient setup, ignoring weight and complexity, which is the opposite of what I am looking for at the moment. I would be happy to learn more about this stuff in the future, but right now my priority is to put something together that lets me pedal a handbike around my neighborhood without hurting my arm, so I can see whether I even enjoy doing it (after 30 years of not being able to).
I'd really appreciate any advice that you all might have. Even better if there are parts I can order online, knowing that they will work with my intended bike. I'm really looking for a simple setup that can get me going quickly, and that I can improve later. Thanks for your help.
I have a lifelong physical disability that prevents me from using any foot-pedaled bike - I can walk slowly, but can't move my legs in the correct motion to pedal a bike. When I was a kid I had a handcycle, but I am only able to pedal with one hand due to the same disability.
This was fine when I was 10 and weighed 60 lbs, but now I am older (40) and heavier (150lb) and have some RSI issues in my usable arm. A few years ago I tried a handbike, but found it very difficult to propel my adult body and adult-sized handcycle with one arm.
I'm interested in getting back into the handcycle game, and I'm hopeful that an e-bike setup with pedal assist could help. Unfortunately there's not much info about handcycles (ebikes or not) online, and most of the info on this site is way beyond my level of understanding.
I'm planning to buy a new handbike, probably the Top End Excelerator XLT https://www.spinlife.com/Top-End-Top-End-Excelerator-XLT-Handcycle/spec.cfm?productID=392. For now, this will be for short distance recreational rides around my mostly flat neighborhood and nearby bike trails. My main use for the ebike portion would be to have some kind of pedal assist, so I can pedal with one hand and get some exercise without straining too much.
I'd like to buy an ebike kit online and set it up myself if possible. I know there are many options here, and many tradeoffs to consider. I have a few strong priorities:
1. Weight. The bike itself is 35 lb, which is at a level where I can easily pick it up, move it, walk it, etc., and I'd like to keep it that way if possible. I know some components, like the battery, are necessarily heavy, but I'd like to reduce weight where possible.
2. Compatibility with my bike. It should be compatible with the same braking system (in this case, pedaling in reverse I guess?), and ideally with the gear shifting system too (unless this goes away with the installation of a hub motor? as I said, I don't really understand this stuff.) I've seen some discussion about front wheel motors vs. rear wheel motors, but I don't think it directly applies to the bike/trike that I have listed above, since all of the gears and whatnot are on the front wheel only.
3. Simplicity of setup. Ideally I'd like something I can easily swap in with tools that I have at home. From this perspective it seems like swapping in a hub motor for the front wheel makes sense, but I have no idea what I'd need to look for here (other than a wheel of the right size), or any idea what to do with the gears and stuff. I'm reasonably handy and technically competent, including working with electronics, but I have basically zero knowledge of how bikes and gear systems work.
That's it. Importantly, at this point, I *really* don't care about cost (up to $2k or so), power efficiency, speed, customizability, range, longevity, etc. Most of the discussions I have seen online about e-handcycles have been about the most efficient setup, ignoring weight and complexity, which is the opposite of what I am looking for at the moment. I would be happy to learn more about this stuff in the future, but right now my priority is to put something together that lets me pedal a handbike around my neighborhood without hurting my arm, so I can see whether I even enjoy doing it (after 30 years of not being able to).
I'd really appreciate any advice that you all might have. Even better if there are parts I can order online, knowing that they will work with my intended bike. I'm really looking for a simple setup that can get me going quickly, and that I can improve later. Thanks for your help.