Raketemensch
10 W
I managed to wrangle $400 out of the budget for my birthday this year, to pick up a 1000w motor and a battery. In the end I hit $432, and got:
a 1000W 26'' rear wheel hub motor for $142
a UPP 52V 13Ah 30A batter with BMS for $289
I have an older Diamondback Topanga, a medium-range mountain bike from before Dave Matthews peaked, when Kurt Cobain was still alive, etc. I think I bought it in 1992. It took less than an hour to get everything installed and wired up -- I only had to solder two wires, and the battery mounted on the water bottle screws, and so I had to do a quick test run instantly, before I even had the back brakes working again. Really not the best idea, but I survived, and the initial 1/4 mile shakedown run went fine, except for all the facial pain from The Grin.
The frame is still solid, but because the derailleur and shifters were cheaper, they had plastic adjusters on them, which have both broken. This morning, the first nice day with free time in the 3 weeks I've had it, I managed to get things adjusted so I can change 2 gears on the back and between 2 sprockets on the front. Not ideal by any stretch, but certainly rideable.
I don't own a stand, nor do I have the budget for one, but it hit me that I could put the bike rack on the car and just throw it on there, which worked perfectly.
The wheel kit was pretty much as cheap as it gets. As you can see in the photo above, the bag for the controller is way too small. I can't even zip it up with just the controller in there, never mind all the wiring that's still hanging out... That will get sorted with time, I'm still not sure if I'm going to move it to the post behind the seat or not, so I'm not getting too crazy about it yet.
The controller is a 12fet, which is great for such a low price (IMHO), but it didn't come with a screen, so I'm just judging the battery level by the red/yellow/green lights on the twist throttle. I wanted a thumb, but whatever, it's not a big deal.
So after adjusting the derailleur as well as I could and getting the back v-brakes working again, I took it out for its first real shakedown run today, thinking I'd head to the local general store and back. One of the main reasons I picked this thing up is that the roads are *really* hilly around here, and being old and somewhat out of shape, I couldn't really ride anywhere.
Things were going well, so I rolled right past the store, taking a right onto a little road that leads to a few miles of dirt road where we take the dog for off-leash runs. I had never seen the far end of it, so I kept my eye on the battery lights, and rolled right out the other end. I started onto a loop to head back home, then remembered a HUGE hill that I didn't want to attempt, so I turned around and headed back up the road the other way.
In the end, I rode 13.27 miles, and did 1,170 feet(!) of elevation changes, with an average speed of 16.5mph, with a top speed (downhill, no motor at all) of 44.5mph. My battery was still green on the flats, dipping to yellow (half) on hills. I realize that this was the first full charge of the battery and it's going to go downhill from here, but it's a UPP and should have some stamina.
Most importantly, I'm still in awe of how much fun it was. When I was a kid I lived in a beach town, so everything was level, and I covered probably 10-15 miles/day in the summer, just getting to friends' houses, swimming holes, hangout spots, ice cream, etc. In my 30s I started riding motorcycles, and loved the hell out of being out in the world instead of inside a car, getting to smell everything, soaking everything up...
But this -- this is just amazeballs. I pedal a lot just to have things quieter, so I can hear the world around me. I had tried listening to music back in the motorcycling days, but it ruined the experience for me, I want to hear the world around me as I go. At this pace you notice so much more, and it being springtime in New England... it's just gorgeous. I've driven these roads a hundred times and not noticed things I saw today.
Long story short -- I spent ~$400 on a thing that I wasn't entirely certain about, and it's my new favorite thing. You all understand, right?
a 1000W 26'' rear wheel hub motor for $142
a UPP 52V 13Ah 30A batter with BMS for $289
I have an older Diamondback Topanga, a medium-range mountain bike from before Dave Matthews peaked, when Kurt Cobain was still alive, etc. I think I bought it in 1992. It took less than an hour to get everything installed and wired up -- I only had to solder two wires, and the battery mounted on the water bottle screws, and so I had to do a quick test run instantly, before I even had the back brakes working again. Really not the best idea, but I survived, and the initial 1/4 mile shakedown run went fine, except for all the facial pain from The Grin.
The frame is still solid, but because the derailleur and shifters were cheaper, they had plastic adjusters on them, which have both broken. This morning, the first nice day with free time in the 3 weeks I've had it, I managed to get things adjusted so I can change 2 gears on the back and between 2 sprockets on the front. Not ideal by any stretch, but certainly rideable.
I don't own a stand, nor do I have the budget for one, but it hit me that I could put the bike rack on the car and just throw it on there, which worked perfectly.
The wheel kit was pretty much as cheap as it gets. As you can see in the photo above, the bag for the controller is way too small. I can't even zip it up with just the controller in there, never mind all the wiring that's still hanging out... That will get sorted with time, I'm still not sure if I'm going to move it to the post behind the seat or not, so I'm not getting too crazy about it yet.
The controller is a 12fet, which is great for such a low price (IMHO), but it didn't come with a screen, so I'm just judging the battery level by the red/yellow/green lights on the twist throttle. I wanted a thumb, but whatever, it's not a big deal.
So after adjusting the derailleur as well as I could and getting the back v-brakes working again, I took it out for its first real shakedown run today, thinking I'd head to the local general store and back. One of the main reasons I picked this thing up is that the roads are *really* hilly around here, and being old and somewhat out of shape, I couldn't really ride anywhere.
Things were going well, so I rolled right past the store, taking a right onto a little road that leads to a few miles of dirt road where we take the dog for off-leash runs. I had never seen the far end of it, so I kept my eye on the battery lights, and rolled right out the other end. I started onto a loop to head back home, then remembered a HUGE hill that I didn't want to attempt, so I turned around and headed back up the road the other way.
In the end, I rode 13.27 miles, and did 1,170 feet(!) of elevation changes, with an average speed of 16.5mph, with a top speed (downhill, no motor at all) of 44.5mph. My battery was still green on the flats, dipping to yellow (half) on hills. I realize that this was the first full charge of the battery and it's going to go downhill from here, but it's a UPP and should have some stamina.
Most importantly, I'm still in awe of how much fun it was. When I was a kid I lived in a beach town, so everything was level, and I covered probably 10-15 miles/day in the summer, just getting to friends' houses, swimming holes, hangout spots, ice cream, etc. In my 30s I started riding motorcycles, and loved the hell out of being out in the world instead of inside a car, getting to smell everything, soaking everything up...
But this -- this is just amazeballs. I pedal a lot just to have things quieter, so I can hear the world around me. I had tried listening to music back in the motorcycling days, but it ruined the experience for me, I want to hear the world around me as I go. At this pace you notice so much more, and it being springtime in New England... it's just gorgeous. I've driven these roads a hundred times and not noticed things I saw today.
Long story short -- I spent ~$400 on a thing that I wasn't entirely certain about, and it's my new favorite thing. You all understand, right?