PWD's Rocky Mountain Blizzard - mid drive

pwd

10 kW
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
797
Location
Ontario, Canada
I'm finally doing it. I've been running hub motors since my first e-grin but I have never done a mid-drive. I like the idea of the occasional ride in the snow so I've also been looking into fat bikes. Here is what I recently acquired:

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My plan is to use a Cyclone 3kw mid drive motor @ 50.8V/40A.
 
That looks sweet! I'm in the middle of building a fat tire e-bike as well. Going hub drive with a QS205 50H Though
 
Aww man! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the fat tire :) I got my bikes dirty in the wet gravel once, and didn't really care for it. That gear cassette looks real purdy! A quick look at Schwalbe's studded tires shows me their widest option is only 2.6"
 
Thanks for the comments folks. The tires are laced into a 26 inch fat wheel but it has approximate 29 inch diameter. I haven't been riding the fat bike as much as I'd hoped but I did take it for a short ride this weekend. The tires are exceptional at rolling over obstacles and soaking up rough terrain. I'm a light rider and I find the bike bounces more than a full suspension bike. It is a soft air mattress like bounce vs a hard bounce of a smaller, more firm tire. I haven't had many "muscle only" rides this year but the fat bike (26 x 4.8 tires) is definitely more of a workout than my full suspension mountain bike with 26 x 2.25 tires.

The cyclone motor kit (https://sickbikeparts.com/) and bottom bracket tools have been ordered. I went with ISIS cranks and bottom bracket and a triple chaining. I'm a complete noob to mid-drives so I might be missing something but here are the tools I ordered to do the install:

To remove existing bottom bracket:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/r.html?C=2R083KRCWO7XK&K=KI2M4A32MBLN&M=urn:rtn:msg:201909091312127b65a7751c1d4c07a9bad74c2000p0na&R=OB4E1LWDDGEH&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2Fdp%2FB07NNP4WGW%2Fref%3Dpe_3034960_233709270_TE_item&H=Q4UASWACLAT1QS5CJXH7FUTV9QCA&ref_=pe_3034960_233709270_TE_item

To install cyclone ISIS bottom bracket:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/r.html?C=2R083KRCWO7XK&K=KI2M4A32MBLN&M=urn:rtn:msg:201909091312127b65a7751c1d4c07a9bad74c2000p0na&R=K2U8ZWCKGQC0&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2Fdp%2FB07W88KDM2%2Fref%3Dpe_3034960_233709270_TE_item&H=PKFUJASXZM8W5N3GF1JEASQSOPCA&ref_=pe_3034960_233709270_TE_item

Chain break/pliers:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/r.html?C=2R083KRCWO7XK&K=KI2M4A32MBLN&M=urn:rtn:msg:201909091312127b65a7751c1d4c07a9bad74c2000p0na&R=3EOHP6YP2GBT2&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2Fdp%2FB07SLH5W9J%2Fref%3Dpe_3034960_233709270_TE_item&H=QAAUXZGGMGDXI3YANDU3YALQSD0A&ref_=pe_3034960_233709270_TE_item
 
Got the same bike (Blizzard -20) set mine up with a rear hub motor, baserunner controller....curious how the mid drive performs, id like better slow climbing power that may be the way to go.
 
I had the bike out for a ride (in its plain form) and it was awesome. The trail I was one was a fireroad with some sandy offshoots and the fat bike handled it well, it felt like I was riding a two wheeled atv (I don't have any dirt bike experience).
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The motor kit finally arrived and I took my first crack at getting it installed. The first order of business involved reaming out the 20 spline install tool so that it would fit over the ISIS bottom bracket splines. I then realized that the cyclone ISIS bottom bracket was too wide from bearing to bearing (it was setup for 120mm) and it doesn't just slide into position like the square tapered counterpart.
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I had to pound the bearings inward on the shaft so that it would be a more appropriate fit for my 100mm bottom bracket shell. It worked ok.

The motor install was a bit trickier than I anticipated (par for the course). The bottom bracket cups felt like they kept wanting to strip the threads on the bike; so I had to keep trying. Eventually I got it threaded in but there was a tiny aluminum shaving (like a piece of hair) so either the threads on the bike weren't tapped perfectly or the threads of the cyclone bb cup weren't perfect. I would put money on the later.

Another snag I encountered was that the tripple chaining wasn't cleaning the bike frame. So I resorted to removing the 44 tooth chairing and will be using the 32 or 36 tooth (can't remember what size) just to get rolling. FYI, those little spacers between the chain-rings are a pain to work with but the get the job done. I may end up experimenting with some bottom bracket spacers later on to see if I can squeeze in another chain-ring in the future.

Here is my chain-line, it was more extreme than I thought and I may not be able to use all the gears without excess chain wear.
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Here is the motor installed. I will be removing it again to tighten all the lock rings etc... and put a small bend in the left motor bracket.

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There is a lot of re-installing and clearance checking to be done but I'm sure I'll be able to get it ironed out soon.
 
That's going to be nice. Those tires rock, way better than anything else I've tried on my fat bike.

I'm using a BBSHD and 30t chain ring. Less power, but enough for me and very quiet.

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That is a sweet bike fechter! Good to know about the tires. :thumb:
 
fechter said:
That's going to be nice. Those tires rock, way better than anything else I've tried on my fat bike.

I'm using a BBSHD and 30t chain ring. Less power, but enough for me and very quiet.

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Fat tires, full suspension and long travel Thudbuster? Your bike must feel like it's floating. Nice battery case!
 
I had the bike out for it's first shakedown. The first thing I noticed was how much torque this thing has. Due to the poor throttle modulation ( I blame the controller), the first couple of gears were almost impossible to use without wanting to flip over :shock:
For what its worth, I am using the following:

13 tooth motor sprocket to 44 tooth chaining
36 tooth chaining to 11-46 tooth cassette

After riding for a short distance I took a break and had a look at the motor mounts etc... to make sure nothing was going to fall off. I took the bike out for another spin and was able to handle it a bit better this time. The key was start out in 3rd or 4th gear. I had fun shifting the gears to get up to speed. It sounds like an adult Power Wheels toy haha.

Needless to say but it is a completely different beast from my DD hub commuter. This is my first mid drive.

The main focus right now will be trying to get used to the throttle curve (or lack there-of). I've experimented a bit with the Cyclone controller settings (very handy with Bluetooth + Android) and have settled with Soft Start: On with a value of 1. I find the ramp up still takes a long time and is unpredictable as to when the full power will "kick" in to send me into the sky. IMO, not very fun when in public. Once I get it tuned, I can tell this is going to be a blast to ride.

I've also had the power cut out a few times on me which felt like the controller's LVC engaging. I see there is a voltage threshold setting, I'll have to double check it later. The battery pack I'm using is the 14S5P 30Q Em3ev pack I use on the commuter rig. On there, it sees peaks of 50A. My understanding is that the cyclone will only pull 40A, so it shouldn't be an over current issue.

The bike has ZERO gauges or displays. It is very minimalist compared to the commuter. I've realized I can't live without at least a voltage meter to observer voltage sag and resting pack voltage. I'm still deciding on what to use for that...
 

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I'm glad shifting gears is fun! So the motor doesn't force your pedals to spin? Look forward to seeing how the drivetrain holds up.
 
pwd said:
The bike has ZERO gauges or displays. It is very minimalist compared to the commuter. I've realized I can't live without at least a voltage meter to observer voltage sag and resting pack voltage. I'm still deciding on what to use for that...

Suddenly I have the urge to build a mid drive fat bike....how about discretely two-way taping one of these onto your controller where you can see it, unless you really need it on display in the cockpit? You may need to steal a 5v supply from the controller to power the LED.

https://www.amazon.com/DROK-090554-Ultra-small-0-100V-Motorcycle/dp/B00C58QIOM
 
Do you plan on mounting the battery to the frame? If you place it forward enough, it will help keep the front wheel down.
 
thundercamel said:
I'm glad shifting gears is fun! So the motor doesn't force your pedals to spin? Look forward to seeing how the drivetrain holds up.

That's correct, the motor doesn't force the pedals to spin. There is a freewheel on the motor sprocket and a freewheel on the chainring/crank.

E-HP said:
Suddenly I have the urge to build a mid drive fat bike....how about discretely two-way taping one of these onto your controller where you can see it, unless you really need it on display in the cockpit? You may need to steal a 5v supply from the controller to power the LED.
https://www.amazon.com/DROK-090554-Ultra-small-0-100V-Motorcycle/dp/B00C58QIOM

I would like one visible from the cockpit, so that I can watch the voltage sag etc... That seems like a nicely compact unit. I think speed would be a nice metric to show as well.

fechter said:
Do you plan on mounting the battery to the frame? If you place it forward enough, it will help keep the front wheel down.

Good point. I do plan on putting a pack inside the frame eventually. Once I put away my commuter ebike for the season, I think I will try and fit my 14S6P 25R triangle pack in there.
 
There are plenty of inexpensive volt/amp meters that would work but I haven't seen one with an integrated speedometer. The CA is about the only thing that combines them into one unit. Separate meters would be the cheap way to go.

Edit:

I did run across a few. I googled for "bicycle speedometer voltmeter". DIY style with no housing. Here is an example:
https://usa.banggood.com/Multifunct...RdsUaAtrnEALw_wcB&ID=6264439&cur_warehouse=CN
Ebike meter 1.JPG

Another one:
https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/3249...IENT_ID(aefeMsite)NAV_TIMING(navigationStart)
Ebike meter 2.JPG
 
pwd said:
E-HP said:
Suddenly I have the urge to build a mid drive fat bike....how about discretely two-way taping one of these onto your controller where you can see it, unless you really need it on display in the cockpit? You may need to steal a 5v supply from the controller to power the LED.
https://www.amazon.com/DROK-090554-Ultra-small-0-100V-Motorcycle/dp/B00C58QIOM

I would like one visible from the cockpit, so that I can watch the voltage sag etc... That seems like a nicely compact unit. I think speed would be a nice metric to show as well.

How about a regular bicycle speedo for speed, still would be stealthy bike-like. Then a handlebar mounted voltmeter like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Voltmeter-Speed-Shifter-Accelerator-Digital-Voltage-Display-for-Electric-Scooter/113773376621?hash=item1a7d6bf46d:g:TTUAAOSwi-9c-Ipe

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Voltmeter-Thumb-Accelerator-Speed-Shifter-Electric-Scooter-Handlebar-Accelerator/333223794932?hash=item4d95af98f4:g:QTwAAOSwQ5pc-Ip6

route the wire along the handlebars so you don't see them easily (or mount in the middle near the stem)
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I went the cheaper route and purchased separate meters. One of those inexpensive bike speedometers and one of the voltage display's that E-HP linked. Fetcher, the meters you've shown would be great for a street machine.

I had the bike out for it's first short but proper off-road run and it performed well. I ripped down some dirt roads, did some bushwhacking and played on some sandy hills and crossed some water. The climbing power is excellent. Unfortunately, I didn't snap any photos but by the time I was done; the bike and myself were covered in sand and mud. The bike still needs a good cleaning before it's next outing. I've also got some full fenders in the mail.

Edit: Had it out for another run today:
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I've added an inexpensive cycle computer to track distance/speed/time.

Some notes for future reference (captain's log):
The last two rides were both approximately 16km each and I hit the controller LVC (approximately 49V) of both times. Ambient temp has been around 8 to 9 Celsius. Avg Speed was 28 km/h max speed was 43.2 km/h and ride time was 35 minutes each time.

I estimated I used around 9 aH based on a rough resting pack voltage of 50.4V or 3.6V per cell. That gives me a rough estimate of 450 wh (let's use an average of 53 ish volts) for a consumption of 28 wh per km. That seems a bit higher that I thought but I suppose with the mixed terrain + <10 psi in the fat tires; it is no streamliner. For comparison my commuter is usually around 30 wh/km.

I will have a better idea of consumption when the voltage gauge arrives. The 14S5P 30Q (estimated 120 cycles) is showing signs of cell wear but still usable. I expect slightly better range with the 14S6P 25R pack due to less voltage sag. It would be nice to get some more top speed out of this rig and not have the chain skip on the smaller gears on the cassette (7th to 10th gear are unusable due to skipping). I may try switching to a larger chaining up front to the cassette or a smaller chaining from the motor to the cranks.
 
pwd said:
I will have a better idea of consumption when the voltage gauge arrives.

Just to set expectations, I've been testing the voltmeter and at least for the red one, it's not bright enough to use in bright daylight. I make a little hood from ABS and it helps a little. It was spot on with my multimeter measuring a 12V supply, but I noticed after installing everything, it reads 0.2V high at 52 volts. Note that my LCD3 display reads 0.2V low. Luckily there's an adjustment pot on the back. Not so lucky is I mounted the meter so I don't have access to the rear, so I may need to drill an access hole to get to it :oops:
 
Thanks E-HP for the info. I ended up ordering the blue LED volt meter; hopefully it is usable in the daylight. I've had good luck with blue LED meters on my commuter build (green wasn't bright enough). Also, the voltage on the Cyclone controller app is off by at least 2 whole volts.

Here is a shot from the weekend:
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When I was cleaning the bike; I noticed some damage on the frame from the chain rubbing. That is my fault for not giving it enough clearance, I had spaced out the 44T as much as I could with washers and alternate placement of the crank freewheel. The freewheel wobbles a bit and made the damage worse :oops: :
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Here is the new inexpensive bike computer I got from Aliexpress. I was a fraction of the price (under 4 USD) I paid for one like it years ago. Hell, it even comes with plenty of zip ties:
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When I returned home; I swapped out the 44T chainring for a 36T so it no longer rubs on the frame. I was also able to bring the motor chain more inboard like it should be. I had the motor freewheel sticking out before and now it is flush with the motor shaft like it should be. Also, turns out I was using a 32T chaining to the cassette and not a 36T like I had thought. So the new configuration is 13T motor to 36T chainring and then 32T chainring to the 11-46T cassette:
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I went for a quick ride to test out the new setup and it seemed to perform OK on the street. Obviously a bit more top speed and less low-end. Unfortunately, the chain is still skipping on the three smallest cogs. I will also have to order a new chainguard for the smaller chaining. The real test will be when I take it off-road again.
 
Some more goodies arrived and were added to the "shapely" bike:

basic voltage meter
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full fat fenders!
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added rubber where I could to try and prevent frame wear and rattling noises
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squishy seatpost Suntour SP12-NCX with cover
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I had the bike on some real mountain bike trails and it was an absolute blast! Even with the ample power of the motor (I dialed the phase amps to 50%); I still had quite the workout. I had a very close call when my front wheel fell out of the fork! Luckily I skidded on the fallen leaves and was able get the wheel back on with minimal tools. Thankfully myself and the fender made it out with minimal damage. The custom fender mount I cobbled up was bent in the accident but is now in a better position than before. :shock: Lesson learnt; check axle quick releases before riding. Some people would call me crazy running full steel fenders on a mountain bike trail but they actually did quite well; not too much rattling.

We just got some snow today; so my first snow ride on this rig may be around the corner....
 
So both fenders connect right to the axle, eh? I wonder if I can make my front fenders do that, since forks don't like to include eyelets for them anymore.
 
That is correct, they both connect to the axle. I'm not sure if adding the fender bracket to the clamping mechanism of the quick release skewer is a bad idea though. I failed to tighten my quick release down all the way which led to my wheel falling out. After double-checking them; they seem OK now but time will tell. Just make sure you check it after a short distance if you go that route...
 
So the cold weather and snow are here. I've had the bike out a few times in some light snow and it is a lot of fun. The limiting factor for ride time is the time it takes for my hands to freeze. I've ordered some inexpensive "bar mitts" to help extend my riding time:
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The ice has been forming well on the streets etc... here and I realize nothing on ice will work without some traction. I've also ordered some of these:
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The rear wheel spinning out is recoverable but the front tire is not. The wide tires definitely are better but adding studs should turn this thing into a champ for the winter.
 
pwd said:
The limiting factor for ride time is the time it takes for my hands to freeze.

Ever consider heated grips? I started looking at them after reading DrkAngel's Snow Beast thread. They don't look like they draw too much current. Folks I know with them on motorcycles say they're pretty effective.
 
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