Pitter patter. . .

Let's get at'er. Starting this thread as a record of my builds/successes/failures. I'm the prodigal noob, career has nothing to do with ebikes. I used to have a motorcycle as a commuter, but it died. Enter modern technology and a childhood love of riding bikes. I had a couple of junker bikes (mongoose BMX, Raleigh road bike). I turned the Mongoose Threshold into an ebike with a 1500W hubdrive kit (CNC? Can't remember off the top of my head.)

The Mongoose was a beast of a beginner bike. I learned firsthand that even with a 48v, 20ah battery, the bike didn't throw you bike like my ol' Honda Shadow. I know, I was expecting way too much. I've learned. The bike did a modest 20+ mph like most bikes. I googled manuals for a day or two and couldn't find one that actually showed how to program the included controller with my ebike kit. So, I did what any pissed off tinkerer would do. . . I turned the bike on and started pressing buttons. I figured out completely by chance how to alter all of the settings, even the ones that didn't make sense. Just random numbers to me. Still don't know what they are. BUT! I learned how to reprogram the hub to bump up the speed. 30mph. Not too shabby.

The Mongoose was good, but it was destroyed by the hub. Brakes, gears, and tires had issues keeping up. So, I did what any frustrated man with disposable income did. . . I googled different types of ebikes, did my research, and decided on a Bafang mid-drive thanks to this thread and a LOT of youtubes. There's a long story about me trying to upgrade my Mongoose that resulted in me calling the cops, but that event lead to me springing for a new cheap bike and Bafang. . . And oh, a difference the Bafang does make. Out of the box, it was unlimited. Not sure how that happened, but my new MTB was going 25+ mph on flats, 15+ mph uphill. That was quite a change. It was torque-y too. Not 90+v, 300ah BAC 4000/8000 torque-y, but it was a nice change.

The Huffy MTB was a decent contender: full suspension, disc brakes, bigger-ish frame for 26" wheels. I went for a full Bafang BBSHD kit. This was still during the time that my Mongoose was getting "upgraded." Didn't even have my battery. So, I started with a whole new setup and it was going well until. . . The Huffy, obviously was a Walmart bike. The Bafang ate through the knock off pads, destroyed a hub and axle, and made me even more frustrated that even though I had more power than most name-brand bikes for $1k+ (everyone knows these bikes, they're everywhere. . . and nicely made). But I like to learn, I love to build, and I want to perfect the things I have when I deem it matters. I'm skipping a few chapters, but that never ending frustration lead to a third bike. . .

I donated my other two bikes and bought the third iteration: the Gravity HD. My first 29er. And holy hell, I'm glad I found it. I should take this time to mention that I don't always pay full price for stuff. I don't have THAT kind of disposable income. I'm a budget shopper; the Threshold and Raleigh, the hub drive kit, the Bafang kit and even the 29er. The Bafang was on sale and the Gravity. . . reduced price for scuffs and no rear shifter. Sold.

After a few months of screw-ups, miscalculations, and tons of educational stuff, I finally have a bike that suits me and a set-up that works. I'll show an update pic soon (there's a monsoon outside right now). Thanks to this forum and youtube, my new set-up is a dual a battery, Phaserunner wired Bafang BBSHD 29er. I had a LOT of judder issues until I paralleled my batteries. I messed with and read up on all the settings with the PR. I opted to use some setting graciously shared on the forum and all I can say is. . . damn. I changed the cassette on my bike and left everything else stock. When I took the bike out for a ride today, I had a few over-volting issues, but it was smooth nonetheless. The increased amperage and field-dampening helped to keep the bike going faster while climbing all the while maintaining cool batteries.

I had to go back and relearn soldering skills, but the bike is finally to the point that I've envied these past 4-6 months while reading this forum. . . But I have a new problem that I'm not 100% sure how to fix. I need to lower the voltage of my batteries when I run them in series (both 48v hence, needing the reduction). The Phaserunner, as most know, isn't very happy above 90v. I'm looking to reduce the voltage 88ish to have a small buffer for the PR, but the only thing I can think of is a resistor until I build a battery that's specifically 72v, 20ah, etc. . . I know I'm biting off quite a bit for a new guy, but I love a challenge. It's the best way to learn.

So, if anyone knows a good power-reduction thread while I'm currently searching for them, please let me know. Looking forward to uploading my pics of progression.

You want to go fast? Start at least with a bike that was designed to be ridden, not just sold.

Mongoose and Huffy are both failures in that regard. Gravity and other Bikesdirect bikes are a small step in the right direction, but still not the right stuff for the job.

What about the more expensive models at BikesDirect?

I like the Gravity 2022 Bullseye and its a pretty cheap price for a reason.
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fat-bikes/fat-bikes-bullseye-3inch.htm
Problem is I can easily find 26x2.35/2.40 but takes more then a second to find 26x3, I know Chicane came in 26 x 3.50

There is a $1600 bike I was looking at
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/fsxboost-monster-eagle-27plus-full-suspension-bikes.htm
Problem is the 1x12, I prefer 3x8 because the rear gears are cheaper. 1x12 rear gears are expensive.

If you were to spend an extra 10-20% would you say that can get you into an equivalent Trek/Giant bike?

Chalo said:

You want to go fast? Start at least with a bike that was designed to be ridden, not just sold.

Mongoose and Huffy are both failures in that regard. Gravity and other Bikesdirect bikes are a small step in the right direction, but still not the right stuff for the job.

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brascoliosis said:

... even with a 48v, 20ah battery, the bike didn't throw you bike like my ol' Honda Shadow. I know, I was expecting way too much. I've learned. The bike did a modest 20+ mph like most .

I donated my other two bikes and bought the third iteration: the Gravity HD. My first 29er. And holy hell, I'm glad I found it. I should take this time to mention that I don't always pay full price for stuff. I...
.

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I own that Gravity 29". Its an ok bike. Its big, compared to most bicycles. Came with nice tires.

I loved my hub alot more than my BBS02. My BBSo2 did 28mph: My hub hits 45mph. I never pay full price either. Bought my hub bike frame for 9$ and welded it back together. It was a high end MTB back int he day but its so torky and light the front end came up all the time so I put 20 lbs of battery under the down tube to keep the front end down.

calab said:

What about the more expensive models at BikesDirect?

Chalo said:

Gravity and other Bikesdirect bikes are a small step in the right direction, but still not the right stuff for the job.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

The best thing you can do with a Bikesdirect bike is to take it (in the box) to a reputable service-oriented bike shop and ask them to assemble and prep it as if they were selling it with a service warranty. That will address most of the things that distinguish a BD bike from a dealer-bought bike. But it will also erase some of the savings.