AyeWattsUp
1 µW
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2019
- Messages
- 1
Hey all! I am new as a member but have been lurking for the past few months trying to gather information about the best build to suit my needs.
I started this project first with a budget of $1500. I went a little over by the time the shift sensor and Lekkie Bling Ring were purchased. It costed about $1650 after everything was fully completed.
About Me
I am an avid amateur cyclist that lives and commutes in Denver on a daily basis. I mostly built this to help me ride through the winter and less than perfect days, so if I do get caught in the weather, it will be much easier to wear rain/snow gear without needing to pedal efficiently. Try to picture pedaling in snow pants!
The Bike
Is the best spec'ed one that I could find under at the $600 mark. Aluminum frame with hydraulic brakes, decent mid level shimano drivetrain, and all the appropriate mounts for fenders and a rack. Giant makes an Escape model that comes with fenders/rack/kickstand preinstalled but was a little out of my budget. The only thing that I would have like this bike to have is Thru-axles, but I figured I could upgrade the fork next year to something stiffer with thru-axles if the QR's are an issue. Fenders were mandatory for my build since I will ride this year round and I think it will keep the motor/wiring much cleaner.
The Juice
Comes from a Bafang BBS02. I have it hooked to the tiny 500c display and powered by a 48v 17.5ah "Shark" battery pack. I have reprogrammed the controller almost as if it were and IGH hub. My max current is set to 18amps and start current is set to 10%. I have all but the highest PAS level set to 85% Speed (rpm) Limit - Taking into consideration what rpm DC motors are most efficient, I have gotten the most range and natural power production with these settings. It puts me at about 100rpm shift point where the power begins to cut out. I have 5 PAS levels with 0 being throttle only, 1 being 60% Current to Level 5 being 100% current. I mostly use the level 1 PAS, I only bump it up as my battery discharges in an attempt to draw consistent watts whether the battery is at 52v or 43V. It has worked so far and I enjoy the consistent feeling of it.
The Speed/Range
Before anyone tells me that my range and speed I get out of this motor is exaggerated.....I am an avid cyclist and am able to maintain 20mph on flat ground on a proper road bike for about an hour.
I routinely cruise with PAS about 25-28mph, according to the 500c screen, this speed for me pulls about 350 watts. I weigh 150#'s with the bike weighing another 45# or so. I only use the throttle to get a quick start if I need to cross a busy intersection or pulling away from a light with cars behind me. If I keep it around 25mph, I get just about 65miles per charge. I have programmed the controller to ramp power very gently so am using quite a bit of leg power to accelerate to about 13mph before the motor really kicks in. I also stop pedaling early and try to coast gently to stops as much as possible to extend range. No use just eating up battery and brake pads!
With the throttle (and pedaling) and in the highest gear 42t : 11t, I have reached 34.5mph. This is scary fast on a bicycle!
Overall, I am very happy with the build but think I could have gotten a smaller battery pack and still be satisfied with this range! I will report on the long term reliability and am most curious to see how often I need to replace the consumable parts to start logging appropriate maintenance intervals.
I started this project first with a budget of $1500. I went a little over by the time the shift sensor and Lekkie Bling Ring were purchased. It costed about $1650 after everything was fully completed.
About Me
I am an avid amateur cyclist that lives and commutes in Denver on a daily basis. I mostly built this to help me ride through the winter and less than perfect days, so if I do get caught in the weather, it will be much easier to wear rain/snow gear without needing to pedal efficiently. Try to picture pedaling in snow pants!
The Bike
Is the best spec'ed one that I could find under at the $600 mark. Aluminum frame with hydraulic brakes, decent mid level shimano drivetrain, and all the appropriate mounts for fenders and a rack. Giant makes an Escape model that comes with fenders/rack/kickstand preinstalled but was a little out of my budget. The only thing that I would have like this bike to have is Thru-axles, but I figured I could upgrade the fork next year to something stiffer with thru-axles if the QR's are an issue. Fenders were mandatory for my build since I will ride this year round and I think it will keep the motor/wiring much cleaner.
The Juice
Comes from a Bafang BBS02. I have it hooked to the tiny 500c display and powered by a 48v 17.5ah "Shark" battery pack. I have reprogrammed the controller almost as if it were and IGH hub. My max current is set to 18amps and start current is set to 10%. I have all but the highest PAS level set to 85% Speed (rpm) Limit - Taking into consideration what rpm DC motors are most efficient, I have gotten the most range and natural power production with these settings. It puts me at about 100rpm shift point where the power begins to cut out. I have 5 PAS levels with 0 being throttle only, 1 being 60% Current to Level 5 being 100% current. I mostly use the level 1 PAS, I only bump it up as my battery discharges in an attempt to draw consistent watts whether the battery is at 52v or 43V. It has worked so far and I enjoy the consistent feeling of it.
The Speed/Range
Before anyone tells me that my range and speed I get out of this motor is exaggerated.....I am an avid cyclist and am able to maintain 20mph on flat ground on a proper road bike for about an hour.
I routinely cruise with PAS about 25-28mph, according to the 500c screen, this speed for me pulls about 350 watts. I weigh 150#'s with the bike weighing another 45# or so. I only use the throttle to get a quick start if I need to cross a busy intersection or pulling away from a light with cars behind me. If I keep it around 25mph, I get just about 65miles per charge. I have programmed the controller to ramp power very gently so am using quite a bit of leg power to accelerate to about 13mph before the motor really kicks in. I also stop pedaling early and try to coast gently to stops as much as possible to extend range. No use just eating up battery and brake pads!
With the throttle (and pedaling) and in the highest gear 42t : 11t, I have reached 34.5mph. This is scary fast on a bicycle!
Overall, I am very happy with the build but think I could have gotten a smaller battery pack and still be satisfied with this range! I will report on the long term reliability and am most curious to see how often I need to replace the consumable parts to start logging appropriate maintenance intervals.