Hi all.
After many years, and countless hours of cruising the forum as a non member; it's time to share my story to the community that helped me the most. Every ebike story is different, and I've learnt a lot from other peoples builds and stories on here. I won't really go into all specifics, just want to tell a general story about how good electric bikes are. My ebike is priceless to me. I love everything it can do, and after 12 months of tinkering there's nothing left to add to it. Also, thankyou endless-sphere.
Im an ebike nerd. Australian, 27, 75kg, fit, but too lazy to ride a non-electric bicycle more than about twice a year. Love everything about electric bicycles. They're more than just a cheap, silent, clean mode of transport. More than a lazy mans bicycles. They represent so many things. For people too lazy to walk or ride everywhere, it's a freedom from the shackles of the associated costs of transport. Freedom from registration fees and government tax. It's one less car on the road. I can ride it through the park, on the footpath, in the bike lane, down the pedestrian laneway and chain it up without having to find a parking spot all in one trip.
The bike: An amateur build, with so far professional results.
Malvern Star hurricane 1.0 (~$400 new, got it for $150 on gumtree) not a bad bike, alloy, 26 inch, front suspension, smooth city tyres, nothing fancy but well built with decent enough components. Better than a department store junker for $100 (but that's another story). I've added heaps of non ebike stuff to it. Side mirror, a 3x XML cree led front light (as bright as a motorbike), tail light, large kill switch, gel seat, rear rack with a large wooden crate, tyre goo (that green stuff that goes in the tubes to instant repair punctures), a tough stand motorbike style, and a sh*tload of black gaffer tape "hundred mile an hour tape".
I would describe the bike as a hybrid somewhere between a bicycle and moped/motorbike. A true hybrid in that I can ride it in all locations; road, footpath, bikepath, side alley, dirt track, across the grassy sportsfield, anywhere. To ride my bike it is impossible not to break a few local/territory government laws and regulations. Current laws are a hindrance to the true capabilities of the electric bicycle. I don't want to get into it too much, but regulations in Australia are a maximum of 250w and pedal assist only...... I ride safely and to the conditions. I don't attract attention. I wear a helmet. I obey common road rules. My main use for my bike is zipping 2km up to the shops for groceries. But I do ride in all situations. Where possible I always ride on bike paths. I usually travel a top speed of 30km/h. If there are people around, I ride slowly, 10-15km/h. Sometimes I ride a bit faster (like when i'm on a long straight open bike path with no others around). When i go out "trail riding" on bush tracks, I ride it fast and dangerously. Only once was I followed and then questioned by an Australian Federal Policeman because he noticed I wasn't pedalling and thought I was using one of those 2 stroke engines. He asked a lot of questions because he was generally interested. Not many people notice me and my bike, but to the best of my knowledge I've never upset anyone with my riding habits.
The motor/controller/battery: 1000w brushless rear hub from china, conhismotors. 48v 10ah LiFePO4 with BMS. LCD display. Thumb controller.
Interesting facts: - after 12 months Ive ridden a total of 2500km, always as an electric bike. No major issues, no break downs. I estimate I've driven my car 1500km less than I normally would have had to. SO I've saved 150 litres of diesel, or $250.
Top speed of 45-50km/h depending on the wind.
Range of 15km when im burning at full throttle (although i dont keep the hammer down for more than a minute or two at 50km/h because Darwin is a hot climate, and the motor gets warm). All my riding is done on relatively flat areas, no hills in Darwin.
Range of 25km when i'm cruising at 40km/h (I can get into the lcd menu and turn the current flow down which impacts on acceleration and top speed, and thus extends range if i need to).
Range of 30km when im cruising at 30km/h.
The slower i go, the further I could go. I tend to peddle lightling when i'm going under 30km/h. I spend most of my time cruising around 25-30km/h. Sometimes I like the fang around at full current flow when I feel like it.
5a charger that charges a flat battery in about 2 hours. I usually top it up after every ride anyway. Most of the time I've got plenty of charge left. I've only ever run out of battery twice.
The kill switch is a big red manual voltage cut off key attached to the bike where i can hit it if anything ever goes wrong (never needed it in an emergency, but I still feel it's essential for a safe ebikes).
The rear crate was designed with the dimensions to carry a beer carton. It's pretty large, but I use it for carrying groceries and don't care if it looks stupid.
The battery pack was inspected by customs when it arrived in Australia. They opened up my battery pack, drilled a hole in the middle of one of the 38120 cells, and then taped it all back up without any indication or notice of their destruction from the outside, only an inspection sticker on the inside. My first ride after I fully charged it lasted 2km and then the bike cutting out, I eventually found the problem . Luckily LiFePO4 is safe. Replaced the cell myself after a long wait for the new cell to arrive. Got the costs reimbursed by customs after a lot of hassle.
Conhismotors sent me a 48v10ah when I had paid for a 48v12ah. He refunded the difference after I realised (I wouldnt have realised if i hadnt have opened up the battery pack).
My initial setup had the battery on the rear of the bike on the bikerack in a steel tool box. After a few months I fitted it to the centre triangle of the bike. It really improved the stability and feel of the bike. I attached it with a few bits of steel bolted to the drink bottle holder screw holes acting as a base, and then a sh*itload of tape to hold it in place. It's firm as, not going anywhere. Now it feels well balanced, before it was pretty ordinary and felt heavy and awkward. Also I can carry a lot of stuff on my rear rack now.
The conhismotors kit and battery cost me ~ $800AUD delivered from China. Looks just like the pictures online. It's done it's job so far. The rear hub wheel required some re-balancing a few times in the first few months. Not the highest of quality, but it has performed for me for 12 months and 2500km. Instructions were ok. Found a manual for LCD with the help of google and endless-sphere. The battery and charger has no signs of any issues (LiFePO4 are meant to be good for 1000's of cycles). Maybe charged it 100 times in 12 months. I don't let it go without a charge for more than a week, even if i havent used it much. Overall it's exceeded my expectations. If anything ever goes wrong, I will repair, and if that's too difficult I'll just replace it with brand new. To me the value is far beyond $800.
Thumb throttle numbs my thumb out sometimes.
The V brakes wear out every few months. I now use a brand of v brake where I can quickly replace the rubber pad.
Darwin has bike paths going everywhere and most of them are basically empty.
The noise the hub motor makes is a quiet whirr.
I've ridden in the rain plenty of times with no issues. I avoid any deep water though.
I'm really happy with everything that the electric bicycle stands for. Thanks endless-sphere people.
After many years, and countless hours of cruising the forum as a non member; it's time to share my story to the community that helped me the most. Every ebike story is different, and I've learnt a lot from other peoples builds and stories on here. I won't really go into all specifics, just want to tell a general story about how good electric bikes are. My ebike is priceless to me. I love everything it can do, and after 12 months of tinkering there's nothing left to add to it. Also, thankyou endless-sphere.
Im an ebike nerd. Australian, 27, 75kg, fit, but too lazy to ride a non-electric bicycle more than about twice a year. Love everything about electric bicycles. They're more than just a cheap, silent, clean mode of transport. More than a lazy mans bicycles. They represent so many things. For people too lazy to walk or ride everywhere, it's a freedom from the shackles of the associated costs of transport. Freedom from registration fees and government tax. It's one less car on the road. I can ride it through the park, on the footpath, in the bike lane, down the pedestrian laneway and chain it up without having to find a parking spot all in one trip.
The bike: An amateur build, with so far professional results.
Malvern Star hurricane 1.0 (~$400 new, got it for $150 on gumtree) not a bad bike, alloy, 26 inch, front suspension, smooth city tyres, nothing fancy but well built with decent enough components. Better than a department store junker for $100 (but that's another story). I've added heaps of non ebike stuff to it. Side mirror, a 3x XML cree led front light (as bright as a motorbike), tail light, large kill switch, gel seat, rear rack with a large wooden crate, tyre goo (that green stuff that goes in the tubes to instant repair punctures), a tough stand motorbike style, and a sh*tload of black gaffer tape "hundred mile an hour tape".
I would describe the bike as a hybrid somewhere between a bicycle and moped/motorbike. A true hybrid in that I can ride it in all locations; road, footpath, bikepath, side alley, dirt track, across the grassy sportsfield, anywhere. To ride my bike it is impossible not to break a few local/territory government laws and regulations. Current laws are a hindrance to the true capabilities of the electric bicycle. I don't want to get into it too much, but regulations in Australia are a maximum of 250w and pedal assist only...... I ride safely and to the conditions. I don't attract attention. I wear a helmet. I obey common road rules. My main use for my bike is zipping 2km up to the shops for groceries. But I do ride in all situations. Where possible I always ride on bike paths. I usually travel a top speed of 30km/h. If there are people around, I ride slowly, 10-15km/h. Sometimes I ride a bit faster (like when i'm on a long straight open bike path with no others around). When i go out "trail riding" on bush tracks, I ride it fast and dangerously. Only once was I followed and then questioned by an Australian Federal Policeman because he noticed I wasn't pedalling and thought I was using one of those 2 stroke engines. He asked a lot of questions because he was generally interested. Not many people notice me and my bike, but to the best of my knowledge I've never upset anyone with my riding habits.
The motor/controller/battery: 1000w brushless rear hub from china, conhismotors. 48v 10ah LiFePO4 with BMS. LCD display. Thumb controller.
Interesting facts: - after 12 months Ive ridden a total of 2500km, always as an electric bike. No major issues, no break downs. I estimate I've driven my car 1500km less than I normally would have had to. SO I've saved 150 litres of diesel, or $250.
Top speed of 45-50km/h depending on the wind.
Range of 15km when im burning at full throttle (although i dont keep the hammer down for more than a minute or two at 50km/h because Darwin is a hot climate, and the motor gets warm). All my riding is done on relatively flat areas, no hills in Darwin.
Range of 25km when i'm cruising at 40km/h (I can get into the lcd menu and turn the current flow down which impacts on acceleration and top speed, and thus extends range if i need to).
Range of 30km when im cruising at 30km/h.
The slower i go, the further I could go. I tend to peddle lightling when i'm going under 30km/h. I spend most of my time cruising around 25-30km/h. Sometimes I like the fang around at full current flow when I feel like it.
5a charger that charges a flat battery in about 2 hours. I usually top it up after every ride anyway. Most of the time I've got plenty of charge left. I've only ever run out of battery twice.
The kill switch is a big red manual voltage cut off key attached to the bike where i can hit it if anything ever goes wrong (never needed it in an emergency, but I still feel it's essential for a safe ebikes).
The rear crate was designed with the dimensions to carry a beer carton. It's pretty large, but I use it for carrying groceries and don't care if it looks stupid.
The battery pack was inspected by customs when it arrived in Australia. They opened up my battery pack, drilled a hole in the middle of one of the 38120 cells, and then taped it all back up without any indication or notice of their destruction from the outside, only an inspection sticker on the inside. My first ride after I fully charged it lasted 2km and then the bike cutting out, I eventually found the problem . Luckily LiFePO4 is safe. Replaced the cell myself after a long wait for the new cell to arrive. Got the costs reimbursed by customs after a lot of hassle.
Conhismotors sent me a 48v10ah when I had paid for a 48v12ah. He refunded the difference after I realised (I wouldnt have realised if i hadnt have opened up the battery pack).
My initial setup had the battery on the rear of the bike on the bikerack in a steel tool box. After a few months I fitted it to the centre triangle of the bike. It really improved the stability and feel of the bike. I attached it with a few bits of steel bolted to the drink bottle holder screw holes acting as a base, and then a sh*itload of tape to hold it in place. It's firm as, not going anywhere. Now it feels well balanced, before it was pretty ordinary and felt heavy and awkward. Also I can carry a lot of stuff on my rear rack now.
The conhismotors kit and battery cost me ~ $800AUD delivered from China. Looks just like the pictures online. It's done it's job so far. The rear hub wheel required some re-balancing a few times in the first few months. Not the highest of quality, but it has performed for me for 12 months and 2500km. Instructions were ok. Found a manual for LCD with the help of google and endless-sphere. The battery and charger has no signs of any issues (LiFePO4 are meant to be good for 1000's of cycles). Maybe charged it 100 times in 12 months. I don't let it go without a charge for more than a week, even if i havent used it much. Overall it's exceeded my expectations. If anything ever goes wrong, I will repair, and if that's too difficult I'll just replace it with brand new. To me the value is far beyond $800.
Thumb throttle numbs my thumb out sometimes.
The V brakes wear out every few months. I now use a brand of v brake where I can quickly replace the rubber pad.
Darwin has bike paths going everywhere and most of them are basically empty.
The noise the hub motor makes is a quiet whirr.
I've ridden in the rain plenty of times with no issues. I avoid any deep water though.
I'm really happy with everything that the electric bicycle stands for. Thanks endless-sphere people.
