Ben's 2011 Big Dummy Build

[Ben_S]

Well I've been ebiking for about 9 months, but didn't document my initial experimentation. Now that I've learned a bunch of the ins and outs, I thought I'd share my 2011 Big Dummy build. I live in BC, Canada so all the electrics are from ebikes.ca. Good people.

I've bit the bullet and built my Big Dummy to be become my primary vehicle effective immediately. I can easily throw my laptop bag and a lunch kit on the side without worrying about any kind of special "packing" like I would a pannier. When I'm not working, I'm usually out biking, hiking, and camping. This first photo is from a trip from my house in Langley, BC to Sooke Potholes on Vancouver Island with a full bag of camping gear on the back.

Build Details:

• Frame: 20" Surly Big Dummy 2011
• Headset: Cane Creek 110
• Stem: Thompson X4
• Handle Bars: Jeff Jones Loop h-bar
• Seat Stem: Rocky Mountain (from old bike)
• Saddle: Specialized Sonoma 175 (from old bike)
• Front Wheel: NineContinent Electric Hub Motor in WTB LaserDisc DH rim with 13G spokes
• Front Brake: Cheap Elhonga Cable Caliper (to be replaced)
• Rear Brake: Ashima PCB Hydraulic (Pancake Brake)
• Crankset: Surly Mr. Whirly 175mm cranks, 40T chainring
• Pedals: MEC Double A DH Platform Pedals
• Chain: KMC X1 "Rohloff Chain"
• Tensioner: TerraCycle Idler Kit
• Rear Wheel: Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 in WTB LaserDisc DH rim with 13G spokes
• Stand: Rolling Jackass Centerstand
• XtraCycle Components: P-Racks with Flight Deck, 2010 Black FreeLoader Bags, WideLoaders

You can read more about my build at my Electric Big Dummy build page.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[AussieJester]

Nice build Ben great to hear how useful the BiG Dummy is :wink: , i particularly like
those handle bars to ver cool look to them great for mounting lights and gauges to i imagine?

An welcome to the forum

KiM

 

[BikeFanatic]

Really nice looking build Ben. What do you think about those Xtracycle components, working well for you?

I have the old Xtracycle paniers, they get holes in them as they occasionally get eaten up by the freewheel/cassette
or the rear wheel, do you have that problem? maybe it is how I pack it.

I'm thinking of getting that side loader you have maybe I can fit more in that. Is that a waterproof bag, looks like a dry bag.

 

[Ben_S]

AusieJester:
Yup, I love those handlebars. They are Jeff Jones Loop H-Bars. They are designed to offer lots of hand positions so you can switch it up on long rides. I was finding it hard to put everything on any handlebar for an electric bike, which is why I found this bar in the first place. Ironically, I'm now understanding the value of having multiple hand positions. So I put a front rack on the fork and am going to move my light down to the rack and get rid of or relocate the little bell. Some preliminary testing suggests the bars really are great for longer rides where you want to change your position periodically for comfort.

ianmcnally2:
That bag is an ortlieb water proof bag. List price is about $80-90. But if you have a good connection somewhere or watch for the sales it'll come down to $50-60.

When I first got that bag I thought it was enormous. I chose the "XL" size (Ortlieb makes the duffle in S, M, L, XL) based on someone else's recommendation for what fits on the XtraCycle platform with wideloaders. While the bag is huge, it does fit completely on the XtraCycle without any hangover front or back. So your only worry is bicycle width which you can control with how much stuff you put in it! Bottom line if your going for a more compact/sleek setup get the "L" size instead, but "XL" fits with no problems and lets you take way to much gear. I believe its about 80L which is the size of my hiking backpack, except you still have the other side in the case! So you could potentially take at least twice as much stuff as you could backpacking. Oh and the other reason I liked this duffle is that you can buy a locking net for it called "PacSafe" which some other riders have reported good success with. The "PacSafe" product is like a net made of steel aircraft cable that surrounds your bag and can then be locked either to your bike or another fixed object to prevent the bag from being stolen by a grab and run.

Overall, I love the long-tail idea (regardless of platform), but chose this setup because the Big Dummy has a pretty good reputation for strength without going too overboard on the weight. It also has lots of nice features on the frame, braze-ons everywhere, lots of water bottle locations, front rack support, Rohlofff OEM2 axle keyway and more. Plus there is a good community around XtraCycle that keeps making new things (new decks, new footsies, new fenders, new frame bags, new xtracycle bags, etc..).

You probably already know this with your own XtraCycle: The only real downfall I've found with XtraCycle vs. a fixed long tail cargo frame is that the modular nature introduces openings in your bike frame for water to get in and an interference point for "squeaks" when things move around. I've got some "Watchamacollars" on order which are designed to clamps the p-racks on the back to the bike frame and contain an O-ring to help keep water out. I'll see how that works out.

Regards,
Ben

 

[beast775]

hi ben,you made the statement. my first ride was from langley to sooke potholes,like it was nothing! ha thats quite a ride.im going to go look at the build post,im interested and really like this bike.mark.
i didnt see info on battery and controller? maybe i missed it.

 

[Chalo]

Why in the world do you have an idler on the taut side of the chain? The Big Dummy doesn't require an idler at all, let alone one on the powered side like an ill-conceived recumbent abomination.

What's the deal?

Chalo

 

[Ben_S]

Woah, Chalo, you type faster than you read. That's quite a negative statement there! And I explained the idler in my write-up at the link! The idler is not powered or anything, it is on the drive side in line with the crank's chain ring. And the big dummy DOES require some sort of chain tensioner: either a traditional Rohloff tensioner (like a derailleur) or an idler like I have. The big dummy drop outs are vertical and the bottom bracket is traditional (not concentric). This idler removes the need for the bottom spring tensioner which raises the chain further from the ground keeping it cleaner and less likely to snag on off road sticks, etc... It also increases chain wrap on the rear cog which gives you a little more resistance against chain slips. The idler also moves the chain line so that you do not need to break the chain across the bikes chainstay. The chain can be removed from the bike without breaking or special links! Very handy if you ride in poor conditions and need to clean your chain more than once a year (like me, we have rain >50% of the days a year - rain makes mud puddles). This also fixes the notorious "chain slap" on XtraCycles or other utility bikes with long chains where the long return chain will slap your bike frame when passing over bumps. As you can see there are a number of good reasons for this innovation.

beast775: Yah, do you like how I said that so casually? Sooke to Potholes is quite a ride! Here's the secret: the ferry has 110v plugs for laptops... or battery chargers. Langley to ferry = 1 charge cycle, charge to 80% on ferry with about 90 minutes charging. Then ferry to Victoria another charge cycle. I rode from Victoria to Sooke nearly electric free as I was with a friend who lacked electric power. To me though, this is exactly the beauty of electric bikes as a REAL replacement for gas vehicles. My ferry cost was 1/5 a car or better, I carried **everything** I wanted to camp with, I got some exercise and made the trip in a time period not too much higher than a car would! I am so sold on utility bikes with an electric assist to compensate for longer distances/bigger hills. I do pedal as much as possible, but use the electric to make sure I pace myself appropriately for such a ride.

As for the missing build specs:
Batteries: 2 eZee 48v 10ah LiMn battery backs from ebikes.ca - wired in parallel for longer range and to reduce the abuse of the packs when pulling higher currents.
Controller: Infineon 25A also from ebikes.ca with the upgraded mosfets (IRFB4110 I think?).

I suppose the fact that these are reliable enough that I forget to list them is a good sign! The controller has always "just worked" no questions asked. I'm not exactly the most powerful bike here on ES. I'm not going for a show of power but rather a realistic replacement for the average person's regular commute, groceries and errands. So this controller isn't anything super duper special to brag about. I do like the cruise control feature though.

Regards,
Ben

 

[AussieJester]

I'm not exactly the most powerful bike here on ES. I'm not going for a show of power but rather a realistic replacement for the average person's regular commute, groceries and errands. So this controller isn't anything super duper special to brag about. I do like the cruise control feature though.

And it think you nailed it, would make a great grocery getter for most people, don't mind Chalo it's not the first time i seen
him crap on someones ride just to start an argument.
.

KiM

 

[Chalo]

Tensioners go on the slack side of the chain. Powered side idlers are used on 'bents because there is something unavoidable (like the rider's butt) directly in between the front and rear sprockets. There is no such obstacle on a Big Dummy.

Chalo

 

[spinningmagnets]

If someone buys a Big-Dummy longtail, each owner is free to add a tensioner or not.

 

[Chalo]

If someone buys a Big-Dummy longtail, each owner is free to add a tensioner or not.

Each owner is free to add twin turbos and an intercooler if it suits him. But on a Big Dummy, turbos would add cost and weight while contributing nothing in return. Sort of like a taut-side idler adds cost, weight, wear, friction, and a point of failure without filling any existing need on a Big Dummy. That's why other Big Dummies and other normal upright bikes don't have them.

I asked why and Ben told me why. All I can say is, he must really hate chain slap and having to link his chain around the bike's frame to accept the drawbacks of a powered-side idler just to be rid of those things. Or he'll eventually figure out that stuff breaks and wears out much more often this way, and he'll fix it.

Bikes have been continuously developed for something like 150 years, and doing something with the bike itself substantially differently than the normal way means you're probably doing something that's been tried dozens of times and rejected every time.

Chalo

 

[Ben_S]

Well despite Chalo's miserable trolling, I've managed to keep having fun this summer! I've made some more improvements. But Chalo, be warned many of these components are not the lightest, simplest or most efficient on the market. You might be deeply offended by my choices.

I've since added:

• Front Surly Nice Rack
• Galeforce Blaster Horn
• XtraCycle Whatchamacollars and 700c risers
• Magura Gustav Brakes (in progress, one vendor screwed up my order so I have two right hand levers at the moment).

Is this not a sexy hub motor brake combination? Oh yes, I like it!

Now buckle up for a lecture on why floating calipers add unnecessary complexity to my bike. I can feel it coming already... :lol:

And just in case you wanted to know all the details of why I chose this stuff you can read more here: http://www.benswayne.com/hobbies/electric-cargo-bike.aspx#August2011

- Ben