Cross-Canada by Ebike

[philf]

I've been a mere lurker in the ES Forums for several months, having done most of my posting on another forum, detailing my various experiences with the three Chinese conversion kits I've hacked. This is a GREAT reason to make a first post...

Justin - apart from having been a great resource to me, I read a lot of positivity in your attitude and approach to life. It's refreshing. I was in the middle of building something like the Cycle Analyst before I got stuck on something and found YOU and your fine product while Googling a solution. I was a bit stunned when I saw the Cycle Analyst - I think I chose EXACTLY the same Hammond Manufacturing case for my project that you use, though my design is using TWO PIC16F690's. One riding with the current sensor at the battery and communicating with the other in the head-end/display unit serially to show the data.

I don't want to hijack this thread with all that, however... Just meaning to post some enthusiastic encouragement, and maybe ask a question... Do you plan to stick to the Trans Canada most of the way to the east, or if will you be taking the (significant) deviation from the straightest route to Halifax in order to pass through the more populous part of the country down here along Lake Ontario? You'll have no shortage of company if you do, I'm sure

Cheers!

 

[06.calliope]

hey justin,
that's awesome (and awe-inspiring) that you are cycling cross-canada.
be careful on the shoulders - they're not always bike-friendly (my husband biked on an old roadbike from calgary to vancouver 2 summers ago).

peace&light,

calliope

 

[Perfesser]

Hi Justin.
It was great to hear you sounding so happy (as usual) in Calgary. Thanks for the call.
I was speaking to my girlfriend about getting things to you en route, and she said that if I got a package to her office (she is a manager at FedEx) by 5:30PM any weekday, it would be in Regina by late morning the next day, or Winnipeg in the early morning next day.
So if you cannot find the stuff you need in Calgary by the time you leave on Tues, then let me know. I can obtain it here and ship it to either of those two places. You can pick it up at the FedEx office when you arrive.

My new workshop is slowly coming together. The lathe should be set up by the time you get back, and I'm thinking about getting a lasercutter. We could use it to etch a logo onto the CycleAnalyst boxes (I know how much cosmetics mean to you :wink: ).

So, just how DID the computer get into the sleeping bag with you, exactly ?

 

[Pheno]

Hey Justin
I was also thinking this would make a great book. I have told alot of people about your trip. Its amazing how many others would like to try this but verry few of us would ever go through with it. so once again good luck and sorry for all the posts.

 

[itselectric]

Justin refueling in Calgary in the Chinese Restaurant with the Power-In-Motion folks.

 

[itselectric]

Justin by the Calgary Glenmore Reservoir with the steamboat behind.

He was unable to fix his laptop, we manage to extract all the data from the hard drive, this includes his data during the trip. He will be picking a used laptop here in Calgary.

We will be providing new tires, bike accessories that he needed for his trip. We will have our bike mechanic to check everything on his bike to make sure it is in top condition for his trip.

 

[swade]

We will be providing new tires, bike accessories that he needed for his trip. We will have our bike mechanic to check everything on his bike to make sure it is in top condition for his trip.

If he hasn't got one already, throw in a bike mirror. PM me and I'll paypal you the cash for it!

 

[Bill Best]

Justin by the Calgary Glenmore Reservoir with the steamboat behind.

He was unable to fix his laptop, we manage to extract all the data from the hard drive, this includes his data during the trip. He will be picking a used laptop here in Calgary.

We will be providing new tires, bike accessories that he needed for his trip. We will have our bike mechanic to check everything on his bike to make sure it is in top condition for his trip.

You might want to pick up a used Panasonic Toughbook to be sure it withstands the rest of the journey.

I hope you'll be coming through southern Ontario. I'm love to arrange a little get together in a central location so we can all meet you. Let us know when or if you'll be coming through the GTA.

 

[TylerDurden]

Reflective lettering too?


Stay safe, all...

 

[itselectric]

We will be providing new tires, bike accessories that he needed for his trip. We will have our bike mechanic to check everything on his bike to make sure it is in top condition for his trip.

If he hasn't got one already, throw in a bike mirror. PM me and I'll paypal you the cash for it!

Wade:

Please come to Power-In-Motion store on Tuesday 5:30pm, we are all going to ride our electric bike with Justin out on highway 1.

 

[swade]

I'd really like to join Justin and the crew for the ride out of town. Unfortunately my wife works Tuesday and Wednesday nights so I'm at home tending to our one year old daughter those nights.

 

[steveo]

Hey Justin

Wish you the best of luck on your trip! if you will be biking by Toronto, Ontario i defiantly will be there to meet you let me know your route as you cycle along!!

-steveo

 

[justin_le]

I enjoy riding long distances at night and you have good lights, have you been riding after dark? Sometimes seeing the mountains in BC in the moonlight can just blow my mind.

I've been really enjoying night rides as well, especially when the sky's been clear. The best part has been hearing all the distant trains roaring over the tracks and in and out of tunnels throughout the rockies. The worst part is accidentally veering onto the rumble strips at night. It makes the wheel shudder in exactly the same way as a blown mosfet in the motor controller and nearly gives me a heart attack every time.

Could you comment on your Stokemonkey experience? How do you think your trans-Canada ride would be different if you were using it combined with your current xtracycle and battery? What do you think of it generally? I suppose the forced pedalling would get old on such a long trip, but maybe the efficiency would be a plus.

So I absolutely loved the stokemonkey setup and was a bit sad to take it off the Xtracycle for this trip. Around Vancouver I would usually get significantly better range with that than the hub motors, (upwards of 45-50 km on a 36V 8Ah battery). However, I did run into a few problems with chain stretch and skipping with all the motor power going through the bicycle drive chain, and I really didn't want to risk this kind of mechanical failure going on such a long trip in a heavy vehicle with lots of climbs.

Is your one photo per minute time lapse movie still in progress? I can't wait to see it.
Scott

It is, but so far in BC there has been quite a lot of scenery change from one minute to the next so it is pretty disjoint when played back in rapid succession. I think going through the prairies there will be much better continuity.

Justin

 

[justin_le]

I'd love to hear some details on how you are finding the charging - easy to find? What types of spots are you charging up at? Restaurants? Gas Stations, private homes? Malls? Also have you talked to people while charging, and how has the response been, receptive, ? Has anyone told you you can't charge wherever?

Hi Bernhard, so charging hasn't been an issue _at all_ up to this point, and I've been really surprised by that. Pretty much everywhere there is at least one or two grid connected buildings, you can find an external outlet and a discrete enough place to put the bike nearby, run an extension cord, and no one is even the wiser about what is going on. I thought at first that I would often have to take all the batteries off the bike and carry them inside to charge up at libraries and coffee shops but that hasn't happened once.

Every now and then I spot a bike rack beside an outlet and this delights me of course, because whoever installed it probably had no idea just how forwards thinking they were:



I generally haven't asked for power, at night there is no one to ask, and in the day the one time I did this (at the Visitor Info Center in Sicamous) the lady didn't know so she asked her boss and came back and said that it would cost a dollar to use their plug. That was a bit much of a markup when I'm trying to do this on a $10 energy budget.

My general observation is that external outlets are more common on older buildings than newer installations, so that's where I tend to look first. But there are two non-building power sources that have been quite dependable. One is at the base of illuminated signs. This one with the Gophers is at the top of Rogers Pass:

View attachment 1

Another source are the parking stalls setup in places where they are expecting RVs. At least that's what I presume is going on here, as at a lot of the touristy areas there will be a row of parking spots that each have a post in front with an outlet on it. These were all over the Banff area and have been a few at several visitor info centers as well.

As far as talking to people while charging, well this is a typical scene below:



The bike was charging up just outside a coffee shop at Lake Louise. People start to congregate and try to figure out amongst themselves what is going on, "is it a tandem?" "why are there two handlebars?" "where's the front seat" "Look what are all these wires" "Oh I see it must be charging batteries" etc. etc. In this case once I started explaining what it was and what I was doing a whole crowd of at least 20 people came around to listen. It's been neat.

Justin

 

[Ypedal]

Good show Justin !!!!! 8)

So what happens when you get to Moncton ? .. ride back to BC ?

If you have to.. i know a safe place you can store your rig !! hehe...

 

[velias]

I would like to know all the bike and non-bike related supplys that you have taken with you for the trip.
bike tools, spare tubes,parts, bike lock? etc
Have you had any flats? Do you think your original tires will last?
How long does it take to do a full charge?
How are you getting back to Vancouver with the bike? Be careful of cannibalism if you take Greyhound back.
What are your plans if your bike irrepairably breaks down in the middle of nowhere?

 

[billvon]

and the regen motor controller is chief among them. This unit is quite a few years in the making, I think I'm at PCB revision number 12 or 13 now.

Sounds like a great little controller! Have you considered adding phase advance? With phase advance I think you'd have a controller that could do anything.

 

[mikereidis]

I generally haven't asked for power, at night there is no one to ask, and in the day the one time I did this (at the Visitor Info Center in Sicamous) the lady didn't know so she asked her boss and came back and said that it would cost a dollar to use their plug. That was a bit much of a markup when I'm trying to do this on a $10 energy budget.

I hope you declined that budget busting $1 rate.

From a previous post of yours, I thought you were using prevailing electric rates in each province to calculate the $10 budget, and not what you actually paid. ??

For example, if you get free electric, you still add some number to your budget don't you ? If so, then you don't need to add what you actually paid to the budget. Anyway, I'd hope that if you explained your trek, most would gladly let you charge for free.

Have you settled on an Ontario route yet ? I guess many Torontonians would want you to swing south from the TCH. I'm in Ottawa, and I think many like myself would be interested in meeting at the west end of the NCC bike paths, in the Kanata area.

 

[Zoot Katz]

. . . Another source are the parking stalls setup in places where they are expecting RVs. At least that's what I presume is going on here, as at a lot of the touristy areas there will be a row of parking spots that each have a post in front with an outlet on it. These were all over the Banff area and have been a few at several visitor info centers as well. . .
Justin

Those are most likely provided for engine block, oil sump and battery heaters. You'll probably find lots of them across the rest of the country.
I didn't know that they were left connected during the summer too.

 

[justin_le]

I hope you declined that budget busting $1 rate.

Ha, I actually had a chuckle, gave her a loonie and charged up. (I took the loonie from my food budget.)

From a previous post of yours, I thought you were using prevailing electric rates in each province to calculate the $10 budget, and not what you actually paid. ??

You are absolutely correct here, I'm basing the dollar numbers on the posted electricity rates for each province. I'm also currently looking only at power used by the motor controller, rather than power taken from the grid which would account for charger inefficiencies and all that. This makes sense when you think of the premise, that I'm doing the trip showcasing the minimal amount of energy needed to move a person from one side of the country to the other. It doesn't really matter how the energy goes from being produced to getting into my battery pack. But for people who feel differently, you could add about 20% to the numbers to account for the grid electricity.

Have you settled on an Ontario route yet ? I guess many Torontonians would want you to swing south from the TCH. I'm in Ottawa, and I think many like myself would be interested in meeting at the west end of the NCC bike paths, in the Kanata area.

There has been a huge amount of interest from both Toronto and Ottawa, so I'll be going through both, and will sort out the details as things get nearer in the next couple weeks. Where I haven't heard from too many people is between here and Toronto, so if anyone here knows ebikers in Brooks, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Regina, Brandon, Winnipeg, etc. who might be missing these postings, maybe give them a heads up for me.

Justin

 

[Anonymous]

Justin you're a dynamo and an inspiration!

I was out of the loop and had no idea you were fielding my tech questions from the road, to wit:
******************************
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:37 AM, John wrote:
> I measure 0 to 3.65V swing as I depress the throttle and the wheel spins.

You should not be seeing 0V when the throttle is off, so there is
something suspect about either the measurement or the throttle.
Justin
******************************
Sure enough, eliminating the throttle (replaced with a temporary jumper with momentary switch between "5V" and the "throttle" signal lines) revealed the source of the maddening intermittent cut-out to be the throttle. I've ordered a new one.
Thanks for all you do on all fronts!
John
ps. Your photo shows 9Ah LiFePO4, 24Ah LiPoly, and 8Ah NiCad;
the bi-line says: 37V 26Ah lithium + 36V 8Ah NiCad.
?? Fuzzy math?
Do you run each pack till it's done then switch to the another, mix chemistries in parallel, or switch to a series boost to 73V at times?

 

[justin_le]

Hi John, glad to hear your problem's been solved (or at least identified).

ps. Your photo shows 9Ah LiFePO4, 24Ah LiPoly, and 8Ah NiCad;
the bi-line says: 37V 26Ah lithium + 36V 8Ah NiCad.
?? Fuzzy math?

Good eye. Those are what the nominal cell ratings are. But the 24Ah of LiPoly is only delivering about 19Ah in account of minor balancing and BMS issues, so the real world capacity of all 4 packs generally works out to about 36 Ah. I should have said 37V 28Ah of lithium, not 26Ah, that's a typo.

Do you run each pack till it's done then switch to the another, mix chemistries in parallel, or switch to a series boost to 73V at times?

I both discharge and (surprisingly) charge them all in parallel. This only gets the NiCad to about 85% charged. If I really want to get to 100% charge on the NiCad I'll separate it from the lithiums and charge it with the NiMH charger for a proper dT/dt based cutout. If you have multiple packs, it always makes sense to drain them simultaneously rather than in sequence, and right now with the 4 batteries there is almost negligeable voltage sag from loading. If the pack is at say 39V unloaded, I can draw 25 amps and it might drop down to 38.5V or so, then I can do -15 amps of regen and it might go up to 39.3V. It's really nice having this stiff of a power source.

Justin

Justin

 

[docnjoj]

Hey Justin! How do U run all those different Ah batts in parallel? U must use Shottkys, but dont u get say when the small packs are fully drained?
otherDoc

 

[hejo]

Are there any news about the new tiny controller?
How does it perform?
Chances to launch it ?
Price?
I want two of them asap
Greetings and good luck, Justin

 

[hejo]

My Dream-Team :

The new controller, the CA (either with bluetooth functionality of USB cable)
The Iphone as bike computer, display, programming / setting interface.... and of course GPS navigator, movie / music player.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcdEFE9a1vY