SpasticOscillator
10 µW
Hi All !!! [ From Australia ; NSW ]
I have been a superficial occasional lurker here for some time, probably ~ a year .
I'm familiar with the recurring names and with the posts of some of the great contributors to this awesome forum,
and sing your praises to friends [as in "you should check out these endless sphere forums" , etc. ]
I usually show off the brilliant videos from Recumpence [how do you make those things in that tiny workshop???], LFP , DogManDan, Cedric Lynch, etc. etc. [too many names] to friends and etc. to try and spark more interest.
Basically , I think some of you guys are totally brilliant and very admirable ... but that's probably enough smoke up your back-ends for the moment lol.
I've had some heavy study and work commitments the past 6 months - or year really - [set to continue],
and have not really had time for getting involved in community [unfortunately ! ],
or to put together the kind of bike I've had in mind ;
so I've just occasionally bumbled about here admiring,
without deep investigation ;
I've still been very inspired looking at you guys ; your threads and videos and developments.
I've been wanting to stick an e-bike [with some guts] together for a while now.
Australia has somewhat recently launched a public-transport electronic PEOPLE TRACKING system ,
which I'm uncomfortable with on principle, called "The Opal Card System" , with no option to remain a citizen with private movements on public transport ; and since our populace are mostly cattle-like when it comes to privacy matters,
not many people seem to give a damn ;
and since my 2 motorcycles are out of action, and I'm selling one of those ;
I think it's time to stick a little plug-and-play e-bike together ASAP.
................
Here are some of my thought-steps for what I want to stick together and make work.
Any thoughts / opinions / advice on any of the points below is appreciated.
I've been into motorcycles for a long time, fairly familiar with a lot of makes of MotoX ,
but I'm NOT very familiar with specific models or history of MTB.
FRAME :
1) . I would definitely prefer a STEEL frame dual suspension MTB , if anybody experienced can recommend various models for me to keep an eye out for ; both for structural strength and so I can easily make mods and additions to it .
[I am a decent welder and somewhat OK fabricator with some training behind me : Only average, not great : Don't have a lot of time for big jobs though at the moment].
I'm in the used-market [re. student budget]
Steel MTB frames seem to be difficult to find ! [Or maybe I just don't know what to look for ] .... understandably I suppose, since I guess most MTBs are produced for an end user in mind, and the end user wants light frames , and that means alum'n and carbon fibre, unfortunately for me.
However, some ideas I wanted to try in the future ; for eg.
- to weld cleats etc. so I can weld together a sturdy a cargo trailer out of cannibalized front ends from other bikes and other bits and pieces, as I have seen other users do here ; maybe put a tow-ball on there .
- Weld extensions for a cushier seat ; more like a moto dirt-bike .
- Various other extensions for loads and cargo.
These are NOT pressing ideas or needs ; but would be cool to do at some stage.
FRAME / PERSONAL MEASUREMENTS
I'm about 178 cm tall which is ~5'8" give or take a bit.
Standard 26" wheels will suit .
My current crap MTB has a measurement from centre of crank to top of seat post about 475 mm , which is actually a good size for me.
Top tube about 575 mm long [from centre of centre tube to centre of steering tube].
MOTOR :
2) I think I would like about a ~ 3 kW motor.
I tried a 2kW the other day [first time on ebike ; was a thrill ! ], and I reckon it was almost sufficient.
I just wanted a bit more pull.
I have had an MXUS hub motor recommended to me . A quick look around suggests these are good, and the specs I want.
Will do more research.
BUDGET :
3 ) Budget : I'm a bit of a broke ass student atm :
SO : [MINUS the frame] , for all the electric bits :
[hub motor , batteries and BMS, controller , throttle, anything else?]
I am HOPING to get out of it for under AU$1500 [which is about $1060 USD presently] ;
but I'm semi-realistic , and I know it might take AU$2000 out of me or a bit more ;
I'm just really hoping the $ won't run up that high.
The batteries themselves may suck up most of this cost entirely....
but IDEALLY I'm leaning toward the economical side at present.
ANTI THEFT Measure
4) I would love to be able to fairly easily remove the expensive electric bits from the frame [mainly hub and batteries] ; and carry [ie. lug them!] with me to classes [lock to my desk or something] ; as some measure against theft .
I don't know if the Quick Lok wheel removal system is suitable for hub motors, but that would be supercool, to save bringing spanner + ratchet with me, although that is doable.
I'm not splashing-out big cash on the frame , as it's altogether possible some --------- bastard will steal it ;
it's LESS likely if I spend a little on the low-end for the frame, even give it a crap paint-job, and lock it down with a few locks.
But basically , I'd prefer some reasonable steel dual susp. MTB frame on the cheaper-end of the market.
MY IMMEDIATE TRAVEL PURPOSES - NEEDS :
I plan to be using this to travel a distance of about 40 km [ ~25 miles ] each day ;
Between home work and study.
Basically fairly light commuting.
Here in Australia, the bullshit rip-off govt. revenue-raising petrol-business protection laws are bull-shit ;
Hub / electric motors are limited to about 350 W [though higher power motors are obtainable for "recreational use" , and police aren't walking around with meters.
ie : I'm NOT going to be attentive to the crooked-legalities in this regard ; and am going to buy a -------- decent motor that can deliver some actual power.
So the idea is for the bike not to draw too much visual attention ; and I'll be riding fairly sensibly [most of the time under 50 km / h , sometimes 60km / h max , and RARELY.
Anyway, that might be enough info and questions for now.
I wrote more, but it's possibly too much already.
............................
Thanks so much for any tidbits of advice or links to relevant threads which I've not searched !!!
If I don't get much of a chance to respond all week, until next weekend, it's because I'm in crazy work-study mode.
Just assume my upmost thanks appreciation in advance !!!
I have been a superficial occasional lurker here for some time, probably ~ a year .
I'm familiar with the recurring names and with the posts of some of the great contributors to this awesome forum,
and sing your praises to friends [as in "you should check out these endless sphere forums" , etc. ]
I usually show off the brilliant videos from Recumpence [how do you make those things in that tiny workshop???], LFP , DogManDan, Cedric Lynch, etc. etc. [too many names] to friends and etc. to try and spark more interest.
Basically , I think some of you guys are totally brilliant and very admirable ... but that's probably enough smoke up your back-ends for the moment lol.
I've had some heavy study and work commitments the past 6 months - or year really - [set to continue],
and have not really had time for getting involved in community [unfortunately ! ],
or to put together the kind of bike I've had in mind ;
so I've just occasionally bumbled about here admiring,
without deep investigation ;
I've still been very inspired looking at you guys ; your threads and videos and developments.
I've been wanting to stick an e-bike [with some guts] together for a while now.
Australia has somewhat recently launched a public-transport electronic PEOPLE TRACKING system ,
which I'm uncomfortable with on principle, called "The Opal Card System" , with no option to remain a citizen with private movements on public transport ; and since our populace are mostly cattle-like when it comes to privacy matters,
not many people seem to give a damn ;
and since my 2 motorcycles are out of action, and I'm selling one of those ;
I think it's time to stick a little plug-and-play e-bike together ASAP.
................
Here are some of my thought-steps for what I want to stick together and make work.
Any thoughts / opinions / advice on any of the points below is appreciated.
I've been into motorcycles for a long time, fairly familiar with a lot of makes of MotoX ,
but I'm NOT very familiar with specific models or history of MTB.
FRAME :
1) . I would definitely prefer a STEEL frame dual suspension MTB , if anybody experienced can recommend various models for me to keep an eye out for ; both for structural strength and so I can easily make mods and additions to it .
[I am a decent welder and somewhat OK fabricator with some training behind me : Only average, not great : Don't have a lot of time for big jobs though at the moment].
I'm in the used-market [re. student budget]
Steel MTB frames seem to be difficult to find ! [Or maybe I just don't know what to look for ] .... understandably I suppose, since I guess most MTBs are produced for an end user in mind, and the end user wants light frames , and that means alum'n and carbon fibre, unfortunately for me.
However, some ideas I wanted to try in the future ; for eg.
- to weld cleats etc. so I can weld together a sturdy a cargo trailer out of cannibalized front ends from other bikes and other bits and pieces, as I have seen other users do here ; maybe put a tow-ball on there .
- Weld extensions for a cushier seat ; more like a moto dirt-bike .
- Various other extensions for loads and cargo.
These are NOT pressing ideas or needs ; but would be cool to do at some stage.
FRAME / PERSONAL MEASUREMENTS
I'm about 178 cm tall which is ~5'8" give or take a bit.
Standard 26" wheels will suit .
My current crap MTB has a measurement from centre of crank to top of seat post about 475 mm , which is actually a good size for me.
Top tube about 575 mm long [from centre of centre tube to centre of steering tube].
MOTOR :
2) I think I would like about a ~ 3 kW motor.
I tried a 2kW the other day [first time on ebike ; was a thrill ! ], and I reckon it was almost sufficient.
I just wanted a bit more pull.
I have had an MXUS hub motor recommended to me . A quick look around suggests these are good, and the specs I want.
Will do more research.
BUDGET :
3 ) Budget : I'm a bit of a broke ass student atm :
SO : [MINUS the frame] , for all the electric bits :
[hub motor , batteries and BMS, controller , throttle, anything else?]
I am HOPING to get out of it for under AU$1500 [which is about $1060 USD presently] ;
but I'm semi-realistic , and I know it might take AU$2000 out of me or a bit more ;
I'm just really hoping the $ won't run up that high.
The batteries themselves may suck up most of this cost entirely....
but IDEALLY I'm leaning toward the economical side at present.
ANTI THEFT Measure
4) I would love to be able to fairly easily remove the expensive electric bits from the frame [mainly hub and batteries] ; and carry [ie. lug them!] with me to classes [lock to my desk or something] ; as some measure against theft .
I don't know if the Quick Lok wheel removal system is suitable for hub motors, but that would be supercool, to save bringing spanner + ratchet with me, although that is doable.
I'm not splashing-out big cash on the frame , as it's altogether possible some --------- bastard will steal it ;
it's LESS likely if I spend a little on the low-end for the frame, even give it a crap paint-job, and lock it down with a few locks.
But basically , I'd prefer some reasonable steel dual susp. MTB frame on the cheaper-end of the market.
MY IMMEDIATE TRAVEL PURPOSES - NEEDS :
I plan to be using this to travel a distance of about 40 km [ ~25 miles ] each day ;
Between home work and study.
Basically fairly light commuting.
Here in Australia, the bullshit rip-off govt. revenue-raising petrol-business protection laws are bull-shit ;
Hub / electric motors are limited to about 350 W [though higher power motors are obtainable for "recreational use" , and police aren't walking around with meters.
ie : I'm NOT going to be attentive to the crooked-legalities in this regard ; and am going to buy a -------- decent motor that can deliver some actual power.
So the idea is for the bike not to draw too much visual attention ; and I'll be riding fairly sensibly [most of the time under 50 km / h , sometimes 60km / h max , and RARELY.
Anyway, that might be enough info and questions for now.
I wrote more, but it's possibly too much already.
............................
Thanks so much for any tidbits of advice or links to relevant threads which I've not searched !!!
If I don't get much of a chance to respond all week, until next weekend, it's because I'm in crazy work-study mode.
Just assume my upmost thanks appreciation in advance !!!