WonderProfessor
100 W
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2009
- Messages
- 126
The Die is Cast! I finally did it. An eZee 20" rear-wheel hub motor is on its way from Vancouver, Canada, and a 36-volt, 20-amp hour Ping lithium-iron-phosphate battery is being assembled in China and will begin the journey sometime next week. Many thanks to everyone on this forum (and VisforVoltage, too) for your helpful information and advise; because of your expertise, I am certain I will have one of the most bitchin' e-bikes in San Diego, California.
The original idea was to electrify my 1994 Easy Racers Gold Rush recumbent. This bike has over 51,000 miles (82,000 kilometers). I used it to commute two to three times per week. The commute is 40 miles (65 kilometers) round trip. As that dreaded disease, A.G.E., began to take its awful toll, the number of commutes went from two to three times per week, down to two times per week, down to one time per week, down to ... At the same time the number of commutes ridden per week was going down, the number of pounds (0.454 kilograms) gained per month was going up! A dangerous inverse relationship was setting in. I needed more exercise but I'll be damned if I was going to bring a stationary bike into our home. (Also, I always told my wife that if I ever traded in my Gold Rush for a stationary bicycle, she should shoot me. She, of course, will never forget our agreement and would have no compunction whatsoever declaring in court that it was me who gave her the permission to pull the trigger.)
However, as I investigated further, electrifying the Gold Rush seemed more and more not to be the best way to move forward. The rear wheel of the Gold Rush already has far more weight than the front wheel. Indeed, Easy Racers recommends against adding more weight to the rear of the bike. Therefore, putting a rear hub would not be the best idea. On the other hand, a front hub has its own problems. The fork does not appear to be as strong as is often recommended by veterans here on this forum, even with torque arms. Plus, as mentioned, the front wheel of the bike holds very little of the total weight of the bicycle. The added weight of a front hub motor would only compensate modestly for this inadequacy. (Someone on this forum has already complained that his Tour Easy, brother to the Gold Rush, clone with a front hub motor exhibits traction problems in wet weather and on sandy surfaces.) Mid-range motors were very tempting but the anti-stealth factor weighed heavily on my mind. There is a peace officer who patrols a crucial leg of my commute. He is not what we would call "bike-friendly." He may be even less friendly to e-bikes. Lastly, adding more weight to my "mistress" (as my wife is prone to call my bike) would make it less appealing for recreational riding.
How to proceed? Of course! How ‘bout having a separate e-bike for commuting? Craigslist offered me a slightly-used (almost brand-new, actually) Sun Bicycles EZ-1 SX. It's the grandson of the Gold Rush. It was designed by Easy Racers but built in Taiwan. The tubing is heavy gauge steel. The weight is more evenly distributed. But like its Grand-daddy, it is still a very comfortable bike. Since I gotta' have tunes and the aforementioned peace officer simply loves to ticket cyclists for having earphones in both ears, the first step was to add a bitchin' stereo akin to the Gold Rush's stereo. (Please see photos.)
The decision to purchase the eZee along with the Ping battery was not without much weeping and wailing, beating of breast, and gnashing of teeth. There were two schools of influence from the locals at our Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego (http://www.evaosd.com/) meetings. Three of the gifted local enthusiasts chastised me for going with what they consider to be such an upscale system as my first e-bike. "You are only going to want to upgrade later. Get a cheap, throw-away, brushed, direct-drive motor with some cheap lead-acid batteries for your first e-bike!" Granted, there is some merit in their argument. The other school of influence came from two highly-respected engineers (one an electrical engineer, the other a robotic/linguistic/software engineer). They argued that I should, "Get it right the first time." They noted that I wanted long range, reliability, efficiency, and long life. I am not that handy, to be sure, so eZee's and Ping's reputations for reliability and quality were a big plus. Also, I want something that I will still want to pedal, with or without using the motor. Since the eZee motor is only 8.2 pounds (3.7 kilograms), I could still easily ride the bike for short jaunts without using the motor, especially if the battery were left at home. I wound up siding with this school of thought. (The third choice was mid-range motor. As mentioned, the anti-stealth factor put the kibosh on this option.)
Watch for more exciting posts as Yours Truly fumbles about with the bits and pieces as they arrive. The deadline is August 17th when our fall 2009 semester starts. Again, many thanks for all the invaluable help, My Brethren!
Gratefully submitted,
Frank Paiano
San Diego, California, U.S.A.
http://www.wonderprofessor.com
The original idea was to electrify my 1994 Easy Racers Gold Rush recumbent. This bike has over 51,000 miles (82,000 kilometers). I used it to commute two to three times per week. The commute is 40 miles (65 kilometers) round trip. As that dreaded disease, A.G.E., began to take its awful toll, the number of commutes went from two to three times per week, down to two times per week, down to one time per week, down to ... At the same time the number of commutes ridden per week was going down, the number of pounds (0.454 kilograms) gained per month was going up! A dangerous inverse relationship was setting in. I needed more exercise but I'll be damned if I was going to bring a stationary bike into our home. (Also, I always told my wife that if I ever traded in my Gold Rush for a stationary bicycle, she should shoot me. She, of course, will never forget our agreement and would have no compunction whatsoever declaring in court that it was me who gave her the permission to pull the trigger.)
However, as I investigated further, electrifying the Gold Rush seemed more and more not to be the best way to move forward. The rear wheel of the Gold Rush already has far more weight than the front wheel. Indeed, Easy Racers recommends against adding more weight to the rear of the bike. Therefore, putting a rear hub would not be the best idea. On the other hand, a front hub has its own problems. The fork does not appear to be as strong as is often recommended by veterans here on this forum, even with torque arms. Plus, as mentioned, the front wheel of the bike holds very little of the total weight of the bicycle. The added weight of a front hub motor would only compensate modestly for this inadequacy. (Someone on this forum has already complained that his Tour Easy, brother to the Gold Rush, clone with a front hub motor exhibits traction problems in wet weather and on sandy surfaces.) Mid-range motors were very tempting but the anti-stealth factor weighed heavily on my mind. There is a peace officer who patrols a crucial leg of my commute. He is not what we would call "bike-friendly." He may be even less friendly to e-bikes. Lastly, adding more weight to my "mistress" (as my wife is prone to call my bike) would make it less appealing for recreational riding.
How to proceed? Of course! How ‘bout having a separate e-bike for commuting? Craigslist offered me a slightly-used (almost brand-new, actually) Sun Bicycles EZ-1 SX. It's the grandson of the Gold Rush. It was designed by Easy Racers but built in Taiwan. The tubing is heavy gauge steel. The weight is more evenly distributed. But like its Grand-daddy, it is still a very comfortable bike. Since I gotta' have tunes and the aforementioned peace officer simply loves to ticket cyclists for having earphones in both ears, the first step was to add a bitchin' stereo akin to the Gold Rush's stereo. (Please see photos.)
The decision to purchase the eZee along with the Ping battery was not without much weeping and wailing, beating of breast, and gnashing of teeth. There were two schools of influence from the locals at our Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego (http://www.evaosd.com/) meetings. Three of the gifted local enthusiasts chastised me for going with what they consider to be such an upscale system as my first e-bike. "You are only going to want to upgrade later. Get a cheap, throw-away, brushed, direct-drive motor with some cheap lead-acid batteries for your first e-bike!" Granted, there is some merit in their argument. The other school of influence came from two highly-respected engineers (one an electrical engineer, the other a robotic/linguistic/software engineer). They argued that I should, "Get it right the first time." They noted that I wanted long range, reliability, efficiency, and long life. I am not that handy, to be sure, so eZee's and Ping's reputations for reliability and quality were a big plus. Also, I want something that I will still want to pedal, with or without using the motor. Since the eZee motor is only 8.2 pounds (3.7 kilograms), I could still easily ride the bike for short jaunts without using the motor, especially if the battery were left at home. I wound up siding with this school of thought. (The third choice was mid-range motor. As mentioned, the anti-stealth factor put the kibosh on this option.)
Watch for more exciting posts as Yours Truly fumbles about with the bits and pieces as they arrive. The deadline is August 17th when our fall 2009 semester starts. Again, many thanks for all the invaluable help, My Brethren!
Gratefully submitted,
Frank Paiano
San Diego, California, U.S.A.
http://www.wonderprofessor.com