Brainersan said:
I must compliment you on your aesthetics - really nice. Today, I received my eZee kit and I have taken a short shake down cruise already. Incredible how it turns up so many things that are slightly out of whack but now as an aggregate they scream "adjust and fix me." Mainly though there's way too many cables every where. So now a new challenge. I thought perhaps of welding an open tube underneath the top tube (from seat to steerer) and just run them through there but now I am thinking of perhaps something more cruiser like, perhaps with an internal three speed hub. I can see that I'll only be using tall gears anyway. I digress. I do want to thank you for the videos. As I unpacked the box and said, "eye-yi-yi!" it was comforting to know that I could get some hand holding. So aesthetics tomorrow and getting to know the Cycle Analyst better. Thanks for all the great content.
It's a wonderful kit. Perfect for a first-time ebike builder like me.
Thank you for the kind words.
BTW, folks, most of my videos are super boring, but not the next video, I promise.
Here's where I'm at: have racked 104 miles.
The fantastic CA has been programmed to limit the current draw of the 36/20 Ping pack to a mere 13A.
This still gives me 20mph unassisted.
With the 52t chainring and 16t rear cog, I can pedal assist at any speed, even above 20mph; 23mph being about the
fastest comfortable spinning speed.
Handling: everything about this modified hardtail cruiser bike goes against the books:
The weight distribution: it's 210lbs with me on it, and most of that weight is on the rear tire.
The front tire, that fat Bontrager slick, see page one of this thread, runs great at just 10PSI.
NO front brake, not wanted here...keeping it very simple. Drive with caution and anticipate traffic. No hills here either.
To stop: lean back, back pedal and yell, "Whoa, Nellie!" (Mathurin understands).
This rear-lean-back of the rider lessens the tendency to skid the rear;
which, if the rear tire does skid, only fishtails the bike in an entertaining manner;
skid not dangerous, no front wheel lockup possible. I drive it like I used to drive my Model T: same brakes, rear only,
LOOK ahead and watch out for soccer moms.
The
Thud Buster plus that soft front tire (and the rear is only at 20PSI), make this bike ride like it were full suspension.
I stay on the seat and fly off sidewalk curbings at 20mph, no problem, no discomfort, no major shock to the bike.
I can run on and off the road with equal aplomb. Nearby is a sunken park, a former rock quarry. It is grassy, has trees,
tree roots and some loose gravel in places, steep slopes, a flat bottom.
I just returned from a ten mile jaunt. I finished the ride by bombing through, around, all over that park.
Tree roots mean nothing to the bike. The steep slopes, as much as a one in four grade, are handled fine with pedal assist.
Exiting the park, climbing the south slope, atop the slope, bordering the park, is a concrete walkway: about 5 inches proud of of the dirt.
PULL up on the handlbars and over that bump and stay on the seat, going about 7mph, I'd reckon: no problem.
Regular curbings, 6 and more inches tall: I lean back, yank the bars and jump onto the curb or walkway,
not going 20mph, no, but punishingly fast: yet I stay seated on the long throw Thud Buster's padded seat.
So far, so very good. Nothing breaks. Nothing strained. No need even to use the full 20A steady-state-rated delivery of the low-C-rate Ping;
higher currents would only waste current on start-ups, since I do not much baby the throttle at start up;
I just floor it.
Cruising WOT costs about 9.5A; about 400W. This varies of course with headwind, tailwind, and the slightest grades.
Note that the 400W nominal includes motor and planet gear losses.
Pedal assisting at any speed lets the Cycle Analyst show you exactly, instantly, what muscle power you are inputting,
saving your battery.
The C.A. is truly a marvelous, versatile product.
In retrospect I wish now I'd gotten the Ping 48V pack for a bit more WOT-clear road speed,
but really: wind resistance above 20mph makes ebiking this way a waste of current,
and 20mph is a safe, "bike-like" speed: nobody gives this bike a second look.
I need to make an action video for a change: a wild ride around the park would be exciting;
it's just too bad that videos tend to make slopes and hills look flat, and tree roots, etc, less like they are in life.
The eZee is going to live a long time on this bike. Maybe in a year or two I'll upgrade to a higher voltage,
but for now: it's safer and saner to keep this basic bike truly bike-like, especially since its front wheel
=cannot have a brake=; the 10PSI Big Hank up there would not like the braking strains; it would wrinkle its sidewalls
and maybe pinch/chafe flat in time.
So, as it is: it is a unique cruiser...a cruiser, not a muscle bike, but a cruiser that will gladly bomb on and off road
along with the best of any hard or soft tail bikes. Only the rider's skill and strength (I have neither at this time) are its limits.
[youtube]6rVrSjTLo9o[/youtube]
It could do this; I'm sure of it; I climbed a slope that steep thirty minutes ago. And to jump the logs? A good rider
could do it. And with a singlespeed cruiser: mine! I need to find a local bike athlete someday who will put this geezer bike
through torture tests and try to break it, and fail to break it because...I have confidence in its build,
on the land and the sea and the air. :lol:
Really: because
Dom is going
underwater eventually, and THAT video will be something to see.
______________
my video list of boring videos for bike and ebike beginners
____________________
_________________________________
edit: to remove unaccountable profane-phrase that created itself when I copied and pasted a long url.
i have NO idea how that happened. I don't use bad words, you uckers. :wink:
(thanks to the moderator who fixed the problem).
R.