StefEbike for my wonderful disabled wife

[thundercamel]

My wife loves her bicycle, even if it's pretty ordinary. She hadn't been able to use it for a year since she was diagnosed with a rare lung disease called lymphangioleiomyomatosis, which mostly affects young women after having a child. I secretly built this for her, since our son loves bike trips, and she can now join us again!

StefEbike parts:
$169.99 Motor kit Goplus 26" 48V 1000W Rear Wheel thumb throttle RR446
$419.58 Battery cells x42 Vruzend LG 3500 mAh 10 amp discharge two pack
$9.00 Cell holders short ANNPower 18650 10P honeycomb/hexagon holders
$12.00 Cell holders long ANNPower 18650 13P honeycomb/hexagon holders
$6.99 Glue Beacon 873388 Quick Grip All-Purpose Adhesive, 2-Ounce
$50.80 Battery management system SP New Energy Smart 14s 60a Bluetooth BMS
$1.99 Charger female barrel connector Vruzend 5.5x2.1mm
$2.00 Cutting board x2 Dollar tree 11x14" cutting sheets
$39.34 Aluminum Sheet x2 RMP .063 3003 H14 Aluminum Sheet 12" x 24"
$11.84 Threaded couplers uxcell Rod Coupling Nut M6 Hex Coupling Nut 20Pcs
$8.02 Tapered screws uxcell M6x16mm 10.9 Carbon Steel Hex Socket Screw 50pcs
$12.00 Vinyl wrap VViViD XPO Black Metallic Sparkle Gloss Vinyl Wrap Film 1ft X 5ft
$16.98 U shape rubber trim seal 33Ft(10M) Car Door Edge Guards,U Shape Trim Rubber Seal Black
$10.16 El Wire lights 3.2mm Pink EL wire 4x1meter 3v two AA batteries
$13.99 Headlight LEORX 12V-80V 20W E-bike LED Headlight Lamp (Black)
$8.88 Tail light Bicycle Rear Light For eBike 36V 48V Laser Tail Light
$6.99 Light switch Handlebar Push Button Switch toggle 7/8inch 22mm
$19.98 Kickstand BV Bike Kickstand Center Mount Folding Double Legs
$30.99 Rear gearset faster hyper-glide DNP Epoch Freewheel 7spd 11-28 Nickel Plated
$39.99 Crankset for higher speeds Shimano FC-M391 Mountain Acera 9 Speed 48/36/26 170mm
$21.79 Sealed bottom bracket with metal cup SHIMANO UN55 Square Taper Bottom Bracket (68x127.5mm)
$12.00 Front Fender Eyelets Portland Design Works Eyelets for Full Metal Fenders (Pair)
$30.24 Full Fenders Planet Bike Full bike fenders - 26" x 60mm (black)
$24.99 Helmet Schwinn Thrasher Lightweight Microshell with Dial-Fit Coral
$13.19 Left Thumb Throttle Keenso 22mm 7/8inch Universal Thumb Throttle
$55.18 Rear Tire Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS 468 MTB (Black-Reflex - 26 x 2.25)
$25.99 Puncture Resistant Tubes Street Fit 360 2 PACK 26x1.95-2.35 32mm SCHRADER Valve
$19.50 Handlebar Wald 803 City Bicycle Mid-Rise Handlebar
$76.01 Front Suspension Fork SR Suntour XCM 26"" 1-1/8"" 180mm Steerer 100mm Travel Linear
$24.99 Front Disc Brake Hub SHIMANO New Deore M525A 36h Front Disc Hub Black
$19.99 Front Spokes SENQI 36pcs 14G J Bend Bicycle Steel Spokes 259mm W/Nipples
$49.99 Front Disc Brake Tektro HD-M290 Hydraulic Disc Brake Front 850mm 160mm Rotor
$13.99 203mm rotor and adapter ZOOM 203mm Disc Brake Rotor Black PM Adapter CNC
$9.05 Disc Brake Pads SHIMANO B01S Resin Disc Brake Pad & Spring
$7.38 V-Brake Pads The Flying Wheels Complete Bike Brake Pad Set, 70mm
$15.99 Power Meter bayite DC 6.5-100V 0-100A LCD Digital Power Energy Meter
$59.95 Battery kit - REMOVED Vruzend 1.5 caps for 52 cells 3.5 amps continuous
$12.19 Ring Terminals - REMOVED Morris 11014 non-insulated 22-16 awg #6 stud pack of 100
$13.71 Rear bike shelf/rack - REMOVED Rear hard tail aluminum bike rack/shelf
$33.00 Handlebar - REMOVED Pyramid Touring North Road Alloy 21" wide 3.5" rise 1" center
$1603.23 Total

My Prancing Pony parts:
$289.99 Motor kit EBIKELING 48v 1500w 700C REAR thumb with LCD
$419.58 Battery cells x42 Vruzend LG 3500 mAh 10 amp discharge two pack
$47.24 Battery management system SP New Energy Smart 14s 60a Bluetooth BMS
$1.99 Charger female barrel connector Vruzend 5.5x2.1mm
$24.95 Battery Bag Luna Cycle Triangle Bag zip tie version
$14.02 Cell Spacers x2 Idealhere 1x1 interlocking holders Should have used ANNPower
$15.20 Cutting Board sides for battery x2 Commercial PE Cutting Board Juice Grooves 16"x10"x3/8"
$3.25 1/4-20 x 3.5" Pan head screws x5
$7.99 T-nuts for battery sides Eowpower 50Pcs 4 Zinc Plated Tee T-Nut (1/4"-20 x 7/16")
$13.99 Headlight LEORX 12V-80V 20W E-bike LED Headlight Lamp (Black)
$8.88 Tail light Bicycle Rear Light For eBike 36V 48V Laser Tail Light
$6.99 Light switch Handlebar Push Button Switch toggle 7/8inch 22mm
$19.98 Kickstand BV Bike Kickstand Center Mount Folding Double Legs
$30.99 Rear gearset faster hyper-glide DNP Epoch Freewheel 7spd 11-28 Nickel Plated
$22.07 Sealed bottom bracket with metal cup SHIMANO UN55 Square Taper Bottom Bracket (68x127.5mm)
$89.98 Tires x2 Schwalbe Marathon Cross HS 470 Tire - Wire Bead
$10.89 Tubes Sunlite Street Fit 360 Tube 700x35-40 Schrader Valve 32mm
$38.00 Torque Arm (ebikeling to StefEbike) Grin Technologies Universal Rear Torque Arm V4 for eBikes
$30.24 Full Fenders Planet Bike Full bike fenders - 700c x 45mm
$9.50 Trailer Coupler InStep Flat Coupler for InStep and Schwinn Bicycle Trailers
$7.99 V-Brake Pads The Flying Wheels Complete Bike Brake Pad Set, 70mm
$16.16 Helmet Schwinn Thrasher Lightweight Microshell with Dial-Fit Carbon
$8.99 Gloves GEARONIC Cycling Gloves Foam Padded Half Finger Gray Large
$22.07 Bottom Braket Crank Bearing SHIMANO UN55 Square Taper Bottom Bracket (68x127.5mm)
$14.09 Left Thumb Throttle Vbestlife Left Hand Accelerator Thumb Throttle Snowmobile Style
$14.95 Phone Mount visnfa Bike Phone Mount Anti Shake 3.5 - 6.5 inches (Black)
$80.26 Front Suspension Fork SR Suntour XCM 26" 1-1/8" 210mm Steerer 100mm Travel Linear
$51.83 Front 26" Wheel Action Wheel Al 26 Front Alex Dm24/M475 6-Bolt Black
$35.00 Front Disc Brake Tektro HD-M290 Hydraulic Disc Brake Front 850mm 160mm Rotor
$13.99 203mm rotor and adapter ZOOM 203mm Disc Brake Rotor Black PM Adapter CNC
$15.99 Power Meter bayite DC 6.5-100V 0-100A LCD Digital Power Energy Meter
$43.19 Shipping/Tax
$9.95 Phone mount - REMOVED Ipow Universal Cell Phone Bicycle Handlebar Cradle
$1602.47 Total

Lynx recumbent parts:
$15.00 Throttle T-Lever Left/Right Thumb Throttle
$25.94 Front Disc Brake Hub SHIMANO New Deore M525A 36h Front Disc Hub Black
$30.30 Bicycle Chain x3 KMC Z7 Bicycle Chain (Silver/Gray, 1/2 x 3/32 - Inch, 116 Links)
$7.75 Bicycle Chain Pins Shimano CN-M732 Chain Pin (7/8 Speed), 3PC Set
$14.99 Front Spokes SENQI 36pcs 14G J Bend Bicycle Steel Spokes 185mm W/Nipples
$14.99 Rear Spokes SENQI 36pcs 14G J Bend Bicycle Steel Spokes 170mm W/Nipples
$5.89 Front Rim Tape GLOGLOW PVC Red Tire Liners, Rim Tape 2PCS/Set(20")
$5.55 Rear Rim Tape Kenda Rubber Rim Strips (Sold as Pair) (26x1.75, 20mm Wide)
$40.00 Front Wheels 2x 20" Alex AL-DM24 Rims Haro Profile Gt Redline 406x24
$32.46 Rear Wheel Weinmann DM30 Rim Wei 26" 559x24 Dm30 36 Bk/msw
$34.32 Front Tire Schwalbe Super Moto-X 20x2.40" Black Reflective
$18.99 Front Puncture Resistant Tubes Lowrider 2 Duro Tubes 20" x 2.125-2.40" 33mm Thorn Resistant
$32.99 Rear Freewheel faster hyper-glide DNP Epoch Freewheel 7spd 11-28 Nickel Plated"
$36.18 Motor Controller Display Green E-motion Store SW900 LCD Display with buttons
$5.81 Head Light with horn Tewatwo Store 12-72V Waterproof 12W LED headlight with horn
$8.53 Tail light and Brake light Easy-shopping store 36/48v Bicycle Brake and Tail Light
$18.95 Phone Mount visnfa Bike Phone Mount Anti Shake 3.5 - 6.5 inches (Black)
$180.00 Front Suspension Fork Spinner Grind 20"" with 50mm travel 1""x140mm steerer HD spring
$35.01 Front Disc Brake Tektro HD-M290 Hydraulic Disc Brake Front 775mm 160mm Rotor
$23.16 Brake hose kit TEKTRO HYDRAULIC 1800MM DISC BRAKE HOSE KIT
$11.49 Brake bleed kit Tektro Hydraulic Bleed Kit
$9.05 Disc Brake Pads SHIMANO B01S Resin Disc Brake Pad & Spring
$20.00 Left index shifter Shimano Acera SL-M310 Rapid Fire Shifter, Left (Black, 3-Speed)
$18.36 Right index shifter Shimano Acera SL-M310 Rapid Fire Shifter, Right (Black, 7-Speed)
$29.99 Rear Shock Absorber and Spring DNM Rear Shock AL 6061 Spring 750 Lbs 150mm (5.9") x 30mm
$19.99 Front Suspension Fork - REMOVED 20" ZOOM BICYCLE SUSPENSION FORK BIKE PARTS 316-2
$985.47 Total

Parts and tools used to build all bikes:
$35.99 52 Volt Charger Vruzend 52v 3 amp charger
$29.99 18650 cell charger Zanflare C4 Smart Charger 4 slot
$143.80 Spot Welder Malectrics DIY Arduino battery V3.2.2 FULL_BUNDLE
$72.99 Nickel Strip Pure Nickel Strip- 1kg (2.2lbs) Roll of 0.15x8mm 99.6% (next time I would try a cheaper AliExpress source, but I have plenty for now.
$15.98 Positive end insulators x2 ThreeBulls 200Pcs Cardboard 18650 Insulators Adhesive
$7.30 BMS USB adapter PC communication USB adapter for smart BMS
$395.99 Bike Rack for car hitch Hollywood Racks Sport Rider Bike Rack for Electric Bikes
$9.12 Foam sheets Happyxuan 5 piece 49x47cm 2mm EVA foam sheets
$32.03 Heat Shrink PVC Heat Shrink Black 103-400mm various sizes
$8.39 Kapton Tape 3 piece 4, 9, and 20mm heat resistant insulating tape - Only the 20mm was useful.
$15.60 Large zip ties 100 piece 8x500mm black 120lbs nylon
$8.45 Battery to Controller connectors Finware 10 Pair XT60 with heat shrink - Might use these for a larger charger later
$15.99 Battery to Controller connectors 5 Pair XT90 Connector Anti-Spark Connector 40 amp continous
$10.99 Controller to Motor connectors 5 Pairs MT60 3.5mm 3-wire 3-pole Bullet Connector Plugs Motor - Much smaller than the silly yellow terminal block
$8.87 Fuseholder EPAuto ATC/ATO 10 gauge 30 amp inline fuseholder
$9.99 Fuses Phyles up to 40 amp variety pack
$7.68 Light connector 2 wire MUYI 5 Kit 2 Pin 16 AWG Waterproof Connector Wire
$8.94 Freewheel removal tool Park Tool FR-1 FR-1.3 Freewheel Remover for Shimano
$6.15 Bottom bracket tool Bikehand Bicycle Shimano Bottom Bracket Removal Tool
$14.20 Crank puller Park Tool Compact Crank Puller CWP-7 22 x 1mm threads
$31.30 Chain cleaner Park Tool CG-2.3 Chain Gang Chain Cleaning System Blue
$15.56 Chain Lube Rock N Roll ORM-D Extreme PTFE Chain Lubricant, 16-Ounce
$5.40 Tube patch kit Park Tool Vulcanizing Patch Kit - VP-1 (One Color, 2Pack)
$10.21 Insulating Varnish Anti-Seize Technology 17214 Insulating Varnish Translucent Red
$75.00 Statorade Statorade 50mL for Motor Cooling
$9.95 Universal Spoke Wrench ATLIN Spoke Wrench Tool, 6 Sizes in One - Poor for tight spokes
$17.99 Chain Tools Oumers Bike Link Plier+Chain Breaker Tool+Chain Checker
$12.49 Reusable Zip Ties HOTUN 100 Pcs Reusable Nylon Cable Zip Ties(14 Inch,Black)
$31.96 Spoke Wrenches Park Tools SW-0 SW-1 SW-2 SW-3 Spoke Wrench Tool Kit
$20.17 Shipping/Tax
$1136.45 Total

All images can be opened in a new tab for full resolution.

Testing setup:

 

[thundercamel]

On her first test ride, it was already dark out, since we had to wait until after our son's bedtime. I told her to pedal like normal, and then try the throttle. I remember she just started laughing as she took off into the night! She was so glad it was a quiet unobtrusive setup. On facebook she wrote:

"I have the most nerdiest and thoughtful husband! When I got my LAM diagnosis there are a few things that I have not done much of because of the shortness of breath it brings. One of those things being bike riding. I am fine with flat and very small hills on the bike but any big hills and I wasn’t able to make it from being so out of breath. Well my husband changed that tonight when he added electricity to my bicycle. I can still pedal my bike like normal but when I get to a big hill I can now use the electric motor to help me up the hill! I was in tears. My husband gave me back something that I thought was gone, the enjoyment of bike riding with him and our son. I can now go bike riding anywhere I want! There’s even a basket now in front to hold my Inogen! I’m one lucky wife! Thank you Mark!"

Me struggling in the background:

Including my friend that helped me assemble everything:

 

[fechter]

Me struggling in the background:

Nice work! sounds like you need to make another one. Very inspiring story.

 

[flippy]

as mentioned in the other topic some stuff for spot welding:

welder:
https://malectrics.eu/product/diy-arduino-battery-spot-welder-kit-v3-2-2-full_bundle_car_battery/
add cheap 40$ car battery yourself and prehaps a small board like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/LM2596-DC-DC-Step-Down-Adjustable-CC-CV-Power-Supply-Module-Buck-Converter/173317274094
hook it up to a old laptop charger and set to 14.4V @ 2A or so to charge the battery if you dont have a proper battery charger

enough nickel strip to last you a good while:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1kg-roll-Thickness-0-2mm-High-Quality-low-resistance-99-96-pure-nickel-Strip-Sheets-for/32864774543.html
get the 8mm strip.

cell holders:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5Pcs-4x5-Cell-Spacer-18650-Battery-Radiating-Shell-Pack-Plastic-Heat-Holder-Heat-Rack-100-Original/32802485484.html

that should get you going making some proper reliable packs.

pro tip: first you weld the series strips and you put the parralel strips on top of those. also extent one parralel strip on eahc group so you can connect the balance wire from the bms on the side so you get a perfectly flat top you and insulate.

 

[Philaphlous]

Dude. That picture at spaceship earth makes me want to go to disney so bad! I haven't been there in over a year! Awful!!

In other news. I was just reading an article on birthing complications and how the US hospitals aren't good at recognizing complications. Not saying that's what happened but man, scary stuff. I don't have kids of my own yet but still...

 

[thundercamel]

Nice work! sounds like you need to make another one. Very inspiring story.

Thank you! It's only a matter of time

as mentioned in the other topic some stuff for spot welding:

welder:
https://malectrics.eu/product/diy-arduino-battery-spot-welder-kit-v3-2-2-full_bundle_car_battery/
add cheap 40$ car battery yourself and prehaps a small board like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/LM2596-DC-DC-Step-Down-Adjustable-CC-CV-Power-Supply-Module-Buck-Converter/173317274094
hook it up to a old laptop charger and set to 14.4V @ 2A or so to charge the battery if you dont have a proper battery charger

enough nickel strip to last you a good while:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1kg-roll-Thickness-0-2mm-High-Quality-low-resistance-99-96-pure-nickel-Strip-Sheets-for/32864774543.html
get the 8mm strip.

cell holders:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5Pcs-4x5-Cell-Spacer-18650-Battery-Radiating-Shell-Pack-Plastic-Heat-Holder-Heat-Rack-100-Original/32802485484.html

that should get you going making some proper reliable packs.

pro tip: first you weld the series strips and you put the parralel strips on top of those. also extent one parralel strip on eahc group so you can connect the balance wire from the bms on the side so you get a perfectly flat top you and insulate.

Thanks for the info. I was debating between the Chinese Sunkko, the JP on the spot welding thread, and this one. Malectrics seems to be the best bet, which I ordered last week with the supplies.

Dude. That picture at spaceship earth makes me want to go to disney so bad! I haven't been there in over a year! Awful!!

In other news. I was just reading an article on birthing complications and how the US hospitals aren't good at recognizing complications. Not saying that's what happened but man, scary stuff. I don't have kids of my own yet but still...

We love Disney and Universal, and have lots of pictures! It was the flower and garden festival last time. The LAM is just accelerated by hormones, so thankfully no problems with childbirth, though we aren't really allowed to have any more

 

[thundercamel]

So my goals with this build was get lots of capacity to never have range anxiety, and to fit as much of the battery as I could in the frame of the bike. I liked the direct drive hub motor, which should be best for reliability with less moving parts, and easy to install. The battery is a 14s6p LG MJ1 setup. Here are some more pictures as the bike stands at the moment:

The main battery (cell groups 1-11) is a snug fit into the frame with padding, cutting board/sheets, and several layers of heat shrink. It isn't able to move around in the frame, so it shouldn't see high G impacts.

Cell groups 12-14 I packaged with the motor controller, and put on a rack over the rear tire, which I was trying to avoid the look of.

I still need to hide the wiring, possibly in the bag the kit came with, or some large split loom tubing I have. I love the smart bluetooth BMS, and so far the most I've gotten out of a single charge is 44 miles!

Downsides are that I've monitored a voltage droop of 8.5 volts between on and off throttle. I'm not sure how much of that is from the cells themselves, and how much is from the Vruzend caps with their spring contacts. I will be spot welding the battery when I build one for my own bike, and if I monitor very little voltage droop there, I will rebuild this setup. If I do that using a honeycomb arrangement, a drawing that I've made up shows that I should not only be able to fit all 84 cells in the bike frame, but the motor controller as well! I'd love to get rid of that rear bike rack.

 

[thundercamel]

I started work on my bike this weekend with some friends. Thanks again Flippy for the recommendation on the Malectrics welder, as it seemed the most polished and capable for the price, and worked well. My heart skipped a beat when I tested the probes with a meter after assembly, and found 12 volts constant! Turns out it's just some sort of test, because it wouldn't even light up an automotive bulb.

I got started on welding, and handed it off to friend A so friend B and I could install the new wheel. While I was working the angle grinder to make clearance for the new giant axle nut, friend A came outside and asked if the battery was supposed to sizzle juice out of it after welding Turns out his eyesight is going bad, and he had the negative electrode right on the edge of a nickel strip, and blew a hole through the negative cell casing. Of course I hadn't bought any spare cells at $10 a pair, so I'm waiting on that right now. Sucked the wind right out of our sails

Will need some sort of padding to anchor everything in place.

I wish this controller could do regenerative braking, but their website says, "Kits don't have regen brake option."
2022 UPDATE: Connecting the EBS pad to ground DOES enable regen!

I was planning to glue this whole pack together, but changed my mind to make some sort of clamping plates on the sides.

 

[fechter]

Looking good. Clamping plates are a good idea. I did something like that on a pack I built. It is possible to (carefully) drill a hole at the intersection of the holder blocks so you can pass a bolt or nylon zip tie through to the other side and get some good clamping force.

Think about what might happen if the bike crashes or tips over. You want the plates to absorb some of the impact and prevent the blocks from separating.

On the controller, I can see a pad on the board marked "EBS" with no wire attached. It may actually be capable of regen but just doen't have the wires hooked up. The layout looks like the typical "Infineon" style, but hard to say based on just the looks.

Here's one of mine with polycarbonate clamping plates on the ends. Huge nylon zip ties hold it together.

 

[thundercamel]

Thanks Fechter, I ordered some plastic cutting boards to sandwich the battery for now, and I'll check out that EBS pad. I'm wishing I had known about/bought the LeafBike 1500w kit instead, that this ebikeling kit seems to be a copy of.

So the two replacement MJ1 cells we bought from M&A BD Electronics at Amazon came in, and at first I was worried they were fake or old, since they didn't match the cells I've been getting from Vruzend. The shade of green is slightly different, the metal shape in the positive terminal is slightly different, and the text is very different. I ran the "normal test" option on my tester/charger, and did not expect this result. Amazon on the left, and Vruzend on the right:

Both sets started off around 3.61 volts from storage

The Vruzend cells took less time to charge, and capacity tested much less than the Amazon cells, which were still discharging in their test?! Amazon cells are somehow higher than the rated 3500mAh? Text says 3635, 3723, 3203, 3212 mAh.

They all were a little warm. The internal resistance read much higher on cell 2 than the rest, however the charger tests that I do not know... This is of course just one test so far and there are a lot of unknown variables, such as the starting and ending voltages of the capacity test. I've gone from hoping the Amazon cells aren't fakes to hoping the $840 worth of Vruzend cells I own aren't fakes, lol

 

[thundercamel]

Test number two on the Amazon vs. Vruzend batteries. Watching the voltages, testing started at 4.20 volts, and ended at 2.75 volts. The good news is 3250mAh on the Vruzend cells at those voltages matches right up with the curves at lygte-info.dk. All four cells weighed the same on a digital food scale. The bad news is the P329 date code on the Vruzend cells looks up as November 2016! The R150 on the Amazon cells is May 2018 according to batterybro.com.

Have the MJ1 cells gotten more capacity over the years? Do my two year old batteries have 400-500 less mAh PER CELL than new batteries, even though they match voltage curves found online? Should I ask for a partial refund?

 

[thundercamel]

So Micah from Vruzend actually contacted me directly after reading this thread. Said they had gotten a batch of old cells from their supplier, and some went out before they noticed. He graciously offered me a 50% refund, which I took!

A friend helped me cut the cutting boards to shape and route out channels where I had soldered wires, so the clamping pressure will be nicely distributed on the plastic cell holders. I did consider folding tabs of nickel around the edge to keep the surface flush, but I chose the method you see pictured instead. I need to trim a bit more cutting board to fit the motor controller in the bag as planned, but it's functioned flawlessly so far! I was rushing to get the battery packed in the bag, so I missed taking pictures of the cutting board installed. Voltage sag is only 2.0 volts at the top of a charge and 3.0 volts at the bottom. Top speed is 30+ mph, which is more than I need

Open image as new tab for full resolution.

 

[flippy]

Looking sharp sir.

Pro tip. Construct the pack and use hot glue around the pack to glue the white panels to the side. That will help support the pack and prevent cracks in the plastic in due time as with biking the pack will suffer a lot of shocks. Especially the thin bit sticking ou needs support. Its only a fairly thin edge but it will help, it also prevents mostiure from getting to the welds/solder joints so things dont oxidize.
Little things like thst make for a happy, more productive pack.

 

[thundercamel]

Thanks Flippy! I do still need to trim the cutting board clamping plates, so I'll look into sealing then.

So after four bike rides around local bike trails and neighborhood roads, I went to adjust my shifter and found the wheel bent in! I don't remember hitting any abnormal bumps, and it didn't feel like this when I last parked it! It's a double wall aluminum wheel... I sent ebikeling an email asking if there's anything they can do, but we'll see about that.

[youtube]dsrGvlrXBXM[/youtube]

 

[2old]

You need to both tighten the spokes and true the wheel. Either have a bike shop do it or go to sheldon smith or many other places for a tutorial.

 

[Chalo]

You need to both tighten the spokes and true the wheel. Either have a bike shop do it or go to sheldon smith or many other places for a tutorial.

sheldonbrown.com

Hub motor wheels are a difficult kind to start working on. Most of them are put together wrong from the outset. This one is less terrible than most, but as 2old points out, you'll need a lot more initial spoke tension if the wheel is to remain tight.

 

[thundercamel]

Really, even though the affected area is only about five inches wide? Those three loose spokes are only loose because that's the section that is dented/buckled in, and the rest have tension. I will take it to my local bike shop, whom I had true the front wheel on my wife's bike, and see what they make of it.

Thanks guys!

 

[2old]

Chalo, thanks; got the wrong "Sheldon". He was a great guy and extremely knowledgeable. We had identical 1986 (AIR) Fat Chance Kickers the last time I "talked" to him.

 

[Chalo]

Really, even though the affected area is only about five inches wide? Those three loose spokes are only loose because that's the section that is dented/buckled in, and the rest have tension.

You can't know how round the rim was before it was laced up. Most cheap Chinese rims with relatively deep sections have problems with the joint-- it either wants to form a flat spot or a bump.

In days of yore, there was a common bike shop tool called a "rim jack", which was designed to pull out flat spots in the rim. I never tried to used one on a rim of relatively deep section. But they worked pretty well on the shallow rims of the time.

 

[thundercamel]

That tool would be exactly what I need to try. My local bike shop made it better, but said it would need to be replaced. Thankfully Ebikeling sent me a new wheel complete with motor! I'll swap it over the winter. My co-worker said to make it all wheel drive

We had some great weather this weekend finally! My friend and I took the bikes on the Metra train down to Prospect Heights, and bikes 40 miles north on the Des Plains River trail. Batteries made it just fine

I also went with the family around the McHenry Dam / Moraine Hills state park, and had a hard time keeping up with the wife through the turns! All I said to her was to go whatever speed you want, and I was blown away! Her bike inspires way more confidence through the turns, especially on gravel.

I love this bike rack, even though it was expensive. Rated up to 80 pounds per bike.

 

[thundercamel]

The $170 kit on the StefEbike only came with a generic 6 speed freewheel gearset. It matched the original 14-28 tooth sprocket sizes, but you could only comfortably pedal up to 15 mph and shifting was pretty bad. I swapped it out for the DNP Epoch Freewheel 7spd 11-28 Nickel Plated gearset, and it's great so far! I can comfortably pedal at 20+ mph now. Shifting is perfect and fast, one click on the shifter equals one instant gear change on the way up the gears from 1 to 7! On the way down from 7 to one, you have to overshoot your intended gear by one to get the chain over the larger sprocket, and then shift back up to make the clicking noise go away. Easy to do when you're used to it, almost all of my bikes have been like this, and it's far better than the non Hyper Glide gears that came with the ebike motor.

Park Tool FR-1.3 worked with this and the gears that came with the ebike motor. Impact gun helped remove the old gears. Friction is a bit stiff spinning on the freewheel, but it's new, and I hope it loosens up with usage. Now I just hope that this DNP freewheel is reliable, and lasts a long time!

 

[Chalo]

Run some thin lube (like Tri-flow) into the gap between the fixed and rotating parts of the freewheel. That should loosen up the gunky lubricant inside there and get the thing moving better.

You'll need to keep an eye on chain and freewheel wear, because 11 tooth sprockets get beaten up much faster than larger sizes, and wear the chain in turn. It's surely less of an issue than if the pedals were used for sole propulsion, though.

 

[thundercamel]

Thank you for sharing your experience with me Chalo. I haven't gotten to try it yet, but I did fix a flat on the rear of my bike. The stock tire on the rear is starting to show threads, and probably let a chunk of glass poke the tube.

So this is actually the first time ever that I've needed to purchase a bicycle tire, believe it or not! I've gone further down the rabbit hole than I needed to with research, so don't feel like you need to read all this. Continental and Maxxis don't have a rating system to compare the properties of their own tires, while Schwalbe and Kenda do. https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com has a good amount of Schwalbe tires tested, so I'm leaning towards one of theirs. I'm either going to stick with my stock 700x38c size, or go a little wider. My riding has been on half asphalt, and half small crushed gravel on the trails, so my priorities are:

1. low rolling resistance
2. better traction on the gravel
3. durability (mileage)

I'm leaning towards the Marathon Cross tire, which on Schwalbe's scales fit those priorities. The rolling resistance site has already proven that those ratings on Schwalbe's site are sometimes lies, such as with the Hans Damph, Marathon Racer, and Kojak tires. Unfortunately the only touring/ebike tire they've tested with a rougher tread is the Mondial Evo, which didn't do too great, and I would never pay for the expensive Evo version.

My other option is to go with the regular Marathon with GreenGuard which are proven to have low rolling resistance, and continue to be cautious around the curves on gravel. According to Schwalbe's scale, these have more rolling resistance than the Marathon Cross, but I kinda doubt it, and I may just want a more comfy 47-622 (700 x 45C) regular Marathon anyway.

EDIT: I don't have a name for my bike yet. Maybe I'll call my bike GenAssist after the manufacturer on the frame...

 

[wturber]

I've pretty much concluded that low rolling resistance isn't much of a priority on my e-bike. And I used to obsess over this on my road bike. I've been pretty happy with the Panaracer RibMO (26 x 2.0) I'm running on the rear base on recommendations Chalo has made. Also, getting a robust flat resistance tire on the back seems to be more important than doing so in the front. It seems that rear tires are more prone to flats since the front tire tends to kick stuff up creating greater hazards for the rear.

 

[thundercamel]

Good to hear wturber. I was almost going to buy the regular marathon tires, since they've been tested on the rolling resistance site, but went with my original choice of Marathon Cross. They look like they'll help cornering in gravel, from my subjective eye.

I managed to take a fall from my bike, and slid down the road. In retrospect, it was a dumb move trying to ride over a curb at an acute angle, and the grassy soil was not high even to match the height of the curb. I haven't hurt myself on a bike since I was a kid, and even then it only happened a couple times. Bike's fine other than the seat getting a small hole torn in the horn. I had to work from home Thursday and Friday, as I got pretty beat up with road rash on my palms and knees, plus more.

I have parts waiting for installation, but my hands aren't healed enough yet:
Marathon Cross tires for my bike, 700x38c
Sunlite tubes, just to have spares, and I can build this all on the new motor/wheel from ebikeling
Insulating Varnish spray can for the inside of the new motor, which will be my first one opening
Another DNP 7 speed 11-28 Freewheel for my bike, for higher speed pedaling
Shimano UN55 bottom bracket for StefEbike as the original exposed bearing unit started falling apart
Shimano FC-M391 Acera? Crankset 48/36/26 170mm to replace the lower speed 42/34/24 that StefEbike came with

It looked like the bottom bracket bearings had never been greased from Walmart, and my bike is starting to creak too, so I'll probably replace that over the winter as well. I'd rather have sealed units anyway, as there's no way I'm going to disassemble/clean/grease them every year.