Imaginarium arkmundi

arkmundi

arkmundi

10 MW
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
3,143
Location
Worcester, MA USofA
Lesson One
The workshop will proceed as a series of lessons and steps. The lessons are about things you need to know. That knowledge is then enacted in steps that will complete an eBike build. The steps are best made at your own pace, not hurried. Find your own pace in the context of other life demands. We're all teachers and students here on ES and in the workshop. Please take some time to lend a hand.

Step One
Imagine what you want. Use the vast visual and textual resource here on the forum, youtube and other websites on the Internet. What you want must serve your ongoing transportation needs. Those needs are different if you're a student travelling between home and school, different if you're handicapped and looking for assistive mobility, different if you've got cargo to carry, different depending on distance and speed, terrain and other factors. To get you started, enter The Imaginarium (see attached).

Step Two
Look at various available kits - Top 10 eBike Conversion Kits & Where to Buy. Don't buy anything yet. Part of succeeding in a build is the cost factor, that it fits your budget. Costs will include:
  • A bike frame. It may be a standard issue or custom made. It may be high-end or from Walmart. It may be an old rusty bike in your or your parent's garage that you want to rehabilitate. It may also be a skateboard, a tricycle, even a unicycle. It just needs to carry you and everything you want to carry with you, have wheels and be able to take the electric motor, controller, battery and components necessary to make it work as an eBike.
  • A conversion kit, per make and store. Here's the trick - picking the right one given what you want and need. Almost all the noobie questions, first posters on the forum are asking for help completing this step. I and many others succeeding with their build were there once, joined the forum, asked, got answers (some good and some bad), made a decision, published it, got some feedback, changed directions and then finally committed.
  • A battery. Many conversion kits will come with a battery or the option of kit minus battery. Its fine to take a starter battery along with your initial purchase. But.... batteries come in lots of price ranges, chemistries, having different capacities (distance), and long-term endurance. But this workshop will be mostly about batteries. There are significant advantages buying the raw cells, building your own battery pack and maintaining it over time.
  • A good charger . One may come as part of full conversion kit having a battery. Or there are others that can be purchased. A good charger is one matched exactly to the charging characteristics of your battery.
  • Racking, wiring, connecting, monitoring, lighting and other incidental costs. Again with many options.
  • Braking. Depending on speed, it may be necessary to upgrade the conventional brake on a bike and put on a disc brake for improved stopping. You may also want to consider regenerative braking, take momentum and converting it back to electrical storage. And you may want to add brake lights so you're more like other vehicles on the road.
  • You can also just buy a complete commercially available electric bike, of which there are an increasing number available. If that's what you want and can afford, then the remainder of the workshop may be moot. In all instances, you'll still need a good battery. All batteries are eventually heading for the recycle bin and will need to be replaced. So the workshop may be useful after all.
Step Three
Ask lots of questions, get critical feedback, subject your design to consideration by others. Once you have a basic design in mind, and a complete list of components, start a build thread here on the forum and lay it out. Use text and pictures. Then notify us that you're ready for review. Lesson One completes with a thumb's up from the group (at Technocopia and here on the forum).
 

Attachments

  • ImaginariumOfArkmundi.pdf
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Lesson Two
You've completed Lesson One above, have a good design and all the components listed in a build-thread. Since going through that process, you've also established some trusted relationships with members of the forum, your fellow classmates at Technocopia, friends & family. You've got some thumbs up, considered critical feedback and ready to take the leap.

Step One - the affordability question
In my Intro and this thread, I make the assertion that an eBike (or other LEVT) is far more affordable than the now conventional mode of car ownership. Rather than take my word for it (though completely believable), I suggest you thoroughly understand YOUR current ownership of a car (if you have one, and if you don't, congrats for that!) Be sure to include the TOTAL annualized cost of ownership, including:
  • your initial purchase of the car you own, prorated to a usable lifetime of (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_longevity)
  • the price of gasoline or other fuel for your annual mileage (typically ~15,000 miles)
  • annual insurance cost,
  • excise tax,
  • maintenance & repair, including tires, shock absorbers, brakes, oil-change, tune-ups and other typical costs,
  • parking or garaging (it takes space and that space costs)
Here's a google doc spreadsheet to help out:
Ussyamoto said:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13bz9CxDh2atnt3Cuv9ucQjOlqJeq4aREReMH-ihLXAc/edit?usp=sharing ... Ebike Vs Car Costs Calculator Spread Sheet
Click to expand...
Then imagine stepping free of those costs. A necessary part of this exercise is to plan for alternative transportation when needed. For instance, in Worcester, we have the WRTA bus system (which allows for bikes to be racked, the MBTA commuter rail (which also allows for bikes), and U Car Share for those times when you just need a car.

Step Two - the money
Get current pricing on everything listed and add it up. Is it affordable for you? Have you taken into consideration that you may drive less so don't need to fill up as often? If you're keeping your car, have you explored reduced insurance cost by going on a low-mileage plan? If you're going car-free, have you accounted for eliminating insurance, reduced repair & maintenance costs, having no excise tax? In your budget? Great, you're ready for the next step!

If its not in your budget, you can always downgrade components. The nice thing about eBikes is you can always substitute in a cheaper part and then latter, when you've got the money, buy the component you really want. Then there's eBay, where some fantastic deals can be found. And lastly, the ES Marketplace for Items Wanted and Items for Sale - Used.

And if you're young, without an income or have embraced a life of voluntary simplicity or otherwise impoverished, you can always beg... I mean ask for a donation to a worthy cause. Really, ask your family & friends for financial support for your project. Then Kickstarter or other crowdfunding site.

Step Three - make your purchase
Through your whole list, buy everything you think you need. The major purchases will be the conversion kit and a beginners battery. I say beginners because it'll be your first battery on your eBike. That begins a process of understanding everything you'll need to know to stay in the juice! How to charge it, keep it alive, not drive it into the ground. Inevitably, all rechargeable batteries reach the end of their usable life, which can happen prematurely if you've abused it. You will of course recycle that battery - it has useful metals that can be extracted.

Step Four - take receipt of the components
It may seem silly, but I can't tell you how much time I've wasted mucking around with shipping, schedules, wrong stuff, stuff damaged, won't work as advertized, returns, getting reimbursements, etc., etc. ad nausium. I can tell you for a fact that Amazon has changed the rules of the game and vastly improved it all, what with everything from the online shopping experience, to their distribution centers to fulfillment. Its why I had listed the two top purchase options in the Top 10 eBike Conversion Kits & Where to Buy compilation. Anyway, you can't do a build without the goods needed to build, in hand and working. There's a significant time lag involved in this step.

Once you have everything, PM me to setup an appointment for handing over the whole stash to Technocopia. We'll put everything in a locked cabinet for safe keeping. Your entire build from start to finish will be there. Since liability concerns, safety and related considerations are important, you'll be doing that build only when there is a principal on-site. Hours of operation are 7-days noon-8pm, so there is plenty of opportunity to get in and do your thing to completion.
 
Lesson Three

Step One - get ready for your build
This is the fun part, having swallowed the remedy along with the bitter tastes of spending money, dealing with sellers, letting your intimate partner know you're giving up your car (haahaa, maybe), etc.! So from Lesson Two, everything has arrived at Technocopia (hours noon to 8pm, 7 days a week ... 95 Prescott St, Worcester MA 01609). For those not in Worcester (you may be far or near), you can just follow along and do the build at home, or come use the space - we've got a special day-only pass and its possible to complete in just one day. If you are building at Technocopia, because shippers like someone at home for delivery, its really easy to just send it there and avoid that hassle - there's always someone there to receive packages.

Getting ready means having everything ready:
  • your build thread with sufficient detail that you and everyone else knows your plan and has provided relevant feedback
  • your kit (or other components variously acquired)
  • all the tools to make the build easy (Technocopia has it all)
  • all the wire, connectors, solder, incidentals and so forth needed to complete (Technocopia is fully supplied)
  • the know-how
Step Two - getting the know-how
Know-how, huh? Yea, really. Being a hobbyist sort having taken on some difficult projects, I too presumed. But then stuff happens, as they say. Couldn't get the hub-motor to fit the fork. Didn't know much about connectors and had to learn that, amperage and wire gauge, and batteries, batteries, batteries. Its what we're here for, I, the ES community, the electrical geniuses at Technocopia and your fellow class mates. So in this step, we'll detail all that, and in the process make some youtube video that gets posted back, so in future time, this Lesson set can be replicated anywhere anytime (the open-source, open-manufacturing approach that we at Technocopia are committed to).

We'll be making a build happen as a class project that will be exemplary in every respect and expect to cover:
  • calculating spoke size for your wheel with hub motor installed
  • lacing a motor into a rim
  • truing a wheel so it spins level and with precision
  • adding suspension to a fork
  • making all the connections
  • building a battery from raw cells
  • making a battery box and putting on a rack and securing the carry assembly
  • the simple daily fast bulk charge setup for hassle free ongoing daily operation
  • adding in a set of balance wires for single cell monitoring and charging with a balancing charger
  • replacing a cell in the battery pack

This topic set will evolve over-time addressing questions, problems encountered and actual experience. Stay tuned!

The Lesson Set is incomplete at this point
Speed vs Range
Inside Electricity
fundamentals of electrical calculation for ES'ers
connectors, connectors, connectors
all the tools you'll need to build & maintain your eBike
making a makerspace for the making
on the road again {speed, safety, what to expect}
the fundamentals of chargers and charging
battery making the eWorc way
EBike Toolbox
Beware cells on eBay: youtube]eOshOXcSkDA[/youtube][/quote]

How motors work:
http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/jw/electricmotors.html
Relationship of speed, terrain & battery drain (video):
Throwing down the gauntlet!
 
Bumping this as my Intro is tomorrow, Sunday 4-6pm. If you're in the area, please drop by. Also willing to start a google hangout if you're distant and want to be here - just PM me & I'll try. Gave out hundreds of flyers today, primarily at the Worcester http://www.active.com/worcester-ma/running/distance-running-races/run-or-dye-worcester-june-2014
ROD-Header-Worcester.png

Pretty amazing and just the right audience.
me said:
Hey, we're doing an electric bike workshop at Technocopia, the local makerspace just up the street. We'll put an electric motor on anything with wheels -anything. We provide the space, the tools, the know-how and support. You bring it in, we'll put an electric motor on it. Reduce your carbon footprint, have fun! :!:
Click to expand...
Of course, I may be in trouble with that offer, like if someone brings in their car. But the promise is there. If someone does, we'll figure it out. We're a makerspace with lots of smart people, electricians, robotics team, etc. Actually hope some folks do bring in some interesting projects. I'd love to work on a electric longboard, or a recumbent tricycle, or a rickshaw. A car would be ambitious, but most audacious.
[youtube]3ZbKwoBONEY[/youtube]
 
Details a number of reasons why converting a junk alternator to eBike motor is an unlikely path for most, excepting the intrepid...
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/car-alternator-e-bike-motor-89145.html
In short, the typical automotive alternator just isn't worth the time/effort it would take to use as a motor, especially given the low power levels involved.
Click to expand...
... but it can be done. Just takes a lot of time and you may end up spending just as much money making it work as you would have just buying an eBike kit. See this reference: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=905411&page=10 - and -
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=61343. So go ahead Kevin and do it - it'll be interesting to all to see what you come up with, especially in the open source controller for converted alternator space. Would love to see you have one more product to market to makers everywhere!
 
Alright, the question has come up among the fellows doing this of what would work for a mother & young daughter team on a tight budget, who both love Nature, working the local CSA urban farm and are generally supportive of a shift from too much car culture to the emerging eBike culture. So thinking this through:
MomDaughter.png
Its the 26" Northwoods,Tandem Bike 21-Speed Dual Drive from Walmart for $279.
Add-in the MAC from em3eV for $270 and some shipping... 10 turn torque motor - 255rpm loaded at 36V ... and the 6 fet controller for about $75.00 (Anderson powerpole)
the right controller: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55821&p=832526#p832526
Put in my spare battery - the original A123 AMP20 12S 36V - which still works great - cost zero - its a loaner.
Get the 6 amp smartcharger from batteryspace.com for $79.20
... so for about $700, you're on the road!
 
I began the Imaginarium arkmundi as a set of pictures tied to ES threads detailing eBikes that I like or found imaginative or unique or exemplary of good technique and execution. It has continued to evolve. I use the slides in various presentations on the concept of eBikes as sustainable urban transit, most recently at the Worcester State Sustainability Fair. The slide set is up to 74 pictures. Its a great show and helps people conceive of the possibilities in what is after all a high craft and often an art-from. The most recent addition. from Two Toronto men trek across North America on eco-bikes
EcoBike.png
Two Toronto twenty-somethings are travelling across North America on a trip fuelled by pedal power and plenty of good will.

Carpenter Paul Myers, 24, and videographer James Hughes, 26, departed on a cross-continent adventure in mid-September aboard human-electric hybrid bikes they constructed. They’re calling their journey the Tumbleweed Project because “we are just tumbling along and figuring it out as we go.”

Their goal is to explore and showcase eco-communities and innovative forms of living as they pedal from Midland, Ont., to California, crossing through many Canadian provinces and U.S. states. Along the way, they’ve been filming video updates highlighting the sites they’ve seen and the people championing sustainable practices that they’ve encountered.

The three-wheel, steel-framed bikes with wooden seats are steered by a person pedaling them with the assistance of a motor and an electric battery to provide additional power.

Aboard the bikes, Myers say they have visited Whole Village, a self-sustaining village in Caledon, Ont., with a co-housing residence and farm operating free from pesticides and other chemicals; Grailville, a spiritual and ecological sustainability community in Ohio, and Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage in Cincinnati.

Each location is pioneering a way of living more sustainably in an effort to tackle issues like global warming, climate change, food shortages and landscape degradation. Touring the locations has helped Myers and Hughes notice that the ubiquity of urban sprawl is causing “unnecessary stress on nature and spirit, hindering our progress towards realizing our full potential and moving towards a brighter future.”

....more....

“One person leads to the next,” they say. “We have given up on planning ahead.”

Despite their dedication to “tumble along” without any concrete plans, they suspect it will take another three months and much more money for them to complete their route and find their way home.

In a few days, they intend to stop at The Farm in Summertown, Tenn. The Farm is a “hippy commune” that developed a sustainable community advocating for “green living” in the late 1960s. Since that time, Myers and Hughes say, the community has been “struggling” with financial difficulties, but they intend to use their video blogs to delve into what happened and why mistakes were made.

Although they are unsure what the rest of the journey has in store for them, they say “we’ve surprised ourselves.”

Myers says, “I wasn’t sure we would make it out of Ontario, but here we are over 1,000 miles in and it’s looking good.”
Click to expand...
So its not just the eBikes, but the people who make them and what they do with them once their made. These stories according to David Korten are necessary for the Great Transition that's begging a radical departure from industrial growth society towards what will work for people, their communities and this fragile planet we live on and share with the rest of life. :mrgreen:
 
winter is a bad time to do a cross country expedition on a bike imo. kinda worried about that guy tom who was intent on traveling in winter and have not heard from him since the recent polar vortex. cars kill.

another guy got run over by a semi truck here on thursday. he had been riding recumbents for decades and some, 'i could care less', truck driver decides he needs to make that right turn before the bike goes by. another man done gone.
 
The principals remain the same: a first exercise of our collective imagination of and for the future of humankind, significantly downsized from its huge ecological footprint. Then transportation, housing and the other necessities of life based on arcology, where architecture and ecology meet with the human spirit. So, Behold: The Tricycle House:
1356580250-13zhe--------tuo------tricycle-house-community-thumb-640x453-109097.jpg

It does not need to be large, massive and permanent like Paul Solari's vision for Arcosanti. It can be small, light and mobile. I especially like the fusion of form in this image, involving a set of mobile Zen gardens & small houses on tricycles. :mrgreen:
 
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