The official "My Tidalforce S-750 frame creation" thread

[Amonk]

Here are the newest pictures of my TidalForce S-750 build.I used a E-bikeKit 6*10 (2806) front hub.It seems like it is going to be a good hill climber.

[Kevinator]

Lots of great builds, but I especially enjoyed Ypedal's video with the RC motor ride. That was inspiring.

[Kevinator]

I did some work on my silver frame today. I installed a Suntour Raidon 120mm air fork, headset, stem, and handlebars. I was lucky and had enough headset spacers to install everything without having to cut the steer tube. I borrowed the 26" wheels from another bike to get a better idea of sizing.

TF1

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TF2

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TF3

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[StudEbiker]

God I've been waiting so long to post to this thread. Not quite done yet, but I did take it for a ride today so I think I will put up some pics.

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[oatnet]

Hey congrats stud, that build is looking great! Isn't it nice to get it out and about? BTW - it is NEVER finished.

-JD

[El_Steak]

Here's mine.

You can get more pics and info in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17166

[Amonk]

Here are some pics of my new Tidalforce build with one of the rear geared E-bikekits.I really like the front and rear disc brakes(no mods to the frame or the caliper mount).Thanks Again Oatnet for the great deal on the frames.

[ambroseliao]

That is a very stealthy little motor. How does it perform? Can you compare it to any other motors out there? Does it make much noise?

Thanks,
Ambrose

[Amonk]

The motor is actually very quite.This is my first rear installation and also my first geared hub.It seems to have pretty good take off and pulls hills reasonably well ,about the same as my 2807 front hub(@ 36 v).The top end with the controller that came with this kit is about 17.5 mph.I Have plans to upgrade later to a stock E-bikekit(infineon 22A) controller.I think then I would get similar performance to the 2807 hub,and this would also allow me to run it at 48v.I will try to give a comparison once I upgrade it and get a CA on this bike. P.S One pleasant suprise was the ease of installation.I was able to mount BB7 disc brakes and rotor(6")with no mods to the frame, caliper mount ,or hub.All I had to do was mount the torque washer on the inside of the frame with the tabs facing out,and I think that I have room for a 7sd freewheel.

[El Duderino X]

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99.9% done!
One Tidalforce S-750 frame equipped with Salsa Cromo 29" front fork, a 700C eZee geared front hub, Shimano Alfine rear hub and Avid BB7 disc brakes all around (and no frame trimming). I've tidied it up a bit since this pic was taken adding a full front fender, Cygolite Dual Cross Pro front LED lights and a whole lot of zap straps.

Thanks again for the frames, JD, this has been a heck of a learning experience. Next up: The Tidalforce S-750/BionX bike!

B!

[mikeross]

My turn! Here are a couple pics of my *finished* product.





Now to get out and put on some miles! Thanks JD for making these frames available. The Tidalforce S-750 sure makes for some nice ebikes!

Mike

[ambroseliao]

That's a nice looking bike!

Where did you get that slick chain guard?

Ambrose

[mikeross]

Hi, Ambrose: Thanks! That is an SKS "Chainboard". I bought it off the internet from Niagara Cycle Works (on Amazon.com). They are sized according to the number of teeth on your chain ring, and require a bit of monkeying around with to get to fit correctly. You also have to remove the crank cassette - the mount goes behind the cassette. But, it is pretty neat once you get it on. Oh, also, I only have one chain ring - I never use much more than the top three gears anyway - might be a tight fit if you have more than one front chain ring.

Mike

[ambroseliao]

Thanks Mike,

That's very helpful information. I didn't know they existed. As for the fit, it sounds good since as with you, I never use any gear lower than the top 3 on my bike. I have upgraded from the standard 48T top crank to a Shimano Tiagra (rhymes with Viagra!) 52T crank so will look for the right sized one.

Ambrose

[ambroseliao]

Just checked and they don't make a 52T version. The largest seems to be 48T.

http://www.sks-germany.com/sks.php?l=en ... 2290500400

Ambrose

[mikeross]

Ambrose: That's too bad - mine is a 48T and just barely fits in there. Yours probably wouldn't fit or you would have to destroy the ring part to make it fit, which would pretty much defeat the whole purpose. You have a *MONSTER* front chain ring!

Mike

[ambroseliao]

It's not a monster, but it's pretty big!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cEQyAWzQl58/S ... G_1901.jpg

Ambrose

[ambroseliao]

I've updated my TF bike to a rear motor 9C e-BikeKit.com motor with a 72V Bosch Fat Pack battery. It's a very sweet ride. Stable and very powerful. With the 150mm Manitou front suspension fork and only a bit of leaning back, you can pop a wheelie!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cEQyAWzQl58/T ... G_2018.JPG

Fresh off the charger, I have it at 83.8V but it quickly drops to around 80V. It's fairly inconspicuous with the batteries in the rear rack bag.

I'm loving it!

Ambrose

[AngieM]

I'm new to all this, so please forgive naive-sounding comments. I just saw Ypedal's video and have to ask: are all ebike kits so NOISY?? And so many wires on the bars?
There are SO many different ideas, opinions, suggestions and ways to go that my brain is a bit fried right now. I'm thinking about just going with a ready-made Currie iZip Zuma:

http://www.currietech.com/currie-techno ... c-bike.php

I'm a senior gal and in this small town there won't be much help putting together a kit, although I'd love to try. With a discount this iZip will cost me $1,529.10 wtih free shipping.
I'm open, though, to anyone's advice here, telling me if I'm on the wrong track. Any suggestions, please?

[BikeFanatic]

hi Angie,
welcome to the forum, there is a ton of information on E bikes here maybe cruise ebike general discussion or search Currie,
But that bike is new and I have not read much about it. It does look like a nice bike. 36 volt lithium is a big upgrade over my old currie mongoose 24 volt lead acid bike. Your nbike will be heavy at 57 lbs, so hope you can store it in your garage or shed.
Otherwise that looks like a good bike, I have had good experience with currie.

The bike you are looking at has a HUB motor they are very quiet. Most people observe me on my
electric bike say my Hub motor is silent but it does make some noise when moving. Now Ypedal
has the noisy bike because he has a non hub, Chain drive RC motor which is very loud.
Here is a link to my you tube video page showing the hub motor bike- the video with the two passengers is the hub motor, the microphone is powerful on the video camera so you can hear it makes some sound, but not much. It is working hard too with the passengers and cargo , ALso if you look at my other videos I have a louder chain driven E bike the voloci.
remember The hub bike is the one with the passenger.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ianmcnally# ... TBf3MTnFo8

I think you should get that bike if you have any problems call Currie, I had a currie way back when. They shipped me a new battery when the one they sent wasnt working. The bike I had only went 15 MPH but was FUN. Now I like 20 mph better.

[pvorlicek]

I'm new to all this, so please forgive naive-sounding comments. I just saw Ypedal's video and have to ask: are all ebike kits so NOISY?? And so many wires on the bars?
There are SO many different ideas, opinions, suggestions and ways to go that my brain is a bit fried right now. I'm thinking about just going with a ready-made Currie iZip Zuma:

http://www.currietech.com/currie-techno ... c-bike.php

I'm a senior gal and in this small town there won't be much help putting together a kit, although I'd love to try. With a discount this iZip will cost me $1,529.10 wtih free shipping.
I'm open, though, to anyone's advice here, telling me if I'm on the wrong track. Any suggestions, please?

My advice: DO NOT GET AN ELECTRIC BIKE. If you are a senior citizen who has no desire to learn how to put together a kit, you will quickly get frustrated with the electric bike world. Ianmcnally talks about replacing a 36V battery (with LOTS of stored energy that could hurt you bad if you short the battery) ... is this something you would be comfortable doing? Are you ready to lug around a 60 pound bike? And your annoyed by wires? How are you going to replace your battery if you are annoyed by wires?

If you don't take my advice, at least buy from a local dealer so you get support (to replace your battery ...) and carry a cell phone at all times.

My 2 cents worth.

[mikeross]

I've updated my TF bike to a rear motor 9C e-BikeKit.com motor with a 72V Bosch Fat Pack battery. It's a very sweet ride. Stable and very powerful. With the 150mm Manitou front suspension fork and only a bit of leaning back, you can pop a wheelie!

Ambrose - Very nice! That is a mighty clean looking build. 72V! You have definitely moved it up a notch. I was just thinking - maybe 48V for mine because that's what the controller will handle...but 72V and wheelies...hmmm....just what I (don't) need! Nice work!


@AngieM - my 2cents worth.... I would not be afraid to go for an electric bike, but it does seem better for you to purchase one that's already built such as the Currie. My first electric bike was a Giant. It did not require much maintenance, but when it did it was a pain because I purchased it in Seattle, about a 4 hour drive from my house. One disadvantage of the pre-built bikes is that they will have certain parts specific to that brand, which means a local bike shop won't have replacement parts. So, my advice would be to purchase a name brand, pre-built electric bike locally. Get a lithium battery over a lead acid battery, if your budget will allow it. In my experience 20 mph is a great plenty on a bicycle, although you will read LOTS here on the forum where that would be laughable. Remember, this forum has everything from serious off-road riders, to speed demons, to folks who just want to go for a nice, easy ride from time to time. But, we all love our electric bikes! Welcome to the Endless Sphere forum!

Mike

[Ypedal]

True !!.. and Welcome to the sphere .

Yes, my TF bike is very loud .. it has a motor made for a Remote Control airplane spinning a bunch of chains and belts, it's a hoot to ride but certainly not for everyone.

If spending 1400$ on an electric bike is not something that makes you feel ill, consider an eZee kit from ebikes.ca, i've installed this for a few 60+, both women and men. The ezee is smooth and quiet, light, and is easy to install really.. and with the help of this forum you have all the help you should ever need as long as you can read.

myself who runs 100% throttle all the time i tend to like the high voltage and heavy duty bikes, heck, Ann loved my chopper !!

[oatnet]

Hi Angie!

If you intend to spend a lot of time on the bike and are not eager to spend time maintaining it, I would highly recommend a bike from "E+" or ultramotor's ATB. This would put you in the $2,500-$3,500 range, but both are manufactured to much higher standards than the currie, and have less complex drive systems. Unless/until you find working on them to be fun, I would not recommend a kit. The A2B and E+ both have superb balance which is hard to achieve in a kit, and often overlooked by manufacturers, but very helpful to seniors.

I believe the A2B is a more versatile package (and less expensive), and the E+ is better balanced and faster, but you can't go wrong with either.
http://epluselectricbike.com/
http://www.ultramotor.com/us/home/

I am approaching seniorhood myself, and my mother rides a precursor to the E+ , a "wavecrest tidalforce io cruiser." Old Tidalforce can be had for under $1,000, but the batteries are so old by now that range is limited to 6-10 miles.

[tritonwow]

I'm 98% complete on the build so I'll post up here. I need to finish a battery box and a few other minor things but it's ridable as is.
Tidalforce red S-750 frame
JRH 26" wheelset (all black with alternating red nipples and Bafang SWXH rear hub motor; matching front wheel)
Rock Shoxx Dart2 forks (using disc only Dart3 lowers)
FSA PIG PRO headset
Avid BB7 mechanical 160mm disc brakes
DMR Wingbar cromo lowriser bar
Ergon grips
Thudbuster LT seatpost
n'lock security stem
OEM crankset, seat, and kickstand
Cycle Analyst (CA)
ZIPPY Flightmax 5000mAh 6S1P 15C (for 44.4v10Ah)
Infineon 25A brushless controller with 6xIRLB4030 mosfets, ON/OFF button, Fwd/Rev, ebrake, and CA connectors
Andersen Powerpole 30 and 45a connectors
Magura half twist throttle
Ayup lights

The build thread: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14629&start=15

And a few pics:

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S750 with power 1 (Small).JPG

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Thanks JD for the frame and JRH for the wheelset!

Triton