Hipstrosity - Build Thread

grindz145

grindz145

1 MW
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
2,962
Location
Rochester NY
The motivation: to make a hipster-esque bike capable of 40+mph with pedalling.
It's also somewhat of a budget build with $300 being the goal.

I got my friend really hooked on the idea since I'm pimping Ebikes so much, he decided to take the plunge. He wanted what is essentially the anti-hipster, a dark hipster prime if you will, which has come as a singularity to conquer mindless hipsterness abroad :lol:

View attachment hipsterframe.jpg

Components:
9C rear hub 6X10 on a 700c (28"?) wheel- plan to mod Delta-Wye convert -$100 blowout special
Lyen 12 FET infineon -$130 and well worth it
6X 7Ah gruber power lead acid - will run all in series - 72V nominal (this is where the budget really hurts)
$80 plus $40 in shipping.

Total Spent so far: ~$380 - So the budget hasn't worked out so well... :mrgreen: performance and affordability are mutually exclusive.

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The initial ask is to build for power and top speed only and range is not a concern. I am considering a delta-wye manual transmission (with relays) but we will try a hard-wired Delta-Wye first. It is undoubtedly going too be a ton of strain on the lead, but it saves us a tremendous amount of cash.
 
haha Lyen, I am only about 5 5, but my buddy indeed is over 6'. Nice large frame to store batteries!:D
 
grindz145 said:
haha Lyen, I am only about 5 5, but my buddy indeed is over 6'. Nice large frame to store batteries!:D
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YEah!! I never say "whoa, that's a big frame .." anymore, I just start mentally counting how many batteries I could stuff in it! :lol:

Love this build!! :twisted: :mrgreen:

I have to ask, how well do the wheels take the weight of so many SLA batteries? Do the wheels get out of true a lot? :?:
 
LI-ghtcycle said:
grindz145 said:
haha Lyen, I am only about 5 5, but my buddy indeed is over 6'. Nice large frame to store batteries!:D
Click to expand...


YEah!! I never say "whoa, that's a big frame .." anymore, I just start mentally counting how many batteries I could stuff in it! :lol:

Love this build!! :twisted: :mrgreen:

I have to ask, how well do the wheels take the weight of so many SLA batteries? Do the wheels get out of true a lot? :?:
Click to expand...

Time will tell, Ill report on this, but another 35 lbs isnt really that much more than the weight of the rider. Were going to run a little bit wider tires on it.
 
Just an update on this, I kinda forgot about this thread. The bike is finished and has ~300 miles on it now. The thing hauls and will do about 36mph on flat ground w. pedaling, without the star-delta conversion. Ill try to grab some pictures here soon because everyone hates text... :oops:
 
grindz145 said:
Ill try to grab some pictures here soon because everyone hates text... :oops:
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I don't. ;) But you're probably right, because I doubt more than two or three people actually *read* any of my threads or replies. :lol:
 
Haha! It takes time to read the words! 8) Pictures do tell a good story though, and I have a bunch but they're just not on this computer...
 
So I kind-of dropped the ball updating this thread, so heres an update:

We finished got it all together around mid-august. First my buddy Matt mounted the batteries. His intention is to eventually have a thin aluminum sheet around the batteries as bodywork, but for now the zip-ties serve the purpose.
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We put it all together with a few all nighters one weekend at my place and on Sunday night we finally got it working. There's nothing like staying up entirely too late to see the an ebike born:D
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Custom Artwork...
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We threw some big fatty riser bars on, and a completely inadequate brake lever. The first ride with a 700x21C front tire. Very sketchy, but soo smooth!
 

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Subsequently, Matt thrashed it for a while:
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Edit: I almost forgot a shot of the most epic torque arm this side of the rockies:


And after a many late night city / parking garage thrashfests, some adequate brakes were in order. In order to run a disc brake in the front he needed to find a for with a 1" steerer tube and disc mounts. I managed to find one amazingly cheap (around 40 bucks I believe). After that some custom spacers needed to bee machined to allow for a threadless headset (designed for a 1 1/8" steerer tube) to be used:
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After a few weeks of sitting half-eaten, we put it back together with the new fork only to find that the damn controller was shot. I threw it on the bench later that week to find a bad cold-solder joint at one of the power resistors for the linear regulators. Back in business anyway:
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Still a WIP as always:
-Matt is looking to convert to LiPo soon:D
-also still planning on an aluminum body frame
-possible opportunity changing system since the current system just uses a car battery charger (again cheapest build ever, but practical!!!)
 
I would just like to repeat...dang that's a big frame. :lol: But lots of room for batteries. (bet it's heavy, though, with the SLA).

I have a Schwinn frame that I think may be the same size (top tube is like up to my belly button):
file.php

that I am still considering for the Delta Tripper trike simply because it does have a lot of room for batteries in there. :) I might be able to fit my 10 TS60Ah cells in that, even!
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22720&start=0

I may have to do something similar for the headset as you did, also to get disc brakes, but first I have to extend the steerer tube because I dont' have one that is long enough, except the one that came on the bike!
 
haha I know AW it really is. But Matt is easily over 6 foot and he can pedal it without issue. My 5' 5" frame can ride it, but its best if I look for a curb to dismount:D It's heavy but it really doesn't feel that heavy when you ride it because the weight is in the frame and tied down pretty well. Of course thats comparing it to my 150+lb 5Kw-h monster... :twisted: :twisted:
 
amberwolf said:
grindz145 said:
Ill try to grab some pictures here soon because everyone hates text... :oops:
Click to expand...
I don't. ;) But you're probably right, because I doubt more than two or three people actually *read* any of my threads or replies. :lol:
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Well, 4 if you count me, AW!
otherDoc
 
That's what he's said, and his speedometer is consistent with that. I'm sure hes doing some pedaling as well and that's probably downhill. I haven't personally ridden it that fast or long enough in the daytime to see how fast I was going (non backlit bike speedo) I would say he reliably gets about 30 on flats though (he can beat me when I ride wit him). We do have a 30A current limit on it too. That might help.

Edit: it's also a 700c wheel so the outer diameter is a bit higher than yours. That may be what makes all the difference.
 
Latest modifications: Large Format Cycle Analyst

He also changed the bars back to an upright riding position, heres some fun we had with it last night:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24218
 
The salt has taken it's toll:
View attachment salted.jpg

Matt has been riding the Hipstrosity all winter, and the salt ate through one of the battery terminals. All he's left with is a nub... We're going to try to solder to it, but he agrees that it's really about time for LiPo upgrade. We just need to work out the finances.

If we convert to LiPo the way I'm planning it will take the bike from ~65lbs to 35 lbs and double to triple the range... That being said there are a lot of miles on this ~$500 build.
 
GCinDC said:
NANO-TECH, NANO-TECH, NANO-TECH... :mrgreen:
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He was going to take the plunge with the hard-case 20C packs, but Luke bought them all before he had the chance :? He's saving his pennies for sure.
 
I've got 8x 5s5Ah packs w/ a hard year on them... Think there's more like 2.5-3Ah on them. And some puffiness. Not sure what to do with them... I've no idea how much longer they'll last... Is he at 72V? What range does he need? Too lazy to read back. sorry.. :mrgreen:
 
GCinDC said:
I've got 8x 5s5Ah packs w/ a hard year on them... Think there's more like 2.5-3Ah on them. And some puffiness. Not sure what to do with them... I've no idea how much longer they'll last... Is he at 72V? What range does he need? Too lazy to read back. sorry.. :mrgreen:
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He is running at ~82V fully charged. Ill let him know he might be interested...Any idea how many cycles are on them, whats the C rate? Right now hes only getting like 5 miles out of the lead...so I'm sure these would be welcomed. Ill definitely let him know. Thanks!
 
Hey Greg, Matt here.

Troy advised me that you have some used up lithium laying around that you don't have a use for. Practically any thing would be an upgrade for me sering how I'm carrying around dead lead weights if you still have them kicking around, what would you like to get out of them?
 
Had a wicked ride to the market on Saturday morning. I went down hard on the ice on the way home... that will make you feel alive, let me tell you :D

[youtube]qD69nakvCI0[/youtube]
 
[youtube]N13PCSThGFQ[/youtube]

A shitty video I made, so I posted it on Matt's thread:)
 
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