Are you an idiot like I am / Can be ?

[NeilP]

Just wondered if anyone else becomes a total idiot occasionally when showing off their bike...and has ( so far) got away without any major damage to either the bike or themselves?

Just tonight, went to a mates house, and he had some friends around.

They said, Oh. what is that ? an electric bike
Oh yes, , they are so slow and heavy.......

Oh yes I say, most of them, but not if you build them your self...
and try and show off by holding the front brake, pushing my weight forward and doing a burn out on the back tyre....

Of course I frock up...front wheel fully locked, jack knifes, back wheel smoking, somehow can't leave go of throttle and slam on to the wall, all of 2 foot away...fall over, lock pops open and the stainless steel frame triangle box pops open and drops 24s4p pack on to the concrete veranda. main wires pull out..thankfully no sparks and it all stops.
No damage today apart from pride

normally run the bike at 20s, but today was running at 24s...so a bit more grunt than normal.

Various bits of damage to the bike in the past ( bent crank/pedals/ Battery box / forks / brake levers, wheel rims) , and most of them due to being an a*&hole...and there may have also been alcohol involved.

Any one else been a total dick ? while trying to show off the pwer of a "real " e-bike ... or is it just me?

[liveforphysics]

Of course I frock up...front wheel fully locked, jack knifes, back wheel smoking, somehow can't leave go of throttle and slam on to the wall, all of 2 foot away...fall over, lock pops open and the stainless steel frame triangle box pops open and drops 24s4p pack on to the concrete veranda.

That sounds like standard operating procedure to me. I think you're doing it right.

[NeilP]

SOP's rule

[neptronix]

Well, did they get the message?

[NeilP]

They got 'A MESSAGE'....dont be a dick with powerful e-bike an beer

[Kin]

If it makes you feel better, I recently lit my hand on fire with everclear [double proof of vodka], at the time thinking the physics effect* that applies for hand sanitzer (your hand doesn't burn when you light it with hand sanitzer) would apply for everclear.

It doesn't. I realized this after a few seconds and ran to the sink frantically. Lightly tenderized for a week.

*I can't remember the name of the physics effect. But as I recall it is that if there's a fluid of sufficiently different temperature from the solid, there will be a buffer layer of vapor gas that acts as an insulator. It's also why you shouldn't get cold burned by liquid nitrogen if it only just splashes you.

In terms of ebikes, I don't have any beasts the ways your are (one, day, one day. Right now I just move around too much with school and life), but I've accidently wheelied off my bike before in an embarrassingly failed demo. Not nearly as intense/impressive as your accident.


Edit: I was tempted to remove my anecdote, because I realize every half-way decent person/pyro should have lit their hand on fire by a reasonable age.

[itchynackers]

Idiot occurence procedure:

1. Turn up power from 4500w to 8000watts.

2. Don't take any time to acclimate to the power.

3. Leave stoplight at full power.

4. Pull up on handlebars as you cross intersection.

5. As bike wants to wheelie (and you cant ride wheelies) stick left leg out to brace yourself.

6. Fold knee the wrong way and snap ACL in knee.

7. Get ACL replacement surgery.

8. Spend unknown amount of time recovering.

I'm 1 week past my surgery. Can barely wipe my own arse.

Idiot.

UPDATE: Total bill submitted to insurance, $30,296. Do I win?

[NeilP]

Ahh..pyro . I have had by fill of pyro near misses too.. my last big display was the 1999 - 2000 millennial display
Biggest shell was....24 inch...30 inch mortar...big f...er anyway... could just stand in the firing tube.

Hand fired is the way to go....none of this poncy electric fired nonsense...feel the flash/ feel the thump as the shell goes up

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[NeilP]

Idiot occurence procedure:

1. Turn up power from 4500w to 8000watts.

2. Don't take any time to acclimate to the power.

3. Leave stoplight at full power.

4. Pull up on handlebars as you cross intersection.

5. As bike wants to wheelie (and you cant ride wheelies) stick left leg out to brace yourself.

6. Fold knee the wrong way and snap ACL in knee.

7. Get ACL replacement surgery.

8. Spend unknown amount of time recovering.

I'm 1 week past my surgery. Can barely wipe my own arse.

Idiot.

Ouch..so far the worst physical damage I have sustained on the bike has been a cut to the head (bloody helmet bent and cut me) and couple of broken fingers and a wheel spun up at full power on my bare leg.

[dogman]

You did say" hold my beer and watch this" first right? If so, you are officially an american redneck. Welcome to the club.

No cell phone vid of it though,

[nicobie]

Hey...

good fun though nobody got too hurt.

It can and will get worse.

[TylerDurden]

*I can't remember the name of the physics effect. But as I recall it is that if there's a fluid of sufficiently different temperature from the solid, there will be a buffer layer of vapor gas that acts as an insulator. It's also why you shouldn't get cold burned by liquid nitrogen if it only just splashes you.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect


I got the scars to qualify for "stupid is...". but these days it is usually limited to cutting through electric cords. (At least now I can tell which ones are mine.)

[John in CR]

Yeah, you just can't make those accidental wheelies seem like they were intentional for the spectators always at the red lights here, so plenty of snickers. Luckily no leg flailing for me. Sorry to here about your misfortune nackers. Work hard in that rehab, so you get back as close to normal as possible.

Neil,
I thought I was cruising around fine at the fringes of the idiot category until you reminded me of New Year's Eve for the new millenium. The ability to purchase homemade fireworks down here + something named 1/4 stick of dynamite + copius amounts of alcohol = an 11:30pm arrival at the ER.
John

[jkbrigman]

Test riding a mountain bike and goofing off just to "show I've still got it". Preload on the front shock set for a kid about half my weight, the damn bike bounces me off like a bucking bronco and I go over the left front handlebars onto gravel. Both palms tore all to hell, right knee smacked on the ground and right big toe broken. I had to sit on the ground for about 3 minutes just to get my wits about me.

I clean myself up, clean up the bike, put back everything on the handlebars that I'd "spun" around when I launched, wipe the blood off the white saddle, and walk it back to the bike shop, waving as I walk out "like nothing happened". Managed to get my broke ass home in the car where I got some medical attention and spent the weekend thinking about what I'd done.

Pathetic thing is that there wasn't any electricity or alcohol involved. Just plain stupidity. Believe me, your FAIL was far more spectacular, and yes, justified, than my own.

[Dauntless]

You did say" hold my beer and watch this" first right? If so, you are officially an american redneck. Welcome to the club.

It was the English who founded the club. Did you know that a 'Hillbilly' was originally a supporter of William the Conqueror?

Isn't it sad to think that your spectacular wrecks go from being 'Kewl' to being 'Stoopid' to being a reason they put you in a home?

[NeilP]

Ah..I feel so much better now. The bad thing is I had not been drinking on this particular occasion I was actually 'on duty' . On call for work, so could not drink.

Neil,
I thought I was cruising around fine at the fringes of the idiot category until you reminded me of New Year's Eve for the new millenium. The ability to purchase homemade fireworks down here + something named 1/4 stick of dynamite + copius amounts of alcohol = an 11:30pm arrival at the ER.
John

I gotta get down to CR

[John in CR]

I gotta get down to CR

Since you're a pilot use a cargo plane and take the long route via China, so you can bring a full load of motors, batteries and controllers with you. Let me know so I can make sure my doctor, now friend, is on call.

John

[NeilP]

That would be a great little money spinner..though the arcraft woudl need to be very full to even cover the costs fuel I am guessing

[John in CR]

That would be a great little money spinner..though the arcraft woudl need to be very full to even cover the costs fuel I am guessing

In that case, since you live on an island I'm sure you know someone with a big sailboat.

John

[dickselectrictoys]

Just wondered if anyone else becomes a total idiot occasionally when showing off their bike...and has ( so far) got away without any major damage to either the bike or themselves?

Just tonight, went to a mates house, and he had some friends around.

They said, Oh. what is that ? an electric bike
Oh yes, , they are so slow and heavy.......

Oh yes I say, most of them, but not if you build them your self...
and try and show off by holding the front brake, pushing my weight forward and doing a burn out on the back tyre....

Of course I frock up...front wheel fully locked, jack knifes, back wheel smoking, somehow can't leave go of throttle and slam on to the wall, all of 2 foot away...fall over, lock pops open and the stainless steel frame triangle box pops open and drops 24s4p pack on to the concrete veranda. main wires pull out..thankfully no sparks and it all stops.
No damage today apart from pride

normally run the bike at 20s, but today was running at 24s...so a bit more grunt than normal.

Various bits of damage to the bike in the past ( bent crank/pedals/ Battery box / forks / brake levers, wheel rims) , and most of them due to being an a*&hole...and there may have also been alcohol involved.

Any one else been a total dick ? while trying to show off the pwer of a "real " e-bike ... or is it just me?

first of all, there is no bike, whether pedal or otherwise that can stop safely over 10mph/secondly i agree with you/third, people that state answers to problems should understand that (hardly anyone) can understand unless in laymen terms. after all, thats why we are posting problems. does anyone understand this?? but then e-brains only care about what they said, not what we understand...dig?

[Jeremy Harris]

first of all, there is no bike, whether pedal or otherwise that can stop safely over 10mph

I think there are a stack of riders who would disagree with this statement. My own bike stops just fine from 25 mph plus on standard brakes, the downhill guys regularly do 50 to 60 mph (the downhill bike record is current something over 100 mph) and they are using the sort of high-end bike brakes that a lot of folk on here are using.

[number1cruncher]

I once burned my mother's bathroom (curtains, towels, walls) really bad. I thought nail polish remover lit on fire on top of water was a neat trick at age 13.

My dad once drove from Baltimore. MD to Washington, DC (40-50 mile distance) at 2 AM, blazing drunk, with no headlight on, ON A DARE. No accident there.

BUT, another time he was traveling route 66, ran into some traffic, jumped onto the shoulder at 60mph, someone opened their car door to show him the wrong of his ways. Skinned his leg and arm to the bone in places. He was quite drunk, went home to show my mom (who was pissed at him), she poured RUBBING ALCOHOL in the wounds. She was like that. Yep, the good ole days...

And Dogman, you are what makes America great. Who cares if hillbillys/rednecks were created in England. We perfected them!

[amberwolf]

first of all, there is no bike, whether pedal or otherwise that can stop safely over 10mph/secondly i agree with you/third, people that state answers to problems should understand that (hardly anyone) can understand unless in laymen terms. after all, thats why we are posting problems. does anyone understand this?? but then e-brains only care about what they said, not what we understand...dig?

I have a feeling you don't have much experience with riding bikes over that speed, or else the ones you've had are even worse quality than most of the junk I have had, because most bikes with properly-adjusted brakes and a rider with any skill in using them can easily stop from higher speeds.

When brakes are not properly adjusted, or are defective, or poorly designed, then they often won't be able to stop a vehicle properly regardless of type/speed/etc.

Some brakes are better than others at some jobs, and some can only take so much energy before they overheat too quickly to be able to fully stop. But if properly adjusted/installed/etc., just about any brake ought to be able to lockup your wheel, which is as far as brakes can ever go. You don't *want* your wheel locked up, becuase then you're skidding out of control, but that's the max braking power available.


Regarding answers in technical form vs layman's terms, it's sometimes not possible to give a useful answer without being highly technical, and without the questioner learning the terms and concepts necessary to understand the answer to their question.

[317537]

Yes Neil the solution to the not being able to back off the throttle is a Half hand throttle or thumb throttle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9fQ2ewxHQg

^ This reminds you of anything?, LOL

Ive flipped a one or two bikes upside down with the full hand throttle myself, and wife included. Its not a pretty public spectical down town around people.

The reason being, the bike pulls (or pushes in the case of the above clip) on your arm, wrist and your hand, and its wrist against motor. The more the bike moves forward, the more it pulls on your arm and wrist, and adds to the twist, the more power the motor gets. Peoples nervous systems are wired in panic mode, and they can not just let go, no matter how sensible it would seem. Its just how it is. The brain can not intervene when your automated nerivous system "grab mode" when the "hold on for dear life" function is in process.

Unfortunatly, if you panic, which every one does to keep the bike under controll, the motor always wins every time.

Why half hand throttle totally solves this issue, and in many cases, even in situations when youre not showing off; (EG. maybe walking the bike using the motor softly to assist), is that half hand throttles provides the other half of your hand something that doesnt twist with the increasing forward movement of the bike. IMO All motor bikes and Ebikes safety could benefit from the use of haldhand throttles.

I had my old SLA beast fall over and damage the throttle, and on the way home the whole twst grip came off in my hand leaveing the hall piece on the handle bars. I had no brake switches installed and the bike went into full speed. like a runaway train. I had to manage to plug the twist grip back into place inorder to operate the bike. Half hand thottles resolve this issue too.

[Drunkskunk]

first of all, there is no bike, whether pedal or otherwise that can stop safely over 10mph/secondly i agree with you/third, people that state answers to problems should understand that (hardly anyone) can understand unless in laymen terms. after all, thats why we are posting problems. does anyone understand this?? but then e-brains only care about what they said, not what we understand...dig?

I have a feeling you don't have much experience with riding bikes over that speed, or else the ones you've had are even worse quality than most of the junk I have had, because most bikes with properly-adjusted brakes and a rider with any skill in using them can easily stop from higher speeds.

When brakes are not properly adjusted, or are defective, or poorly designed, then they often won't be able to stop a vehicle properly regardless of type/speed/etc.

Some brakes are better than others at some jobs, and some can only take so much energy before they overheat too quickly to be able to fully stop. But if properly adjusted/installed/etc., just about any brake ought to be able to lockup your wheel, which is as far as brakes can ever go. You don't *want* your wheel locked up, becuase then you're skidding out of control, but that's the max braking power available.


Regarding answers in technical form vs layman's terms, it's sometimes not possible to give a useful answer without being highly technical, and without the questioner learning the terms and concepts necessary to understand the answer to their question.

Dick's response doesn't match the subject or any reasonable conclusion from the text he quoted. I suspect he's just trying to increase his post count.