2000 Miles Today

[Zoot Katz]

It started last Sept.13th with the timely arrival of my batteries. There were about six weeks this winter when le Béte stayed inside while the other bikes got to go play in the snow, ice and salted slush. The first 1000 miles (1606 km) happened Feb 01, 2009.
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=857&hilit=1000+mile&start=90#p128879

Today the CA says 3212 km.
This second thousand miles has included the first flat and lots of carefree cycling. Brake pads wear out faster but chains last longer than when the bike was solely pedal powered. I'm guessing there's also accelerated rim wear but the chain rings and cogs should last longer as the trade off.

So for 2000 miles on a X5304 at 48V/18Ah and 48A Xlyte digital controller, I've charged the NiMH batteries forty one times.
A total of 572 Amp hours averaging 8.62 Wh/km or 13.7 Wh/mi
Average speeds are always less than 20 kmh. I ride in city traffic so it's lots of stop and go with a heavy bike.
The bicycle averages 85 km (51 mi) between charges. I've ridden it sixty six miles (110 km) on single charge with just a little more pedalling.

I was afraid that my ebike would be a fair-weather bike but I've ridden in some pretty heavy rains without problems. I'm somewhat more mindful of puddles. The bike is stored inside and ridden quite conservatively except when I'm bombing a hill to pass a recumbent or out sprinting a scooter.
None of the equipment is stressed to anywhere near its capacity so should last a long time.
The batteries will be returned to ebikes.ca next week to check out how the curves match the initial QC testing and spot any runt cells.

I'm starting to believe what Ernest Hemingway said about cats, "One ebike just leads to another."

 

[Lock]

Tks for the detailed report Zoot. How would your nextgen bike be different?
lOck

 

[Zoot Katz]

Tks for the detailed report Zoot. How would your nextgen bike be different?
lOck

A more aerodynamic riding posture, smaller, faster charging battery pack and lighter weight motor. Better balanced and able to fit on a bus rack.
A runabout rather than a station wagon, if you will.
It might do double duty as a snow bike if I can get my head around a front hub motor.
Longer day tours could be undertaken by borrowing the batteries from le Béte and hooking them up in parallel.

 

[D-Man]

Congrats. Have a beer.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Congrats. Have a beer.

Thanks. I had three tall ones, a third of a bottle of red wine, a third of a bottle of Champagne, roast lamb and birthday cake.
And then put in another 26 kms.

 

[gogo]

Ride on, dude. That bus rack thing can be an important design requirement.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Ride on, dude. That bus rack thing can be an important design requirement.

The only times I've used a bus rack is through a restricted tunnel during the "off season" when the bicycle shuttle service isn't running.
The Xtracycle is even too long to legally fit on our SkyTrain so I've never tried it.
Mainly it's nice to have the option if I or the bike should somehow become unfit to ride.

 

[philf]

... Is a belated "Happy Birthday" in order, here?

And the comment about what happens should either "you or the bike somehow become unfit to ride"...

Sorry - had to read that twice. Had visions of the real Zoot using you as transportation or something...

Happy Birthday, if it's true we missed it