kmadd22
100 µW
Introducing, after nine months of lurking on ES, my first electric bike build; The Surly E-ECR Half-Fat Electric Bike with Bafang BBS-02 Mid Drive and 9.8ah 25R frame pack.
After dozens of hours wasted sitting on the bus in traffic, I knew an electric bike was needed. Living is Seattle and needing to regularly get up and down the big hills (Capitol, Queen Anne) with 600ft climbs in a mile, a mid drive was my first requirement. The rest of my inspiration came from the great bikes at CycleMonkey, my office neighbor Mike @ Rad Power Bikes, and the good folks at Electric & Folding Bikes Northwest who all contributed to the conversation.
Since I knew that I would never be happy unless everything was right, expense was not the biggest consideration. My biggest consideration was to build the ebike that would be the first electric experience for a lot of people, and best equipped to spread the gospel by being dead-ass easy to use, alarmingly fun to ride, still looks like a proper bike unlike most of the goofy folding beach cruisers that many pre-made ebikes are, and bike that would make people say "I want to get around like this."
I had worked a Big 3 company for over five years and had the pleasure of living in the car dependent civilization of Detroit for that time. I love cars and know they have a very significant purpose, but more than ever I don't believe they belong in congested cities like Seattle. Since my home has terrible traffic, poor to non-existent mass transit, and a topography that has fostered a bike culture of sweating and grinding spandex-clad machismo; my bike had to be a bit of an exaggeration of comfort and speed. It also had to be safe and stop 300 lb (bike+rider) @ 30 MPH in the rain...
Surly ECR 29er Frame
Thompson X4 Stem and Seatpost
Brooks B67 Mattress Saddle
Spurcycle Grips and Bell
Surly Nice Rack
Salsa Anything Cage
Wheels:
Velocity Dually 45mm Rims
Maxis Hookword 2.5" 29er Rubber
Son28 6w Dynamo Hub (front)
Nuvinci N360 IGH (rear)
Build by Ride Bicycles Seattle
Primary Electric System (Drive):
EM3EV 47V 9.8Ah 13S4P Samsung 25R Battery
Bafang BBS-02 750w Mid Drive
Alcedo Italia 42t Chainring
Secondary Electric System:
Son28 6w hub
Busch & Mueller Luxos U Headlight w/ USB port
B&M TopLight Taillight w/ strobing brake light
Kyocera Hydro Android burner phone gor GPS and Pandora
Brakes:
Tektro Dorado HD-E710 Hydraulic Ebrakes
203mm Tektro front disc and 160mm Avid rear
Fenders and Speedict Mercury on the way for data analysis, but so far I am nothing but pleased with my new commuter bike. It is empowering to be the biggest and fastest thing on the trails, but I am mindful and try not to zip off on the grass or hop curbs to pass too often. On the streets I can keep moving with traffic when I choose to and can start/stop/go with the pace that folks here drive at, which has certainly caught some gawks.
For my initial testing and learning experience, I find I like to ride very hard on the drive. Unless rolling down hill, coasting is not interesting yet. Probably because I haven't stranded myself yet... That said, I am riding either full throttle or slowing down most of the time and really beating on the bike. It handles it superbly! Battery gets me from Ballard to the top of Capitol hill in Seattle and back in 20-30 min each way depending, which is about 6 miles with a 650 ft climb to 15th Ave.
As I digest the experience more and continue to refine the build (ahem, cable routing) I'll continue to follow up. Thoughts and comments appreciated.
Cheers!
After dozens of hours wasted sitting on the bus in traffic, I knew an electric bike was needed. Living is Seattle and needing to regularly get up and down the big hills (Capitol, Queen Anne) with 600ft climbs in a mile, a mid drive was my first requirement. The rest of my inspiration came from the great bikes at CycleMonkey, my office neighbor Mike @ Rad Power Bikes, and the good folks at Electric & Folding Bikes Northwest who all contributed to the conversation.
Since I knew that I would never be happy unless everything was right, expense was not the biggest consideration. My biggest consideration was to build the ebike that would be the first electric experience for a lot of people, and best equipped to spread the gospel by being dead-ass easy to use, alarmingly fun to ride, still looks like a proper bike unlike most of the goofy folding beach cruisers that many pre-made ebikes are, and bike that would make people say "I want to get around like this."
I had worked a Big 3 company for over five years and had the pleasure of living in the car dependent civilization of Detroit for that time. I love cars and know they have a very significant purpose, but more than ever I don't believe they belong in congested cities like Seattle. Since my home has terrible traffic, poor to non-existent mass transit, and a topography that has fostered a bike culture of sweating and grinding spandex-clad machismo; my bike had to be a bit of an exaggeration of comfort and speed. It also had to be safe and stop 300 lb (bike+rider) @ 30 MPH in the rain...
Surly ECR 29er Frame
Thompson X4 Stem and Seatpost
Brooks B67 Mattress Saddle
Spurcycle Grips and Bell
Surly Nice Rack
Salsa Anything Cage
Wheels:
Velocity Dually 45mm Rims
Maxis Hookword 2.5" 29er Rubber
Son28 6w Dynamo Hub (front)
Nuvinci N360 IGH (rear)
Build by Ride Bicycles Seattle
Primary Electric System (Drive):
EM3EV 47V 9.8Ah 13S4P Samsung 25R Battery
Bafang BBS-02 750w Mid Drive
Alcedo Italia 42t Chainring
Secondary Electric System:
Son28 6w hub
Busch & Mueller Luxos U Headlight w/ USB port
B&M TopLight Taillight w/ strobing brake light
Kyocera Hydro Android burner phone gor GPS and Pandora
Brakes:
Tektro Dorado HD-E710 Hydraulic Ebrakes
203mm Tektro front disc and 160mm Avid rear
Fenders and Speedict Mercury on the way for data analysis, but so far I am nothing but pleased with my new commuter bike. It is empowering to be the biggest and fastest thing on the trails, but I am mindful and try not to zip off on the grass or hop curbs to pass too often. On the streets I can keep moving with traffic when I choose to and can start/stop/go with the pace that folks here drive at, which has certainly caught some gawks.
For my initial testing and learning experience, I find I like to ride very hard on the drive. Unless rolling down hill, coasting is not interesting yet. Probably because I haven't stranded myself yet... That said, I am riding either full throttle or slowing down most of the time and really beating on the bike. It handles it superbly! Battery gets me from Ballard to the top of Capitol hill in Seattle and back in 20-30 min each way depending, which is about 6 miles with a 650 ft climb to 15th Ave.
As I digest the experience more and continue to refine the build (ahem, cable routing) I'll continue to follow up. Thoughts and comments appreciated.
Cheers!