I saw some of the tools for helping with the nipples, but it didn't take long to do just the one wheel, quite relaxing. and using the nipple as the tool is free...
@chas58 I tried to find a freewheel q100 but I couldn't anywhere that had 32 spoke holes, the only one I found by going through this forum had 36 holes and I wanted to keep this style of rim.
I've been looking at some of the other threads for stealth builds and I don't think I'm doing enough, I wondered if I could be rid of the frame bag completely, and the throttle. Could the only visible part of the build be the motor? I would have to displace all the components in the bag, the controller, key ignition, and battery indicator.
Redefining the Controller.
As I was reverse engineering the controller I realised how many functions on it are over spec'd and redundant on my build. If I wanted to only control the bike with a signal wire did I even need an eBike controller? I found another option on ebay that is far smaller.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322254223210 (£8.59)
This is a simple board for controlling a BLDC motor, I am going to get one to see if I can work out which component limits it to 36v and if a fully charged battery would burn it out at above that voltage (40v). It's a step towards designing my own board to integrate bms and motor control which is the plan down the line, but even with them as separate boards I'm getting into the realms of fitting them under the saddle in a 3d printed hard case. This could be completely invisible from the side, with a rear light covering it from the back. Exciting!
Ignition Switch
I am quite worried about security for the build as with anything you put work into. I saw on here a really cool GPS tracker that slots in the head tube (one of the few places I have left to put anything on the bike).
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181461850317?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l5999&_trkparms=gh1g%3DI181461850317.N36.S2.R1.TR4 (£28.97)
This can be armed and disarmed with an RFId tag, I'm hoping that I can find a part of this circuit that I can run a wire from out of the bottom of the fork back into the frame to my controller. This would let me switch between the gps tracker and alarm being live, or the motor being live with a quick tap. (Also super confusing for anyone trying to steal it).
Throttle
For simplification the project so far has worked around using a thumb throttle, which i think I will still use to start and get it going. I always thought that the cadence sensors wouldn't work for me because i want to use the electrical power from standstill. (I realised my build is the eBike equivilent of a koenigsegg regera in terms of power train if you count me as the ICE). I've learnt a lot about torque sensing bottom brackets and it sounds ideal, as i put all my weight on a pedal from standstill the motor will shoot me forward (hopefully).
http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/ebike-parts/torque-sensors/tdcm-120.html (£118.57)
It's a bit more of an expensive option so it will probably be one of the last things on the project when I know the rest is working, but it would be the icing on the cake to have nothing extra on the handlebars. This torque sensor outputs a voltage between 2.4v and 3.4v. I would need to create a small board with some op amps to modify this to run with the other driver board if it works.
Battery Level Indicator
I can simply this to a LED bargraph somewhere on the bike, this is one thing that would be nice to have visible as I ride. Perhaps it could be recessed into the stem with a smoked polycarbonate cover, anything that doesn't look out of place when the bike is off. The control circuitry for this would be integrated in the same board I would make for the bottom bracket. I'm unsure whether to use a mirco - controller for these circuits or keep it as basic components and chips.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10Pcs-10-Segment-Led-Bargraph-Light-Display-Red-Yellow-Green-Blue-New-K-/131982251643?hash=item1ebac1567b:g:kgYAAOSwHsRYD3Jv
I like that this one has a blue one on the end I could program to indicate charging.
This is a classic example of a project getting extended when not far from conclusion, but I think it's a good time to make the change, not too extreme and all still achievable. (lucky i hadn't cut the frame where the bag was going to go yet).
Tonight I've been truing the wheel and I'm tempted to zip tie everything to the outside of the bike and have a test ride.