Greetings from Hybridmojo!Â
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You may have seen us at the 2009 Maker Faire in San Mateo or run into one of us elsewhere during the year. Â This is our first newsletter, championing the message of bicycle electrification. Â I'll cover some of the projects & events from the past year plus our plan for the 2010 Maker Faire.
>> What Are Your Current Projects?Â
- Portable, powerful, convenient: a high performance folding bicycle for commuting
- Minimal and powerful: hot rodded electric scooter
- Pie in the sky project: styling and improving the electronics on the yellow tandem bicycleÂ
- Spreading the message: the website (www.hybridmojo.com) is finally liveÂ
> High Performance Folding Bicycle for Commuting
[http://hybridmojo.com/evolution/commuter/prototype-1-light-weight-folding-bicycle/]
The feedback from visitors at the last Maker Faire clearly supported our hunch:Â make something practical, something light weight. Â
Our response? We took a folding bicycle and threw an upgraded hub motor on the front and then fleshed it out with all the accessories needed for daily commuting. The result? A tire burning mini bike that can zip down the street at nearly 30mph and fit in the trunk of a Honda. Then it was ridden to work, rain or shine, for two winter months with no hiccups. Not too shabby, eh? A video showcasing the folder is in the works and it'll be at the Maker Faire 2010. Stay tuned!Â
> Hot Rodded Electric Scooter
[http://hybridmojo.com/tag/hot-rod-scooter-alpha-1/]
Next up, the Do-It-Yourself ebike crowd has been fixated on the lightweight but powerful motors used in large Remote Control (RC) airplanes. Adapting them for ebike use has been a bit of a rough road however. The motors spin at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm (that's a lot) and weren't built to pull 250lbs of weight around.  Ebike controllers and electronics don't work well with the RC motors, and RC controllers and electronics don't work well on bikes. Most solutions have been expensive and complicated.Â
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We think we might be on track to sort things out however.  The key is adding position sensors to these motors and using small bicycle wheels. These sensors allow some ebike controllers to work reliably with RC motors. Ben machined an external mounting for the sensors that I mounted onto a scooter. The result? A 2 horsepower on a vehicle that weighs about half as much as a bicycle.  The torque from a dead start is incredible!  We'll definitely need to build a scooter from scratch to match the power of the motor.Â
> Tandem Bike
[http://hybridmojo.com/evolution/serial-hybrid/short-wheelbase-tandem/]
[http://hybridmojo.com/tag/serial-hybrid-tandem-2-6/]
The bright yellow tandem got a lot of love in 2009 from visitors. Â It's unusual due to its compactness and the two sets of Makita batteries attached to the side.
It needed some TLC though. First, the rear wheel was too far forwards, affecting steering at low speeds, so the rear end was rebuilt to be longer. Next, lack of torque down low was addressed by adding a 3 speed transmission. The simple serial hybrid drive was improved and after months of fried circuits and hair pulling, Ben, Mike and I built a circuit that works.  Look for the new circuit to be available for the Faire. To finish it all off, the bike is getting a make over.  The paint is still drying and photos will be posted after the Faire.
> WebsiteÂ
[http://hybridmojo.com/]
Finally, after many iterations, Hybridmojo.com went live. The ebike information on my personal site was migrated to blog posts on hybridmojo.com.Â
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>> Will you be at the next Maker Faire?Â
Yes! May 22nd-23rd, San Mateo Expo Center. That's this coming weekend!
Our theme is a throwback to the optimism of the past. Â We're calling it HybridMojo and the Two Wheeled World of Tomorrow!
See the intro video, styled as a 40s or 50s newsreel, here:Â
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhFkFxwLLVAÂ
We're also working on posters and other media up to the last minute. Take a look...
http://hybridmojo.com/tag/media/
What would you like to see as part of the exhibit? We'd love to hear from you!  Just send an email to peter at hybridmojo.comÂ
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The format will be different this year. An ebike show will be scheduled for several times during the day so that everyone can see the bikes in action:
10am
NoonÂ
2pmÂ
4pmÂ
This is in addition to the static displays. Â Look for the large orange Hybridmojo sign!
It's a little hard to find, but here is information on getting to the Maker Faire using alternative transportation. Â There are a few group bike rides that sound like a lot of fun!
http://makerfaire.com/bayarea/2010/alternative/
Photos of our booth from the last Maker Faire are available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/petersbikes/090530MakerFaire2009
Look for additional updates later this year regarding possible ways to get involved with our movement, including possible opportunities to test drive the bicycles.
>> What Other Events Did You Participate In During 2009?Â
- Google IOÂ Conference After Hours Party
We also got noticed by some event planning folks and received an invite to display the bikes at the Google IO conference at Moscone center!Â
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The environment at Google IO was quite different from the Maker Faire. First off, it was dark-- more like a rave atmosphere with lights flashing and music blasting, which made talking about bikes challenging. Our pedal power challenge was a big hit though. Cyclecide was also there with some unusual bikes. Â A few other Makers exhibited as well. Louie, Sheila, and I manned the booth and enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. Photos here:Â
http://picasaweb.google.com/petersbikes/GoogleIODeveloperConference#Â
- Take Flight for kids
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This event at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose brought together all sorts of Makers to entertain and educate. Â The kids got to enjoy airplane rides courtesy of the pilots at the airport, and while they waited they could go around and visit all the booths.
>> Take Action
Electric bikes may seem fringe from our point of view here in the United States. Â But worldwide, the picture is vastly different. Â There were over 20,000,000 electric bicycles sold in China last year. Â Europe is on its way to 1,000,000 sold, and Japan is doing quite well also. Â And guess what? The United States market is finally coming to life, doubling sales numbers every year. Â
The environmental credentials of electric bikes are far better than any car.
What can you do?
Get outside on a bike, electric or regular, for exercise, fun, commuting and errands
You don't have to go out every day, or give up on your car. Â The idea is to figure out what works for you. Â Every trip you take is better for the world and your health than hopping in a car.
Think beyond the confines of 4 wheels
Electric cars have been inexorably marching ahead this past year. All the excitement around electrification has been missing one major point though: the form factor of the automobile limits how much energy savings can be achieved, regardless of whether the car runs on gas or electricity. Frankly, it often does not make sense to use a 3000 pound vehicle to move around a 200 pound passenger, other than there is no convenient alternative available.  We should demand more options.
Encourage others to do the same
Electric bicycles need advocates. Â Spread the word.
Have fun
We're trying to enjoy ourselves while building fun vehicles. Â The transition to two wheels is much easier when it's fun-- so go on, have a good time.
>> ThanksÂ
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Special thanks to Garett D. for his QA and constructive criticism on the website; Eric T. for gifting his bicycle building jigs (recent brazed joints have been very straight, Eric); and as always, the never ending energy, creativity, and support of the rest of the team: Louie, Sheila, Ben, Mike, and Victor. Â
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You're receiving this email probably because you signed up on our list at the Maker Faire Bay Area in 2009 (or maybe even 2008) or we know you personally and think you might be interested
  If that's incorrect, simply reply with "remove me" or something along those lines and I'll cross your name off the list.
