How about an eBike Wiki ?

adrian_sm

1 MW
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
2,429
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Over the last few months of frequenting these forums, I have come across so much great information. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of it is buried in long threads. Resuling in me being addicted to reading the forums whenever I get a spare minute, in case I miss something important. Then I started see the same questions pop up again and again. Which got me thinking, people are having trouble finding what they need.

So. What do people think of starting a wiki, that the forum members can all edit, and mold into a central resource for the knowledge.

Looks like there is some great open source wiki software out there, just need somewhere to host it, and a few authors to get the ball rolling.

What do people think? Might be a good way to capture the collective knowledge, in a more permanent form.

It could cover things such as

- Hubmotor Basics
- RC eBike Basics
- Controller Basics
- Battery technology
- Electrical Safety
- Controller Mods
- Part Supplier Database
- Beginners Guides
- DYI Battery Build
- How to mount your batteries
- Delta/Wye
- Dual Motor Ebike Guide
- High Power Ebike Guide
- ....
 
This has been mooted before. IIRC the owner of the forum was keen on the idea and may have even started work on it. The problem is it's a MAGNUM OPUS! And it would have to be constantly updated - a never-ending task. If people are willing to put in the effort, I take my hat off to them, but personally, I think that careful use of the search facility achieves the same end without the massive amount of work. Just my 2 pence worth.
Edit:
You must also factor in that folk ENJOY conversing here about a subject they are interested in and not always JUST dedicated to the education of others - it's also FUN! :D
 
I think it's a great idea. Sure, this site's format may be appealing to some for other aspects, but some want information and I have to agree that a wiki might be a far more organized way of concentrating that useful information. The idea is to amplify the signal to noise ratio so that people don't have to waste as much time to get the information they want. Also, not everyone has mastered the Forum's "search function": apparently not many newcomers have.

I think the technical reference area is an attempt at providing a concentrated objective knowledge base, but it does have its limitations. Mainly, you have to be granted "guru status" before contributing which potentially limits contributions from some members, it lacks a sense of distinct organization and misinformation can be perpetuated by earlier posts that can't be "corrected" by the community without undue effort.

Also, to get a wiki started is pretty simple. Just install the appropriate Wiki software, and unleash it to the digital wilderness. Even if no one participates, the worst that happens is that an extra 20 or so megabytes is used on the server. I really think that someone other than the forum's owner should start the software because, well, the owner is really hardly ever around and the other top-level execs seem to have little involvement with other web technologies outside of ES so it's fairly unlikely it's going to get done by that route. It's going to require individual initiative who happens to have access to a server, and maybe someone willing to pitch in the $10/year for the domain name (Or it could be a extension of an existing name, but that seems so lame but it might be ok for at least starting out to see how it goes).

Interestingly, searching the forums for an ebike wiki, it seems the desire for a wiki has been mentioned several times by others.
 
Aside from EV basics, there are too many variables and dependencies... People are going to wind up searching here anyway.
 
TylerDurden said:
Aside from EV basics, there are too many variables and dependencies... People are going to wind up searching here anyway.

That'd be increasingly true for some of those who want more idiosyncratic / advanced information, but even so, wouldn't having a greater amount of organization / search options be better than being limited to one? I personally think it'd be great to have a concentrated form of information available *as an option* instead of having to wade through the meaningless comments.

And, most of the time, I'm not searching - I'm browsing. And to browse a resource like that would be far more efficient assuming it had useful contributions. The worst that happens is that no one contributes, no one uses it and it doesn't grow - no biggie - just delete it if nothing happens. The best that happens is that we have a useful format available to use that further contributes to the ebike cause.

Most of the work would be the initial work; Mainly setting up an intro page, and implementing an organizational scheme and maybe add a few articles to get it rolling. And then it should be advertised to let potential contributors know about it and contribute.
 
I started one at http://ebikeinfo.ca but have not had time to organize it yet.

If anyone wants to edit it, go ahead. It does not currently require any registration, and I'd like to keep it that way. I plan on adding some "cookbooks" for picture uploads and captchas shortly.
 
Fantastic, work el-walto. Thanks for setting that up.

Now the fun begins of filling it, and keeping things organised. I might have a bit more of a think about content & structure before I start dumping things in.

Thanks again, if we all put in a bit of effort this could become an awesome resource.

Adrian
 
Dear e_walto, I was bored and decided to take you up on your offer. I wrote a beginners guide to E-bikes on on the home-page of your "http://ebikeinfo.ca" site. Merely meant as a starting framework to prime the pump.

Feel free to edit/add/move/delete as you see fit. I noticed it loaded the info onto a page that is 3 pages wide, and forces the reader to move the page left and right. It would be wonderful if you could format the page to start at 3/4ths a full-page width so it starts out already fitting inside most browser windows.

I hope it proves helpful. Its not meant to be all-inclusive, just a good snapshot of beginner FAQ's. I claim no copyright on any material, and anyone may copy and use at their discretion. Since it is certain to be edited by others, please to not say I wrote it.
 
Thanks spinningmagnets. That's really quite strange how that happened, I'll look into and try to get the other stuff working this weekend also.

I'm guessing you wrote that and pasted it from word? When i edit a page in firefox this problem doesn't happen.
 
The "Beginners Guide to E-bikes" Wiki can be found here. Needs more info on batteries (please be concise, and use beginner-speak) if you have 10 minutes to spare.

http://ebikeinfo.ca/index.php?n=BeginnersGuide.BeginnersGuide

Feel free to add/edit/correct. In depth articles are accessed by the left-side index, let the in-depth techno-speak flow in there ! Add a new section that is not represented yet !
 
el_walto said:
I started one at http://ebikeinfo.ca but have not had time to organize it yet.

If anyone wants to edit it, go ahead. It does not currently require any registration, and I'd like to keep it that way. I plan on adding some "cookbooks" for picture uploads and captchas shortly.
It's just so good and logically written. I don't think I could possibly add any quality to your work there.
The Beginner's Guide is faultless in every respect.

I have an eZee front. Took a header at twenty. Steel fork, steel dropouts. When the bike struck the curbing in the round-about,
that sudden shock to the eZee, spread the steel dropouts of the Sun Kruiser branded cruiser coaster brake bike.

When I get it back on the road (have been sidetracked for more than a month with other issues, I must fit it with a torque arm, preferably two.

It would seem advisable, even on a steel fork, even with a relatively tame eZee (36V), that the torque arm is going to be useful in a collision situation;
I have busted wires (I hard-wired the motor, discarding quick disconnects. So, a few of the wires are probably busted inside their insulation, as the axle wound about one and a half times, in the dropouts.

Bought a new fork for this particular bike, no problem, from the LBS that sells this Miami-based "brand", imported by the large and famous J&B importers.
It is a very good bike for two bills. But I will not run it again until I have at least one torque arm;

Point: it might be a good idea to include with every kit, a torque arm.
Am torn at this point, which torque arm to get: the one from your firm (can two be used?)
Or there is one from Amped Bikes that lookes beefier yet. And no "hose clamp", which is sort of unattractive, yet practical.

Summary: you've don't great work there already. I think the resource, built in with sales info, is just great.
I'm a big fan of the firm, as you know. Thanks. I love the C.A. and the eZee is my not-regretted choice. It purrs and it pulls from a standing start,
and the thumb throttle is just excellent in feel and modulation.

example, about a week or so before I crashed this bike, my fault that was.
All from your firm, other than the Ping battery.
[youtube]UwMZp2sAiEU[/youtube]
"clean and simple and 20mph--works for me, no front brake on purpose, no hills here
and I can stop almost on a dime by back pedaling and leaning back. Not for hilly areas, of course,
nor for 25mph and over, speeds."


Important addendum of recommendation: that eZee wheel kit is premium priced. You get
what you pay for, as the old saying goes.

That Weinmann (sp) rim of the eZee is "double walled" strong. The tire used, and still just fine: Bontrager Big Hank,
front inflated to a mere 10PSI, because, on my implementation, the rider weight (less than 150 lbs) is so heavily biased to the rear.
No steering or stability issues. THAT WHEEL took a direct frontal impact at fully 20 mph into a standard height concrete curbing.
The bike flipped, of course. I went flying into the relatively soft dirt, thank that luck, and only got road-rashed on a palm. No head injury;
only some minor bruises.

The WHEEL did not bend. The tire did not pinch-flat. In fact, the eZee wheel with my-choice of that Big Hank, runs perfectly true,
not a bit of bend or strain suffered in the terrific collision to the curb. The motor ran after the accident, about five hundred feet, towards home,
then I noted the wound-up wires and turned the bars hard one way or the other. Motor quit then, as a wire or two broke inside the insulation.
No problem to repair the torn wire or wires (hard wired, all of it). AMAZING to me that the wheel is perfectly round and true, after that great crash.
I'm...infamous for not knowing a basic thing: do not ever pedal through a tight circle at speed, where you are leaning a cruiser or other bike at an
acute-enough angle, that the inside pedal touches asphalt. POGO, I went, and BAM the curb, and the bike flipped on over =me=, yet was still perfectly
ride-able back to the house a half mile away. Quality rim/wheel and a big, soft tire, must be why I did not ruin the eZee, period.
 
Somehow I missed it was even there. I didn't even know about the amaranthine es wiki till after it was also gone.

One that is directly associated with ES would be good, on the same servers if possible, using the memberlist/credentials from this forum so all things are linked between them woul be best. Then no one has to remember to create account stuff the same between them both, etc. Just login to either one and you're logged into both, to post/edit/etc.

But not sure how the anti-spammer measures would work in those cases; obviously it hasn't worked out so well at that one. :(
 
i know ebikeinfo.ca wiki was spammed, yes there is a backup that i should be able to restore.

The idea with the site was to leave it open with only captcha verification. This way people don't have to sign up to use it. The problem was it got pushed aside before i added the captcha stuff.

I also will see if i can get it updated to a much newer version of pmwiki.
 
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