JDMopar
100 mW
Edit: This thread began as a question about e bikes and inclement weather, but I changed the title because the direction has changed. It is now a build thread! You can see the original posts below and skip to page two to see build progress. As of 10/28/17 there is no progress except some hefty charges to my credit card.
The subject frame will be this old KHS DJ200 that has been migrating throughout my garage for the past 8 years plus. It's been stripped of all its useful parts except for handlebars and stem. (oh and the perfectly functional Avid BB5 which I will let go for $1+ the cost of shipping, including matching Avid brake lever! You must use it, I will be sad if you resell it. If this is still up then it's still available...)
I am currently an avid cyclist and commuter, but I haven't yet ventured into the e-world. The goal for this is to build a reasonably light and reliable commuter that can take me further and with less exertion, and that can be taken off road for mild mountain biking. I stress MILD, because I'm fully aware I won't be log-hopping or going headlong into rock gardens with this-I have a wreck-able mountain bike for that. Nothing more aggressive than easy singletrack/4x4 utility roads. I will absolutely do light off-road regularly, as one option of my current commute involves a nice stretch through the woods. I rarely take this option currently because it's a bit too strenuous in the morning on my gravel grinder.
Edit: Now that it's nearly decided, I'll add the bike spec list here, just because it makes sense.
Frame: ~2005 KHS DJ200 15" Steel
E-drive: (From Luna) Bafang BBS02 750 Watt/48V Shark GA 13.5 Ah, DPC18 display.
Rims: Stans No Tubes MK3 27.5" 32 hole rear/28 hole front
Hubs: Novatec Superlite
Fork: Manitou Marvel Comp 100mm w/Remote Lockout
Brakes: Shimano Deore M615 203mm front, 160mm rear w/motor cut-out sensors.
Rear shifter: Shimano SLX 10-speed
Rear derailleur: Shimano SLX
Chainring: Raceface Narrow Wide? (the largest that will fit and still have a decent chainline)
Cassette: Shimano SLX 11-40t
Chain: KMC
Headset: FSA Orbit MX
Stem: Heavy Sette for now
Handlebar: Heavy Sette Duo for now
Seatpost: XLC Comp (in the annoyingly rare 26.8 mm diameter) & XLC seatclamp with built-in rack mounts.
Pedals: Shimano A530?
Accessories
Topeak MTX Rear rack
With that, and if you'd so choose, you can read my disjointed thought progression in its unadulterated confusion starting below. Thanks all for this wonderful forum; I'd be a good deal more lost without it.
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Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I've been bicycle (non e-) commuting almost exclusively for a good while now. Typically unless I need to carry heavy bulky objects or there is torrential rain and lightning, I'm riding.
I never thought I would consider an e-bike because I really enjoy the workout. But I've just found that I cannot drive at all for the foreseeable future (long story and no it's not a legal issue). I would like to be able to take care of my own transportation as much as possible. This poses a problem with the imminent winter particularly. Cold I can deal with, but snow and ice are foes that I do not wish to challenge on roads that cars travel on. Anyway, obviously can't ride a bike-e or otherwise-in that weather, so there's nothing I can do but stay home or beg for a ride in that sort of weather. That's really just a tangent, I'm kind of letting a stream of conscience out... anyway, because I'm now going to depend on my bike rather than just prefer it, I'm considering an e-bike so that I can ride further distances with less effort, so not everything has to be a super workout, and to ride faster so as to be able to make most time commitments. But that means that I'm going to be riding in all sorts of weather (except for snow/ice) and I won't be able to just decide "Nah I'll just drive today"
So, to my questions: How many of you ride your e-bikes in all weather, and what steps did you take to make them weather proof, and have you had any weather-related issues?
I already have three bikes and I'm thinking about retrofitting one of them. I have a hardtail mountain bike I build up a few years ago, a Raleigh Willard gravel grinder, and a Giant Defy 2. I don't really want to touch the MTB or the Raleigh, but the Giant I'm willing to tear into a bit. I'm not quite sure where to start but I'm cruising this forum and finding some pretty great ideas.
edit: Okay I need to add these things.
Desired max speed: 25 mph would be nice
Desired max range: At least 15 miles
Preferred bike wheel size: 700C
Brake type of motor wheel: Road caliper (rim) brake
Rider weight: 165 pounds
Terrain: Lots of hills, some long, some short, this is in the northeast United States. For example, my relatively gentle normal commute is 5.2 miles with over 400 feet of elevation gain, and that's really all in a single hill.
Budget: less than $1000 for the kit, preferably quite a bit less.
Thanks all in advance.
P.S.... few pictures of my bikes.
The subject frame will be this old KHS DJ200 that has been migrating throughout my garage for the past 8 years plus. It's been stripped of all its useful parts except for handlebars and stem. (oh and the perfectly functional Avid BB5 which I will let go for $1+ the cost of shipping, including matching Avid brake lever! You must use it, I will be sad if you resell it. If this is still up then it's still available...)
I am currently an avid cyclist and commuter, but I haven't yet ventured into the e-world. The goal for this is to build a reasonably light and reliable commuter that can take me further and with less exertion, and that can be taken off road for mild mountain biking. I stress MILD, because I'm fully aware I won't be log-hopping or going headlong into rock gardens with this-I have a wreck-able mountain bike for that. Nothing more aggressive than easy singletrack/4x4 utility roads. I will absolutely do light off-road regularly, as one option of my current commute involves a nice stretch through the woods. I rarely take this option currently because it's a bit too strenuous in the morning on my gravel grinder.
Edit: Now that it's nearly decided, I'll add the bike spec list here, just because it makes sense.
Frame: ~2005 KHS DJ200 15" Steel
E-drive: (From Luna) Bafang BBS02 750 Watt/48V Shark GA 13.5 Ah, DPC18 display.
Rims: Stans No Tubes MK3 27.5" 32 hole rear/28 hole front
Hubs: Novatec Superlite
Fork: Manitou Marvel Comp 100mm w/Remote Lockout
Brakes: Shimano Deore M615 203mm front, 160mm rear w/motor cut-out sensors.
Rear shifter: Shimano SLX 10-speed
Rear derailleur: Shimano SLX
Chainring: Raceface Narrow Wide? (the largest that will fit and still have a decent chainline)
Cassette: Shimano SLX 11-40t
Chain: KMC
Headset: FSA Orbit MX
Stem: Heavy Sette for now
Handlebar: Heavy Sette Duo for now
Seatpost: XLC Comp (in the annoyingly rare 26.8 mm diameter) & XLC seatclamp with built-in rack mounts.
Pedals: Shimano A530?
Accessories
Topeak MTX Rear rack
With that, and if you'd so choose, you can read my disjointed thought progression in its unadulterated confusion starting below. Thanks all for this wonderful forum; I'd be a good deal more lost without it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I've been bicycle (non e-) commuting almost exclusively for a good while now. Typically unless I need to carry heavy bulky objects or there is torrential rain and lightning, I'm riding.
I never thought I would consider an e-bike because I really enjoy the workout. But I've just found that I cannot drive at all for the foreseeable future (long story and no it's not a legal issue). I would like to be able to take care of my own transportation as much as possible. This poses a problem with the imminent winter particularly. Cold I can deal with, but snow and ice are foes that I do not wish to challenge on roads that cars travel on. Anyway, obviously can't ride a bike-e or otherwise-in that weather, so there's nothing I can do but stay home or beg for a ride in that sort of weather. That's really just a tangent, I'm kind of letting a stream of conscience out... anyway, because I'm now going to depend on my bike rather than just prefer it, I'm considering an e-bike so that I can ride further distances with less effort, so not everything has to be a super workout, and to ride faster so as to be able to make most time commitments. But that means that I'm going to be riding in all sorts of weather (except for snow/ice) and I won't be able to just decide "Nah I'll just drive today"
So, to my questions: How many of you ride your e-bikes in all weather, and what steps did you take to make them weather proof, and have you had any weather-related issues?
I already have three bikes and I'm thinking about retrofitting one of them. I have a hardtail mountain bike I build up a few years ago, a Raleigh Willard gravel grinder, and a Giant Defy 2. I don't really want to touch the MTB or the Raleigh, but the Giant I'm willing to tear into a bit. I'm not quite sure where to start but I'm cruising this forum and finding some pretty great ideas.
edit: Okay I need to add these things.
Desired max speed: 25 mph would be nice
Desired max range: At least 15 miles
Preferred bike wheel size: 700C
Brake type of motor wheel: Road caliper (rim) brake
Rider weight: 165 pounds
Terrain: Lots of hills, some long, some short, this is in the northeast United States. For example, my relatively gentle normal commute is 5.2 miles with over 400 feet of elevation gain, and that's really all in a single hill.
Budget: less than $1000 for the kit, preferably quite a bit less.
Thanks all in advance.
P.S.... few pictures of my bikes.