Patience pays off. Smooth Rider. 😎

torker

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Oct 16, 2008
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Udall, Ks.
Hello fellow ebikers. Finally scored a decent fs bike to move my 9c kit to. From my Rincon hardtail.
A 2005 I think, Trance for $220 :thumb: . Looks like enough room to install my 36 v Hailong? batt in the triangle. I looked for another hub build on a trance. No luck.
Any pointers on this frame? I am looking for comfort. I will do somewhat like my fsr. Higher bars , wide seat etc. Not everyones cup o tea but I like to sit up when I ride. 20-25 mph max. Mostly take the bikes camping at the lake.

Or? I have always wanted to build something lighter. How big a difference would a light hub and maybe a smaller battery. maybe 8-10 ah instead of 12 ah be. Handling wise. I know a lighter hub would handle / ride better with the fs.

So I could try to sell the Rincon to raise cash for a lighter setup but am I going to see much difference compared to my 9c direct drive ? Talking ride/handling .

Any thoughts? Trance.jpg
 
I would keep the 9C kit on the Rincon and put a new kit on the Trance if it were me, but you may have different budget constraints. I would probably go mid drive for offroad / trail riding and use the Rincon for road and commuting. Smaller batteries and lighter weight only make sense if you are going to mostly peddle without the motor and want it to feel like a regular bike with some extra assist for hills. A bigger battery means more range and less range anxiety. Using a mid drive motor and a triangle mounted battery should keep the center of gravity low and the weight well balanced.
 
Thanks Run for the hills. Good points.

I have always wanted to try a mid-drive. The advantage of no extra unsprung weight is what I really want to quantify. How much difference in handling versus a big heavy hub.

I don't have much money to spend though . Why I had to look for a while to find a good bike. Most were 600 to 1000 dollars. So that said, the initial idea was to just switch the hub system.

Just thought I would see if anyone had a somewhat direct comparison. If that is even possible..
 
It all boils down to how much do you really want to pedal, then go from there. If I so wish to not pedal, yet keep gaining speed on an uphill, so be it.
 
calab said:
It all boils down to how much do you really want to pedal, then go from there. If I so wish to not pedal, yet keep gaining speed on an uphill, so be it.


I peddle about half the time I suppose. I am 60 , smoked for years. Tire out easy I guess. Still have a physical job moving 55 barrels of oil and dragging 2 inch hose in and out of pits.

Can still exert for awhile just not like use to.

More wondering about if the ride will be much better with lighter hub .
 
Sorry, I misspelled pedal in my earlier post. Peddle is to sell something. I will be 60 next year. It sucks to get old and I have definitely slowed down, but you can still get into great shape at our age if you put the effort into it. If you are throwing 55 gallon barrels around, you are probably in better shape than I am. If you want the exercise, a lightweight geared hub motor with a clutch and a smaller battery would be a good way to go. However, the Rincon would probably be a better bike for that kind of cycling than the Trance. A full suspension bike is good for riding fast and sucking up the bumps, but it is heavier and less efficient to ride than a hardtail. Plus you can put a rear rack on the hardtail to use for commuting and shopping, so you will ride the bike more often and get more exercise.
 
All depends for lightness
How often are you going to have to lift your bicycle up and over an embankment or knoll or get stuck in an unknown area and have to double back on low battery or lift the bike up and over that one wire fence at knee height, or if you have to lift the bike up to a buses bike rack. Think your scenerio through, we all have different stories to yarn.
 
torker said:
More wondering about if the ride will be much better with lighter hub .

For riding and full suspension, a hub motor is unsprung weight, so more difficult to dial in the suspension dampening. If your riding doesn't depend on more precise suspension (street, fire roads, or riding slower speeds offroad), it should be fine, but lighter is better if you need better suspension control.
 
The dilemma of how much battery to carry, its an ongoing battle. More is always better imho.
 
Slow speed offroad is my thing. No commuting. Only lifting is putting the bike in the truck. Still handle that ok.

For budget reasons I will likely use the dd hub for now.

I still want to try a lighter setup. When budget allows.. mid-drive is still on my wishlist..
 
torker said:
Slow speed offroad is my thing.
OK so how slow is slow? 5 MPH? 10 MPH?

And what type of terrain? Lots of roots, rocks, washboard, etc. will cause more up/down motion in the rear suspension, which is where the heavier unsprung weight (the dd hub) will degrade the suspension's capabilities.
 
Awesome find! Don't worry about the weight of a direct drive hub in the rear. Put as large of a battery in the triangle as you can fit. Enjoy!
 
Been away . My riding is pretty slow. My hubs are wound for low speed. @48v x 20 inch tire and. 36v x 26 inch both run about 16 mph max. No pedaling. If my speedo is correct.
 
I just picked up my first production ebike. Himiway Cruiser. Been chasing this one for a few weeks. Turns out the seller is a truck driver. Like me. :D He has been on call and worked the holiday. He finally called today.
20220709_155227.jpg

Happy camper.. 26 mph is way fast for me..Big surprise for me.
 
I would rent one before I bought one, and mid drives arent all they are cracked up to be. In most cases you do not need a mid drive, just a hub.
 
calab said:
I would rent one before I bought one, and mid drives arent all they are cracked up to be. In most cases you do not need a mid drive, just a hub.

I have been plenty happy with my hubs. Dead simple and reliable.
This Himiway is the first time I have ever used pas. This one has been unlocked. Light pedaling gets 26 mph easily. Don't like the pull "after" quitting pedaling.
Also I am seeing the need for good brakes for the first time.
Also my first geared hub. At 48 v this thing pulls good. At least as good or better than my 9c.

If I get a chance to build a mid drive I want a tough igh in the rear. But alas, I have blown my cash on another bike instead..🙄🚲
 
So now I have a temporary setback . Also a question I have had for awhile. I have 2 em3ev batteries. One 36 v and one 48 v. The bases are not the same. Keys are not the same. Keys I understand. I do remember that they were totally different. Always wondered why the bases are different. Is one a shark and one a dolphin?

To the problem. I cannot find the keys to the 36v battery. This is the system I plan to put on the Trance. ?? I only know of one bike shop in Wichita that even sells ebikes. The 48v batt has number 318. The 36v has no number I can see.

Should I contact em3ev? My Macgyver skills are ok...👍🤔
 
torker said:
So now I have a temporary setback . Also a question I have had for awhile. I have 2 em3ev batteries. One 36 v and one 48 v. The bases are not the same. Keys are not the same. Keys I understand. I do remember that they were totally different. Always wondered why the bases are different. Is one a shark and one a dolphin?

To the problem. I cannot find the keys to the 36v battery. This is the system I plan to put on the Trance. ?? I only know of one bike shop in Wichita that even sells ebikes. The 48v batt has number 318. The 36v has no number I can see.

Should I contact em3ev? My Macgyver skills are ok...👍🤔

I would call a lock smith before a bike shop. They can make a key if they have the right blank for it.
 
torker said:
Should I contact em3ev?
Yes. They may have a key they can send you or inform you where to get one. Not sure about em3ev but there is at least one ebike mfr that their batteries used to be able to be unlocked with any key that fits, even an uncut blank. (Great security, no?)

I had another one with a lost key, different mfr. Code was stamped on the lock face. Turns out the lock & key were sourced same as a well known roof rack mfr who were able to send me the correct key from the code #. Less than $5, way less than a locksmith.
 
torker said:
I cannot find the keys to the 36v battery. This is the system I plan to put on the Trance. ?? I only know of one bike shop in Wichita that even sells ebikes. The 48v batt has number 318. The 36v has no number I can see.

Should I contact em3ev? My Macgyver skills are ok...👍🤔
Just search YouTube on how to pick an ebike battery lock. Small screwdriver and a thin piece of metal or paper clip, 30 second job.
 
calab said:
The dilemma of how much battery to carry, its an ongoing battle. More is always better imho.
I had an idea to make the bike lighter and more manoeuvrable, the overall weight is the same. Hear me out, if a 10stone and a 20 stone individual ride the same bike, does the heavier person have more trouble manoeuvring the bike? No the extra weight is an issue but the bike itself responds well. So If the battery was moved off board into a rucksack then the bike will be lighter and easier to mange. Just an idea


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
E-Hp. That was the first thing I checked out. 🤣 David I have seen people do that. I am not the only one riding these. If I told people that they had to strap lion on their back. I might have the bike to my self..👍
 
Do not be fooled, having weight can be advantageous, there is of course a curve as to much weight is not good, but having little weight can be bad to. There is a sweet spot of course.
 
The Himiway is heavy. Took a bit of searching to get a 26x4 tube locally. I weighed the rear wheel,tire,hubmotor while I had it off . 20 lbs.

I need to raise the bars and get a larger seat for my bony ass. Four back surgeries and nerve damage in both hands from 40 yrs of power tools..
Assist at 4 gets 19 mph easy and on 9 gets 27 mph easy. Although at 27 mph I need more gear reduction. Pedaling cadence is way fast for me.

Going to pull the Rincon out and see if I can pick the lock on the battery..🤞 Time to start on the Trance after getting sidetracked..
 
calab said:
Do not be fooled, having weight can be advantageous, there is of course a curve as to much weight is not good, but having little weight can be bad to. There is a sweet spot of course.

On a bicycle, there's no advantage to greater than necessary weight. It's only the things that extra weight can buy you (rigidity, durability, low cost, etc.) that are advantages. Extra weight without other benefits is worse than useless.
 
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