GCinDC's Giant DH Comp

GCinDC said:

while working on wheel, the bike leaned against the bench and depressed rear hydraulic brake when not installed, and now i can't separate them... what's to be done in this situation?

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Try squeezing a blade/chisel/screwdriver between the pads and slowly pry them apart. They'll self align once the disc is back and give the lever a few slow pumps.

GCinDC said:

made an impulse buy of a motorcycle wheel already laced in 9x7, and then had to undish it to fit:
it's a 19x1.85 rim with a 2.75" Golden Boy Trial Tire...

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Nice, I've been hunting around for something similar but can't find anything locally. 19x1.85 is the perfect size for an offroad ebike I reckon. I used to like 24" sun double tracks but it seems they're not available anymore and these are a little wider. I'm sure they come with quite the weight penalty though, and the tyres alone are probably 2kg odd are they ? I assume they are alloy and not steel ?
Time to crank out the drill and make them trials spec

while working on wheel, the bike leaned against the bench and depressed rear hydraulic brake when not installed, and now i can't separate them... what's to be done in this situation?

Click to expand...

Shoot yourself in the head
Nah it's pretty easily remedied - use a large flat blade screw driver or a butter knife or something and pry them apart, pushing the pistons back into the caliper. If you push the screw driver in and twist it a little it usually open them up a bit, then you can lever it more to push them right back. Just watch you don't hack up the pads. A little oil might come out around around brake lever.

GCinDC said:

but those are for sissy's compared to these bone boring threadlock monsters on the dh comp:

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Serious pedals you've got there

deecanio said:

What do you use for footwear?

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Been using clip-ins all my life - no problem in the wet, apart from having wet feet :lol: just switched to flats recently, don't think I'd be going back to clip-ins again!

deecanio said:

5/10's seem to be recommended

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+1
The grip is fantastic (at least in the dry)

GCinDC,

Be sure to change out the hall wires too. I had a set of phase wires do the same thing. I inspected the hall wires and though the insulation was slightly deformed I couldn't find any cracking even after bending, so I used them in the new harness....Big mistake because it wasted an otherwise masterful new harness job.

Also, I know exactly what you're feeling about new bike geometry. Our ebikes are so much more like motorcycles that going more cramped just doesn't feel right, and my 2 cents is that it never will.

John

full-throttle said:

GCinDC said:

but those are for sissy's compared to these bone boring threadlock monsters on the dh comp:

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Serious pedals you've got there

deecanio said:

What do you use for footwear?

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Been using clip-ins all my life - no problem in the wet, apart from having wet feet :lol: just switched to flats recently, don't think I'd be going back to clip-ins again!

deecanio said:

5/10's seem to be recommended

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+1
The grip is fantastic (at least in the dry)

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meh, those dh comp pedals are health and safety compliant all day compared to the stinks old pedals, im sure i saw them used in SAW2, this is the good one btw, the one that went down the road is much sharper
Thx for the tip FT, looking at some regular platfors and a pair of 5/10's to match.

D

Ironically, I've got more permanent scars from the least aggressive pedals - guess the sharper the pins the less likely is to loose grip

But yeah they look like they'll bite like those wolfs in The Grey

full-throttle said:

[Try squeezing a blade/chisel/screwdriver between the pads and slowly pry them apart.

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worked like a charm. for some reason i recall hearing it was catastrophic. greatly relieved!

Hyena said:

I used to like 24" sun double tracks but it seems they're not available anymore

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it seems the Sun MTX 39 is comparable, no? but good luck finding 24s..

Hyena said:

Shoot yourself in the head

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putting a freeze on the credit card and checking into rehab has crossed my mind... :lol:

John in CR said:

Be sure to change out the hall wires too.

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Great advice, John! But what a @&)%$ pia to go back and replace them. and with what? who's got that gauge teflon laying around? i'd have to cannibalize a 6x10! :lol: but seriously, anyone got a source on decent hall replacement wires??

John in CR said:

I know exactly what you're feeling about new bike geometry.

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it's amazing how small changes affect the feel. i've not cut down the wide handlebars yet, and am not used to that. after two days of riding it, i just realized my right hand is cramping because of the larger throttle grip - time to get another magura... and this isn't even about the geometry, but the frigging seat is unbearable. i'd rather sit on a block of wood. i don't want to even describe what it's doing to me. like horrific inquisition torture... :x

apart from those minor issues, this rear wheel is awesome. yeah, sound the buzzer on the weight penalty. no doubt. and i'm going very easy till i get the balance right, and firm up the spokes, but with the tire pressure low, when i go flying over curbs, the landing has that extra soft little give of the tire. yum, yum. i keep trying to think of how to show it on video... i'll think of something. it feels amazing! i switched out the shock too, btw. i the manitou has been shelved and a fox dhx 4.0 w/ 500lb coil is in there and it's got a nice plush feel. so with that and the softer tire, i'm very happy. i might need to add some pressure before going for bigger stuff - i think i'll just video the landing of smaller jumps to see in slowmo how the tire reacts on landing. but for bigger stuff, i need to work on the balance so i don't land vertically on the rear wheel by accident.

it might help to install the rear brake too. :wink: that could be useful. but i don't want to spend a lot of time on it (and i'd need to) if i'm just going to swap the motors - since the hs3540 wheel/brake/etc fits just fine...

btw, is this motor really a 9x7? or are these just serial numbers?
View attachment 2

she's peppy off the line, and at 80v liable to wheelie, but not so much at 76V when hot. she does suck some current, that's for sure. still need to tweak CA to know for sure, but on the first am commute when nobbies hit frame, and before i'd set rshunt, i was seeing 9kw... :lol: after i filed down the inside of the frame where the nobbies were hitting, performance increased. there still a bit of metal left on that part of the frame, the chainstay? amazing how fast it ground down tho. yes, i'm totally joking. just seeing if you're paying attention. anyway, the motor won't go more than 30mph as is... so the hs3540 it will be... eventually.

more work on the hs3540 to come...

GC, try

http://www.bulkwire.com/wire-cable/ptfe-high-temperature-stranded-wire.html

price is little high, but you dont really need much length.

nice link, gensem. thanks. i don't mind buying in bulk.. (until someone locks me up) :lol: but what gauge is good for halls? can i go 30? or do i need 24?

deecanio said:

I need to buy some proper mtb trainers? 5/10's seem to be recommended

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yo D, which one(s) you eyeing, the dirtbag, wet cement, hellcat...?

I can check what gauge i got from bulkwire when I get home... i think the stock ones are 28 (and thats already thin)
Btw i should said that teflon phase wires are expensive (10-12g) sensor ones are too thin to be pricy.

Sign me up for a few feet of those. Imho the thinner, the better, you don't need to pull amps through them

GCinDC said:

John in CR said:

Be sure to change out the hall wires too.

Click to expand...

Great advice, John! But what a @&)%$ pia to go back and replace them. and with what? who's got that gauge teflon laying around? i'd have to cannibalize a 6x10! :lol: but seriously, anyone got a source on decent hall replacement wires??

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I didn't realize you already changed the phase wires. Def not worth going back to do. The hall wire problem on mine was intermittent and worsened with temperature.

GCinDC said:

the frigging seat is unbearable. i'd rather sit on a block of wood. i don't want to even describe what it's doing to me. like horrific inquisition torture... :x

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Look at the bright side. You're not 250lbs like me with cranks more forward so less weight on the pedals. Imagine what those saddles feel like.

GCinDC said:

dbaker said:

What did you replace it with? THHN building wire or the teflon stuff?

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teflon.

Updates:
- installed 1/2 twist throttle
- installed large screen CA

made an impulse buy of a motorcycle wheel already laced in 9x7, and then had to undish it to fit:

it's a 19x1.85 rim with a 2.75" Golden Boy Trial Tire...
12g spokes with washers at the nipple. the tire was wedged up against the frame, and after 30 min of working the spokes, it still rubs a bit, but rolls... i dropped the pressure down quite a bit but rubs worse, so more work to do...

and i really want to yank the 9x7 out and replace w/ upgraded hs3540. perhaps after more testing...

it certainly adds some weight to the back. i'm even tempted to remove batt from triangle and attach to forks - that move make a lot of sense now...

while working on wheel, the bike leaned against the bench and depressed rear hydraulic brake when not installed, and now i can't separate them... what's to be done in this situation?

Click to expand...

damn mate that 19" rim looks shmick. much better balance than I have with my 17". Can you get a pick of your clearance, as I'm amazed that your not getting much tyre rub... my own 2.75 tire has very little space to spare, if it was 2" further towards the front I'd have big issues...

Gotta love the 'bullet proof' ness of it though huh? I've hit some stuff recently on mine that would have broken atleast 4-6 spokes with my old rim... this one doesn't even go out of true!

any more
vids?

GCinDC said:

nice link, gensem. thanks. i don't mind buying in bulk.. (until someone locks me up) :lol: but what gauge is good for halls? can i go 30? or do i need 24?

deecanio said:

I need to buy some proper mtb trainers? 5/10's seem to be recommended

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yo D, which one(s) you eyeing, the dirtbag, wet cement, hellcat...?

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not bad but i kinda quite like these ... http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=79592
also these ... http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=63974

bit expensive, though those moto boots are nice :lol:

D

[youtube]KdCQwgAFy5c[/youtube]
[youtube]TAPxO40i9eA[/youtube]
[youtube]zkmBxcHwLQs[/youtube]

Cool clips 8)

Very artistic!

dark side back wheel. welcome....

whered'ya get it?

Len

bragging about pedals and teasing about 5/10's = karma. got a nice scrape on my shin during this fail: :lol:

my work shoes have no traction! i took a photo of the shin gash but on second thought will spare you the sight... :lol:

just moments before the first log, i was thinking i gotta install the 44t chainring and i don't really need the bashguard! lol. it SAVED the chainring on that first log!

Lenk42602 said:

dark side back wheel. welcome.... whered'ya get it?

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on sale at Target, where else?

lol. i got it from dbaker, a local guru/hobbyist with a couple toys (faith, aline)... he built the wheel for this kona but wasn't using it...

back story: a week ago, i got my 19 x 1.85 excel takasago, but had failed to appreciate the challenge of getting spokes for it. i thought i could find 8mm nipples and spokes at whatever length... lol. and i wasn't sure of the size after seeing how big dbaker's was, and was thinking an 18 by JRH w/ spokes to fit the hs3540 was going to be the best/easiest route... i mean, how much would it suck if i figured washers, measured ERD, ordered spokes and then the were too short or two long? it would suck a lot.

so i realized i'd probably end up replacing the hs3540 into the wheel, or my own, but at least i'd have a starting point by using this wheel.

my tire pressure was too low, btw. i pumped it up this morning, and when i connected it, the PSI gauge didn't budge! it might have been less than 3. dumb ass...

i pumped it up to 20psi and will try that for a while.

oh, and did i mention this thing gets some attention!? EVERYONE looks at it and me when i pass - and i'm cruising now, going much slower enjoying the springtime sights. everyone turns and gawks. people who never would have given the GT a second look. they're like 'wtf? woah...'

GCinDC said:

oh, and did i mention this thing gets some attention!? EVERYONE looks at it and me when i pass - and i'm cruising now, going much slower enjoying the springtime sights. everyone turns and gawks. people who never would have given the GT a second look. they're like 'wtf? woah...'

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Depending on what you look for that might be good or bad...

Cool vids, I was just about to post "put some bloody air in ya tyres" but it looks like you're already on top of that They're not too bad actually considering that was only 3 psi! If you were just doing general offroading and now jumping they'd probably be good and plush on even 10 psi.
Nice stack :lol: Atleast you got it on tape! It would have been funnier if the lady with the pram came along while you were laying on the ground with the bike on top of you

I like the big with the old dude walking past at the end too - looks almost scripted. A sign of whats in store for all of us sooner or later (if we're so lucky...)

Speaking of slippery shoes, I must have put my foot down in a patch of oil or something while stopped at a light the other day. When I put my shoes on yesterday one foot was crazy slippery and the other gripped like normal. I walked around all day dragging my feet to try and wear it down but one foot is skates around even when walking on tile or timber floors. An accident waiting to happen no doubt!

Cool clips Greg and that wheel looks solid in there, you love your jumping dont ya! you can do that mostly without a motor though still you are in that ebike R&D stage, I have been there smoked so much and got back just! ha ha, great fun though.

Keep the videos coming and hoping things are on the up now oh are you still using your old gopro or did you get the new one? I just cany get super smooth slo mo on mine even at 60fps, what you using for the slo mo?

[youtube]C8Himu_PnIw[/youtube]

Amazing movies. I just bought a GoPro to put on my ebike, and your vids give me a lot of inspiration! Thanks for sharing.

naw, just fooling around... but thanks.

if you're in SW, you may appreciate: Filme von Draussen. he rides like a girl (just kidding) but is one hell of a video editor. :lol:

edit: don't miss this one: BI|KE - A Symmetric Vehicle