Recent content by superdave

Desired range, speed, and type of riding are the three things that shape donor selection for an ebike. Speed is the main factor in determining whether suspension is needed. Up to 20 MPH on-road is no problem on a non-suspension frame/fork. Faster than that, or lots of off-road use and suspension...

I finally finished my second build and have been enjoying commuting with it for a couple weeks now. The goal was a short-distance commuter with good handling, and a clean look. If anyone is interested in details, let me know and I'll post a detailed write-up on the build. Unfortunately, I...

Nope, they're NO (normally open). Otherwise you couldn't run most controllers without an e-brake switch (or a jumper) connected.

Though I have the utmost respect for the late great Sheldon Brown, I found Steve Litt's webpage on wheelbuilding much easier to follow/comprehend: http://www.troubleshooters.com/bicycles/wheelbuilding/index.htm On the subject of interlacing Steve Litt writes "Interlacing makes the wheel stiffer...

I've heard good things about the Rhyno Lite rims, but never used one myself. That 612 ERD number (effective rim diameter) is what you'll need to calculate spoke length. The Ebikes.ca Spoke Length calculator (http://ebikes.ca/SpokeCalc.shtml) will do the rest. The only other thing you'll need to...

The media wants very badly to convince people that they're all going to die from non-ionizing radiation (i.e. EM fields). It's this type of radiation that has the OP concerned. What the OP needs to understand is the huge difference between the DC EM fields associated with an e-bike motor, ELF EM...

An e-roadbike is possible, but keep in mind that steel framed pre '90s road bikes are about as stiff as overcooked pasta. That flexibility is one of their charms (helps absorb a lot of road vibration), but it will be problematic when motorized. If you're a strong rider, you can probably already...

I wouldn't run a front hub motor on any typical consumer fork without torque arms. The steel forks won't get fatigue cracks in the drop-outs the way Al forks do, but that doesn't mean they won't spread and destroy themselves (and your motor's axle) if the nuts loosen. And thats assuming a 90's...

Step one to living a healthier, happier life: stop taking health and happiness advice from the mainstream media :) The stress of worrying about EM fields is doing far more damage to your health than would sleeping with 10 charging cell phones under your pillow. For what it's worth, much of that...

Maybe a silly question, but you do have a throttle connected, right? The speed switch works in conjunction with the throttle. The speed switch alone won't run the motor.

I think you're getting some questionable fitting advice. First off, any LBS that says 2.5 cm makes no difference in sizing is either clueless or lying and you should avoid any future interaction with them. Second, raising the seat to get a more upright position doesn't make much sense. Lowering...

To understand why there are so few good mechanical solutions to the stuck seatpost problem, you need to look at the math. Let's say I can put a constant 100 lbs of force on the end of my 36" pipe wrench for a total of 300 ft lbs of torque. At the seat tube/post interface that's a force of about...

Nice find. I've been looking for something like this -- never thought to check Walmart.

Amberwolf, if it's steel-in-steel, heat + penetrating oil is your best bet. Since the tube and post have the same coefficient of thermal expansion, the tube will expand slight more than the post. Not enough to make it loose, but enough to let the oil work in between where it can work its magic...

Four hacksaw blades and a very sore shoulder later ... Victory! Cutting out a section along the full length of the post did the trick. Though even with the section removed, it took the 36" pipe wrench to get enough torque to break it loose. Once I got movement, I was able to use penetrating...