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  1. L

    Townie with discs

    OK, thanks. So, it's my understanding that each cell is about 3V so 18 in series makes about 54V. What if I had, say, 72V? Or would any controller that can be used with a 72V battery also be regen capable at that voltage?
  2. L

    Townie with discs

    Thanks, but I still don't know all the jargon. What is "fet" and 18s (seconds?)
  3. L

    Townie with discs

    Thanks for all the advice guys. Looks like the setup should be something like 1. Townie with rim brakes as base platform 2. Rear DD motor with slow winding for hill climbing 3. Regen capable controller 4. Torque arms to hold motor in rear dropout Any suggestions about specific...
  4. L

    Townie with discs

    Hmm.... You make a compelling point. In a way, the rim is a giant disc (admittedly without the vent holes). Perhaps even more reason to go with the stock Townie and certainly cheaper than replacing the fork. Good to see a fellow Portland person who knows the terrain too. Thanks! Edit: My...
  5. L

    Townie with discs

    The problem going down Marquam Hill isn't keeping your speed at 25mph, it's keeping it under 150mph :shock: :D. Did I mention the switchbacks? I thought of the replacement fork idea too but yeah that was my concern. It's kind of an unusual style of bike so I wasn't sure if I could find forks...
  6. L

    Townie with discs

    My main concern isn't panic stops. I'm sure the cantilevers do fine for that. My concern is heat dissipation as I ride the brake all the way down that grade for the 8-10 minutes it takes to get back to the flatlands below. The Townie is heavy to begin with and mine will have a big motor...
  7. L

    Townie with discs

    I test rode one of Electra's Townie bikes the other day, specifically the 7D. I really like these bikes, they're very pretty and the whole "pedal-forward" idea that lets you put your feet down at lights while still getting full leg extension when pedalling is great. They're a bit heavy but if...
  8. L

    What's the catch?

    I'm in the US but I always use metric units when talking about this stuff because we're dealing in watts so we're already using metric units. Also the English system confusingly weighs things in pounds which is actually a unit of force, not mass. The English mass unit is the "slug", which almost...
  9. L

    Building from components

    Thanks, I'm playing with the sim right now. Can you explain "code" to me?
  10. L

    Building from components

    OK, I can't install Google Earth right now on my Ubuntu setup without upgrading a ton of other stuff so I went with mapmyride. The real commute is 4.31km and 155m elevation gain. There's a lot of 6-14% grade for the second half. I would provide a link to it but I just joined MMR and don't know...
  11. L

    Building from components

    Thanks to -dg and pdf for the tips. I'm playing with the e-bike simulator right now. I thought Google earth could do elevations but was in a hurry. I didn't know about mapmyride. BTW - I can't seem to find a FAQ on gearless hub motors on here. There's one on geared ones but not gearless. BTW -...
  12. L

    Building from components

    Sorry guys, I guess I've been vague. Details: 1. Let's say the start point (see footnote) is https://plus.google.com/114104276190980217107/about?gl=us&hl=en, end point is https://plus.google.com/109551451458555091470/about?gl=US&hl=en-US. I would give you precise figures on elevation gain but...
  13. L

    What's the catch?

    Sorry, still getting used to the jargon - what is 2 or 3c discharge rate? BTW, the hill is about 200 meters vertical rise. Thanks for the video. My hill is nice smooth pavement fortunately.
  14. L

    What's the catch?

    I think I see it. I was looking at 15,000 - 30,000kg orders. Bulk prices from China. As Church Lady used to say "Nevermiiiiiiind" :(
  15. L

    What's the catch?

    I've got another thread going where I'm thinking of building a bike myself but I've also considered just buying an off the shelf e-bike. When it comes to those, though, I must admit to being incredibly confused. One is the whole price/power/battery capacity point. You see some bikes that come...
  16. L

    Building from components

    Another option I'm mulling over is buying a 7 speed pedal forward style bike like a Townie from Electra and using that as the starter platform. I'm going to junk the front 3 gear rings on a mountain bike anyway since I only want one shifter and a throttle to deal with. I actually tested a Townie...
  17. L

    Building from components

    This is actually the conclusion I reached on my own today before I read your post :) One motor is lighter than two and in fact it seems I might be able to get away with running 2kW through the same kind of motor that I was looking at for 1kW. Which brings me to my next questions: 1. Motors...
  18. L

    Building from components

    Oh, and yes, what are these Indian fenders?
  19. L

    Building from components

    Well, yeah but then I have the same problem in back. I need to buy a wheel and freewheel (remeber, I'm bikeless right now so everything is an expense). The rear hub kits my builder showed me were complete wheels with freewheels. If I just power the front wheel I have to buy a rear wheel and...
  20. L

    Building from components

    Thanks. You still mentioned the fat tires that I'm trying to avoid though. I know, better traction and smoother absorption of all that power but I've seen those fat tire e-bikes online and the first thing that came to mind was "motorcycle". I imagine J. Random Copp will think likewise. The main...
  21. L

    Building from components

    Well, the guys at the bike shop said both the Troll and LH were 26" but maybe they got it wrong. As for fat tires, well, I'm in Oregon. We're more liberal about everything here than most places in that you can do 1000W instead of 750W. So I'm... a bit over that... What everybody local says is...
  22. L

    Building from components

    Kingfish and Teklektik, are those 2WD kits? Well, here's the reason I'm thinking to start with 2WD. First of all, more power obviously but remember that my old bike was jacked. I don't have a front wheel and the good ones are like $250 each anyway. The motors alone seem to be around $500 (well...
  23. L

    Building from components

    Hello all, first post here. Recently, my old mountain bike was stolen. In a way the thieves may have done me a favor. I've been kicking round the idea of an electric for a long time and in about 1 month I will NEED a bike to get to class (I have a car but there's nowhere legal for me to park)...
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