Advice for a newbie

[azazeal]

Hi everyone,
My first post and first day on this forum, and I'm already looking for advice on a project that I am about to start!

Situation:

For the last few years in the UK I have been commuting to work by car. Petrol costs me a small fortune (£2000+). Recently I have moved from the country and found that there is a bus service which runs from my new town to the town where I work (and then I can catch a second bus up the hill to the University where I work). The buses around here are subsidised by the University and so the bus for the whole year would cost me less than a single month of filling the car. However, I need to get down to the bus station and back again each day (2 miles). There is a small incline hill on the way back to my flat and I live on the top floor.

Plan:
Following stumbling on this forum and seeing a bike that KmxTornado built my brain-cogs started turning.
My plan is to convert a Razor Epunk bike, that someone is offering me and use this to make the daily journey to the bus station (and if traffic is really bad at the other end, up to the University as well). I would also use it for running down to the local farm shop and back each day (about half a mile each way).
The bike on offer has no charger, battery is probably knackered and the motor seems very small power wise.

What I am looking for is advice on the kind of motor (brushed, brushless, wattage) and the battery I should be putting into this. I have no need for going far over 20MpH (for safety, local police and power consumption). I need medium range (8-10miles a day would be a good start) and some torque to get me up the hills (especially the university one, for the rare occasions that I might have to deal with that). Most importantly this thing needs to be very light and small; I will have to carry it up two staircases daily to charge it and then sticking it on a bus and in the flat out of the way. By also being small (and with fairly rapid charging) I could charge this thing in my office for `free' electricity.

Kind regards,
AZ

 

[Chalo]

Two miles? What's wrong with a pushbike for a distance of only two miles? Just lock it up near the bus stop.

 

[azazeal]

Bike crime is extremely regular where I live. So the cost of replacing push bikes would get boring.

 

[dogman dan]

So a regular bike cannot be taken on the bus? No bike rack?

I looked up the Razor Epunk, it's a teeny tiny folder, or just so small no need to fold. Looks like a solution that would work, if a regular bike cannot work. Whatever wattage it came at should work for you, I suspect it's under 500w.

Parts for it would be somewhat readily available, motors, controllers, etc are standard scooter stuff it looks like. But replacing everything could be pricy, so make sure you get a good deal on the bike chassis.

2 miles, and the hill not that steep. One option would be to do it on a push bike so old nobody would steal it. An old steel frame road bike, or mtb. Make it even more ugly if you must. At 27 pounds or so, not so heavy to pop it on your shoulder and take up the stairs. But once inside, you can't store it on top of the refrigerator like you could the razor.

Other razors might be an option too, are the stand up scooters illegal there?

 

[azazeal]

I believe anything that fits under the term of goPed in the UK is essentially illegal to use on the road, as they get classed as a road vehicle and therefore need third party insurance and SVA certificate which equates to not going to happen. Not sure, if the razors come under that definition as places like Argos (a common high street chain store) all sell them, but for kids.

A push scooter may work, although not really fitting with the electric thing :-( (I admit, I can be quite lazy)
Push bike is really far too big for me. I have narrow stairs which bringing that up to the top floor daily will get old quickly as well as the issue of where the hell I put it (the benefit the scooter or razor spectrum solves).

 

[dogman dan]

What about folders, like the dahon? The city dwellers seem to like them.

Two miles is a pretty short ride. I'd be real tempted to just try the stand up electric scooter. If they take it, not a lot of cash gone. I'm tall, so that tiny bike just wouldn't work for one day for me. Looks like the seat and bars can be made taller, if not by design, then get to modifying stuff. Make two seatposts into one long one, that sort of thing.

No pedals, so not likely to be any more legal than a stand up scoot IMO.

 

[dogman dan]

This is what I mean by a stand up scoot, just to be clear. In the US, they cost about $150-200.

 

[CogHog]

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=51582

Cool video. Just add a pedals. Maybe not UK friendly.

 

[d8veh]

Unfortunately, without pedals, it's illegal. The police and CSOs jump on you as soon as they see you on one of these. If you're lucky, you'll get a section 59 warning, otherwise they''ll confiscate it and crush it. You have to have a bike with pedals that work enough to ride normally. Just fitting pedals isn't enough. Something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cool-Electric-Folding-E-Bike-Very-Light-only-9-5KG-ideal-for-the-commuter-/151014905452?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item232930966c

 

[dogman dan]

Will they really see him? on a very short dash like that? That's the question. The risk goes way up if he's got to ride a route where cops patrol regularly. If not, then sneaking it might work surprisingly good.

If the stairs were a bit wider, I'd just be saying get a 20 pound road bike, actually lighter to carry than anything with a hunk of solid copper and a battery.

What about a folder? That won't be so hard to carry up stairs or store. Pedaling it 2 miles is not much for a healthy person.

 

[Drunkskunk]

Something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cool-Electric-Folding-E-Bike-Very-Light-only-9-5KG-ideal-for-the-commuter-/151014905452?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item232930966c

Something like that would be interesting. I've got plans for a similar bike I've been planning for a couple years now, but with larger wheels. It started when I saw the Abike, http://www.a-bike.co.uk/, but realized one small stone in my path and I would quickly find the ground with my face. The Razor would likely have the same issue.

That Ebay bike might be worth a try, but it's a gamble. A more traditional approach would be something like a Andana Q100 on a Dahon 20" folder.

 

[azazeal]

I've also seen the abike, it certainly looks interesting, but I guess the problem with it is your center of gravity would be higher and small wheels with a crack in the sidewalk will ultimately end badly.

The traditional Andana q100 on a dahon folder might turn out to be the best all round compromise (and something I would not of found without your advice).
My only other thought was a kick scooter with some kind of rear micro hub motor.