An idea for locking your batteries to your bike

[morph999]

I thought I'd pass this one along. This is something I've been thinking about for quite some time.
TL;DR...we will be physically locking our batteries to our bike with a chain or cable lock by looping the chain through the handle of the box.

Here is my idea. Things you will need to complete the work.

1)Topeak Explorer bike rack ... (about $30)
can get it at amazon.com or here
http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/ExplorerTubularRack_w_o_spring

2) Topeak Fixer 6... (not sure...maybe about $15)
http://www.topeak.com/products/Xtras/Fixer6

3) Metal or plastic tool box from Home Depot or any hardware store with a strong handle...also make sure the tool box is lockable ...(need strong handle because that is how we will secure our toolbox to the bike) (about $10 - $40)

4) some type of chain...I have a Onguard 5018 chain so I will use that...but even a cable lock will work

Ok, the Fixer 6 is for attaching to the bottom of the tool box. I like this setup because you don't have to be a professional to do this. Drill some holes into the tool box where the holes match up for the Fixer 6. Screw on to the Fixer 6 to the tool box. Now you should have a tool box that will easily slide on and off the explorer rack for quick-release type use. You can take the tool box in with you somewhere if you dont' want to leave it on the bike. Or you can leave the tool box on teh rack, and slide a chain or cable lock through the handle and around a tree then back around through mid-frame or wheel of your bike. It's not fool proof but it will be enough for me. I thought I'd share since there aren't many complete plans out for newbies. Not many completed plans for that detail each thing to buy step-by-step.

 

[DervAtl]

Hey, thanks for the Fixer 6. I didn't know they made this item. I've been thinking about how I could buy a bag to remove the slide mechanism and use it on something else. I think this is just the ticket.

 

[morph999]

Thanks. I'm going to do this eventually with my bike and so I passed the idea on. I just have to wait until I get paid.

Well, here is the deal. I can either upgrade to 48v or I can theft-proof my batteries. I dont' know which one I'm going to do first. The 12v20ah pack costs $128. The extra stuff I need to theft proof my bike costs about probably $60 total.

If you go on the topeak website, it will show you where you can buy the Fixer6. I found a couple shops in my area that sell them.

 

[John in CR]

Thankfully ebikes are so rare that around here would-be thieves don't have a clue about the value of my batteries. Of course the duct tape doesn't give off much of a value vibe. I'm sure theft will be common place once e-bikes are common, so I'll just soak up the good life in the meantime, and build them into the bike later. I doubt I'll set up a bike with removable batts until power and energy density goes through another round of more than doubling. Hopefully they'll be cheap enough not to be concerned,

 

[DervAtl]

I think a lot of us are waiting on cheaper batteries. I'm building a TF (thanks JD!) right now and have been putting off the battery purchase till last on the hopes they might drop more. I want to go to 48 volt on it. My other bike (Trek Pure) is running 36v. From the looks of things, it'll have to be a duct tape pack.

Darryl

Thankfully ebikes are so rare that around here would-be thieves don't have a clue about the value of my batteries. Of course the duct tape doesn't give off much of a value vibe. I'm sure theft will be common place once e-bikes are common, so I'll just soak up the good life in the meantime, and build them into the bike later. I doubt I'll set up a bike with removable batts until power and energy density goes through another round of more than doubling. Hopefully they'll be cheap enough not to be concerned,

 

[USAEBIKECO]

Spring 2008 I tried to lock up my bike with the battery locked to the rack. That didnt work because when I came back to my bike i saw a guy trying to steal the battery.

The stealth cruiser model my company comes with a storage trunk that you can secure the battery and controller safely and lock it up. no worries.

 

[bikeelectric]

I have batteries in a Topeak bag that slips on the rack. With only one Anderson power pole connector power connection from the battery to the controller , it is easy to disconnect and slip the whole pack off to carry in with me. The 48 V Headway battery isn't too heavy to lug around but I don't go too far usually. So yes it is a bit of a pain but don't have to worry about the pack getting stolen.

I am thinking of making a case that will bolt on the rack so I don't have to remove it. I would like this to be stealth though, so it doesn't attract too much attention. I am also thinking about designing something to fit in the triangle of the bicycle frame which would be out of the way and also balance the load on the bike better.

 

[monster]

the great thing about steel ammo boxes is that you can weld them. you can weld them to the bike or weld locking places to them. i have done this on my bike and with the right technique it was easy and good quality.

 

[bikeelectric]

the great thing about steel ammo boxes is that you can weld them. you can weld them to the bike or weld locking places to them. i have done this on my bike and with the right technique it was easy and good quality.

Do you have any photo's of your ammo box welded on ?

 

[morph999]

This is for those of us who can't weld which I guess is probably a lot of us?

 

[John in CR]

Here's a 63v nominal 12ah pack I made with Makita toolpack batteries. I made two 8p17s packs, wrapped them well with duct tape for electrical insulation, and then wrapped them with one continuous piece of aluminum sheet to form a saddlebag shape that goes over the top tube. I held it together with duct tape and held it on the bike using duct tape too, so mine is just functional, not pretty. I made it just using a soldering iron and tin snips.

With the addition of some liquid epoxy someone could easily use a similar approach for an attractive result that is either easily taken on and off the bike with bungies or velcro across the bottom to pinch it to the top and down tubes for no way while riding, or semi-permanently attached to the bike using the strong aluminum sheeting+epoxy and maybe a few screws in the frame with security torx heads. Another option would be to build loops for a lock into the metal straps used across the bottom. I either even with very little in the way of tools, you can easily build a nice looking aluminum case tailor made for your batteries that is theft resistant or easy to remove and carry (if you build a handle on the top).

This kind of placement works very well, because it's narrow enough to stay out of the way or your knees while riding, and when you're off the bike it's almost a non-issue for moving around, because the mass is so near your handlebars. In the triangle is better placement, but more difficult to pull off easily removable.

I'm going to expand this pack to 20s or 24s, and take my own advice about making it look better with a permanent install with shiny AL sheet as the exterior.

 

[John in CR]

Here's a Ping 36v15ah split in half to use the same approach. The other 36v15ah goes in the triangle. Due to the greater focus of weight since the length on the top tube is quite short, the saddlebag strap is doubled up aluminum forming that U shape. The continuous 1 piece is more noticeable on this one because the part across the top is more separated from the upside down "U". That was needed to lift the pack a bit for proper clearance of the top of the forks, since this bike was for placement right at the headset.

Again, easily removable or lockable depending how it's strapped on, and also easy to make it a theft resistant for a near permanent install. The rigidity of aluminum, but still easy to bend into shape makes it far better for battery packs that the typical cloth type stuff for bikes. I still treat all my builds as prototype tests of the mechanics, so I'm sorry I don't worry about pretty. Functional and durable is what is important to me, since these bikes aren't for sale.

 

[monster]

the great thing about steel ammo boxes is that you can weld them. you can weld them to the bike or weld locking places to them. i have done this on my bike and with the right technique it was easy and good quality.

Do you have any photo's of your ammo box welded on ?

you can see the "spot welds" in the first picture. the steel ammo box was thin and i was affraid of burnning holes through it, so i used another strip of metal under the lid to keep the molten metal in place. the three metals were G-claped together, then i just tried to burn through the top surface. i could then weld from underneath. they are strong full thickness welds. at the moment its just chained and hoze-clipped to the rack. the rack is welded to the bike frame. this mod made the bike much nicer to ride, the forces are more symetrical now when i go over a pot hole. pot-holes used to bounce me sideways slightly from the battery weight. the other advantage was that i can now take this of easier for charging where as before it was part of the vehicle.

you can see one of the handles that i had been using before to support the batteries has come off!

 

[bikeelectric]

Monster - is there a tire on that bike ?
I can tell you don't peddle any more from the rust on that chain !

 

[damcard]

I have been looking at doing the same for my next build. I had found these http://store.colemans.com/cart/ammo-box-30-cal-can-p-218.html. Looks like I could get 10 of my lipos in them and mount them like saddle bags. How is that working out for you? -damcard

 

[Kurt]

Might want a bit of lubrication on the chain of that folding bike. Looks like its been parked at the bottom of the sea .

I went to a coffee shop last weekend and my wife and i rode there . I decided to put out battery's in a small back pack and take them in with us. The two 36v 20ah headways feels like I was lugging a set of dumbbells around with me . Security is still one thing i haven't got a good solution for when it comes to ebikes. Insurance could be one option. still a pain to walk home loge claim and so on.

Kurt.

 

[morph999]

I gave up on the ammo box. I still use my topeak bag. If you are worried about getting your batteries stolen, I'd buy something like those very small battery packs that they have at ebikes.ca that can detach from the bike rack. It's probably twice as expensive, though.

 

[toaroa]

I've used the Topeak Fixer6 to good effect too - there seems to be no reseller here in New Zealand but I've sourced them from Aus for A$15 plus a little bit of postage ( http://www.thebikebarn.com.au ).

If you take an Otterbox 3500, rip out the padding inside and screw it to the Fixer6 you have a perfectly small battery box for sliding onto a topeak MX series rack. I used a small wedge of plastic to get the angles right on the forward end because the two parts of the fixer would not work at right angles (I reckon the front piece is at 75deg from the longer part which slides into the MX rack). For my wife's bike, I have fitted 4 x 5s (20c) Zippy lipo packs in there - two packs in series then paralleled for a lipo 10s2p (just over 40v hot off the charger and 10Ah). This is so small compared to my own solution of 12s lifepo4 (36v, 12Ah total) in a MX trunk bag.

If you insert all four packs towards one end of the Otterbox and use a cable gland in the other, you can store the excess cabling from the battery harness (in this case made with Anderson powerpoles) inside the otterbox too.

I'll post pics if anybody is interested.

 

[Ykick]

I think what we really need are charging/parking stations or kiosks in our communities and neighborhoods. Network 'em with cameras and locking security features to hinder theft and provide ample evidence to track thieves down. I'd pay handsomely for a secure place to park, charge and keep network accessible cameras and alert sensors on my ride.

Property owners also need to wake-up to the fact there's a small but growing market for re-selling electricity to EV users. Trouble is, there's little standardization of batteries let alone workable standards for roadside electricity retailing?

Oh well, for now park inside whenever you can...

 

[wineboyrider]

Property owners also need to wake-up to the fact there's a small but growing market for re-selling electricity to EV users. Trouble is, there's little standardization of batteries let alone workable standards for roadside electricity retailing?

The electric car industry has a charging kiosk standard.
http://www.geindustrial.com/products/static/ecomagination-electric-vehicles/ge-wattstation.htmlWhen they come to our neighborhoods I am going to rig a way to get a fast charge on my bicycle!