Modbikemax
1 kW
Punx0r said:
The guys who started the project have probably moved on to real paying jobs where they don't have to do much to make a better than average living. It's called engineering.
Copenhagen wheel
- Thread starter chessir
- Start date
The guys who started the project have probably moved on to real paying jobs where they don't have to do much to make a better than average living. It's called engineering.
GCinDC
100 MW
"we spent the past year rebuilding the product from the ground up..."
[youtube]AtAQ6dA3WhQ[/youtube]
[youtube]AtAQ6dA3WhQ[/youtube]
Avitt
100 W
What I took from that video is that they're now saying that delivery will start in Q2 of 2015.
Modbikemax
1 kW
Looks impressive. It could be a game changer in its field. I have built a few bikes now and it requires a lot of messing around which most people or bike shops are not going to do.
A 1 minute conversion has a lot of appeal. If it is reliable, which the video hints at with all that testing, it should be a winner. I am still not a fan of the complication though, apps etc. Anything that does not make you go forward is a waste of time. I think they are trying too hard to make it cool at the risk of making it expensive which means only older people can afford it and as a result uncool. Here's the tip, don't embed U2s latest album in it. :?
A 1 minute conversion has a lot of appeal. If it is reliable, which the video hints at with all that testing, it should be a winner. I am still not a fan of the complication though, apps etc. Anything that does not make you go forward is a waste of time. I think they are trying too hard to make it cool at the risk of making it expensive which means only older people can afford it and as a result uncool. Here's the tip, don't embed U2s latest album in it. :?
Lenk42602
10 kW
I wouldn't underestimate the MIT think tank and there intended customers. Young, professional, or from wealthy backgrounds, urban living, progressive, born in the smart phone/digital media age, no car but want an alternative to public transit for city travel, wants transport that doesn't mess up the 'doo or cause any sweating or otherwise require a change of clothes.
I think they are gonna have a hit on their hands.
I think they are gonna have a hit on their hands.
Avitt
100 W
Smart, but horrible at business. That's a common dichotomy between academia and industry.
They may succeed, despite themselves...Or they might delay things so long that someone else scoops their market....
They may succeed, despite themselves...Or they might delay things so long that someone else scoops their market....
Modbikemax
1 kW
I am guessing the earlier version was plagued with reliability issues. All your eggs spinning around in one basket comes to mind. All that complicated control is basically designed to make the small battery last longer by making you pedal more. A bigger battery means more weight spinning around and that can't be good, hence the focus on weight reduction.
If they can make it bullet proof and cost effective it will be worth the delays. Somehow I have the feeling they won't be able to do both and the cool factor will be diluted into an expensive novelty for old dudes.
If they can make it bullet proof and cost effective it will be worth the delays. Somehow I have the feeling they won't be able to do both and the cool factor will be diluted into an expensive novelty for old dudes.
dogman dan
1 PW
I get questions fairly often about this at work. How does the kit you're selling differ from the Copenhagen wheel?, or now evelo.
My response usually starts with " uh, you can buy our kit now".
Then I go on to say when it can be bought, it will be perfect for those with shorter distances to ride, inner city commuters going 5 miles or so in particular.
I just don't see how this wheel could ever do the commute I used to do. 15 all uphill miles to home in 100F or more temps. Seems to me the battery in the motor would just roast itself.
But maybe not, if assist is limited to 100w or so. That's the thing, I needed much more than 100w to climb that hill to home. When it comes out, it will be perfect for some, and not others. Just like the 500-1000w kit is perfect for some, and overkill for others.
My response usually starts with " uh, you can buy our kit now".
Then I go on to say when it can be bought, it will be perfect for those with shorter distances to ride, inner city commuters going 5 miles or so in particular.
I just don't see how this wheel could ever do the commute I used to do. 15 all uphill miles to home in 100F or more temps. Seems to me the battery in the motor would just roast itself.
But maybe not, if assist is limited to 100w or so. That's the thing, I needed much more than 100w to climb that hill to home. When it comes out, it will be perfect for some, and not others. Just like the 500-1000w kit is perfect for some, and overkill for others.
arkmundi
10 MW
Guess you don't know a thing about MIT. For every failed enterprise there are born hundreds of successful. But it is still way too early to make that call for the Copenhagen wheel. :lol:Avitt said:
Having just completed the upgrade to a 1000 watt motor at 48V, rather than overkill, overjoyed, slicing up the hills. But the message is salient - there is no need to wait for some break-through, the technology has already arrived!dogman dan said:
Avitt
100 W
arkmundi said:
Lolz...No, I don't know much about MIT...Except that my father's an alumnus. (Which probably means that I'm genetically more intelligent than you :wink:
)
dogman dan
1 PW
Bottom line, Idea pretty good. It's got a real torque sensor, not just some cheesy hall sensor pas.
Waiting years for it pretty bad. You gotta at least beat your copy cats to market.
Waiting years for it pretty bad. You gotta at least beat your copy cats to market.
Voltron
1 MW
Re. All the weight spinning around..not sure but I think the batteries are mounted to the non spinning center inside the hub...like the tidal force setup?
spisska
10 W
arkmundi said:
It's actually the other way around. The vast majority of new businesses of fail, whether they're started by MIT grads or not.
Either way, there are so many compromises required to make the Copenhagen Wheel a viable product, that it becomes a product that is only attractive to tiny prospective market. And for the almost meaningless advantage of a swappable all-in-one wheel, you trade range, speed, and design flexibility,.
If this were a new design, there might be something helpful to say, but the Copenhagen Wheel has been kicked around for two years already and is still not shipping.
Hint: If you're an engineer, the problem isn't in how to stuff everything into the wheel; it's in how to make cheaper, lighter, more efficient batteries, especially ones that don't explode.
dogman dan
1 PW
You have it right Voltron, only the ring of magnets will be spinning, along with the hub cover. It's a very big diameter motor, like the magic pie, so performance should be pretty good, similar to making the wheel smaller. In other words, shorter the spoke, the better the leverage. And of course, more room inside, so their ideas are not all stupid.
There will be a huge market for this. But it won't be guys who spend half the day reading ES to learn how to go 40 mph better. It will be perfect for somebody living in Manhattan, or who lives and works in any large city center. Somebody who's ride is stop and go, and is tired of shifting down every light, or getting to work needing a shower. The people who currently choose a Bionx will love this when it's finally selling. The people who need long range will not.
If the ride is short, or low enough wattage, then the batteries won't cook. But for the distances I ride, range would be too short, or power too weak for what I need. ( I'm weak, hill big, town 10-15 miles away)
I'd be really interested in it though, if the batteries were removed from the motor, and just one set of wires led into the motor. Then I could ride for much farther with any size external battery, and use enough power on the 2 mile long hill.
I'd also like the option of setting power levels without needing a smart phone. I think riding through some cities with a smart phone on your handlebars will be just like riding with a $500 bill taped to your handlebars. Somebody is going to grab it and run.
There will be a huge market for this. But it won't be guys who spend half the day reading ES to learn how to go 40 mph better. It will be perfect for somebody living in Manhattan, or who lives and works in any large city center. Somebody who's ride is stop and go, and is tired of shifting down every light, or getting to work needing a shower. The people who currently choose a Bionx will love this when it's finally selling. The people who need long range will not.
If the ride is short, or low enough wattage, then the batteries won't cook. But for the distances I ride, range would be too short, or power too weak for what I need. ( I'm weak, hill big, town 10-15 miles away)
I'd be really interested in it though, if the batteries were removed from the motor, and just one set of wires led into the motor. Then I could ride for much farther with any size external battery, and use enough power on the 2 mile long hill.
I'd also like the option of setting power levels without needing a smart phone. I think riding through some cities with a smart phone on your handlebars will be just like riding with a $500 bill taped to your handlebars. Somebody is going to grab it and run.
Avitt
100 W
Just noticed that they jacked the pre-order price to $949...
Modbikemax
1 kW
The uninitiated will wonder why it doesn't charge itself while pedaling and coasting :lol:Avitt said:
About a year after the general release they will be for sale on gumtree and ebay for $200 with dead batteries.
ES members can buy them and pimp them up and show the MIT engineers how to build a real ebike
It's pretty much how I get my gear now.
LegendLength
100 W
I disagree. Putting everything into a wheel is a great idea (assuming they can make it work well). With a quick release axle you can convert your bike in about 15 seconds and ride away.spisska said:
But the constant delays by this company are a joke. All of the technology in this thing has been on the market for years. The whole point of developing this product is to somehow integrate all those existing, well tested components.
So they knew from the start that their challenge was to overcome things like heat affecting batteries, moulding batteries to a certain shape, and ... well i can't really think of anything else that's new. And therefore they should've been able to plan this without doing rolling release dates as this is basically just an incremental improvement over a normal motor / controller / battery setup.
melodious
100 kW
http://www.cnet.com/news/forget-4g-heres-what-5g-wireless-tech-will-look-like
The wheel has a life of its own. :wink:
The wheel has a life of its own. :wink:
LockH
1 PW
http://copenhagenwheel.tumblr.com/
"Over 100 people attended the first test rides of our commercial product last Tuesday…riders were thrilled!
This past Tuesday, December 16th, we hosted the first test-ride event of our commercial product. Over 100 people joined us to test-ride the first units of the Copenhagen Wheel and their feedback was superb."
"Over 100 people attended the first test rides of our commercial product last Tuesday…riders were thrilled!
This past Tuesday, December 16th, we hosted the first test-ride event of our commercial product. Over 100 people joined us to test-ride the first units of the Copenhagen Wheel and their feedback was superb."
LockH
1 PW
4 June, 2015 "As we close in on delivering our first shipments..." seen here:
http://copenhagenwheel.tumblr.com/
http://copenhagenwheel.tumblr.com/
tahustvedt
10 kW
I hope they sell spokes as well.
