Diamondback Apex trail build (was Cannondale Rush Carbon)

[scfoster]

Used to hacking away at aircraft (that's what parachutes and ejection seats are for :lol: ) and for some reason I can't stand not having all the gears available. After giving a quick ride it appears that only the largest rear gear sprocket is unavailable.

According to the BBS02 manual (here's the manual online) page 8 shows the center of the drive gear sprocket is 16mm from the side of the bottom bracket. Not a bike gear expert. What would be the "optimal" distance from the side of the bottom bracket to the center of the drive sproket?

I took some measurements from my road bike. The distance from the center of the frame to the largest front sprocket is 50mm. Did the same measurement for the BBS02 and the distance is 55mm, for an increase of 5mm. Doesn't sound like much but it definitely prevents the use of the largest rear sprocket.

Looks like 5 mm can be shaved off the right side bottom bracket to achieve the "correct" alignment.

With what appears to be most of the production bikes now having 73mm bottom brackets, the BBS02 housing should account for this and provide shims to center the unit for narrower bottom brackets.

Another annoying "feature" is the difference in distance between each crank arm from the center of the frame. The it's a 20 mm difference! This is borne out in the schematic on page 8 (see doc referenced above). The distance to the end of the spindle on the drive sprocket side is 76.5 mm and the other side is 87.5 mm (159 mm total width - 87.5 mm). Don't know why this wasn't designed correctly in the first place.

That said, the quick "test" ride in the dark at 11pm last night was great!! I didn't configure the system correctly so I have no idea how fast I was going but it sure felt fast. I have a very steep hill right outside the house and the bike just zipped up it at a higher rate of speed than I would have expected. So overall I'm pretty happy with the experiment so far.

 

[Modbikemax]

I have 'restored' two Chinese ebikes and the cranks on both were off centre and much wider than necessary. I replaced both bottom brackets and crank sets for a much better riding experience. I get the feeling that the builders of these things don't think people are actually going to pedal them seriously and the pedals are really just a token.
The other thing is a universal bolt on accessory, in my experience, never fits quite right. Probably why Bosch only sell theirs to approved OEMs.

 

[scfoster]

agreed. Used to work with the Chinese decades ago with attempts at aircraft production. Very frustrating at the time as corners were cut. Took me while to realize it wasn't overtly dishonest behavior but a cultural norm at the time. I'm sure they think "what's the big deal? It works doesn't it?".

Here's a picture of the bike with the initial install. Still need to "fix" the bottom bracket, lengthen the power wire and do some general cleanup.

TheIberia seat post mount ($33 on Amazon) with the Iberia Pak-Rak bag ($50) works even better than expected. The battery fits perfectly in the bottom hard section of the bag, which clips in and out of the carrier. So I can pack everything I need for work, including emergency toolset, raingear, lunch, laptop, notebook, etc. When I get to work, I just disconnect the power cord, un-clip the bag, then carry into the office. The seatpost mount is REALLY sturdy.

 

[Drunkskunk]

If you can't get into your lowest gear, I'd suspect that chain. It looks far too short to allow proper shifting.

 

[scfoster]

Don't disagree. I'll get a new one this week. BTW, actually broke the chain on a test ride, so it's 2 links shorter than it started. It was my fault... lousy chain installation. Haven't done any of this in decades.

A lot of fun though.

Of course I went to put my Surface Pro 3 laptop in the bag and it's just a wee bit too small

So I ordered the same bag with small mini side panniers. I don't like wearing a backpack. Brings back bad memories of wearing a parachute. :wink:

 

[scfoster]

Ordered the new tail bag and it's perfect.

Was able to get 6 five mile trips out of the battery before it went dead. I had ordered the 50V, 22Ah (29E) Rectangular Pack from Paul at em3ev.com.

One thing to note that the battery indicator on the C961 display showed 100% until the 5th 5 mile leg. On the 6th, it went from over 50% to dead in the space of 2 miles. Is this something others have experienced? I'm used to gas gauge indicators being off for motorcycles but I would have assumed that since this is sold as a kit, that it would be a lot more accurate.

I don't plan on running the battery down like this again. I wanted to have a real world test of what the max range would be with this battery. Clearly the battery is twice the required size for my daily commute, so I ordered the 13S 4P, 25R cells, 47V, 9.8Ah frame mountable pack.

Now that the bike is a hard tail, this will work and is 34% lighter. I also won't need the tail pack either.

 

[rider95]

You will be a lot happier with the smaller battery on the down tube the bike will handle a lot better and you can carry your charger in the bag and plug it in when you get to work . Never carry more battery then you need if you need more range use the bigger battery and the frame mounted one together .

 

[scfoster]

Agreed. If need be, I'll get a second charger for work, so I won't need to carry one.

I've been riding a motorcycle to work for the past 2 years and I must say it's more fun to ride the bicycle and actually 5 minutes faster due to traffic and being able to park right outside the building.

 

[Modbikemax]

Agreed. If need be, I'll get a second charger for work, so I won't need to carry one.

I've been riding a motorcycle to work for the past 2 years and I must say it's more fun to ride the bicycle and actually 5 minutes faster due to traffic and being able to park right outside the building.

Careful it's a disease, in 6 months I have accumulated 4 ebikes. It all started with an easy way to get to work.......

 

[scfoster]

now that's funny...... I'm now past the stage of "but honey I'm saving money!!!" :lol:

I do want to remove the 32 mph speed limitation on the BBS02. I've seen posts for reprogramming the unit. What's the best spot to tap into the wiring? I'm assuming the logic circuitry is in the BBS02 unit itself?

 

[Modbikemax]

now that's funny...... I'm now past the stage of "but honey I'm saving money!!!" :lol:

I do want to remove the 32 mph speed limitation on the BBS02. I've seen posts for reprogramming the unit. What's the best spot to tap into the wiring? I'm assuming the logic circuitry is in the BBS02 unit itself?

You're showing the signs, bargaining, salivating at the prospect of more, begging for help, guessing you have the solution!!!!!
You're hooked......

 

[Kent]

now that's funny...... I'm now past the stage of "but honey I'm saving money!!!" :lol:

I do want to remove the 32 mph speed limitation on the BBS02. I've seen posts for reprogramming the unit. What's the best spot to tap into the wiring? I'm assuming the logic circuitry is in the BBS02 unit itself?

You're showing the signs, bargaining, salivating at the prospect of more, begging for help, guessing you have the solution!!!!!
You're hooked......

+1 Barely up and running and already looking for more speed. Then it will be stronger brakes. Then a front fork upgrade. Then he'll be drooling over a new frame kit with all new, better parts...

When she starts to grumble over the credit card statements, tell her its still cheaper than doing crack!

Seasoned veterans have created ways to hide the new parts as they come in. Then after a while you can declare for this, my very last build, Honey Sweetheart, I am going to use parts that I already have except I am still going to need...

All the best!

 

[Kent]

duplicate

 

[Modbikemax]

Oh yeah, and you start repeating yourself. :lol:

 

[Kent]

Oh yeah, and you start repeating yourself. :lol:

Yup, that's one of the advanced stages.

 

[scfoster]

You forgot to mention dragging my kids into it "but honey, it's a way for me to bond with them!!!" :lol:

 

[scfoster]

Here's an update on what the Diamondback looks like these days.

I've been commuting 6 miles each way for a couple of months now. Takes about 20 minutes door to door, which is about 5 minutes faster than on the motorcyle!!

Now I'm wondering what to do with the Cannondale Carbon Rush MTB that I had planned on using for this project. The BBS02 won't fit the bottom bracket, so I'm thinking of a 6 Turn MAC hub motor/wheel build from em3ev.com for about $450 (includes controller) and all the extra parts for install.

The Cannondale rear hub spacing is 135mm and it currently has a 26 inch wheel with a 9 gear cassette.

Thoughts?

 

[scfoster]

So it's been a few months... thought I would give an update on what's been working (or not) for the daily commute.

First of all, commuting can be dangerous if your not careful. Survived flight test, decades of motorcycle riding (including totaling one bike), track crashes (BMW S1000RR), etc..,... riding to work one day I'm on the sidewalk to avoid a particularly dangerous section of road (very narrow and no break down lane). An older gentleman is coming the other way on his bike so I decide to be nice and hop up on the grass since I'm on a mountain bike. The front tire catches a metal edging I didn't see and off I go.... seven stitches in the elbow.

Twice people have opened car doors on me but I successfully avoided those. Once a car ran a red light and made a left turn into my lane. Decided not to be "dead right" about it and braked HARD, going down in the process. Just a few bruises but the back of my cycling helmet took a pretty good whack. It's been an interesting few months but I'm not about to give up yet. The folks at work think I'm nuts as the commute home is in the dark on city streets for 2/3 of the trip (takes about 20 minutes).

Invested in the Cygolite which was not cheap but worth every penny. I've seen multiple cars about to pull out in front of me stop dead in their tracks, when they see the super annoying flashing headlamp. The rear LED flasher works really well as well. Make sure what you get is rechargeable, rather than requiring batteries. Much easier to recharge at work and not be without a light. Had that happen one evening and it was not a pleasant experience.

It's been around 35degF to 45degF during the commutes. I wear my work clothes (business casual) but did have to change from cotton tshirts and boxers to polyester wicking material. I'm layered so I don't sweat much if at all, but boy does it make a difference not wearing cotton. I typically use goretex light rain/ski pants with goretex hiking boots. The ski jacket is a goretex shell with a washable liner. So ski equipment seems to be the best option for me. Invested in a really good pair of ski gloves and haven't had cold hands yet. The biggest issue was around headwear and glasses. Finally settled on a Multi-Purpose Sports Balaclava (2-pack) that I ordered from Amazon. Really thin, washable and works like a dream. I'm able to pinch the fabric and pull up to cover my nose when underway and pull down easily at stop lights. Settled on cheap safety glasses, which work great and are disposable. I put the balaclava on, then a thin ski cap, pull over the ski hood attached to the jacket, then the helmet. Or, if it's warmer the ski jacket hood can go over top of the helmet if needed and be pulled back when not necessary. The reason I bring this up is with the additional speed, wind is a factor and not all hoods are going to fit over the helmet on the fly.

The bike has hydraulic disc brakes. Personally I wouldn't ride with anything less.

Flats... have had two of them. One of them was comical. On the way to work, roll over something and I hear the air escaping the punctured tire. Pull over and carry the bike onto the porch of the boarded up row home (nice section of town). Pull off the rear wheel (nice to have a mid-drive) pull the tube, swap in a new one and ...... how does this pump work? Seriously, I had never actually tested the mini pump (Topeak mini G) and it would not fit over the presta valve. I cannot figure it out. Now I'm pissed, so I rip off the presta valve, pump up the tire, wad up a spit ball and put it in the plastic valve cap. I'm able to get the black plastic valve cap on and it holds the pressure. Enough to get to work and ride home (held the pressure all day). Turns out the rubber bits inside were paired the wrong way. Had to download the manual with diagrams to figure it out. So test your stuff if plan to rely on it.

Tires.... decided to try and avoid flats and reduce the rolling resistance of the MTB tires. Just got the Schwalbe Big Apple tires yesterday. Installed them with Mr. Tuffy Bicycle Tire Liners and Slime Smart Tubes. We'll see if that helps. I really like the look of the tires on the bike and can't wait to get out on them. Should be a big improvement over the MTB tires. Also found an identical set of OEM wheels/tires for the Diamondback on Ebay for $120, complete with the cassette. Will be nice to have in case of any issues. I'm planning on installing a set of Schwalbe Marathon Winter Studded Tires on them, so I can swap them out if the roads are icy/snowy in Jan-Feb.

Cargo.. I really don't like carry stuff in a backpack when I'm riding. Never have. The Ibera Pak Rack bag and seat post carrier is working great. The laptop (MS Surface Pro3) wouldn't fit in the main bag compartment, so I had to swap the Pak Rak bag for the one that has the side mini-panniers. Took 2 reflector brackets and mounted them on each side of the frame just above the rear axle, to provide a hook in point for the pannier tension cable.

To carry the battery into work, I was worried I would drop it and was looking for a bag. Found one that fits like a glove for the Samsung frame mounted battery on Amazon. Custom LeatherCraft 1107 2 Bag Combo. The smaller bag fits the Samsung battery and the larger one fits the larger rectangle battery I ordered from EM3EV perfectly, and the bags are toolbags so they are sturdy enough with cloth handles.

The BBS02 has been great. There is one section of road where I wish I could go 30mph to better flow with traffic, so I just use the sidewalk for that section. Otherwise the bike if pretty fast for city streets. I've gotten better about not grinding gears or dropping the chain by shifting before coming to a stop light, anticipating the load to accelerate from a stop. I've actually passed a couple of buses making frequent stops.

I haven't ridden the motorcycle to work once since finishing the BBS02 build. That says a lot.

 

[scfoster]

These projects usally cost more than expected and take longer than planned. Here's a listing of what I've spent on this project, so you can pick and choose what makes sense for you. This build was for a daily commuter with a 12 mile round-trip in hilly terrain. The roads suck (lots of pot holes, broken pavement, or the need to ride on sidewalks or grass/mud), so a hard tail mountain bike was the choice, with a seat post suspension to add comfort.

So here goes:

Diamondback Apex Trail Mountain Bike $500
BBS02 kit from em3ev.com Bafang 48V 750W BBS02 Kit with Battery (50V, 22Ah (29E) Rect. Pack & 5A Chg) - Item # BBS48V750WBAT) $1558.08 (included shipping to Delaware)
Samsung Frame mount battery from em3ev.com - 46.8V (13S 4P) & 2nd Charger (8.2-11.0Ah) Item # 13SFRAME $657.87
Hydraulic brake sensor from elifebike.com (China) $17 ($22.38 shipped)
BBS02 programming cable from elifebike.com - stupid purchase should have built myself $45 ($58.87 shipped)
Wattmeter - GT Power RC 130A Power Analyzer Battery Consumption Performance Monitor $20.95
New chain KMC Z-72 7-8speed $9.69
Seat Post suspension - SR Suntour NCX SP-12 (27.2 mm) ordered from France for $30 savings $84.99
Seat Post shim -USE Seat Post Shim $13.20
Extra chain links KMC MISSING LINK II Bicycle Chain Link (7 and 8-Speed, 6-Pack) $11.02
Front Fender - SKS Shockblade II Mountain Bike Fender $26.96
Rear Fender - SKS X-Blade II Rear Fender $26.96
Kickstand - Aluminium Alloy Side Kickstand $12.75
Bar end Mirrors - Mirrycle MTB Bar End Mountain Bicycle Mirror $25.44
Self sealing inner tubes - Slime Smart Tube $16 (for 2)
Big Apple Road tires - SCHWALBE Big Apple RaceGuard RLX Wire Bead Tire $67.20 (for 2)
Tire liner (puncture resistance) - Mr. Tuffy Bicycle Tire Liner $18.78
Rechargeable lighting (front and back) LED lights - I still use them but not as good as the next line of LED lighting $64.77
Front/Rear lighting - Cygolite Metro 360/Hotshot 2W Combo Light Set (this set kicks ass) $76.95
Rack for bag - Ibera Bicycle Seatpost-mounted Commuter Carrier IB-RA1 $26.99
Bag for rack - Ibera PakRak Clip-On Quick-Release Commuter Bicycle Bag $69.99
Bag Rain cover - Ibera Bicycle All Weather Rain Cover]Ibera Bicycle All Weather Rain Cover (kind of a waste - could use a trash bag) $10.19
Bike Lock - Kryptonite KryptoLok Series 2 LS U-Lock $36.22
Cable to lock bike - Kryptonite 720018210610 Security Cable $12.92


So the grand total is $3429. But, I have 2 batteries - the original (50V, 22Ah (29E) Rect. Pack) which cost about $825 (not including shipping so $925 shipped) and the Samsung frame mount battery ($657.87 shipped).

If I take out the larger battery, which I did not need, the total comes to $2504, which is about what I expected to spend. Note the bike/frame only cost 20% of the overall build cost so saving a couple hundred on a used bike may not be the wisest choice. Better to start new if you can, IMO.

Now that I think of it, if anyone wants the larger battery I could be persuaded to sell it in the USA. Only been used a couple of times. Email me at scott.foster at me.com

**UPDATE** Forgot to add the final weight of the bike. 50lbs (22.7kg) without battery and 57.2lbs (25.9kg) with the Samsung battery. Not the lightest bike in the world but the weight is very low so it feels pretty good.

 

[kfong]

You could get more speed if you switch to an 11 tooth rear sprocket. Most low end bikes are 13 tooth.

 

[999zip999]

You have been bitten. Just get that second battery on a bike for the wife.

 

[scfoster]

You have been bitten. Just get that second battery on a bike for the wife.

As you wrote this I was standing the bike shop looking at another base frame with a 68mm BB. :lol:

But honey... the bottom bracket was all wrong on the first build!! It might be a problem.. even dangerous. I NEED another bike just to be safe!!!

 

[scfoster]

You could get more speed if you switch to an 11 tooth rear sprocket. Most low end bikes are 13 tooth.

It comes with an 11 tooth sprocket (Cassette: Shimano Hyperglide HG31 11/32, 8-speed)