Ebike Hints & Tips

[ElectroRider]

This forum has been such a great help to me and now I want to share the things I have learned after a year of ebiking, hopefully it helps someone.

This is a very addictive, enjoyable but at times frustrating and not to mention expensive hobby :lol:

Having put together my own high powered ebike and encountering all of the problems with trying to make things fit and then changing things around after finding problems and spending more and more money, I now understand why readymade high powered ebikes & frames are so expensive.


When replacing hub motor wiring because of a spun dropout, replace all the wiring.

Avoid spinning your dropouts if you have a high powered motor by using Doctorbass torque arms

An Ebike tester can save you a lot of time diagnosing controller/motor problems but sometimes cannot detect faulty wiring, especially if only a few stands of the wires is still connected inside the sheeving, only by drawing high amps will the problems be noticed (spluttering motor) and all of my hub motor issues have been down to partially broken wires so always protect the wiring from the motor to the controller the best you can.

I definitely recommend a 3 speed switch on high power hub motors, because it makes the throttle less jumpy (I use it like gears).

Here is a link to the ebay seller that I got my triangle frame bag from - http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/uraltour
you just let them know the measurements you require (X,Y,Z and width) and they make it for you, it really is a good quality item and they ship worldwide with a tracking number. And what I did is I lined it on the inside with 1mm aluminium sheets and then screwed it to the frame from the inside.

If you have a Lyen 24fet controller or cellman 24fet controller and need a seatpost bag to put it in, the Carradice Durra Maxi seatpost bag is a perfect fit. http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/accessories/luggage/cycling-bags-and-cases/seat-bag-seat-wedge/product/review-carradice-prima-maxi-saddlepack-10018

When travelling on roads, cars will always pull out on you from side roads because they don’t expect you to be going faster than just a few mph.

I also recommend a handlebar on/off switch because sometimes you may want to move the bike and accidently twist the throttle as I have done on a few occasions.

Having a bulk charger makes things so much more convenient; I can just plug in one lead and start charging instantly (24s2p in around an hour with the Alloy Shell 900W charger) and balance charge maybe once a week or maybe even longer with a BC168 charger and balance each pack through the individual balance connectors, instead of having to unplug all the batteries every time risking plugging in the wrong thing


ElectroRider

 

[dogman dan]

Spot on with all of that.

The one people pay the least attention to is the one about people expecting a bike to be moving 15 mph. But there you are going 30 mph or more. The real problem with this, whether on a bike or motorcycle, is once you have that car in your path, the best brakes on earth won't help you much.

It's up to you, to try to steer your braking and miss, or at least try to lessen the impact such as hit feet first rather than head first. So don't lock up those front brakes, learn to steer a skid, and know when to lay er down and hit feet first rather than stuff your head through car windows.

 

[Ykick]

Yes, we focus (obsess) about hardware bits & pieces yet barely give actual riding much thought until out there whizzing along in traffic or weaving among pedestrians, etc. It's a good idea to frequently practice precise braking control and evasive actions but it's also just as important to study and learn all you can about defensive riding/driving techniques so that you can keep "panic stops" and other saddle hazards to a minimum.

I find the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or MSF website and information to be an excellent resource for any small vehicle operator. There are also bicycle safety standard organizations but MSF has never let me down. SEE technique should be required reading/training for any of us taking to the streets IMO.

Surprisingly, it's something you can practice anytime or anywhere, with or without a vehicle. Hell, just walking in dense traffic areas requires similar, if not the same exercise of judgement and logic. When you're this vulnerable you must assume you're a target and that everybody is out to get you. Just because you may have a green light is no guarantee you can safely enter an intersection. Nope, it's merely a suggestion and you're much better off checking, double checking and then decide for yourself if the situation is safe enough to proceed.

 

[lbz5mc12]

All I know is if I'm tearing down the road at thirty plus on my bike and a car driver can't tell how fast I'm going, then that means that they have really shitty depth perception and shouldn't be driving in the first place. In the last week I've almost been hit twice by people making left turns, one into a parking lot and one onto a side street. The crazy thing is that the guy turning into the parking lot worked at an Auto Zone. When he was making his turn he was looking back over his shoulder and wasn't even paying attention to where he was going. The reason I mention his place of work is that this is someone who's paid to give people advice about the operation and maintenance of their vehicles. There should be a new test at the DMV, if you can't pat your head and rub your belly at the same time you shouldn't be issued a Driver's License.

 

[Ykick]

All I know is if I'm tearing down the road at thirty plus on my bike and a car driver can't tell how fast I'm going, then that means that they have really shitty depth perception and shouldn't be driving in the first place. In the last week I've almost been hit twice by people making left turns, one into a parking lot and one onto a side street. The crazy thing is that the guy turning into the parking lot worked at an Auto Zone. When he was making his turn he was looking back over his shoulder and wasn't even paying attention to where he was going. The reason I mention his place of work is that this is someone who's paid to give people advice about the operation and maintenance of their vehicles. There should be a new test at the DMV, if you can't pat your head and rub your belly at the same time you shouldn't be issued a Driver's License.

Actually, it could be as simple as requiring motorcycle endorsement before handing a license over to operate much heavier and more dangerous equipment on public roads. Until then you just need to excersize SEE and prepare for the worst.

Unfortunately, what you describe is par for the course. If Oscar Grope doesn't feel in danger and/or threatened he really just doesn't care. Truck air horns have always been a favorite for my motorcycles - the look of terror coupled with sudden awareness and respect when Oscar believes a semi is about to take him out is priceless!

 

[spiritxxx733t]

heres my tip, be sure to very highly visible on the roads, that means use lights even when it is day time, I have two lezyne power drive lights, I keep them both on at 200 lumes each even in day time riding..

wear reflective clothing

and be very aware of other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, always leave enough braking room..

a fast e bike can be very very dangerous, and if you have a crash you will lose alot of money and time and not to mention your injuries..

 

[wesnewell]

Since installing a windshield I get a lot more respect from auto drivers. My guess is because they really don't pay much attention and seeing the windshield their first assumption is that it's a motorcycle. Installed at a 45 degree angle it also provides better aerodynamics which increases speed and range, not to mention keeping the cold wind and bugs off the face.

 

[DAND214]

Since installing a windshield I get a lot more respect from auto drivers. My guess is because they really don't pay much attention and seeing the windshield their first assumption is that it's a motorcycle. Installed at a 45 degree angle it also provides better aerodynamics which increases speed and range, not to mention keeping the cold wind and bugs off the face.

Any pics of the shield?

Dan

 

[EdwardNY]

My tip to everyone would be to never drive in the door zone of parked cars unless you're driving slowly. Just take up a lane and screw the car drivers, they can drive 30MPH instead of 40MPH for short distance.

 

[wesnewell]

Any pics of the shield?

 

[lbz5mc12]

The light trick might work but what's to stop a driver from saying that your light momentarily blinded him and that's why he hit you? Besides I'm already highly visible at 400+ lbs of bike and rider; mostly rider. In California it's illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving but that doesn't stop most people including the police force. I'm gonna have to get an air horn or do what that guy with the scooter did and put something that sounds like a train horn on my bike.

 

[dogman dan]

IB,,, you gotta ride in the real world. Nothing you do will eliminate the left and right crossing drivers. You can't stop people from driving like shit, you can only do what makes them less dangerous to you.

But every one less driver not trying to kill you is worth it's weight in gold. So do what you can to increase visiblility and respect.

So lights, horns, windshields, high vis clothing, etc are all good.

So is riding predictably, such as is intended by the traffic laws, and doing things less like a bike messengers ride.

It might mean slowing down in that spot where you now understand you will get left crossed every day. At 20 mph, you might be able to miss that dipshit. At 30 mph, you might be doomed by physics to hit him, and with him thinking you are riding 15 mph, it will happen more often if you are doing 30.

Next, improve your route. Stop riding past that spot where they try to kill you every day, or modify your ride there. It might mean taking a parking lot, or it might mean taking the lane. Each mile of your ride has differing situations. For example, I try to not ride past that high school on my route at lunchtime. Safe as hell at 11:00 AM, dangerous as hell at 12:00.

Practice the evasive manuvers as I said above. Learn to not lock the front brake, and how to steer a skid if your rear brake locks. Practice laying it down on a junk bike. Crashing well takes practice.

Lastly, dress for disaster if you ride above 30 mph. Or you just hate road rash. If nothing else, gloves makes putting a hand down easier. Don't count on a helmet, but count on it hurting more without one.

 

[borschelrh]

I can vouch for the dangers. I have had 3 near misses in the past week all from idiot driver's not estimating my speed correctly and turning left in front of me. I have had at least 2 more time when the see me coming they try and pull onto the road in front of me and are shacked when I almost run into them. I am highly visible with fluorescent clothing. I have the lights etc. but not turned on. I'll try it today with them on and see if it makes a difference. This happened to me in California in 1982 so it isn't a new phenomena and I got hit riding my Raleigh Pro downhill at at least 30 mph. Again, a guy made an illegal (across 2 yellow lines) left turn and then blamed me for it after he ran me over. I had 2 broken wrists and 2 broken knees which were not too bad, just hairline fractures but I am paying for it now so many years later. I was tossed completely over the car as the bike went under it adn I flew onto the pavement on my hands and knees, to a big bounce and landed on my head. I had an early model helmet which was a brand new concept back then, a Skid Lid which was shattered but I didn't get much more than dazed from landing on my think skull. The idiot was actually drunk and was beating me senseless when I was lying there wonder WTF just happened. He served some well earned jail time. He was driving a company car during work hours and they fought me hard about the costs so I ended up suing the insurance company. It was a huge hassle and I lost my favorite and irreplaceable bike. I can imagine how bad this same accident will be today when I am 60 years old and on an ebike. I am thinking to buy an orange mast flag. They look dorky but maybe they work?

 

[Ykick]

While extra visibility helps with most drivers it can be a curse with a small segment of idiot drivers. Google "target fixation" or "object fixation". It's actually a two way street but when making oneself highly visiible you also create a better target that some drivers will naturally fixate and aim for.

The good news about target fixation is that you can use it to your advantage. For example, say debris or pothole suddenly appear. The natural reaction is to focus eyes on it but if you train yourself to look one side or the other 99% of the time you will miss the hazard. In other words, use target fixation to find the escape route and avoid hazardous objects rather than ride into them.

 

[borschelrh]

I can vouch for that myself. Back in my younger days I was a serious marathoner but did all of my training on forest trails. I found not looking at the trail straight on was far safer than trying to focus on the roots or rocks. The same is true for mountain biking. Trying to focus on an obstacle virtually guarantees you will hit it but oblique viewing angles or blurring your vision (hard to describe the technique but basically changing the depth of focus to farther out) makes it easier to get the "zen" of the trail. I also use the same thing when flying on instruments and am shooting an approach in hard weather to see the ground. I have a harder time now since I had cataract surgery in both eyes and my peripheral vision is totally hosed especially if there is any light coming from the side which then hits the lens and causes a huge lens flare inside the eye making me temporarily blind. So, now I am using the blurring technique the most and it seems to work for me.

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, first rule of snow skiing. NEVER look at the tree. Focus on the hole between the trees. Same for hammers, look at the nail head, not your thumb. Flying balloons, never focus on a power line, focus 20 feet above it.

ONLY one way to survive the left cross. You must be able to match his left turn in time, so you both make left turns and you miss him. If you can't miss him, try to hit him a glancing blow on his right side. Because of oncoming cars going straight, it might have to be a left, followed by a right to thread the needle between the left turning car and oncoming cars going straight.

This is where learning to steer a skid comes in. You can lock the rear tire and still jog over a lane and survive, but if you lock the front you cannot steer and will go straight into the car.

Practice this maneuver at full speed wearing body armor, using an old tire you don't mind ruining on the rear wheel. It's saved my life many many times over the years. It's easy at 30 mph, but really hard to do at 45. That's why I came to like riding my motorcycles on slower streets. 30 mph streets usually weren't 4 lanes too, so less oncoming cars to dodge after you miss the left cross frockhead.