First Build: Diamondback Insight Hybrid Commuter

[Avitt]

This is my entry into E-biking. I've been commuting on this for three weeks now, and don't think I could be happier.

The base bike is a 2012 Diamondback Insight STI-8 hybrid: http://www.diamondback.com/2012-insight-sti-8 I didn't have an e-bike in mind when I bought it. Before deciding on the conversion, I had performed a few upgrades, including:

• A Metropolis Patterson Transmission, to expand the gear range
  Avid Single Digit 7 V-Brakes and levers
  Ergon GP1 grips
  Ergon PC2 Evo pedals
  A PDW Payload rack
  A Pletscher double kickstand

With the 8 speed Alfine IGH and Patterson transmission, my only real option was a front hub motor. I decided on MAC 10T, and ordered the front wheel and 50V, 12.3AH NCM triangle battery from Cellman. I decided to try to pair them with the BMSBattery S12S 12 FET Torque Simulation Sine Wave controller, and an LCD1 display. My plan was to try this controller first, since it promised the features I wanted, and only costs $60. If it didn't work, I would fall back on the Infineon controller, with CA.

It turns out that the MAC motor/S12S controller pairing is a dream...Extremely smooth and quiet. And since I wanted my build to be strictly PAS driven, without a throttle, the functionality is ideal.

Here are few more pictures of the build...

The drivetrain:

After my first few rides, I realized that this setup was faster than expected. So I changed out the rear sprocket for a 16 tooth, the smallest that can be fit on the Alfine 8. Now the top drive ratio provides 123.4 gear inches, which is the same as a conventional 50t crank with an 11t sprocket. And the gearing is wide enough to get me home if something goes wrong with the motor.

The cockpit, with Mirrycle Mountain mirror, LCD1 display, extraneous on/off switch (planned for cruise control, which is not supported without a throttle), Topeak phone mount, remote light switch, and obligatory commuter cup holder :wink:

Controller mount:

The head light is a Magicshine, which I modified by adding a remote handlebar switch. For the rear, I'm using a European dynamo taillight with a stand light feature. Because I wanted it to blink, I removed the stand light capacitor. The head and tail lights are wired to the main battery through a DC down converter, and a Solid State Relay which is switched from the 5V throttle source (since I don't use a throttle). So the power to the lights come on with the controller, with the on/off button on the LCD. The taillight is wired with one of those $2 inline LED programmable blinker modules.

Suntour suspension seatpost:

The business end...

I had fitted the motor to the stock aluminum fork...But then read enough on this forum to realize that would end in disaster. So I replaced the fork with a Tange CrMo model, and used two torque arms. I'm feeling much more confident now.

I had to "fabricate" a mount for the PAS sensor pickup. I used a stainless camping fork, from Walmart:

The EM3ev bag fits nicely in the triangle, and sits well on the Insight's triangular tubing:

Inside the bag fits the battery, a tool kit, spare tube, and a box with the lighting electronics:

For commuting, I use a Vaude Cycle 28 convertible computer pannier and backpack:

My objective was to build something which would make my 9 mile (one way) commute fun, and encourage me to keep with it. And it had to provide some degree of exercise - preferably capable of getting me to work without a heavy sweat, but where I could put in more effort if desired.

This bike hits those targets on the head. I can keep at least light resistance on the pedals in all but the top PAS level. Level 4 of 5 is where I spend most of my time. It's good from about 25-28 mph on the flats. Level 5 brings the speed up around 34-35 on the flats, which is faster than I can pedal with effort. The PAS give a true bike feel...I have to downshift when I stop, so I can rebuild momentum while the motor kicks in. (Bike weight is about 60 lbs, even.)

I'm adding a watt meter next week, so I can get some idea about where I stand with max Amps and battery usage over my commute.

Thanks to ES for the total crash course on all things e-bike! This is truly a one-stop shop, with expertise on every possible related topic. I have taken more from the forum than I can possibly return. But I will do what I can to give back...

 

[melodious]

Nice build. 8)

I'm going to copy your Mirracycle mirror position. The way mine positions itself, it can get in the way of poles and objects. Now that I've seen it, I think most of us are using the mirror wrong lol.

 

[Avitt]

Thanks.

Yeah, I had the mirror mounted conventionally. But I bring the bike into my office, and the doorway was challenging. This position works well, and does not interfere with the grip.

 

[danjpendleton]

awesome bike overall. Well done sir

 

[Finnish82]

Nice bike. That seatpost looks comfortable

 

[soaresdacosta]

Nice, beautiful details.
Everything well organized.

Luis.

 

[Avitt]

Well, I have about 600 commuter miles on this bike now, and I'm so happy with the setup that I want to share some performance results.

In short, this combination of the MAC10 and S12S controller is a remarkably excellent match. It's smooth, quiet, powerful and fast.

For this report, I looked at the stats from 10 round trip commutes, equaling 20 segments of about 9 miles each. I used metrics from the S-LCD1 display, along with a watt meter between the battery and controller. (The LCD display proved to be remarkably accurate. When compared with actual GPS measurements, the speeds and distances reported by the display were about 1-2% low - not enough to make corrections to the stats.)

The summary:

• Total Distance: 182.0 mi / 292.9 km
  One-way Distance: 9.1 mi / 14.6 km
  Average Trip Time: ~29 Minutes
  Average Time in Motion 24 Minutes 48 Seconds
  Average Speed: 22.0 mph / 35.4 kph
  Average Peak Speed: 34.2 mph / 55.0 kph
  Average Ah: 5.44 Ah
  Average Wh: 225.2 Wh
  Peak Power: 1485.4 Watts
  Peak Current: 27.97 Amps
  Average Current: 13.17 Amps *=Total Ah/Total Time in Motion
  Average Power: 545.1 Watts *=Total Wh/Total Time in Motion
  Wh per mi/km: 24.8 / 15.4
  Ah per mi/km: 0.60 / 0.37

The raw data:

• 

The route:

• About 9.1 miles, one-way
  Overall downhill from home to work
  Typically into the wind (and uphill) from work to home
  Dedicated bike lanes, with a 2.1 mile section of multi-use path in the middle.
  Suburban route, with 24 traffic lights
  Altitude at home: 576 ft / 176 meters
  Altitude at work: 254 ft / 77 meters
  Cumulative ascent (from home to work): 274 ft / 84 meters
  Cumulative descent (from home to work): 596 ft / 182 meters
  
  
  

Test conditions:

• For these samples, I recharged once per day, at home. I used an EM3EV charger, set to the 90% position, for about 57.3V. I use front and rear flashing lights, which run at about 20 Watts.
  
  There is no throttle on this setup. My riding style is fairly aggressive, since I want to get to work and home as quickly as possible, while staying safe. On the road, I cruise at about 28-33 mph between stop lights. On the multi-use path, I slow down to about 20 mph, or less when passing anyone.
  
  I generally use assist level 5 (max) on the road. I shift down to level 4 at stop lights, to avoid front wheel spin on takeoff, and down to 3 or 4 on the multi-use path. I never find myself using assist levels 1 or 2.
  
  I like to spin the pedals quickly, and maintain resistance as much as possible. This means that I use the shifters a lot: The rear Nexus IGH is used to fine tune for cadence, and the front Metropolis Transmission is to drop down at lights.

Things I've learned:

1. A relatively high powered front wheel kit is fine, in the right conditions: Where I travel, the roads and paths are excellent, with no sand, leaves, or other debris. I slow down and don't power around corners, and I'm quit confident with the traction.

• Good V-brakes are fine, even at higher speeds: Living in Southern CA, we don't see much rain. So on the road, there is really nothing wrong with using rim brakes. I have never been wanting for stopping power, and can modulate or lock up the wheels as needed.

• This controller and motor combination is smooth: With the sine wave power, I can't imagine a powerful gear drive motor running more quietly. And everything runs very cool - never hot to the touch.

• The power from the combination is surprising: The controller is rated at 23 amps max, but routinely delivers nearly 28 amps. This provides nearly 1500 watts to the motor, when needed.

All in all, this build has left me asking for very little. I'm planning to enjoy it for a long time...

 

[jslabonte]

Very nice build!
It would rock even more with a real torq sensor.
I always end up disaponted with cadence based PAS...

Have you ever tried a non simulated torq sensored setup ?
I would be curious to hear you impressions compared to the S12s one.

 

[Avitt]

Very nice build!
It would rock even more with a real torq sensor.
I always end up disaponted with cadence based PAS...

Have you ever tried a non simulated torq sensored setup ?
I would be curious to hear you impressions compared to the S12s one.

I've never tried one, but would love to. I guess that it would eliminate the need to frequently trim the assist level.

I'm not unhappy with this setup, but it does require some user interaction to optimize the power and speed. I guess it's comparable to driving a standard car, where a torque sensor would be more like an automatic.

 

[Avitt]

Made a few tweaks to adjust things, based on the first 6 or so months of use...

I changed to a larger, 39t chainring, using the Patterson transmission belt drive adapter. With the 1.6 multiplier of the transmission in high gear, this provides the equivalent of a 62t ring. The bike now has a range from 31 gear-inches in low gear, all the way up to 151 gear-inches in high gear. This lets me pedal at a reasonable pace (with contributing effort on the pedals) all the way up to about 40 mph...And still go low enough to slog home, if I should break down somewhere.

I also changed to the newer S-LCD3 controller, which provides a few extra features, like battery voltage and motor wattage:

The S-LCD3 did not work properly with my older S12S controller (it didn't show any of the newer parameters), so I purchased a new S12S. Of course, it came in a needlessly larger case, which wouldn't fit properly on my bike. So I transplanted the guts from the new controller into the old case. And I took the opportunity to bake on some black epoxy paint:

I also cleaned up the cockpit a little, removing the phone holder, because it's a distraction, and the cup holder, because I don't use it:

Finally, I was having some problems with flatting on the RiBMos (not all the fault of the tires). Got discouraged, so I took everything apart, changed the rim tapes, and installed Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, with Michelin Protek Max tubes. They're heavier, but they roll easily, and don't slow me down. Not sure how good they'll be, but I haven't had any flats in the first couple of hundred miles, and the tubes just don't lose any air.

 

[Avitt]

Here's a crappy iPhone video of my ride to work, shot at 2x speed. (Sorry about shaky video, and wind noise.)

Quite boring, but may be of help to anyone interested in a similar no-throttle commuter setup...

[youtube]m08IyNfVEP0[/youtube]

 

[don27dog]

Nice clean build. Well done.

 

[Modbikemax]

Nice except for one small concern, why place the controller so far away from the motor and right in line to get drenched by water by the first puddle you go through?
It may be well sealed up but you won't know until it's too late.
I would be keeping the wires short and out of the line of fire of a barrage of water.

 

[Avitt]

Nice except for one small concern, why place the controller so far away from the motor and right in line to get drenched by water by the first puddle you go through?
It may be well sealed up but you won't know until it's too late.
I would be keeping the wires short and out of the line of fire of a barrage of water.

Lol...I live in SoCal. Puddles are not common here. If they were, I would mount fenders.

 

[scfoster]

Thanks for posting the video. I was able to compare your commute to mine. I'm using a BBS02 on a Diamondback Apex trail. Was drooling over all the bike lanes available to you. We offer potholes and 6 inch wide "break down lanes" or none at all for our tax dollars.

Your setup appears to be about 5mph faster on the flats than mine. The gearing is 48T front with 11T rear. I haven't made any adjustments to the stock programming so perhaps I can coax some higher speeds from mine on the flat.

I didn't see what Mac 10 you're using (6, 8, 10 or 12 turn?).

 

[Avitt]

Yeah, we're truly fortunate to have such a nice cycling infrastructure, here in SoCal. Clean bike lanes and the lack of potholes are the reasons why I can ride at these speeds with just a chromoly fork, and no rear suspension.

My MAC is the 10 turn model. For your comparison, here is the MPH @ 90 RPM for my gear range, calculated using the 39/62 tooth effective range of the Metropolis Transmission, with an 18t rear sprocket:

[pre]- Small Large
1 8.3 13.2
2 10.2 16.1
3 11.8 18.7
4 13.4 21.3
5 15.8 25.1
6 19.3 30.6
7 22.4 35.6
8 25.5 40.5[/pre]

 

[scfoster]

You got me thinking and it's all your fault!! :lol:

Went to the LBS and they had a Diamondback Overdrive Carbon for basically half price. So those speeds on your Mac 10 powered bike got me thinking (thinking is bad). What if I got a Mac 10 from em3ev.com and installed it in the rear? If I make a custom torque arm like the one used for Kepler's Carbon Commuter, that should do the trick.

Well one thing led to another, took a test ride and somehow it ended up in my SUV with a receipt. It's black so the wife won't notice......

 

[Avitt]

Thinking is a good thing! Look, you just thought yourself into a beautiful new bike

I like your plan for speed. Please keep us posted.

 

[scfoster]

Chickened out on the Carbon bike. Got it home and started looking at the how a BBS02 might fit. Turns out The BB and down tube are completely flat and 68mm wide, so the BBS02 bolt would impact the frame without some shim/wedge being built. Concerned about a Mac10 on the rear (torque).

Weighed the bike and it's a pig... 29.4 lbs (13.3kg) which is a LOT for a carbon frame bike. Traded it for a GT Zaskar 29 Elite... $100 less, better components and 28.6lbs with AL frame.

 

[edcastrovalley]

Nice bike! It's giving me ideas about fixing up my 30+ year old Marin mountain bike. Maybe try some new components and get rid of the old Sun Tour shifters, etc. Don't get me wrong, they have served me well but I like the newer index shifting, etc. 8)

 

[Avitt]

So I've made one last (and probably final) modification to the bike, which was the addition of a BeamTS torque sensor. My experience is documented here: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=67086

The torque sensor overlays perfectly on top of the PAS sensor, to create what I would consider to be the ultimate pedelec exeperience. All of the negatives of the PAS (abrupt takeoffs, lack of speed modulation) are overcome by the torque input. And all of the negatives of the torque input (the need to provide significant leg input in order to maintain higher speeds, loss of power when the wrong speed is selected) are overcome with the PAS.

This 65 lb ebike now feels about as close as possible to a 25 lb conventional bike, and allows me to get as much or as little exercise as I want. For me, it's the perfect 30 mph commuter!

Here a shot where I stopped in the park on my way to work, to take a conference call: