doughpat
100 µW
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2017
- Messages
- 8
Hi everyone-
I'll try to keep this short, but first let me say this is one of the most knowledgeable, yet still very welcoming internet forums I've ever come across. Fantastic. Ok--butt-kissing over.
Mission: Commute 7 miles (14 roundtrip) across mostly flat/small hills, with lots of pedal-assist.potentially could Recharge at work.
Rider weight: 185 lbs + ~20 lbs max. cargo. Bike weight is ~30 lbs.
Donor bike: EasyRacer "TE" (believe this is the heavier duty frame) by Tour Easy. Frame size: L. Nice components (Shimano XT, Tektro grip shift). In very good condition. 700 c rear, 20" front. Chromoly frame. V-brakes front and rear.
Specifications:
-would like to be able to do 30-35 mph on flat, unassisted. Don't plan on doing that often, but there are a couple of boring, flat, smooth sections on my commute that I'd like to power through. I also often battle moderately strong headwinds.
-would like to be able to plug in a single plug for charging, barring the occasional balancing charge
-considering the possibility of being able to add an auxillary battery pack for longer trips if needed in the future.
-would really like to keep the rear rack/paniers open for strapping on cargo
Budget: This is the hard part. I'd like to ultimately stay below $700. In a perfect world, I'd love to get in at $500, and I'd be willing to sacrifice range.
My Plan Thus Far:
-1000 w brushless direct drive rear hub motor. Would it be silly to get a 1500 w motor (or is that really just a matter of the controller?)
-Lipo battery (I have been into RC airplanes for a long time and do understand the danger of Lipo). I'm thinking at least 12S, though maybe 13S makes sense to keep the voltage above 48V even towards the end. I'm also thinking maybe I should go 18S to get that performance, though this might spike the price well out of my budget range. If nothing else, I'd like to have a motor that could eventually handle a higher voltage controller/battery.
-I really have no idea about which controller to use. I don't think regen is important, as the terrain around here is relatively flat, my distances are fairly short, and my budget is limited. I'm also wondering if this is maybe a place I can buy second-hand/refurbished?
I am looking for suggestions on parts and sources. I'm pretty good with a soldering iron (and have a nice Hakko 75w unit) and I'd say my electronics knowledge is "moderate", and I'm always happy to learn a thing or two from diagrams/tutorials. In other words--I'd like to save some cash by doing some of the assembly myself. I think that making my own lipo pack is within my skills, though the BMS stuff gets me a bit nervous--though I think mostly it is a matter of picking an appropriate BMS...soldering/wiring it up is probably do-able.
I'm finding it very difficult to know what level of quality to pay for. I'm skeptical of the stuff on eBay, but there are probably some serious values there if you are willing to wait for slow-boat shipping and rough owners manuals.
Ok everyone--thanks in advance. Your advice is appreciated.
I'll try to keep this short, but first let me say this is one of the most knowledgeable, yet still very welcoming internet forums I've ever come across. Fantastic. Ok--butt-kissing over.
Mission: Commute 7 miles (14 roundtrip) across mostly flat/small hills, with lots of pedal-assist.potentially could Recharge at work.
Rider weight: 185 lbs + ~20 lbs max. cargo. Bike weight is ~30 lbs.
Donor bike: EasyRacer "TE" (believe this is the heavier duty frame) by Tour Easy. Frame size: L. Nice components (Shimano XT, Tektro grip shift). In very good condition. 700 c rear, 20" front. Chromoly frame. V-brakes front and rear.
Specifications:
-would like to be able to do 30-35 mph on flat, unassisted. Don't plan on doing that often, but there are a couple of boring, flat, smooth sections on my commute that I'd like to power through. I also often battle moderately strong headwinds.
-would like to be able to plug in a single plug for charging, barring the occasional balancing charge
-considering the possibility of being able to add an auxillary battery pack for longer trips if needed in the future.
-would really like to keep the rear rack/paniers open for strapping on cargo
Budget: This is the hard part. I'd like to ultimately stay below $700. In a perfect world, I'd love to get in at $500, and I'd be willing to sacrifice range.
My Plan Thus Far:
-1000 w brushless direct drive rear hub motor. Would it be silly to get a 1500 w motor (or is that really just a matter of the controller?)
-Lipo battery (I have been into RC airplanes for a long time and do understand the danger of Lipo). I'm thinking at least 12S, though maybe 13S makes sense to keep the voltage above 48V even towards the end. I'm also thinking maybe I should go 18S to get that performance, though this might spike the price well out of my budget range. If nothing else, I'd like to have a motor that could eventually handle a higher voltage controller/battery.
-I really have no idea about which controller to use. I don't think regen is important, as the terrain around here is relatively flat, my distances are fairly short, and my budget is limited. I'm also wondering if this is maybe a place I can buy second-hand/refurbished?
I am looking for suggestions on parts and sources. I'm pretty good with a soldering iron (and have a nice Hakko 75w unit) and I'd say my electronics knowledge is "moderate", and I'm always happy to learn a thing or two from diagrams/tutorials. In other words--I'd like to save some cash by doing some of the assembly myself. I think that making my own lipo pack is within my skills, though the BMS stuff gets me a bit nervous--though I think mostly it is a matter of picking an appropriate BMS...soldering/wiring it up is probably do-able.
I'm finding it very difficult to know what level of quality to pay for. I'm skeptical of the stuff on eBay, but there are probably some serious values there if you are willing to wait for slow-boat shipping and rough owners manuals.
Ok everyone--thanks in advance. Your advice is appreciated.