First ebike, very excited!

[Wolfeman]

Hello all, long-time lurker and general EV enthusiast. In-laws have a Tesla P85S and a Ford Ranger EV, I'm a believer that if you want to see the future, test drive a Tesla. Good friend has a recumbent with an Eco-speed setup and that gave me the ebike bug.

I've got a Trek 4300 with disc brakes that I'm going to turn into a daily driver for commuting to work. I'm looking at a 3000w HPC Thunderbolt set-up. I like the hub motor configuration and want to keep the bike looking relatively low-key. I love the ability to expand the battery capacity and have experience with lithium cells of different chemistry.

With this all said, I'd love to hear ideas for a comparable performance system from different vendors. I understand my post isn't as cool as someone building a Bomber clone from unobtainium hand forged by mystical mountain trolls and powered by a DARPA motor/battery from Area 51, but...... I hope to get a little info. Thanks all.

 

[titusmc]

I'd personally recommend a BBS02 or BBSHD. Your Trek should have a compatible bottom bracket (68mm BSA) and they are more than enough performance for commuting (1300-1500W or so). I've been riding a Lunacycles BBS02 (with 42T bling ring and 11-32 cassette) for a couple weeks now (about 160 miles so far) and I absolutely love it. I like the idea that if I get a flat I can change my tube easily like a normal bike (hubs make that difficult or impossible).

 

[Drunkskunk]

Welcome to the forum.

The HPC kits are fine. That Trek 4300 is fine. 4 horsepower through that Trek 4300 when built by a first timer is a bad idea. 3000 watts is more power than a moped, more power than just any lightweight bicycle can survive.

The Trek 4300 is an entry level bike. The parts group are OK for someone who uses a bike a few times a month, but are almost the lowest end of the quality spectrum. The frame is strong enough for 1 human power, but isn't built for anything but entry level riding. This is not a hard core MTB, nor is it designed to take any abuse. It's a simple cost effective way for someone to enjoy a few light trails occasionally.

If your goal is to use that bike, try the 1000w kit with torque arms.

 

[Wolfeman]

Drunkskunk, thanks for the reply that's exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. I love the idea of the rear hub motor, easy to switch to another frame/bike. So a 2000w Thunderbolt kit might be a better idea.

 

[Chalo]

Whether 2000W or 3000W, you're in the range where pedaling becomes more or less irrelevant. So don't carry and maintain two shifters and two derailleurs you don't need. You can still have one gear to limp home with. I say use a sturdy single speed 26" MTB or 26" BMX cruiser frame and affix closed eye torque arms on both sides.

With 3 to 4HP, you'll want good brakes of whatever style, along with extra beefy wheels and tires.

Your Trek is compromised in every way that matters to your project. It would be a fine candidate for a 500W, 20mph conversion, but not for what you want.

 

[Wolfeman]

Are there any posts on ES that show bike failures? Are we talking about just broken spokes, cracked rims and the like?

 

[Chalo]

Broken spokes are a result of poor wheelbuilding or poor quality spokes. That's preventable. Wheels that are bent and dented beyond repairablity are not always preventable, if the bike's normal use exceeds what the rims can bear. Broken axles on the regular bike wheel can be a chronic problem, particularly for rear wheels that have screw-on freewheels.

Dropout slots pried open by flatted hub motor axles are a common failure. Bent forks and enlarged or ovalized head tube bores are also relatively frequent for bikes that are powered to higher than normal speeds.

Cheap bike frames are usually just as strong as more expensive ones, sometimes more so. They're just heavier-- which isn't too big a problem-- and often not aligned properly. But the components and wheels of cheap bikes are usually flimsy compared to the good stuff.

 

[Wolfeman]

Okay, so I went ahead and ordered an HPC 2000w Thunderbolt kit with the 12.5 aH battery. I'm excited like I was when my grandpa built me my first treehouse! While I wait for UPS to deliver the box, the Trek is getting a full going through. No more 13 mpg Chevy truck for going back and forth to work. I'll ride to work with a smile on my face, plug into the solar charged 120v outlets at work, then ride home at the end of my day 8) . I am so stoked!

 

[nutnspecial]

Excellent Wolferman, welcome and congrats!
Hpc has a great rapport and the 2kw kit should be well balanced for your Trek, I feel your excitement, have fun with it!

 

[Wolfeman]

Excellent Wolferman, welcome and congrats!
Hpc has a great rapport and the 2kw kit should be well balanced for your Trek, I feel your excitement, have fun with it!

Thanks nutspecial, I can't wait.

 

[Wolfeman]

Yahoo!!! My Thunderbolt kit is on the brown truck and will be delivered today, can't wait. During the wait for funds to clear, I upgraded my order to the 52v 15aH battery pack. Also ordered a new 160mm Shimano disc for the new HPC rear wheel. Looking forward to posting some before and after pics. :lol:

 

[Wolfeman]

Got my Thunderbolt kit yesterday afternoon. Well packed and the parts look good. Worked on installing it last night and this morning. Missing a few things; zip ties, washers for the rear disc, instructions for connecting the appropriate wires, etc. Got it bolted up and took it for a test ride today, very happy! Have some work to do, moving things around, securing wires, and aesthetics. Will post more pics in the before/after thread. Thanks again for the advice all. 8)

 

[Wolfeman]

Just got back from my first real ride. Did about 8 miles, no pedaling because I'm waiting on my new 8 speed freewheel. This thing is incredible. :lol:

 

[georgefromvt]

Welcome to the Ebike world! Great looking bike. Be safe on the roads, lots of distracted drivers. If night driving, invest in decent lights. Quality lights aren't cheap but less expensive than an ER visit. I also wear one of those ugly orange safety vests, dorky but safety comes first.
http://www.magicshineusa.com/
http://www.monkeylectric.com/

 

[skeetab5780]

Nice looking bike! I like the hpc battery bag. How is it to pedal while in place?

 

[Wolfeman]

Welcome to the Ebike world! Great looking bike. Be safe on the roads, lots of distracted drivers. If night driving, invest in decent lights. Quality lights aren't cheap but less expensive than an ER visit. I also wear one of those ugly orange safety vests, dorky but safety comes first.
http://www.magicshineusa.com/
http://www.monkeylectric.com/

Thanks, I'm already using a Fenix PD35 LED light clipped to my helmet, it's so bright that I get flashed with high beams from other drivers if I look towards them. I definitely need a good left side mirror to see traffic approaching from behind. The hi-viz yellow vest is a great idea.

 

[Paderolis]

Nice setup! I ride a Trek 4300 too, it's a 2010 non disc model. I have a 1000w 48V RHM kit installed on it, it's worked pretty well for two years now!
The original front suspention forks broke when I tried to run a 1KW FHM on it without torque arms, I replaced them with a steel non suspension fork, but then decided to do a rear hub motor instead. For the type of commute I do, I really haven't missed having suspension too much! Mine never really sees full power as I ride it in PAS mode only.

 

[Wolfeman]

Well, it's been a couple of days now with the HPC kit. I still have some sorting to do, but overall am very pleased with the set-up. The kit came with a Grin Technologies V.4 torque arm, and it was definitely needed. After my first full power run without it, the axle had started to rotate into the dropouts. The torque on this thing is impressive. I've taken off the 8 speed freewheel because of clearance issues and gone with a single speed 18t freewheel instead. This turned the bike into a 3 speed, but with the amount of power available I pedal mostly just to keep up appearances. 8) I rode it to work for the first time today and it was great.
My growing wishlist of accessories;
Cycle satiator for onboard charging
Maxxis hookworms in 2.5"
SKS fenders
LT Thudbuster

 

[Chalo]

[...]but with the amount of power available I pedal mostly just to keep up appearances.

What'd I tell you?

 

[skeetab5780]

Theres nothing better than Faux pedaling as slow as possible while going 35mph...makes me feel like that kid in E.T. flying on his BMX bike.

 

[Wolfeman]

Theres nothing better than Faux pedaling as slow as possible while going 35mph...makes me feel like that kid in E.T. flying on his BMX bike.

That's funny!

 

[Wolfeman]

So the whole idea behind this project was to create a daily rider capable of taking me to work each day and back. Sometimes the commute is about 3.5 miles, sometimes it's 18 miles, and I can charge at both locations. Today I took the bike out for a proof of concept ride. Did 22.2 miles and used 9.6 aH of my 15 aH pack. I kept speed fairly low (17-19mph) and steady. This will absolutely work for commuting. Now I just need to figure out how much it costs me to charge it back up after I get home. Pretty sure it's way cheaper than putting gas in my big Chevy truck.... :lol:

 

[Drunkskunk]

You used 9.6ah on a 52v pack, so that 499 watt hours. The charger might have taken an extra 50 watts to stuff 499 back in the pack, so maybe up to 550 used total from the wall outlet. Still, at $0.15 a kilowatt hour for electricity, that's $0.08

 

[Wolfeman]

You used 9.6ah on a 52v pack, so that 499 watt hours. The charger might have taken an extra 50 watts to stuff 499 back in the pack, so maybe up to 550 used total from the wall outlet. Still, at $0.15 a kilowatt hour for electricity, that's $0.08

Holy crap.... Vs. 59.2 cents a mile (2016 AAA published average) for a vehicle. So $0.08 for the more fun bike, or $13.14 for my truck. I'm sold.

 

[Wolfeman]

So today was my first long commute. 21 miles each way. Charged up at work and roared home at the end of the day. 42.7 miles total, not a drop of gas..... I have some things that need addressing; more comfortable seat, bar risers, better tires, etc.