I just purchased an electric bike kit

[Kevin]

After lots and lots (and lots) of reading of this forum and multiple other sources on the internet, and talking with a few people in the electric bike business, I ordered a kit. I considered pretty much every electric bike kit manufacturer there is, I'm sure, and finally decided on hightechbikes and their 750 watt motor and 36 volt 20 amp lithiumPO4 battery. I guess dogman's assertion that he thought it was the best commercial kit on the market (or something like that) finally pushed me over to hightechbikes. The kit was $910 + tax + $40 shipping.
I'm going to put the kit on a chromoly 1997 Trek 850 mountaintrak I bought off craigslist.
I got a Topeak rack and I'm going to get a Topeak bag for the battery. I got 26"x 1.5" "Kenda" high pressure tires, which were recommended, and thorn proof tubes.
My commute is 9 miles each way, with a 2 mile grade of 5% (about 400 feet elevation gain) midway through. I think with the stronger motor and battery this grade should be no problem, especially with pedaling assist.
I'll be able to recharge my battery at work.

I guess I'll be assembling the bike soon, so if I have problems I'll post them up, and I'll post up reviews after a few rides.

Thanks, Kevin

 

[StudEbiker]

In my opinion (to quote a knight in an Indiana Jones movie), "you chose wisely." Looking forward to hearing about your install.

 

[dogman dan]

Thanks for the compliment. Googling the trek 850, that looks like a good bike for a motor. If you have quick release hubs, you may need special washers to fill the little cup for the qr hub. Nothing is more important than a perfect fit of the washers and nuts on a front hub. My first ebike ride had the washers crooked, and in 1/2 mile I had cut the wires and ruined a controller

With moderate pedaling, you should be able to maintian 15 mph up that hill, and pedaling hard, 18 mph. You will just have the range to make it both ways, but your battery will like it if you charge some while at work. Your range will be very tight if it's cold, and you have to ride into a strong headwind. On nice days, you should have plenty of range.

 

[Kevin]

I just noticed that my hightech kit doesn't come with a torque arm (I think). What torque arm should I get? Are the axles of a standard size?

Thanks

 

[dogman dan]

Amped bikes has a real good universal torque arm. If your bike has eyelets for a fender on the forks, Ebikes.ca has one designed just for that. Most of the motor axles are the same, 10 mm on the flats.

I don't discourage the use of torque arms at all, but by properly fitting my motor to the dropouts I have 5000 miles on front hub bikes with no problems and no torque arms. I did screw up my first install, on a quick release fork, and ruined a motor and controller in 1/2 mile. Vendors vary on torque arms, some supply them and some don't. I think torque arms lead people to think unsafe things are safe, like using aluminum forks, or not getting the fit perfect.

 

[morph999]

I got two torque arms on my 5303. They are cheap insurance. Congratulations on your kit. That 36v 20ah lithium is going to get you amazing range. Probably 20 miles. The best thing about e-bikes is how quiet they are. I love how no one even hears you coming. The squirrels don't even hear you.

 

[Kevin]

The best thing about e-bikes is how quiet they are. I love how no one even hears you coming. The squirrels don't even hear you.

I used to have a Golden Eagle motorized bicycle with a 4 cycle engine on it. It functioned well ... but it was just too loud. (It was also not entirely legal, which was worrisome.) I sold the gas-powered bike and went back to commuting on my road bike, but I just wasn't travelling to work by bike as much as I could/should have been. Here in San Diego the weather is perfect for biking, but getting up and at 'em in the morning to ride a bike to work can be tough. You know what I mean.

I plan to use my car only on rainy days now, which means about 10 days a year.

Also, I ordered a torque arm and will install it with the motor.

Thanks, Kevin

 

[Little-Acorn]

After lots and lots (and lots) of reading of this forum and multiple other sources on the internet, and talking with a few people in the electric bike business, I ordered a kit.

Cool! Congratulations!

I considered pretty much every electric bike kit manufacturer there is, I'm sure, and finally decided on hightechbikes and their 750 watt motor and 36 volt 20 amp lithiumPO4 battery.

I've heard lots of good things about them. Reason I didn't go with them myself, is because I wanted a 1000W motor.

I'm going to put the kit on a chromoly 1997 Trek 850 mountaintrak I bought off craigslist.

I like Treks too, mine is a 7500.

My commute is 9 miles each way, with a 2 mile grade of 5% (about 400 feet elevation gain) midway through.

That's one hell of a hill. I'm in the north part of San Diego, and the only hill I can think of like that, is the one from the beach in Del Mar, heading south into LaJolla. Makes me feel pain when I just look at it. Be that the one? Good thing you got the 20Ah battery.

Sounds like we ordered within a few days of each other. Perhaps some day we can compare notes.

That's the kind of hill I was talking about, when I described a motor drawing large amounts of current for a long time. If, that is, the batteries and controller are capable of supplying such large currents for the entire time. It would be interesting to see how hot your motor gets on such a hill. You mentioned you would help with pedaling, which would bring motor temps down (as your body temp goes up! )

 

[317537]

Congrats on the new bike .

Active torque arm discussion happening here.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12475

 

[Kevin]

Yeah little acorn, the Torrey Pines grade. That's the one I'm referring to. It takes me 10 minutes to grind up that thing on my steel framed road bike.

 

[dogman dan]

Horrible veiw on that hill too. People scoff and think 5% isn't very steep, but 2 full miles of it can be a grind. I bet a few sections of it get steeper too.

 

[WonderProfessor]

Pardon us for using a global forum for items specific to San Diego, California. But if any of you do visit San Diego, the Torrey Pines area is definitely something to see. (http://www.torreypine.org/)

Do you ride the road inside the park or take the North Torrey Pines outside the park? I always ride inside the park. It is much steeper but you get it over with quickly and then the view is magnificent. Plus, there is the bathroom just past the top of the hill.

 

[Kevin]

Do you ride the road inside the park or take the North Torrey Pines outside the park? I always ride inside the park. It is much steeper but you get it over with quickly and then the view is magnificent. Plus, there is the bathroom just past the top of the hill.

I ride inside the park, usually. When I don't I regret it. Like many three lane "highways" in California, the far RIGHT lane is really the fast lane, so cars can come screaming past you at 65 mph,... racing to where, I don't know. Whereas in the park it is calm and quiet.

The kit will be arriving next week. Some unexpected delays.

 

[Kevin]

Still not up and running. This e-bike thing requires a bit of patience.

 

[kmxtornado]

2 years of patience? My gosh, where'd this guy go? What a tease.