grindz145
1 MW
The carnage of my frame: nice clean break... 
[youtube]YBGnhb84DuA[/youtube]
[youtube]YBGnhb84DuA[/youtube]
My 5kw-h "Sport Tourer" (with HD video)
- Thread starter grindz145
- Start date
I can't clearly see the break itself, but it looks from the layout of weight and the design of the xtracycle that it is actually sidesway/twisting that is causing the stress, more than up/down motion. You'd have to examine the not-yet-broken part to see, but I would guess that the unbroken part is on the side of the tube, rather than the top or bottom. If so, then it almost certainly is sidesway and/or twisting causing this.
If it is, then the best thing you could do to mitigate that is to put triangulation crossways on there. This might not be possible because of the rear wheel.
When you do the repair on the frame itself, I recommend you insert tubing inside the broken area that is as close to the ID of the frame as possible, so that you actually have to tap it into place with a wood block and mallet. Then when you weld the frame itself back together over this, it'll be stronger. how long tube to use will depend on how much of the ID of teh tube is clear for each side of the break.
Regarding vertical reinforcement/triangulation, I'll have to take another look at the side pics of your bike as a whole and think a bit.
If you can take some pics of the top view of the bike, that might help me ponder ways you could reinforce against sidesway, too.
If it is, then the best thing you could do to mitigate that is to put triangulation crossways on there. This might not be possible because of the rear wheel.
When you do the repair on the frame itself, I recommend you insert tubing inside the broken area that is as close to the ID of the frame as possible, so that you actually have to tap it into place with a wood block and mallet. Then when you weld the frame itself back together over this, it'll be stronger. how long tube to use will depend on how much of the ID of teh tube is clear for each side of the break.
Regarding vertical reinforcement/triangulation, I'll have to take another look at the side pics of your bike as a whole and think a bit.
If you can take some pics of the top view of the bike, that might help me ponder ways you could reinforce against sidesway, too.
grindz145
1 MW
amberwolf said:
It's definitely not sizeways twisting that caused the break, at least for the most part. It is really hard to see in the video, but basically nearly half of the battery weight ends up all the way on the end of the xtracycle frame. Thats at least 50 lbs or so, and the xtracycle isn't designed for that kind of weight past the rear axle.
Last year it had bent down so far that the top deck was rubbing on the tire. I bent it back up, but probably weakened it sufficiently in the process (I should have mentioned that.
Most of the forces are vertical so that's what I'm focusing on reinforcing, though I'm sure any lateral bracing would be good.
The xtracycle is designed to remove everything besides the frame, so it's tricky because some components are aluminum and some components are chromo so its hard to decide where to weld supports, and frankly the mechanical stuff really isn't what I like to spend time on. I'm having fun considering frame designs anyway, but more importantly I just want it back and working!
grindz145
1 MW
OK here we go, the frame is fixed... don't let EEs get a hold of quicksteel and JB weld, bad things happen....
Anyway it's fixed and it's strong!!
[youtube]Mq3xaemeEkw[/youtube]
Anyway it's fixed and it's strong!!
[youtube]Mq3xaemeEkw[/youtube]
grindz145
1 MW
So I officially lightened my load and my bike is no longer a 5kW-h monster, but rather a 2.7kW-h monster. I managed to drop 30 lbs off of the xtracycle by doing this which made all the difference. 45-50 lbs of battery seems to be the sweet spot for this bike. It's much more nimble, and I don't feel like the world is going to end when I hit something.
I should point out that under spirited riding, that still leaves me with 80 miles range....yeah overkill... :lol:
I should point out that under spirited riding, that still leaves me with 80 miles range....yeah overkill... :lol:
grindz145
1 MW
Had a fantastic weekend at the negative image scooter club rally. I rode on the "slow" ride which was 42 miles. There was a bunch of guys that appreciate a tuned moped, so there were definitely some people who could appreciate my ebike. I was faster than a few of the mopeds for sure.
View attachment 3View attachment 2View attachment 1
View attachment 3View attachment 2View attachment 1
grindz145
1 MW
Update to the big boy. She's looking pretty good. Starting to think about world-record distance attempt....
[youtube]q-1I4h9EhAQ[/youtube]
[youtube]q-1I4h9EhAQ[/youtube]
grindz145
1 MW
I haven't had the bike out becuase of the salt and junk. However, here's some fun I had yesterday in the driveway 
[youtube]gMu0xl1Z0dg[/youtube]
[youtube]gMu0xl1Z0dg[/youtube]
ohzee
100 kW
Glad you updated your thread I had not read it till now.
I am pretty close to buying myself a long tail just still working some things out.
Did you notice much difference moving the batteries from your calf area to a higher position on the bike ?
I know you lost some weight also , but id just think it would seem more top heavy being right behind your seat ?
I'm going to get some pouch cells and build up a pretty crazy pack myself.. thinking 2-3k. Just trying to work out
the best way to place it. Build 2 batteries for each side or 1 like you did..
Thanks for the update.
I am pretty close to buying myself a long tail just still working some things out.
Did you notice much difference moving the batteries from your calf area to a higher position on the bike ?
I know you lost some weight also , but id just think it would seem more top heavy being right behind your seat ?
I'm going to get some pouch cells and build up a pretty crazy pack myself.. thinking 2-3k. Just trying to work out
the best way to place it. Build 2 batteries for each side or 1 like you did..
Thanks for the update.
grindz145
1 MW
ohzee said:
In the end, those frames SUCK for bearing load. I cracked an broke the frame on the "wide loaders" I can deal with the weight rigidly mounted, but not very high. However, you'd be much better off with the weight low, if you can manage a frame that won't disintegrate as mine would. I wouldn't put any more than maybe 20 lbs total on those wide loaders. All in all, I recommend sticking to smaller battery packs on converted bicycles. ~1-2kwh should be plenty. Any more and it's just too much, at least for a converted xtracycle. A yuba mundo or something like that will probably fair alot better load-wise.
lazarus2405
10 kW
I just got back into the ebike world and noticed you're in Rochester. I'm a ChemE at RIT! My bike's been sitting in the basement since I moved out here two years ago, but I'm looking to build it into a cargo bike in the long term. I've got a few questions for you.
How do you like the handling of the longtail in general? Does it feel like a bus in traffic, or is it comfortably smooth with the longer wheelbase?
How's commuting in the area, with the, um, quality of driver skill in Rochester? I'm a little concerned - my wife got hit in the crosswalk in front of the Strong ER two years ago commuting by bike. A knee surgery later she's just now back in shape.
And have you ever had any legal trouble here? Technically any motor at any power level is not a "bicycle" according to the NYS DMV, but I can't imagine being hassled in the RIT area.
Thanks for your time. I don't know if you're loyal to any particular LBS, but if you ever need anything for the bicycle part of the rig, bring it into Bert's and ask for Aaron. I'd love to take a look at your setup.
How do you like the handling of the longtail in general? Does it feel like a bus in traffic, or is it comfortably smooth with the longer wheelbase?
How's commuting in the area, with the, um, quality of driver skill in Rochester? I'm a little concerned - my wife got hit in the crosswalk in front of the Strong ER two years ago commuting by bike. A knee surgery later she's just now back in shape.
And have you ever had any legal trouble here? Technically any motor at any power level is not a "bicycle" according to the NYS DMV, but I can't imagine being hassled in the RIT area.
Thanks for your time. I don't know if you're loyal to any particular LBS, but if you ever need anything for the bicycle part of the rig, bring it into Bert's and ask for Aaron. I'd love to take a look at your setup.
grindz145
1 MW
lazarus2405 said:I just got back into the ebike world and noticed you're in Rochester. I'm a ChemE at RIT! My bike's been sitting in the basement since I moved out here two years ago, but I'm looking to build it into a cargo bike in the long term. I've got a few questions for you.
How do you like the handling of the longtail in general? Does it feel like a bus in traffic, or is it comfortably smooth with the longer wheelbase?
How's commuting in the area, with the, um, quality of driver skill in Rochester? I'm a little concerned - my wife got hit in the crosswalk in front of the Strong ER two years ago commuting by bike. A knee surgery later she's just now back in shape.
And have you ever had any legal trouble here? Technically any motor at any power level is not a "bicycle" according to the NYS DMV, but I can't imagine being hassled in the RIT area.
Thanks for your time. I don't know if you're loyal to any particular LBS, but if you ever need anything for the bicycle part of the rig, bring it into Bert's and ask for Aaron. I'd love to take a look at your setup.
Sweet! We should meet up.
The longtail handling stucks to be honest. It all depends what your frame of reference is though. I like to ride motorcycles that are designed properly. For a bicycle the longtail is great, once you add all the ebike stuff, it makes it a little more challenging (read the earlier pages of this thread to see wht I mean) That being said I can stall is pretty long and take it over see-saws and stuff, so it's not an issue, just not ideal, but really no ebike chassis usually is.
Nobody gives me any trouble, just pedal when you see a cop. As long as your not riding aggressively and irresponsibly, nobody is going to mind. In fact RIT has a big Ebike club, and they're gearing up for a pretty cool ebike fleet for rit.
As far as riding in Rochester goes, if you ride a bicycle, you're only better off with a little higher top speed IMO, from a safety point of view. let me know what you're thinking I'm kind of in the process of starting a pseudo-business to support ebiking in the area: www.ebikeseast.com. There are a few others in the area riding. In fact RITs president is a big ebiker, I saw him and his wife riding by the canal path, randomly one day, I was only on my pedal bike, but he definitely doesn't just joke around about the ebike thing.
grindz145
1 MW
Fun little video of the old Xtracycle http://troyrank.com/2012/09/02/2023/
grindz145
1 MW
Just a glamour shot of my ride in this morning. I wanted my CX bike in the office so I could do some "lunch rides" with the guys here at work, but I also needed a way to get home... That towbar has come in handy so many times..
and then of course, the whole mess falls to the ground at the exact moment I snap another picture....
and then of course, the whole mess falls to the ground at the exact moment I snap another picture....
grindz145
1 MW
[youtube]uRgnyMV-vjc[/youtube]
A little youtube fun
A little youtube fun
grindz145
1 MW
So after my adventures in the spring here:http://endless-sphere.com/forums/vi...p=731431&hilit=adventure+watkins+glen#p731431
I made some updates:
-Added waterproof meanwell chargers http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=50744&hilit=ultimate+charging+solution
This allows me to literally just roll up next to any plug and within 10 seconds, plug in and charge at 500+ watts. I also wired the charger through the shunt so that I can measure my charging current / AH etc. Even if it's pouring rain (so long as the outlet is covered).
-New Snapdeck/battery mounting - the original Xtracycle came with this goofy surfboard wooden top-piece. They developed a much nicer "snapdeck" which actually mounts to the rails via hooks, rather than snap in place. It also has mounting eyelets, which I used to mount the battery pack. Everything is now rigidly mounted and confidence inspiring. I can also take a passenger again, since the top-side of the battery pack allows for a nice passenger seat
-Wiring harness update - The original wiring harness was designed for a 5kWh battery pack. After a while I decided that it was simply too much to carry that much capacity. I'm down to about 2kwh now and I'm really happy with that. However, I kept the original wiring harness since it was just a experiment to begin with. Well I finally got around to modifying the harness. After cleaning the battery lug contacts, I literally got 2-3mph higher top speed. Not bad. My cruising speed is around 28mph right now which is perfect as far as this chassis is concerned.
-Onboard USB Charging I can now charge my phone, and power a 5watt led headlight, using a USB wall charger, which I have wired to the DC pack voltage.
-Throttle Control Tweak Initially the magura was super twitchy, and would fault out at the top of the range. It was really a chore to ride. What I learned is that the Cycle Analyst actually can protect from the out-of-range throttle condition, as well as help with the twitchiness. I added a pullup resistor inline with the cycle analyst to get the feedback working properly. I set up the current limit on the CA and also set the throttle limit to 4.2 volts, which prevents the controller from fault. I can now whack the throttle without worrying about blowing fuses and cooking wire harnesses. I messed with the feedback gain to get just the right response, so that I can get a nice kick of current on acceleration, but that there is not any oscillation up hills and stuff.
Pictures to follow
I made some updates:
-Added waterproof meanwell chargers http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=50744&hilit=ultimate+charging+solution
This allows me to literally just roll up next to any plug and within 10 seconds, plug in and charge at 500+ watts. I also wired the charger through the shunt so that I can measure my charging current / AH etc. Even if it's pouring rain (so long as the outlet is covered).
-New Snapdeck/battery mounting - the original Xtracycle came with this goofy surfboard wooden top-piece. They developed a much nicer "snapdeck" which actually mounts to the rails via hooks, rather than snap in place. It also has mounting eyelets, which I used to mount the battery pack. Everything is now rigidly mounted and confidence inspiring. I can also take a passenger again, since the top-side of the battery pack allows for a nice passenger seat
-Wiring harness update - The original wiring harness was designed for a 5kWh battery pack. After a while I decided that it was simply too much to carry that much capacity. I'm down to about 2kwh now and I'm really happy with that. However, I kept the original wiring harness since it was just a experiment to begin with. Well I finally got around to modifying the harness. After cleaning the battery lug contacts, I literally got 2-3mph higher top speed. Not bad. My cruising speed is around 28mph right now which is perfect as far as this chassis is concerned.
-Onboard USB Charging I can now charge my phone, and power a 5watt led headlight, using a USB wall charger, which I have wired to the DC pack voltage.
-Throttle Control Tweak Initially the magura was super twitchy, and would fault out at the top of the range. It was really a chore to ride. What I learned is that the Cycle Analyst actually can protect from the out-of-range throttle condition, as well as help with the twitchiness. I added a pullup resistor inline with the cycle analyst to get the feedback working properly. I set up the current limit on the CA and also set the throttle limit to 4.2 volts, which prevents the controller from fault. I can now whack the throttle without worrying about blowing fuses and cooking wire harnesses. I messed with the feedback gain to get just the right response, so that I can get a nice kick of current on acceleration, but that there is not any oscillation up hills and stuff.
Pictures to follow
michaelkramer11
1 W
Awesome!!! Thanks for the update.
Just wanted to say I found the podcast a few months ago and have listened to every episode a few times now. Thanks for the great content and know that you guys helped inspire me to get into this ebike awesomeness!!!
Just wanted to say I found the podcast a few months ago and have listened to every episode a few times now. Thanks for the great content and know that you guys helped inspire me to get into this ebike awesomeness!!!
grindz145
1 MW
michaelkramer11 said:
Thanks for the feedback. Keep it up!
grindz145
1 MW
So today was not a great day for the sport-tourer. I was doing my usual commute to work, just about to hit 7000 miles on the odometer, and a school bus turned right in front of me. I was probably doing about 20-25 ish, but I wasn't able to stop in time and layed the bike down (not a decision really) and it ended up under the rear tire of the schoolbus. Luckily I did not, but I did end up with a bit of road rash. Even though I would never ride my motorcycle in short-sleeves, I was unfortunately riding the ebike in a short sleeve polo this morning. I'm definately going to re-evaluate what I ride in. Could be worse. I've had skateboard accidents end much worse. Still, not pleased. Time for a fork upgrade!
