My eBike work got published on Wired!
- Thread starter mlt34
- Start date
spinningmagnets
100 TW
Awesome! glad to see the publicity.
Since you've been building E-bikes from kits for a variety of people, what is your current "go to" suggestion for the average rider who wants to electrify?
The red bike in the article looks like a 12-FET controller with a MAC rear hub?
Since you've been building E-bikes from kits for a variety of people, what is your current "go to" suggestion for the average rider who wants to electrify?
The red bike in the article looks like a 12-FET controller with a MAC rear hub?
el_walto
10 kW
Congrats. Always nice to see things like this.
spinningmagnets said:
wow, "go to" kit? That's like asking which one of your kids do you like the best!
Haha, but let me think. If I could only recommend one kit to fit the widest number of people and conditions, it'd be a kit based around a 500W geared Bafang BPM, which is what is on that red Marin in the photo (the controller is a 12 get, you are correct, but it wasn't actually from a kit with the motor, it was just a controller I had laying around. I recommend kits to most beginners but when I build contract bikes I usually combine parts ala carte to get more customization options). The other nice thing about BPMs is that they are available from a number of vendors so it also gives people options.
For more power I usually recommend a 9C (or ebay-style 800-1000W if they are really on a tighter budget) and for less power a 350W bafang or Cute hub, though I really only recommend those for people who are lightweight and live in a flat area. Tel Aviv is about as flat as a granite countertop, so a 350W hub on someone weighing not much over 70 kg (150 lbs) is still a decent setup.
chas58
10 kW
That is way cool.
I was just reading that article on ZITE (which grabbed it from Wired), wondering who that was. Glad to see this community getting good press (besides articles on the $7000 Specialized Turbo)
I was just reading that article on ZITE (which grabbed it from Wired), wondering who that was. Glad to see this community getting good press (besides articles on the $7000 Specialized Turbo)
winkinatcha
10 kW
Top Work Mister!
Joe
Joe
The fingers
10 TW
Good news reports really help promote e-bikes. 8)
arkmundi
10 MW
Nice article & build! Its really a concept whose time has come, the idea of mutual self-help doing ebike builds. I've been doing it since my first successful build and the local network is growing. Spent half an hour talking to a friend tonight who has known about my ebike for awhile, but has only recently been asking how-to and why-for questions, pondering whether he wants to take on a make project. The real flip out, however, was his friend who teaches at a local U, who is working with students on their campus-green project and thought it'd be really cool if I showed up to talk & promote the local ebike culture. So the idea is contagious. It should be! 
dogman dan
1 PW
Way to go! I hope this helps your book sales a lot. I kept meaning to write a basic primer on e bikes, but instead just keep helping out noobs for free here.
I love to see you doing well. I have good feelings toward you every time I get on my longtail, powered by the 5304 you sold me. I'm so glad you were moving and put that thing up for sale.
Kinda cool to see that motor in your avatar pic to this day. Makes me feel like I have some ebike history in my garage.
I love to see you doing well. I have good feelings toward you every time I get on my longtail, powered by the 5304 you sold me. I'm so glad you were moving and put that thing up for sale.
Kinda cool to see that motor in your avatar pic to this day. Makes me feel like I have some ebike history in my garage.
arkmundi
10 MW
Like ES is the book, albeit multiple authors. Don't know any better way to make it happen. In fact I've authored much here and consider it a great format for self-publishing. Yea, OK, you can't do an Amazon sale. I like the idea of people making some money doing ebikes, but I ascribe to the principal of open-source manufacturing, where the info is free, the goods cost, expert assistance is available to the impoverished and those who are busy, have a job and can pay for the service subsidize the enterprise.dogman said:
dogman said:
Haha, I'm just glad it went to a good home
I get pangs every now and again from missing it, but I know that I was underpowering it anyways and that's not the way to treat to a motor like that. It's like my Dad used to tell me about back in the day when little grandmas were driving 6.5 liter GTOs and had to take them to the mechanic for a "lead foot tune-up" to blow out all the carbon. I guess it's not a great analogy because eBike motors still work fine underpowered, its just a shame not to use their full potential.
Besides a handful of prototypes I built in engineering school for testing different motors/batteries, the bike in my avatar pic was my first one. I could never bring myself to change the pic now, it really is the "history" you speak of.
arkmundi said:
I totally agree with you, and I love this community we have here on ES. I'm on here as much time as I can be (I'm an officer in the Israeli Air Force) helping people for free. The more and more I've worked with people face to face in teaching them about eBikes, the more I've heard from them that there just isn't a single source with all the information in one place, easily organized and accessible. I always send people to ES as a resource, but I hear from many beginners that it's just too spread out and in depth. The feeling I hear most often is that it seems great for someone already on their second or third build that wants to get specific advice or technical knowledge, especially for somewhat custom work, but for beginners its just too overwhelming to have to search around for days through sprawling threads to learn simple things. Thats why I ended up writing my book, to put all of my knowledge and experience into one easily organized place and aim it an audience that had absolutely no prior eBike knowledge. After all the time I spent writing it, (not to mention all the time and money I've put into developing that knowledge) I decided that I'd at least like to make some of that back, so I decided to publish and sell the book. Perhaps that's selfish, but at the same time, I've got a wife to take care of and food to put on the table. I often get emails that I usually answer with more time and detail and than I intended and I spend lots of time on here, but at I certain point I've got to get something in return for my work. That being said, I have the upmost respect for the super-posters on this forum that spend hours giving away their knowledge without asking anything in return. I wish there was a way to send them on tour across the US and get more people involved in the eBike world. Our numbers are growing but a boost never hurts
USAEBIKECO
10 kW
I would love to ride my ebike in Israel. Its so beautiful there. How are the bike lanes/trails?
chas58
10 kW
I think your book is a great complement to ES. ES is way overwhelming for most people. ES works great for those who have the time, technical ability, and a passion about what they are doing, but most people won't get in that deep.
Your book is a great idea and should bring more of this to the masses.
Your book is a great idea and should bring more of this to the masses.
mlt34 said:arkmundi said:
I totally agree with you, and I love this community we have here on ES. I'm on here as much time as I can be (I'm an officer in the Israeli Air Force) helping people for free. The more and more I've worked with people face to face in teaching them about eBikes, the more I've heard from them that there just isn't a single source with all the information in one place, easily organized and accessible. I always send people to ES as a resource, but I hear from many beginners that it's just too spread out and in depth. The feeling I hear most often is that it seems great for someone already on their second or third build that wants to get specific advice or technical knowledge, especially for somewhat custom work, but for beginners its just too overwhelming to have to search around for days through sprawling threads to learn simple things. Thats why I ended up writing my book, to put all of my knowledge and experience into one easily organized place and aim it an audience that had absolutely no prior eBike knowledge. After all the time I spent writing it, (not to mention all the time and money I've put into developing that knowledge) I decided that I'd at least like to make some of that back, so I decided to publish and sell the book. Perhaps that's selfish, but at the same time, I've got a wife to take care of and food to put on the table. I often get emails that I usually answer with more time and detail and than I intended and I spend lots of time on here, but at I certain point I've got to get something in return for my work. That being said, I have the upmost respect for the super-posters on this forum that spend hours giving away their knowledge without asking anything in return. I wish there was a way to send them on tour across the US and get more people involved in the eBike world. Our numbers are growing but a boost never hurts
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