serisman's Giant ATX 860 commuter (v2.0)

[serisman]

I built version 1.0 (http://www.evalbum.com/4620) back in April 2013 and put over 700 EV miles on it, but recently had to retire it due to some (somewhat expected) issues:

• The stock hub motor wheel was built with poor quality and exhibited hairline cracks and large dents in the sidewall
• The capacity of the horribly heavy SLA battery pack (~60lbs) diminished to about a 5 mile range (it started with about a 15 mile range)
• The rear rack holding the batteries broke when I dismantled it (probably due to all the weight that it had been carrying)

Overall version 1 was a great success and a lot of fun (while it lasted) and proved to me that it was worth investing in this 'hobby'.

So, without further ado, this is version 2.0 (put into commission 8/20/2013)...

 

[serisman]

Here is the parts list and cost breakdown:

base bike:

• ~$500.00 - Giant ATX 860 (I have had this bike for about 15 years)

ebike conversion:

• $274.90 - Yescom 48V 1000W direct drive rear conversion kit (eBay seller: xcceries - free shipping)
• $725.00 - EM3ev 50V 18.5Ah Samsung triangle battery pack w/bag (http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=123)
• $120.00 - (2) EM3ev Aluminium Case Charger 58.8V 5A, 14S Li Ion/NCM w/switch (http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=120)
• $2.40 - (4) Anderson 45PP connectors (2 red, 2 black) (http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=99)
• $10.00 - 4.5-60V 3A 15W DC-DC converter (not yet in use) (http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=90)
• $142.80 - EM3ev shipping costs
• $32.84 - EM3ev PayPal fee
• $31.78 - Credit-card international payment fee
• $12.57 - 60V/100A power analyzer / watt meter (http://www.ebay.com/itm/181063403586 - $11.58 + $0.99 shipping)

rear wheel rebuild:

• $24.99 - Alex DM24 rim (http://www.treefortbikes.com - $22.00 (amazon price match) + $2.99 shipping)
• $29.15 - (40) Sapim 13/14 single butted spokes (http://www.danscomp.com - $0.49 /per + ~$9.00 shipping)
• $20.00 - DNP 7-speed 11t freewheel (http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=63)

tools:

• $6.00 - DNP extractor tool (http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=100)
• $7.49 - Park Tool spoke wrench SW-0 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NOPWWY)

non-ebike related upgrades:

• $15.19 - XLC alloy pedals (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YRU4NM)
• $7.19 - Zefal Cristophe toe clips (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JDZQ0W)
• $7.05 - Avenir comfy soft grips (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00165P52Q)

Also, (years ago) I did the following upgrades (no idea on the costs anymore):

• CATEYE TOMO XC bike computer
• 26x1.5 'road' tires
• upgraded derailleurs
• saddle bag

TOTAL: $1,469.35 (~$1,969.35 including base bike)

 

[serisman]

This is the (Yescom) 48V 1000W direct drive hub motor laced into a Alex DM24 rim with Sapim 13/14 single butted spokes.

The (cheap) stock 6-speed 14t freewheel was replaced with a DNP 7-speed 11t freewheel (enabling pedal assist at higher speeds). This required custom spacers and a rebuild of the wheel to properly dish it (I was already rebuilding the wheel anyway). I used two pieces of electrical conduit for the spacers, as they seemed to be the perfect diameter. These were rough cut to size with a band-saw with a metal blade and the trued up with a metal lathe. Alternatively, it could have easily been done with just a Dremel tool.

 

[serisman]

This is the EM3ev triangle bag and 50V 18.5Ah Samsung triangle battery pack.

Also seen are the Yescom 48V 1000W controller (~31A max), and the 60V/1000A power analyzer / watt meter.

The controller has been modified to enable cruise-control (highly recommended).

 

[serisman]

This is a close-up of the Yescom 48V 1000W direct drive hub moter and the DNP 7-speed 11t freewheel.

 

[serisman]

Yep, that is an Alex DM24 rim with Sapim 13/14 single butted spokes (highly recommended).

I rebuilt the wheel myself (first time experience). It wasn't hard to do (kind of fun actually), but did take several hours.

 

[serisman]

When I am not commuting to/from work, I like to bring my 7 year-old daughter on the trails with me (or to the park).

This is how I share the ebike experience with her.

I picked up the trail-a-bike from Goodwill a few years ago for $14! Unfortunately, it was missing the seat-post adapter, which cost me another $30 (or so).

 

[serisman]

My normal commute (to work) is between 7-9 miles (each way) depending on the route I take.
Recently, I have been doing 7 miles to work (3/4 on the paved streets) and 9 miles on the way back (3/4 on the gravel trails).
I average just under 23 minutes to work (including stop lights, etc), and just under 30 minutes back home (including stop lights, etc).

Traveling by car, it is 7.25 miles either way and takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes (depends on traffic) with a time or two that it was at least 45 minutes (snow storm). I figure I am saving between $2 and $4 in gas alone for each day that I can take the ebike instead of the car or minivan. (It only takes a penny or two worth of electricity).

I try and pedal a moderate to heavy (100-200 Watts) for exercise, to keep up appearances, and to help the motor/battery pack out. The DNP 7-speed 11t freewheel really comes in handy for this. With the Yescom kit 6-speed 14t freewheel, I wasn't able to hit the smallest gear, so I had to use the 16t gear and couldn't pedal past about 15 mph (or so). After rebuilding the wheel with the DNP (and fixing the spacing issue) I am able to use the 11t gear and can now pedal up to about 22 mph (or so).

I try and keep my speed limited to around 20 mph, and am currently using about 15 Wh per mile (on average).

 

[serisman]

Oh yeah, for a range test, I went on a 38 mile trail ride last weekend and only used 9.39 Ah (501.7 Wh) which is a little over half the capacity of my battery fully charged. The first and last 7 miles (14 miles total) were with my daughter on the trail-a-bike and we averaged about 11 Wh/mile @ 12 mph (purposely slow to not get to far ahead of the wife and other daughter who were not on ebikes). The middle 24 miles I was on my own (the others stopped at a park to rest/play) and averaged about 17 Wh/mile @ 19 mph.

Based on these results, I should be able to get around 60 miles range on this battery pack at up to 20 mph speeds (with 100-200 watt pedal assist). I am extremely happy with these results.