Short look at our community and a quality electric bike

magudaman

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So I finally finished a short version of a video that is looking at the electric bike community and one of the better electric bikes available on the market. Really this video only represents a very small portion of what I shots and talked to these guys about. I want to put together a longer version that doesn’t hold a 3.5 minute constraint. But watch it, let me know what you think.

Hey and it stars the famous Fechter!


Insider note: I had an awesome smokey burnout that pretty much finished off my bike’s tire and overwrote it when I shot the Ultra Motor interview, I was devastated ;) But I really was sad.

Downloadable version:

http://www.maguda.com/ebike.mov - DO A SAVE AS THEN WATCH

Watch steaming, which I can't seem to embed and I can't stand youtube quality so here is the streaming link on vimeo, be sure to turn on HD:

http://vimeo.com/2832150
 
Simply OUTSTANDING...what programs are used in the editing of the video?
 
I used to be strictly an Adobe Premiere guy but while studying broadcasting realized that Final Cut is where the industry is, so that is what I now use. It is a good program but it has its problems that drive me crazy! Thanks for the positive reviews :eek:
 
Widescreen format and a great soundtrack... sweet.
 
magudaman said:
I used to be strictly an Adobe Premiere guy but while studying broadcasting realized that Final Cut is where the industry is

Ahhh crap...i mean crApple hehe..i need something easy to use and thats for PC not crApple... :: sigh ::

Awsome job anywayz mate very professional...

Kim
 
Nice vid, Justin!


AussieJester said:
i need something easy to use and thats for PC not crApple... :: sigh ::
Sony offers excellent PC based editing applications (formerly Sonic Foundry products).
 
excellent job with the video! the A2B looks interesting as well. i may have considered it had i known what i now know as it cleanly addresses several problems with "homebuilt" designs, namely an integrated suspension design and battery storage.

does anyone know the capacity of the A2B's pack? i gather it uses Panasonic lithium cells at 36V but the Ah isn't published anywhere as far as i can see. the Europa, their earlier effort, has a 36V 10Ah pack per this link: http://www.segwaypb.com/products_electricbikes.htm
 
I... never... thought... I'd see.... god.

And, wow, I didn't know we had members with such outstanding video-creating talents. Well done Justin Maguda!(I think that's what the credits stated; Well, the last name at least.)
 
Well done! (big round of applause) that was fun to watch for sure. :D
 
Toshi said:
does anyone know the capacity of the A2B's pack? i gather it uses Panasonic lithium cells at 36V but the Ah isn't published anywhere as far as i can see. the Europa, their earlier effort, has a 36V 10Ah pack per this link: http://www.segwaypb.com/products_electricbikes.htm
i managed to answer my own question inadvertently while searching for other things:

the Ultra Motor A2B has a 36V 11.5Ah pack.
 
here's a review of the A2B by yours truly. i rode the bike yesterday (along with an electric scooter and a Ultra Motor Europa) at a local shop, Sound Speed Scooters. you can read these other reviews here: http://www.xanga.com/toshiclark/690499078/soundspeed-scooters/

---------

I had a chance to test ride the Ultra Motor A2B on January 24, 2009.

Commercially available electric bicycles are hobbled by laws that vary by state and province. Power limits of 250-750W are common as are speed limits of 20 mph or 30 km/h as appropriate in your country. Companies offering electric bikes thus have one hand tied behind their back, as it were.

With that in mind I wasn't expecting to be overly impressed with the A2B. After all, my homebrewed electric bicycle can do 23-26 mph on the flat as my one-bike production run is far too small to attract the attention from federal auditors. However, numbers aren't everything.

The A2B's construction and design are impressive. The battery is securely stored in the downtube. This is a great location for a battery being central and relatively low to the ground. The only downside of this layout is that the battery isn't designed to be easily removable on the road. As a result, the 72-73 lb bike can't be carried on buses' bike racks around Seattle, as they have a 55 lb weight limit.

Other aspects of the construction were also impressive: the rear dropouts have a built in indentation and bolt for the rear hub motor's torque arms, the headtube and stem have a slick-looking integrated design, and the fat 24 x 3" tires are covered by commuter-friendly fenders. Not as impressive was the funky rear rack: its side bars have to be 20 mm thick, far thicker than those on any normal rack. This isn't good because normal panniers won't fit.

Riding the A2B was very much unlike riding the Europa despite their similar specs. Although the A2B has a high front end like the Europa it felt completely different thanks to the suspension, frame geometry, and soft suspension. More than anything else it felt like a small, rear-heavy downhill bike with 20" wheels. I really liked how it handled and found myself slaloming obstacles down the street, jumping off of curbs, and trying (unsuccessfully) to bunnyhop it.

The small wheels really make the electric assist snappy. My personal electric bike has 26" wheels and a Crystalyte 407 hub motor powered by 48V of lithium. The A2B has 20" wheels and its hub motor runs off of 36V of lithium. Despite this seeming disadvantage the A2B absolutely smoked my bike off of the line all the way up to about 18 mph. At that speed my bike pulled away and continued to its supralegal speeds while the A2B cruised along at 20 mph. In case all this jargon isn't clear: the A2B accelerates quickly and feels very responsive.

Overall the A2B gets a big thumbs up from me. Is it perfect? No. But is it the best commercially available electric bike out there? I think that it is.
 
Wow.. i'm impressed too!..

it's very representative of our comunity! :wink:

Great Work!

Doc
 
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