Cyclebutt
100 W
WOW! Plus what everyone else said......... E-Bike engineering at it's finest!
Specialized Big Hit FSR with midmount
- Thread starter Tench
- Start date
courcheval
100 W
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Messages
- 140
The bike looks nice indeed and gave a lot of satisfaction...at start. I left it at the local mountain bike shop for winter time, hoping they will find a solution for a stable propulsion system, till then ill ride my XTE around South America. We ll find out next spring time.
The problem is maintly that since the propulsion parts have been engineered, you need to find handcrafters to engineer the replacing parts when you dont have neither skills nor space to do it yourself. In South America, this wouldnt be a problem, time is not that precious...In Europe, professionals can t afford to spend too much time on a bike for accurate adjustments.
Might end up selling it with the new Rollhoff to somebody that will be able to give the bike better care...If there is some interest shown, i ll put it on the for sale section.
I think i ll go for the Conway E Rider, now that it s being sold on ebay. Less power and range, but it fits the weight limits to ship a bike door to door and put it on a train wagon (25 kg). Plus replacement parts will be way easier to get, no reshaping necessary and the manufacturer will certainly be contractually dedicated to the customer (at least germans have that kind of reputation).
If anybody is interested in caring for the "sexiest lady of the year", just let me know, we might find a deal. Reserved to Europeans, since customs and shipping to the US would be too much problems.
The problem is maintly that since the propulsion parts have been engineered, you need to find handcrafters to engineer the replacing parts when you dont have neither skills nor space to do it yourself. In South America, this wouldnt be a problem, time is not that precious...In Europe, professionals can t afford to spend too much time on a bike for accurate adjustments.
Might end up selling it with the new Rollhoff to somebody that will be able to give the bike better care...If there is some interest shown, i ll put it on the for sale section.
I think i ll go for the Conway E Rider, now that it s being sold on ebay. Less power and range, but it fits the weight limits to ship a bike door to door and put it on a train wagon (25 kg). Plus replacement parts will be way easier to get, no reshaping necessary and the manufacturer will certainly be contractually dedicated to the customer (at least germans have that kind of reputation).
If anybody is interested in caring for the "sexiest lady of the year", just let me know, we might find a deal. Reserved to Europeans, since customs and shipping to the US would be too much problems.
Green Machine
100 kW
How is the Rohloff working out on this bike? Can it handle the power no problem?
courcheval
100 W
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Messages
- 140
The Rohloff gives a larger range of use since it offers 14 non duplicated speeds instead of the previous 7 (equivalent of 3x9). This allows steeper climbs and faster descents. Before the rolhoff, i could not accelerate while pedalling in descents, now i can, up to 80 km/h...and confortably overtake trucks. 
I chose the Rolhoff over other hubbs because of its quality, wanted the best for the demanding lady. It equips mainy downhill mountain bikes.. After several deraillers broken on stones, i was convinced the internal hubb would be a safer option. Another side advantage of the rolhoff is that you need shorter spokes, which makes them more unlikely to get broken from terrain repetitive shocks. And last but not least, you can shift speeds without moving, which is important if you dont want to damage the internal hubb (start on easy ratios). No need to lift the rear wheel if you got stuck downhill to prepare to climb the next hill...stop, ease, and slowly but surely start climbing. I noticed i used less energy with the rolhoff, since the gear was almost always appropriate enough to efficiently use muscle propulsion.
The problem for the moment is to allign perfectly the human propulsion chain, since the rolhoff is narrower than the 7 speed system derailer, the chain guide had to be removed to install the hubb. I left the bike to the local mountain bike workshop in hope he ll find a solution for a totally stable propulsion system. We also had to remove the kick stand installed on the rear wheel, no room left.
Regarding durability, i didnt ride enough yet to give a reliable feedback. Rolhoff warranties the hubb for two years, and when i asked about warranty problems to the mecanic due to the 3000W engine power, he simply answered : "no need to specify it".
The creator of the spider mid drive bike also installed a rolhoff, he mightbe able to give you a better feedback about its durability....
I chose the Rolhoff over other hubbs because of its quality, wanted the best for the demanding lady. It equips mainy downhill mountain bikes.. After several deraillers broken on stones, i was convinced the internal hubb would be a safer option. Another side advantage of the rolhoff is that you need shorter spokes, which makes them more unlikely to get broken from terrain repetitive shocks. And last but not least, you can shift speeds without moving, which is important if you dont want to damage the internal hubb (start on easy ratios). No need to lift the rear wheel if you got stuck downhill to prepare to climb the next hill...stop, ease, and slowly but surely start climbing. I noticed i used less energy with the rolhoff, since the gear was almost always appropriate enough to efficiently use muscle propulsion.
The problem for the moment is to allign perfectly the human propulsion chain, since the rolhoff is narrower than the 7 speed system derailer, the chain guide had to be removed to install the hubb. I left the bike to the local mountain bike workshop in hope he ll find a solution for a totally stable propulsion system. We also had to remove the kick stand installed on the rear wheel, no room left.
Regarding durability, i didnt ride enough yet to give a reliable feedback. Rolhoff warranties the hubb for two years, and when i asked about warranty problems to the mecanic due to the 3000W engine power, he simply answered : "no need to specify it".
The creator of the spider mid drive bike also installed a rolhoff, he mightbe able to give you a better feedback about its durability....
benmxrider
1 W
Hi Courcheval
I could speak in french here... but I prefer english everyone can read
i'm going to build a project like yours with a hub motor on a big hit.
Joss is going to built the frame...
very happy to have a bike like yours
à bientôt !
I could speak in french here... but I prefer english
everyone can readi'm going to build a project like yours with a hub motor on a big hit.
Joss is going to built the frame...
very happy to have a bike like yours
à bientôt !
wojtek
100 kW
fanstastic build! well done!
madm3chanic
100 W
nice build man, dedication!
First post for this bike is March 2012, I remember being really knocked out by this build. Not only was it beautifully done, but it verified some of the ideas that had been dicussed around ES as...not only being "possible", but...actually working fantastic. Simon is a pioneer. This is the build that gave me the idea to start a "Custom Build Gallery", because I knew that there would be a huge interest in bikes like this, if the public could simply find them easier.
"Custom Build Gallery, Simon's Specialized Super-Charged Racer"
http://www.electricbike.com/specialized-super-charged/
"Custom Build Gallery, Simon's Specialized Super-Charged Racer"
http://www.electricbike.com/specialized-super-charged/
Merlin said:Did someone hear something about tench?
he was not online over 2 weeks now.
not really scared, but iam waiting about an answer about my (paid)axle
Ur right i was thinking same thing no pm replied to,
and iv been talking to him quite alot lately
courcheval
100 W
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Messages
- 140
Merlin said:Did someone hear something about tench?
he was not online over 2 weeks now.
not really scared, but iam waiting about an answer about my (paid)axle
Got a few contact by forum pm, went to buy his prototype, then he stopped answering. He wouldnt even answer phone calls. That was a pain since who better than the builder knows where to find replacement parts? With the help of the french dedicated electric bikes forum, i could find equivalent parts and the right person to fix the bike (who simplified the propulsion system). It now works very fine with the rolhoff (riding it every day), from 8 km/h on steep slopes to 70ish down.
Simon Howarth did an amazing work, this prototype could easily be industrialized, but his behaviour after the transaction was quite odd to say the least and i didn t expect it at all given his very helpfull attitude on these forums
PS : i just found out he came back to visit the forum from January to August 2014 with a new project...I sincerely hope new customers will have a different experience to report.
Hello, very nice build I think this is an inspirational build for everyone here.
I have a question but probably I am quite ignorant in electronic trying to improve bit by bit
i saw you have 3 series lipo and 2 parallel ( 66v 16Ah I think). Is there a vantage in leaving balance leads connected in parallel when discharging the battery? what if one of the cell is getting out of balance and trying to discharge before others? How would you recognize that if they all discharge evenly? Plus could it be that flow of a relevant amount of current from higher voltage cell flows into "lazy cell" through very thin balance lead cable risking to provoke damages?
I just bought a set of 12 turnigy 6s5000ah and want to connet them 3s4p so I am facing this dilemma right now.
I also wanted to share this idea for charging lipos.To save lipo from fire during charge I would like to put in series with the cables of the balance charger 3 thermostats attached to the skin of the lipos( every thermostat safe guards 4 packs because it would be positioned right in the middle of the four batteries taped toghether which I think would be the warmest place in case of overtemp). When a overtemp is detected any of the thermostats open and disconnect the charger which will go in disconnected and preserve from charging the pack further.Once disconnected the charger have to be resetted in order to restart charging. This method of monitoring battery status has the advantage to check all the batteries while temperature sensor of the balance charger can monitor with just one sensor. What do you think about this? I see that laptop battery thermostats are calibrated for temperatures btw 75 and 90 degrees celsius. What deadline temperature would preserve lipos from fire but also I would say from damage (I read that a safe temperature for operation is 50 deg. C).
the thermostat that I have available are the UCHYA ones and they are frequently found in laptop battery.
Any comments arwelcome.
Regards from Italy,
Alberto.
I have a question but probably I am quite ignorant in electronic trying to improve bit by bit
i saw you have 3 series lipo and 2 parallel ( 66v 16Ah I think). Is there a vantage in leaving balance leads connected in parallel when discharging the battery? what if one of the cell is getting out of balance and trying to discharge before others? How would you recognize that if they all discharge evenly? Plus could it be that flow of a relevant amount of current from higher voltage cell flows into "lazy cell" through very thin balance lead cable risking to provoke damages?
I just bought a set of 12 turnigy 6s5000ah and want to connet them 3s4p so I am facing this dilemma right now.
I also wanted to share this idea for charging lipos.To save lipo from fire during charge I would like to put in series with the cables of the balance charger 3 thermostats attached to the skin of the lipos( every thermostat safe guards 4 packs because it would be positioned right in the middle of the four batteries taped toghether which I think would be the warmest place in case of overtemp). When a overtemp is detected any of the thermostats open and disconnect the charger which will go in disconnected and preserve from charging the pack further.Once disconnected the charger have to be resetted in order to restart charging. This method of monitoring battery status has the advantage to check all the batteries while temperature sensor of the balance charger can monitor with just one sensor. What do you think about this? I see that laptop battery thermostats are calibrated for temperatures btw 75 and 90 degrees celsius. What deadline temperature would preserve lipos from fire but also I would say from damage (I read that a safe temperature for operation is 50 deg. C).
the thermostat that I have available are the UCHYA ones and they are frequently found in laptop battery.
Any comments arwelcome.
Regards from Italy,
Alberto.
