The problem of the clean build

[Matt Gruber]

dogman
you look like a traveling salesman carrying your wares. maybe pots and pans? (to the public)
To look electric, maybe hang a sign on the back
DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE
KEEP AWAY
ELECTRIC POWER
EXPERIMENTAL ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

 

[benend]

I'd go for an ebike that had an aluminum battery triangle shaped like a mini motorcycle motor. Please China, make this.

 

[xenodius]

[...]
I LIKE my bikes to look different. Different in the sense that nobody would pay a dime for it if stolen. But yeah, I'm a kook, always have been a kook.

Me 2 8) Un-sellable look is a benefit in the city

I wouldn't say EM3EV's bag makes the bike look like an e-bike. It's just a big bag that it's obvious it can carry stuff, not necesarily a battery.

Speaking of bad looks, I don't like most commercial bike's behind-the-saddle-post placement of a vertical bettery. I can't put my finger why, it just seems to make the bike impossibly long. Compared to that "I'm en ebike!" look, I prefer a good triangle bag.

these are the reasons that I am building a recumbent trike. Not worth stealing because it's super unique, and has a motorcycle alarm and gps and chain under it's cover. That, and I don't want a frosty morning like today to ruin my commute because of traction fear. I'm actually building a battery box right now from welded ABS sheets, 1500 watt hours sitting right behind me and not disrupting the chain line. when my adaptto max-e arrives I will use my leftover abs for a raised mount.

Saddlebags and panniers will conceal... everything, really. Except the throttle on the handlebars.

 

[rtz]

Best one I've seen so far (stealthy/low key):

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=235&start=1100#p837650

 

[friendly1uk]

Smaller geared motors can hide behind the gear cassette and transparent chain guard. Becoming invisible from one side of the bike. Even from the other side, the number of pedal back brakes, geared hubs and dynamo's around are enough to still leave the casual observer undecided. Fit a disc brake, and then you can't see the motor from either side. Just the rear. So keep it matt black for it's slimming effect and your motor is really starting to fall from view.

 

[dogman dan]

I wouldn't really call that diamondback particularly clean. Front hub is pretty obvious, but in fact everybody just asks if it's a drum brake. The controller is hidden in the bag I guess, where it would quickly die in my town.

But the wire taped to the frame is not clean. I generally use small zip ties to attach wires to the cables. Run alongside a shifter cable, they disappear. Taped to the top of the frame, they don't.

 

[xenodius]

Perhaps not the stealthiest, but I always thought this was an extremely clean build-- everything is built around the BB, so there's no stray wires.

http://www.electricbike.com/lightest-bike/

 

[Chalo]

Perhaps not the stealthiest, but I always thought this was an extremely clean build-- everything is built around the BB, so there's no stray wires.

http://www.electricbike.com/lightest-bike/

Well, it's a single purpose build meant only for world record trolling, so my best guess is that it's unsatisfactory in every other way. Low power, low torque, low speed, short range, perilously fragile, ludicrously expensive, high maintenance, failure prone, etc.

I guess "clean" can be added to the, um, list of its one other virtue.

 

[xenodius]

Chalo, that's nonsense if you're comparing this to a bicycle-- as you should, because it's lighter than mine. Regarding the power, (400 watts is a good bit!) torque, (it's a mid-drive!)speed, (compared to a motorcycle?) range, (20lb's with the 850wh pack!) that's definitely a stretch. I'd love to commute on a bike like that, I'd never think about carrying it back up to my apartment, and with unsprung weight that low an unsuspended frame is much more practical... and, ahem, low-maintenance, and reliable.

As far as world-record trolling, probably-- I'd take the titanium frame over the carbon frame just because it's possible to fix without adding a lot of material. But I'd expect anything a lifetime mtb devotee rides to be very expensive, and I'm sure he takes pride in having "the best". I'd say that's a fairly clean and very practical build.

 

[Chalo]

850wh my sweet patootie. What imaginary chemistry would that be?

I speak not as someone who's read a lot of magazine hype about wonderbikes, but as someone who's worked on a lot of bikes both mundane and fancy. Super-lightweight stuff breaks a lot. Super-lightweight stuff wears out quickly and doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Super-lightweight stuff makes noise and imposes special maintenance requirements.

That's why not all bike parts are super-lightweight, even when they are very expensive.

Anyway, I think the world record troll's claims of performance are at least as inflated as e-bike manufacturers' claims.

 

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

Aluminum plate can be fun to build a frame with..

 

[100volts+]

850wh my sweet patootie

I have to agree with Chalo. 850wh...no f/n way. I have 1.175 kw (that's not that much more than 850w) of lipo on my bike and without a cover over it, it looks like some sort of bomb.

 

[xenodius]

He built it with a 250wh pack as pictured, but has an additional piggyback pack that only adds a few more pounds.

I tend to agree with you about many lightweight parts. I'm a fan of titanium. But say, carbon handlebars? No thankyou.

 

[Supertux1]

Mine is pretty clean. Only the battery and handlebar electronics gives it away as more than a bike.

Night time riding you'd never know.

I hid the controller and controller wire connector rats nest in a box under the rear rack.

There are a lot of wires up front but most bikes have brake and shifter cables there so no one notices.
The CA has a rats nest of its own so perhaps a box to contain the connectors for those wires wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Some days I get the idea that I just want to chop off all those connectors and replace it with some mechanism that resembles a 30 pin
iPhone plug and socket, so the CA could be removed for weather/security, different bike etc...

A benefit to a clean build is not only does it not attract attention but is fairly weather and dirt proof as well.

 

[Punx0r]

I really hope there's a planetary gear reduction on the bottom bracket drive on that lightweight CF bike...

 

[trevc2]

I really hope there's a planetary gear reduction on the bottom bracket drive on that lightweight CF bike...

Doesn't matter too much, since I'm sure most guys here would break it within a 10 minute test ride Wonder how long it can take 10kw for?

 

[dogman dan]

Re the light bike a few posts back,

Ahh, now I get it. After he adds another 8 pounds of battery he has 850 wh. I thought that looked more like 200-300wh of battery in the picture.

It does look like a nice ride, especially if you live on the third floor of apartments. But with a long range battery, it would still weigh less than 30 pounds. Not bad even with the extra battery. I still call my 27 pound vintage ten speeds a light bike.

As for it lasting, I'm sure I would wear it out faster than average.

 

[Joppo]

I think this looks clean, 48v 20 amp lipo bms in my backpack. Just plug and charge, battery weight: 3,3 kg
One guy took it for a try at work, didn't give him the backpack and he never realized it was an e-bike before I told him and gave him the backpack :lol:

 

[ridethelightning]

If hiding the controller is the only problem, you have no problems. Even the worst wire looms can be tidied up enough. I just strap them to existing cable housings, and they blend in fine. Re do extra long wires, or I can often tuck a few loops of excess wire under a seat.

But making a big frame bag look normal isn't happening. At some point, you just have to give up having the bike look exactly like a regular, not equipped with panniers, bike.

If you have accepted the commuter bike look, it's easy to build an ebike that looks no different.

I LIKE my bikes to look different. Different in the sense that nobody would pay a dime for it if stolen. But yeah, I'm a kook, always have been a kook.

+1