Update on the 1500 dollar grant E-bike project

[MikeFairbanks]

November 3rd.

Money is banked, so the project can begin right away. I'm compiling data on my normal driving habits, and doing research (of course) on the best kit for making an e-bike.

Here's where we stand now:

1. The bike to be used is the 2010 Trek Pure. It's much like an Electra Townie. Here's a pic:

2. I'm going to go front hub and lipo.

3. The two companies that are getting my attention (mostly from reviews by you's guys) are: http://www.e-bikekit.com (and they are running a 15% special on kits, plus they now have the 48v available. And the other is http://ebike.ca.

4. I'm looking at getting the Nine Continental kit with either 36v lipo battery or 48v liMn battery. Not sure which would work better. This kit comes from ebike.ca http://ebike.ca/store/store_nc.php

5. OR, going for the e-bike kit with 36v lipo battery (or 48 volt that they're about to sell). http://www.e-bikekit.com/shop/index.php?p=product&id=1&parent=0

Each kit is the same price.

Background: 3.5 mile commute with moderate hills (nothing too bad), smooth paths (no mixing with cars), 200 pounds (me), Trek Pure (26-inch cruiser wheels), and the ability to plug in at work and at home.

My priority isn't speed. It's power for hills and durability. I don't want to be a tinkerer constantly fixing something. I need a good, stable system that will last a good half-year without any problems. Plug and play. Nothing crazy, just cruising around town on weekends and driving to work.

6. Total Budget (bike already paid for) $1500.

So, what's your opinion? What haven't I thought of?

Thank you for any opinion you provide. This website is great.

Thanks

Mike

 

[jmygann]

which 9c are you considering 2805 , 2806 , 2807 ?

 

[dogman dan]

Perfect choice of bike for a shorter ride. With my back issues though, I personaly like suspenson bikes. I ride 30 miles both ways. But the suspension bikes greatly complicate the installing of motors and batteries.

2807 will go 23 mph at 36v, 27 at 48. So no need to go faster motor like 2806.

Good choices. Both sell similar stuff, the excellent 9 continent motor. It's not maintenance free, particularly you tend to need to keep an eye on wheel truing the first 500 miles as the wheel spokes stretch a bit from the motor power. Once in a while, you might get a snafu with a plug, or like I just did, nick a wire in a bike rack and have to find and fix a plug or wire. But mostly, you can go thousands of miles with few hassles once you get a bike set up and finished.

Picking a vendor, both are at the top of my list for good product and good customer service. Ebikes-ca has slower shipping to the US because of customs, but it's not like it takes that long. Justin at Ebikes-ca has really done a lot to advance the stuff we have to buy. He's always up to something good, like the cycleanalyst or improving the torque arms. Jason at E-Bikekit sells some of the products Justin developed. Jason is of course my personal favorite, because he experiments with new product sometimes, and then give us ES guys a deal on the things he decides not to stock anymore. He's sent me some free stuff for destruction testing. So far, I haven't managed to destroy anything! I sure have tried to kill motors.

The batteries sold by both vendors are good stuff, the best avaliable in a kit at this time. Better stuff is out there, for the guys who like to do it yourself. But the kit batteries are a good match for the motors in the kit. Nothing wrong with going with one of those.

 

[MikeFairbanks]

Thanks, Dogman (and others) for such a great response.

The bike I'm using (the Trek Pure) has a really soft ride. The seatpost has suspension, and since there is such an upright seating position, having suspension in the front forks is unnecessary. All bumps are taken by the butt (and back), but that's not a major consideration in this bike because the seatpost suspension is really good (and adjustable) and the bike has a very comfortable ride. It's a slower bike made for cruising (because it's essentially a beach cruiser). But the cool part is that it's easy to put both feet on the ground when seated. I can actually ride it up hills without standing (in fact, standing on this bike to pedal is not very easy).

So it's probably just right for an e-kit.

I haven't thought of windings in terms of how fast or strong the motor needs to be. I don't need to go 25-30mph (nor do I want to go that fast). The speed limit on our path system is 20mph. But, on the other hand, I don't want to top out at 12mph either.

I'd like to hit about 20-23mph on the flats and keep it pulling up the hills.