E bikes?

[Squatch]

I'm an old, long time cyclist with bad knees. I just read a thread on another forum about this E bike.
http://www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/radmini

Once again it's got me thinking of an E bike or conversion for trips with the camper.

Does anyone here use an E bike when traveling? These things are a whole new ball game for me. But I find the concept interesting.

I have a motorcyclist friend with a class C motorhome. He often uses a highway legal scooter(300cc) for a dingy. I like this but too heavy and too much complication and cost.

 

[BobM]

I typically don't take my ebike when I'm camping but I do ride mine almost every day. As a matter of fact, today, I passed 20,000 miles and I bought the bike at the end of Feb 2013. I love my ebike and it makes a 30 mile ride very doable, I only went 26 today because I got a late start:>) This is my second ebike so I've been riding them for about 6 years.

There are a few things you need to understand before taking the plunge. First, the batteries are very expensive and in my case typically started failing after a year of use due to so many miles each year. Typically OEM batteries cost over $450.00 each. I ended up buying my last batteries direct from China. Also my OEM battery was around 10 amp/hrs and in the last year I jerry rigged 2 20 amp/hr batteries giving me 40 total. Not only does give me the range (100+ miles) on a charge, they are still going strong after a year.

You need to think about battery replacement as a maintenance cost, but it does exist. If you only do light riding, they supposedly can last up to 3 years.

Another consideration is some of the ebike companies go out of business. That's what happened to mine. The good thing was it forced me to figure out how to maintain the bike myself. I've completely rewired the controller because the original wiring corroded so bad, my bike stopped about 10 miles away.

I've seen the rad power ads on facebook. Their pricing looks good but I don't know about the quality. One good source to learn about ebikes is https://electricbikereview.com/

Another consideration is battery maintenance. They need to be charged often (Lion). If you don't ride your bike for an extended period of time, you should top off your battery at least once a month. And charge after each ride not matter how little you rode. Also, batteries don't like heat or extreme cold so charge in a warm area and the battery should last longer. The most important part of the battery is that it has a good Battery Management System (BMS). This is a computer that monitors each cell and shuts it down if one gets too hot, otherwise they explode.

 

[TGK]

I don't own an e-bike yet but my wife and I have considered purchasing one due to being 66 and living in a rather hilly area. No problem when I feel like a very serious workout. However, if I'm looking for a leisurely ride or want to run an errand via bike it not's very attractive. I've test road several at an e-bike expo in Portland. We also have 2 e-bike stores in town. The good news is that many of the well established bike brands that have been around for a long time are now adding e-bikes to the line up, including Trek, Cannodale, Felt and several others. The advantage is that sales and service can be handled by their established dealers. Based on the test rides I've taken, I'm partial to the mid or crank drive motors vs hub motors. Bosch has a proven system and there are several others from Europe and Japan. I believe Shimano now has one as well. I was impressed by the Bosch system, with 4 ride modes, allowing ranges up to 75 miles, depending on load and terrain and which mode one rides in. I've seen weights of e-bikes down to 39#'s at the low end but more commonly seem to be in the 40 - 50 lb range. I'm seeing a lot more folks commuting to work on these in Portland, particularly on the hilly west side. I think they would be great to mount on the rear of our truck. If I did this, I'd want to look into a way to recharge the battery when driving. I believe some options do exist for this. Main concern I would have about carrying on on the rig would be securing it when away from the truck. They aren't cheap. Bikes theft is more of an issue in this area now days and with a motor added, I suspect a more tempting target.

 

[Squatch]

Thanks for the info. It helps.

 

[Squatch]

I've been doing some reading on this. I think I'm going to try one of the better conversion kits on one of my bikes before I spring for a new E bike. It seems the factory bikes use many of the same parts as the aftermarket sells. I'll probably start with a gear driven hub motor and spend the real money on a quality battery pack.

 

[Squatch]

I've been doing more studying. I think by mid summer I'll have this bike.


Set up with one of these.
https://lunacycle.com/bafang-bbshd-1000w-mid-drive-kit/

If that works out well I'll have one of Mama Squatch's bikes set up before our annual beach trip.

 

[Squatch]

I've been doing my homework for a while. I just took the plunge. I ordered a Mid drive kit from Luna cycles with a few added bells and whistles.

This kit. https://lunacycle.com/bafang-bbshd-1000w-mid-drive-kit/

I figure I can spend $1,500 on an E bike. Or spend similar and add it to a nice moderately high end bike I already own and have a much nicer ride with much more power

The kit is supposed to be here next week. I'm stoked!

I intend to install it on this bike.

 

[K6ON]

I just recently got an E-bike, an FLX trail. I've only had it a couple weeks and have just over 100 miles on it. I'ts going to ride along on a lot of upcoming trips. I hadn't ridden a bicycle in about 20 years so it's been a fun experience.
Being a 74 year old guy with two artificial knees, this works great!

 

[Happyjax]

I've been doing my homework for a while. I just took the plunge. I ordered a Mid drive kit from Luna cycles with a few added bells and whistles.

This kit. https://lunacycle.com/bafang-bbshd-1000w-mid-drive-kit/

I figure I can spend $1,500 on an E bike. Or spend similar and add it to a nice moderately high end bike I already own and have a much nicer ride with much more power

The kit is supposed to be here next week. I'm stoked!

I intend to install it on this bike.

006 (Small).JPG

I wanna come watch!

 

[huskyrunnr]

I converted a '96 stumpjumper early this summer with the kit you got. That bbshd runs like a scalded ape. The eclipse chainring gives the best chain line for a 68 mm bottom bracket but you lose some top speed. Also, with 42 tooth, it was too torquey for me so I toned down the pas settings. I also converted a tandem to a cargo bike with a stokemonkey from grintech. I'm also thrilled with it. Both bikes were meant to take to the mountains with the camper but fires have kept me away. I've been using them for runs to the supermarket and commuting to work sometimes. I haven't been this enthusiastic about something in a long time. Best of luck with your conversion!

 

[Squatch]

I converted a '96 stumpjumper early this summer with the kit you got. That bbshd runs like a scalded ape. The eclipse chainring gives the best chain line for a 68 mm bottom bracket but you lose some top speed. Also, with 42 tooth, it was too torquey for me so I toned down the pas settings. I also converted a tandem to a cargo bike with a stokemonkey from grintech. I'm also thrilled with it. Both bikes were meant to take to the mountains with the camper but fires have kept me away. I've been using them for runs to the supermarket and commuting to work sometimes. I haven't been this enthusiastic about something in a long time. Best of luck with your conversion!

Thanks for the info. The bike is also a Specialized. An old Rockcombo drop bar mountain bike (think Salsa Fargo). It has a 68mm BB as well. I ordered a couple of lower tooth count chain rings. Very hilly here. I ordered the Luna chainring and adaptor that can take a 110 BCD chainring. I have several to choose from on hand. I figure there will be tweaking to get it where I want it.

Bike with drop bars on it.

 

[Squatch]

The box of toys arrived. This is going to be interesting!

 

[Rusty]

My sister and her husband have Genzee's...I've ridden it and it's fun...but I still have both knees intact at 72 and think I'll use them till they fall off....errrrrrrr...start falling off

I'm watching for progress Squatch

 

[Squatch]

I'll try to post some pics as I go. Yesterday I stripped the bike down to the frame. It has been used at the beach and not overhauled in some time. So I have to touch up some small rusty spots. This bike has been used so much over the years that the beautiful pearl white paint is now mostly just white touch up paint!

 

[Squatch]

I had started to kinda do a build thread on my bike. But decided that really wasn't the point of this thread.

As of today I have gotten the bike overhauled and reassembled with the new Motor and controls. Still have some minor tweaking to do. But did get a short 5 mile or so test ride in this evening.

I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting as I have no experience with E bikes. But I can say this thing is a game changer. Set up right it can be set to add as little or as much assist as you want to your own pedaling. The hand throttle works well to. The bike has plenty of power. It is surprisingly quiet. Almost silent until it's run very hard. Then it's audible but not intrusive. I think I'm really going to like this set up!

 

[Squatch]

Beautiful day. Did a nice 12 mile ride on the bike. I adjusted the controller last night to give me 9 levels of assist instead of 5. Smaller and finer increments. I was able to get a nice workout without overly straining my knees.

I live on a ridge surrounded by 2 creeks that meet around the corner. Which ever way I go to leave the house requires me to go down and up a 10% 1/2 mile grade. The E motor had no problem taking the strain for me. Even with the tall factory chainring. I was able to keep up a pace on the flats that would have been hard when I was in great shape 15 years ago. Around 20 mph while still getting a workout. The motor will go faster on it's own but for me that's not the point. I just want help climbing and saving the joints.

The big surprise was when I got home and put a volt meter on the battery and after 12 miles of hills I was not even 1/2 way down to the nominal voltage of the 13.5 ah battery pack.

The bike as of today. Still have some wiring clean up to do and haven't made a final decision on battery location yet. I also need to get an extension piece to mount my normal trip computer. it's more accurate with speed and mileage.

 

[ETAV8R]

Great thread. Glad it is working out for you. I've seen several of those mini-fat ebikes and they definitely look cool. Makes you wonder if it would work out well in some remote areas. I did buy a small motorcycle, TW-200, for exploring from basecamp but it is too heavy to haul around with the camper. Putting an ebike or converted regular bike might be a better option.

I've read on bike forums that tires and brakes are something to definitely keep an eye on with ebikes.

 

[hoyden]

SO COOL!

I've considered a e-bike since my DR350 is too heavy for me to load/unload on my own, especially with my lower back deciding to clench up randomly.

How difficult was it to assemble?

 

[Squatch]

ETA, Yeppers the bike has great brakes. I have brake pads that can't be bought anymore. They stop as well as disks. The tires that are on it at the moment are made for a cushy ride on beach cruisers and such. They are fine but I won't be pushing high speeds with them. i have another identical set of wheels for this bike with 1.5" slicks on them. Those are for going fast!

I think the main concern with E bikes and tires are flats. I gather if you are using a hub motor it's a PIA to remove the wheel. With my bike it's just like normal.

Hoyden, Not super difficult to do. But it helps to have some bike experience and tools. I used to be a bike mechanic and have been a Bike fanatic for most of my life. I have tools and it does make it easier. For the most part you just have to remove the crank set and bottom bracket and replace it with the motor. You need to know the width of the bottom bracket shell before ordering the kit. So you get the right one. Then it's just locating the battery and wiring.
The stock chainring with the kit is a steel boat anchor. There are several replacements available in different offsets and sizes. The offsets are so you get a normal chainline. i'll probably change mine out once I'm sure the size I want.
The crank arms that come with the kit have a bad rep for being way too soft metal. I replaced them with a set of ebike crank arms from Shimano for not much money. The front chainring is now part of the motor not the cranks. So you need arms that don't have a chainring spider.

The other issue is there are no directions. This is stuff is geared for millennial's. So you are expected to watch videos on line to get your info. That can be a bit hit or miss. There are manuals that can be downloaded(printed) for things like programing the display. There are also a couple of good forums for ebikes.

The beauty of this kit is that it's very powerful. And you retain the rear cogs and derailleur so you still get to shift and have different gears for hills ect. Not just for you but also the motor. I've found so far that once you get a little used to it that it feels pretty normal to ride.

The downside is you can buy a decent ready made ebike for the price of the kit and battery.

The kit weighs about 11lbs but you don't feel it riding. just moving the bike around by hand. The battery I'm using is about 7lbs.
combined the bike just got heavy to lift onto the rack. But nothing like even a small motorcycle.

 

[hoyden]

Squatch, thanks! That's informative! Though now I'm curious as to what brands are "a decent ready made ebike" Guess it might be time for some research. I love riding my DR, but realistically probably wouldn't ride it much when campering cuz of dogs and being alone - and if something happens to the bike while on a trail, I can carry it back (can't do that with motorcycle)
An ebike for scouting or (if closer to a town) for an errand or emergency if truck hurt is a good idea!