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Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

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Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#361

Post by krrrh »

wing-_-nuts wrote: post #191
yellow_postit wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On a cargo bike carrying children in a hilly area the throttle is nearly essentially to safely get going from a stop and then to have pedaling take over.

I don't understand this comment. There are tons of non e cargo bikes. Are you saying they're unsafe to use? You could simply walk the bike if the terrain is too steep.

There’s a reason why heavy cargo bikes originated in flat places like Christiania, and the Netherlands. Walking a Larry vs. Harry Bullit up a steep hill is hard enough empty, but with 3 kids and groceries in the bucket I can see a lot of people preferring an assist.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#363

Post by jacquesm »

amelius wrote: post #352
jacquesm wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know my way around electrical stuff, not having ground on the welder was ok given the work place setup, but agreed that if you are unsure about the possible consequences that you shouldn't do that. Ironically, the only time I ever really got zapped was when I was connecting a scope to what I thought was the ground terminal of a very large high voltage power supply. The only slight problem was that it was a positive…

Kind of strange that they build scopes with ground tied to mains earth, as it is the source of so many problems and hazards. Letting the entire thing float would be the proper solution.

That's because the metal case can go live if there is an internal short. That's what that protects against. But agreed, that really caught me out. I had a blind spot for days due to the afterimage.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#364

Post by 908B64B197 »

masklinn wrote: post #144
QuercusMax wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife just bought an ebike (from RadPower) that has both pedal assist and a throttle that doesn't require pedaling. You can also adjust the amount of pedal assist so you can "feather pedal". Who's going to confiscate this bike????

> Who's going to confiscate this bike???? Most european cops if they catch you: some countries may treat s-pedelecs as bikes, but in most it's a moped, you need a driving license, insurance, a license plate, and all the legal equipment of a moped (e.g. lights, rear view mirror), and commonly type approval (which is going to be very, very expensive). Also can't use cycle paths. Over the last few years many (but probab…

> it's a moped, you need a driving license, insurance, a license plate, and all the legal equipment of a moped (e.g. lights, rear view mirror), and commonly type approval (which is going to be very, very expensive).

The amount of bureaucracy in Europe for completely mundane things is completely unbelievable.

Getting a Driver's license in France, for example, is an uphill battle against a very hostile administration. I can completely see why some tried to dodge some of these absurd regulations by innovating in the e-bike space.

Having a tiny bike barely able to break the 25mph limit be considered a moped just because it has a throttle as well as pedal assist is completely ridiculous.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#365

Post by jacquesm »

user_7832 wrote: post #221
jacquesm wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would not leave it outside for more than a few minutes unattended. It's too expensive for that.

That makes sense, thank you. I assume you use a "regular"/beater bike for such activities (like supermarkets)?

Yep, we have an oldie sticking around for that purpose alone. The lock is worth more than the bike (which is the only way you get to keep your bike in NL ;) ).

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#366

Post by NikolaNovak »

rjbwork wrote: post #145
jacquesm wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the USA the situation is much more risky than here. I don't like riding in traffic mostly because drivers tend to have a short fuse for anything that isn't exactly at the limit, but on bike paths everything works just fine. The problem is that s-pedelecs are technically lumped in with the scooters, even though there is no throttle and there is absolutely no way you are going to sustain 40 Kph+ for anything but a v…

I have an e-bike and I disagree with your assertions. I'm a fat asthmatic and I have absolutely no problem maintaining 40kph for long stretches of time on my bike. The fastest I've done on it (on a large hill but still) is 42.7MPH (~68Kph). Average cruising speed on flat land can easily be 30-33mph(48-53kph). Not all e-bikes are capable of this, but they are certainly not some kind of rare expensive impossibility - m…

If something has that average speed capability, why is not licensed, registered, insured and held accountable as any vehicle would be? My 50cc scooter appears to have comparable speeds (maybe 10kph higher), and I wear proper armour & helmet, took the classes passed the test, am registered, licenses & insured.

That's my massive pet peeve & safety concern: I WANT to love e-Bikes, and all those sorts of things; and like a fellow poster, I've been riding both 500-650cc motorcycles and 50-125cc scooters for more than a decade so 2-wheelers are part of my life; but basically all the ads, shops, and salespeople over here are focusing on "You don't need license, you don't need insurance, you don't need to behave like a vehicle and obey the rules" as their main and primary sales point; and therefore the behaviour of riders is equally nonchalant. In the Toronto area (and it's important to be explicit because this is definitely different in different geographies), the relationship between cars and non-gas two-wheelers is charitably described as "strained" ("murderous/self-righteous hate" may be more accurate), and we all need to get better and understanding how we can co-exist and behave responsibly on the road.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#367

Post by jacquesm »

GhettoComputers wrote: post #307

After reading this, did you ever consider using petrol, gas, oil or whatever you call it there for environmental reasons (against electric is Lithium battery manufacturing, power loss in AC transfer, dirty fuel used to make electricity, and battery degrading) weight, energy density, simplicity and would the fuel cost much more? It’s 2-3x more than in the US would that have changed your mind, and would you still find…

I figured with the kind of mileage that I'm getting out of this and the cost of electricity it's a pretty good deal compared to firing up my trusty boxer.

I've used two packs, two times 500 Wh but I'd run them dry on my regular commute so that's what drove the decision to build this bigger pack. There are some advantages, but the Bosch system keeps a reserve so you'll end up transporting some idle capacity anyway and you're killing the batteries cycle wise.

The DRM I have not - yet - been able to crack. Not for want of trying though and I'll definitely have another go at it. The CPU is a 32 bit chip that can do all kinds of neat encryption stuff so it's not going to be easy. To my knowledge it hasn't been hacked yet.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#368

Post by jacquesm »

conductr wrote: post #301
jacquesm wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It weighs half that, including me, and the average speed over a longer trip is about 33 to 35 Kph. In cities you ride just as fast as the rest of the bike traffic, there isn't any point in trying to go faster, and top speed is rarely achieved, you'd need a 100% full battery and a rider in very good condition. More usual you'll be around 35 to 38 kph in open country where there is very little other traffic. My 'commut…

My concern at those speeds is traction. I prefer fat tires so a bit of loose gravel or a pothole doesn’t ruin my day.

2 1/4" tires on it, traction is pretty good. Haven't fallen yet, had to brake hard for animals (cats, dogs, deer, a rabbit or two, and once a boar). So far so good, but having already had a pretty bad bike accident I'm pretty careful now.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#369

Post by jacquesm »

gglanzani wrote: post #294
jacquesm wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a very neat bike and that motor is twice as strong as the one on the Bosch models. What kind of range do you get out of it at 45 kph?

Something like 50/55km on the 800Wh battery.

Nice! Stromers are great gear, I like the looks too.

Re: Show HN: Long Range E-Bike

#370

Post by NikolaNovak »

rjbwork wrote: post #293
m4x wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious - what ebike do you have that can easily cruise at 48-53 kph for extended periods? In most countries that would be far above the legal limits imposed on ebikes. As a result, the ebikes available for purchase are all limited to 25-32 kph max and typically have power limits of 250-300 W. Since ebikes are a lot heavier, exceeding 32 kph for more than a few seconds is generally very difficult. I don't think G…

I have a JuicedBikes CrossCurrent X. They only made my particular configuration for a short amount of time around early 2018 - it has a massive battery, a 52v system, a 750W Bafang hub motor, and location tracking within the battery (though I stopped paying for it since I moved out of the city). Their newer models are just as, or even more capable. Yeah, that is the legal limit but I turned it off in the bios. When c…

OK, so you disagree with assertions because you ride an illegal vehicle. And want...what? Your use case to be taken as standard? Or for people to understand there are lunatics on the road?

We know :)

(to be fair and charitable: I agree that moving with traffic is, everything else equal, safer than not moving with traffic. But everything else is NOT equal - I am not convinced you have the weight [i.e. centre of gravity, inertia, ability to absorb bumps, etc], maneuverability, traction, braking power, and as you point out insurance or license and possibly training, and possibly protective systems as other vehicles moving at the same speed)

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