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Long Range E-Bike (2021)

jacquesmattheij.com

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Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#301

Post by lostlogin »

avhon1 wrote: post #273
jandrese wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get a perfectly workable brand new E-Bike for about $1,000 in the US. While that isn’t cheap as chips it’s also not a major investment for middle class individuals.

The cost wouldn't necessarily be in the bike, but in requirements for mandatory paid registration, licensing classes, insurance, inspection, and safety equipment.

Saving fuel and parking cost adds up fairly quickly if you have a sensible setup.

However as a cycle commuters I’m not sure it saves much money over driving if done wrong. I’ve got a glorious bike. I chew through parts and consumables at an expensive rate.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#302

Post by neya »

jacquesm wrote: post #280
neya wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The setup looks lovely! How heavy is it in real life? Just curious. Is it, say, as heavy as a small moped or motorcycle or not that big of a deal? My only fear of trying this out is if the bike falls on its side, how difficult it might be to lift it back up. TIA

Much lighter than a moped, but way heavier than a normal bike, I estimate the total to weigh about 33 Kg, but there is a big set of bike bags on there as well.

Thanks! I'm also currently exploring drivetrain options. I know this sounds crazy, but I'm working on implementing an e-CVT like in the Toyotas, they are actually super efficient and very comfy. I'm not really a fan of hub motors, so I went with some smaller out-runners. Your project has forced me to resume my gearbox project now :)

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#303

Post by lostlogin »

theultdev wrote: post #134
davidw wrote: post #29

eBikes are such a game changer. I do most of our family of four's grocery shopping with ours. Because of the assist, I find myself more comfortable in a wider range of weather conditions: * If it's hot, I use more assist and there's an instant cooling effect. Much better than climbing into a hot car. * If it's cold, I dress up to be warm outside and if I start to warm up on the ride, I use more assist. I don't have t…

I think we have different grocery habits. Food, beer, and cat litter would be too heavy for a bike.

A beer run on an unpowered bike isn’t too bad. 2 six packs and a few snacks is just fine.

Important note: if you put a beer in the bottle holder, give that one away and take another for yourself.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#304

Post by lostlogin »

nozzlegear wrote: post #194
theultdev wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many of those have you seen in the US? None, because noone wants to bike 5 miles for 3 bags of groceries.

IMO you don't see them in the US because they look, frankly, dorky to an American aesthetic.

The lifted truck is probably the most American vehicle that exists. The style police can rule on which is the greater travesty.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#305

Post by lostlogin »

PrairieFire wrote: post #200
theultdev wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think we have different grocery habits. Food, beer, and cat litter would be too heavy for a bike.

I live about 3 miles out of town, fortunately directly on a rail trail. I ride my e-bike in to town to get groceries weekly. I have saddlebags on the bike and I pull a kids trailer with the seat folded down and have never run out of room, or had issues with weight. Sometimes I'll even get a few bags of water softener salt. I have a fat tire ebike (aventon), it's pretty sturdy. I've got about 2k miles on the bike, I'd…

Pleaser tell me that the bike trail is off road and unpaved.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#306

Post by utopiah »

cortesoft wrote: post #71
utopiah wrote: post #63

... put your (e)bike on a train, that's where the range come from. Very cool experimentation but in term of making the practice sustainable best to rely on the infrastructure. It's a bit like in sports having to use the big muscles, e.g. you climb with your legs, not with your fingers no matter what super strength grip you have.

Where exactly is this train that I should put my e-bike on?

Typically by the train station.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#307

Post by utopiah »

hirsto wrote: post #67
utopiah wrote: post #63

... put your (e)bike on a train, that's where the range come from. Very cool experimentation but in term of making the practice sustainable best to rely on the infrastructure. It's a bit like in sports having to use the big muscles, e.g. you climb with your legs, not with your fingers no matter what super strength grip you have.

Not everyone lives near mass transit nor in a city

Not everyone, no, but the majority of people do, since mid 20th century, cf rural flight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_flight .

That being said, IMHO sadly, most cities do not invest enough on mass transit infrastructure. That's what politics is for though.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#308

Post by Zambyte »

socalgal2 wrote: post #213
Zambyte wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Drivers are actually not supposed to crash into people, regardless of where they are. If you can't react fast enough to the situation around you while driving a car, you were driving too fast, full stop. Don't victim blame.

False. If you jump in front of a car who has the right of way and is not speeding it's not the driver's fault. The victum in this case is the driver who has done nothing wrong. The perp is the person who broke the law and faces the consequences.

"Not speeding" doesn't matter. Going below the speed limit does not give you a license to run people over.

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#309

Post by ray_v »

fgfarben wrote: post #218
ray_v wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was just looking for the comment telling me this is _probably_ a bad idea, so thanks!

Driving a car down a busy highway is way more dangerous than assembling one of these packs and storing it in your garage.

Sure, life is all about risk - no doubt about that. But I guess I'm not tooling down the highway in a DIY contraption I built in my spare time with little regard for safety from plans I found on an Internet forum and parts bought from Ali Express.

Not to say that _you_ shouldn't do this ... just be careful out there!

Re: Long Range E-Bike (2021)

#310

Post by Manuel_D »

avhon1 wrote: post #271
Manuel_D wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disagree, the wattage of the motor is what's relevant. A 750 watt ebike with pedal assist has more potential to cause harm than a 250 watt "emoto" with a throttle. The whole throttle vs pedal assist distinction makes way less sense than delineating the difference based on power.

Wattage is basically meaningless. There is nk standard way to measure it. Almost all "250 watt" ebikes consume much more than 250 watts of electricity at full throttle, and can produce much more than 250 watts of mechanical output for seconds or minutes at a time.

The fact they listed wattage and actual peak wattage is different doesn't change the fact that an e-bike's power, not whether the throttle is connected to the handle bars or the pedal, is what actually creates fast and dangerous bikes.

If regulation based on power was drafted, it'd be a simple matter of using a voltmeter and galvanometer to see if a bike is compliant with power limits (arguably motors have different efficiencies, but electric motors are close enough to 100% to use this method).

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