Introduce your e-bike

peasant

As there seem to be a few e-bike owners frequenting this forum, I think it's time to have a dedicated thread where you can show (off?) your machine.

So, to start ...here is my new "mechanically propelled vehickle"

I bought it because a) I'm desperatly unfit and want to become fitter b) I have a lovely short commute on mostly country roads that is a shame not to cycle and c) that commute has the distinct disadvantage of being a nasty, energy zapping climb for half the way.

I've been eyeing up e-bikes for years, but anything decent costs well north of 2k and that was a bit too much for me.

Until I came across a fire sale ... the huge German bike factory MIFA (with brands like Grace, Steppenwolf and others) had gone into insolvency and were selling off stock at a huge discount.

So I got myself a "Vaun" touring bike for just north of 1k and here it is:





As far as e-bikes go, this is decent, but not exceptional...but I think very good value for money.

It's got everything you need:
A mid engine with torque sensor
A 36V 10.4 AH battery (375 Wh)
Shimano deore 9 speed with Acera shifter
mudguards, luggage rack, lights (powered by the main battery)
Decent saddle, spring fork and spring seatpost (although entry range stuff)
The brakes are mechanical Shimano V-brakes...they work fine for me, but these days most e-bikes come with discs or at least hydraulic v-brakes

The main reason for the low price (other than the discount) would be the motor though.

A largely unknown yoke from China, Tongsheng TSDZ2, which fits into the bottom bracket of almost any bike frame...so no special e-bike frame needed to house the motor.



It has a nominal power of 36V/250 Watts...but as it is designed for the world market I suspect in reality it is quite a bit stronger, 350W at least.

It works really well, is very quiet and the torque sensing is very good, sensitive and fast to react...both kicking in and powering off takes less than a quarter turn of the crank.

It's controlled through a fairly large display with 4 stages of power assist, light switch and the usual trip meter, odometer, speedometer, timer and battery charge indicator (no range calculator though). All these functions can also be accessed from a small button controller next to the left brake lever.




As the motor is also sold as a retro-fit kit worldwide, it also has a hidden menue where you can adjust for different wheel sizes, mph/kmh, amp settings and speed limits.
Having had a go at this I can confirm that the motor is capable of assisting until I run out of gears just north of 40 km/h ...not on public roads, of course


Overall, I have to say that I'm a very happy customer. The bike performs better than I thought it would, fits me nicely (frame height 55 cm; 28" wheels) and meets my requirements very well.

I've "upgraded" it with a Lidl saddlebag with basic tool kit, an Abus U-lock and a cheapo rack box for me lunch.

BTW...think twice before you put a solid box on an e-bike...it picks up all the slight noises from the motor through the frame, amplifies them like a boombox and turns your lovely, quiet e-bike into a Hummer


And to finish this off ...a bit of silly morkeshing from the bike:

magicbastarder

most of the photos aren't working for me? only the last one is showing.

peasant

should be ok now...the manage attachment thingy borked on me

Gwildor

Carrera Crossfire E...

Will add more pics and info shortly.

homer911

Already shared in the "stolen bikes forum" when it got nicked from my shed (minus battery, controller etc) but got it back the next day: Lapierre Overvolt Shaper (2016 model). Bosch mid-mounted motor (Active Line system: https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/ebike-systems/active-line), 400Wh battery. Used for daily commuting. Strangely no lights on this model!

learn

homer911 wrote: »

Already shared in the "stolen bikes forum" when it got nicked from my shed (minus battery, controller etc) but got it back the next day: Lapierre Overvolt Shaper (2016 model). Bosch mid-mounted motor (Active Line system: https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/ebike-systems/active-line), 400Wh battery. Used for daily commuting. Strangely no lights on this model!

Is it true you need a licence and insurance to use e-bikes in N.I. and failure to have these results in a £1000 fine ?

homer911

learn wrote: »

Is it true you need a licence and insurance to use e-bikes in N.I. and failure to have these results in a £1000 fine ?

First time I've heard this but its at least true in theory..
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/dvla-to-register-ebikes-in-northern-ireland-from-monday-36022369.html
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/halfords-suspends-sale-of-ebikes-in-northern-ireland-due-to-confusing-legislation-36011569.html
https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules

Canis Lupus

I just converted my Thorn Sherpa with a 750w bafang mid drive. The cabling is fugly but it's an awesome piece of tech. Love it to bits.

Thargor

What kind of range are ye getting on them? I know it varies but roughly on a normal ride, would you do 100km?

Canis Lupus

It depends on many factors, type of bike, total weight, terrain and weather as well as battery size. Mine is a 52v 13.5ah battery and it comfortably covers 40km at level 2/5. On the shift I finish at 12 at night I pretty much go max speed home which is circa 40-45kph and that hasn't drained the battery. I don't know what it's exact limit is because I'm not terribly interested in running it dry and cycling a HEAVY bike home under my own steam

My understanding at least with the bafang mid drives and using an average battery size is you'll only get between 40-60km with normal use.

peasant

Thargor wrote: »

What kind of range are ye getting on them? I know it varies but roughly on a normal ride, would you do 100km?

Don't know my exact range yet either, only on my second battery charge right now and also quite reluctant to run it completely empty.

But to realistically and reliably get 100 km you'd need a fairly large battery (13-15 AH for a 36V motor) and be fit enough / live in flat enough terrain not to use the higher assist levels all too often.
Due to the extra weight of the e-bike (mine is 26 kg for example) and the slight drag of the motor when the engine is off, the lowest assist level only really makes it feel like you're riding a regular bike..so for any real gain you need to notch up the assistance level which drains the battery quicker

Gwildor

Carrera Crossfire E

Suntour rear hub motor/ battery and computer

6hr recharge time

Range up to 60 miles

I bought the bike for my 28 mile round trip commute up and down the Waterford Greenway. So far it's been going like a dream! I've already changed out a few bits and added others like panniers, mudguards etc. I'm planning on converting it to drop bars for a much more comfortable ride.

See link for pics...

https://goo.gl/photos/jATPRyv4XrY6i1uq8

Canis Lupus

lol 6 hour recharge I thought my 3+ hours was trying at times. What behemoth of a battery do you have attached there?

Mongfinder General

I had a coyote connect from Halfords. Absolute piece of crap.

Gwildor

Canis Lupus wrote: »

lol 6 hour recharge I thought my 3+ hours was trying at times. What behemoth of a battery do you have attached there?

36v, 11.58Ah according to Halfords specs. Though I think I remember reading that Halfords have under rated it a bit.

Gwildor

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I had a coyote connect from Halfords. Absolute piece of crap.

The Coyote is a load of ****e to be fair!

homer911

Thargor wrote: »

What kind of range are ye getting on them? I know it varies but roughly on a normal ride, would you do 100km?

Bosch has a range calculator here for their systems:
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/range-assistant/

You can see the big list of factors they take into account!

peasant

Canis Lupus wrote: »

lol 6 hour recharge I thought my 3+ hours was trying at times. What behemoth of a battery do you have attached there?

It's not just battery size that decides the recharge time...some chargers work twice as fast than others.

I have a suspicion that my recharge time from fully depleted (which I haven't done yet) would probably be near the six hour mark as well (for a 10.4 Ah batt)

My charger only puts out 2 Amps...some of the better Bosch ones double that apparently.

All that charging speed comes at a price, of course

Gwildor

Yup, the lowest mine has been so far is 46%, so charge time is OK.

peasant wrote: »

It's not just battery size that decides the recharge time...some chargers work twice as fast than others.

I have a suspicion that my recharge time from fully depleted (which I haven't done yet) would probably be near the six hour mark as well (for a 10.4 Ah batt)

My charger only puts out 2 Amps...some of the better Bosch ones double that apparently.

All that charging speed comes at a price, of course

galvo_clare

About three years ago I built a folding ebike using a Tern P9.

It took a few weeks to build as I worked out a few snags but it's been great. I haven't used it for the last year as I got a Brompton which is even easier to transport but I've recently started using it again. Wouldn't be without it.

peasant

galvo_clare wrote: »

About three years ago I built a folding ebike using a Tern P9.

That looks neat, well done.

galvo_clare

peasant wrote: »

That looks neat, well done.

Thanks

It's better than any commerical folding ebike I've seen. Weight is about 17kg and you can separate the battery to reduce it even further. The Tern is a nice bike as it stands so it's pleasant to ride and there's decent power.
The battery is a frog unit designed to be mounted on the seatpost but I wanted everything mounted on the front. The only extra wire that has to cross the fold is the pedal sensor and that winds neatly around the brake cable

archer22

Just a few questions guys.

If the battery goes flat on the road, does the manual peddling also charge the battery or will they only charge from mains?
How long do batteries last before needing to be replaced on average?.
What is the cost of a replacement battery?.
I thought one I saw one day had a car battery on the carrier...is that possible or was I mistaken and it was just some non usual kind of e-bike battery?
thanks

galvo_clare

The odd bike has some form of regen braking but it's not common. I've never heard of one that can be charged by pedalling.
How long the batteries last depends on a whole load of factors but they can be in the €200-€300 range. I'd imagine you'd get a few years even with heavy use.
A car battery wouldn't make a good ebike battery as it would only supply 12v. Most are 36, some cheaper ones are 24 and some are 48v.

archer22 wrote: »

Just a few questions guys.

If the battery goes flat on the road, does the manual peddling also charge the battery or will they only charge from mains?
How long do batteries last before needing to be replaced on average?.
What is the cost of a replacement battery?.
I thought one I saw one day had a car battery on the carrier...is that possible or was I mistaken and it was just some non usual kind of e-bike battery?
thanks

homer911

archer22 wrote: »

Just a few questions guys.
If the battery goes flat on the road, does the manual peddling also charge the battery or will they only charge from mains?
How long do batteries last before needing to be replaced on average?.
What is the cost of a replacement battery?.

As a bike does not have a high level of mass, and therefore regen capacity when braking, the additional weight of regen equipment has been shown to far outweigh the value of any power created. The idea of charging the battery when pedaling doesn't make any sense, as the objective of en ebike is to reduce the effort of pedaling. Have you ever had a dynamo on your bike for lights? You will realize how little power is created.
At one stage I priced a replacement battery for my bike at €550 retail - but battery density and pricing are improving all the time - beware of cheap Chinese ebikes - you may not be able to source a replacement battery and the battery chemistry may be inferior to a branded system.
Finally to say that modern batteries do not simply die, their capacity gradually reduces over time, so instead of getting a 100% charge, you may only get a 90% charge. Over on the electric vehicle forum (I also own a Nissan Leaf) the batteries have been shown to be much more resilient than expected - you get what you pay for

Lumen

homer911 wrote: »

As a bike does not have a high level of mass, and therefore regen capacity when braking, the additional weight of regen equipment has been shown to far outweigh the value of any power created.

The mass of bike + rider is significant though. It seems to me more the case that where range matters, on longer hillier routes, cyclists don't brake very much at all.

I used the calculator posted earlier to work out whether an e-bike would work for my commute which is about 32km with 500m of climbing on rough roads (each way), and the answer appears to be: not for a round trip, unless I was to use a very low level of assistance.

I think I'd want at least 200W of continuous assist over about two hours (an hour each way) to give a significant time/energy saving. That's 400Wh. The largest Bosch power pack is 500Wh, and I assume some is lost in inefficiency, so it's a bit marginal for my use case.

I could of course charge it at work. Maybe I'm looking for reasons not to buy one.

At the moment I'm alternating motorbike and bicycle, dropping to motorbike only in mid winter. My belly is growing.

magicbastarder

the retrofit bikes still work on the 'you don't get anything from the motor unless you're pedalling' principle, yeah?

galvo_clare

magicbastarder wrote: »

the retrofit bikes still work on the 'you don't get anything from the motor unless you're pedalling' principle, yeah?

Most kits come with a throttle but the idea is you pedal and get assistance. Legally, you shouldn't be able to hit the throttle and take off without pedalling.
For EU approval, all assistance must cut off at 25 km/h so faster than that and you're on your own.

Lumen

galvo_clare wrote: »

For EU approval, all assistance must cut off at 25 km/h so faster than that and you're on your own.

Yes, but how does a crank drive know your road speed? Via a speed sensor, which is user-calibrated to wheel size, and the user can claim to be riding a Brompton.

galvo_clare

Lumen wrote: »

Yes, but how does a crank drive know your road speed? Via a speed sensor, which is user-calibrated to wheel size, and the user can claim to be riding a Brompton.

Of course it's possible to fool the computer and some controllers have an option to easily bypass the limit, but technically, you're now on an illegal ebike that's now classed as a motorbike needing licence, insurance etc.

Canis Lupus

Lumen wrote: »

The mass of bike + rider is significant though. It seems to me more the case that where range matters, on longer hillier routes, cyclists don't brake very much at all.

I used the calculator posted earlier to work out whether an e-bike would work for my commute which is about 32km with 500m of climbing on rough roads (each way), and the answer appears to be: not for a round trip, unless I was to use a very low level of assistance.

I think I'd want at least 200W of continuous assist over about two hours (an hour each way) to give a significant time/energy saving. That's 400Wh. The largest Bosch power pack is 500Wh, and I assume some is lost in inefficiency, so it's a bit marginal for my use case.

I could of course charge it at work. Maybe I'm looking for reasons not to buy one.

At the moment I'm alternating motorbike and bicycle, dropping to motorbike only in mid winter. My belly is growing.

You would just need a charger for work. It's up to you I guess but if you haven't tried an ebike you should. They're pretty awesome and it's gotten me off my motorbike.