electric mountain bike. forum???

[wagoneer]

I figure why not use the full potential of my solar panels and charge up a electric mountain bike. Does anyone have a recommended model for under 2500

 

[Zil]

One of the two or three best. http://www.ebikekit.com/

 

[akrvbob]

I haven't tried these, but they look real good:
http://mrbelectrified.com/
Bob

 

[Zil]

this is one of the forums I read about e-bikes. http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=11

 

[Spirituallifetime]

Here is one you might be interested in: http://ebikestore.com/ebikes/10-edge-fast-forward-by-ultra-motor.html
This one folds so it can be stored in limited spaces and is under $2000. I have never had an electric bike so I'm not sure what to look for to get a good one.

 

[wagoneer]

this is what I would really like...
http://www.nycewheels.com/surly-moonlander-bionx-electric-bike.html?gclid=CI_o0O3exL0CFQaBfgodIAMARw

 

[user 423]

Would charging those 36 or 48 volt batteries pose a problem for a MSW inverter?

 

[wagoneer]

I was looking into that and did not get a direct answer and would love to bypass the inverter. Bosch is coming out with a ebike that looks really interesting.

 

[akrvbob]

I had an electric bike with a SLA 24 volt battery and my cheap Cobra inverter had no problem charging it. I can't imagine it being a problem.
Bob

 

[05kas05]

check out electric bike action magazine i have not looked at it yet but i do know they just did a report on the new specialized electric bike which i believe was a road bike and if i remember that was the same issue they tested a electric off road mountain bike. seems quit a few companies are coming out with the electric bikes now.

 

[wagoneer]

Good to know thank you

 

[Duck]

I would build it yourself. Depending on what kind of terrain you'll be using it on would dictate direct drive vs chain drive.
I built myself a nice trail bike(good US built frame, Bomber suspension, hydraulic disc brakes) with a 1000w 48v 15Ah battery pack direct drive motor, 7 speeds on the rear, 1 large gear ring only up front.
I used a non ratcheting shifter on the left handlebar to give me separate hands for control of pedaling gears and throttle.
It has cruise control, and plug and play options for lights and a control system(speedometer, power usage etc).
It cost me 1500$ including time in a shop and all the parts to build it.

 

[wagoneer]

Sounds like a great set-up is the motor front or rear. If you have a picture that would help all of us fledglings.

 

[Duck]

Sounds like a great set-up is the motor front or rear. If you have a picture that would help all of us fledglings.

Rear, I think front motors are very dangerous, I do not like them at all.
Rear engine drives better, and keeps the weight better, plus you have much stronger metal handling the load usually.
if you lose traction on the back because you hit the throttle too hard and it's slippery, or part of the engine fails, you can ride it out or slide and fall sideways.

Lose traction up front in the same scenarios, and you're almost certainly getting hurt.
This isn't my bike, mine's front suspension only. I would go full suspension next time, as the ridgid rear contributes to damage to the rim I think.

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http://www.goldenmotor.ca/categories/Magic-Pie-3/

Plus a 48V15AH battery is what I use.
They have sales regularly so I'd get it on sale.
The bracket they sell is actually made for a company in Vancouver, and they sell the front as though it fits both ends of the bike(or they did when I bought it, it is not that universal, better to get the proper one).

The reason I went to a single front ring is that I didn't want any potential issues with a chain falling off at higher speed, the speeds you can reach on the e-bike are quite risky without a few safety precautions. I've clocked it on those light up signs at 50kph. I wear a full face though inexpensive(75$) motorcycle helmet, and it's already saved me once. You are on skinny tires, and travelling at a good speed, on components that are being pushed much further than normal. I would not risk it in a regular bicycle helmet.

With the wide spread of the gearing in the back that the motor comes with, I would never use the two inner rings, and went for the largest gear I could, with no front derailleur.
The old style non ratcheting lever shift lets me start pedaling off a light in 2nd with no electric, then add throttle and drop to the last gear quickly. That torque from a dead stop is the one time muscle power is more suited than the electric for efficiency.
The controller is built into the hub, and you can slow it down via USB it from 1000w to 500w for legality on the road if that matters to you.

I switched the cheap rear rack the battery can mount to for a heavy duty rack and big saddlebags, the battery connector I added a plug to, and then made a short length of cable with plugs at the other end as well to mate the wire from the motor. This means that in a crash, it immediately disconnects, if I forget to disconnect, it disconnects, and if it accidentally disconnects and gets in the wheel it won't damage anything except a short piece of cable.
I carry the charger in the back as well.

It's no different than a regular bike when you get to work this way, instead of mucking about disconnecting the battery on the rack and sliding it off, I just step off, lock and go inside.
At the library, or anywhere else you can charge your battery, it's like a laptop charger, an hour or two will give you a lot of juice.
I've considered actually using it to carry charge home if I knew I was doing a short commute every day, 10AH at 48V will give you 40AH at 12v less the conversion losses, and that's a good bit of the daily usage for me.