Electric bike kit: fun with electronics!
August, 2008
The kit ($398, no tax, free shipping) was delivered August 5.
(Tire and inner tube not included.)
From the bottom, clockwise:
Instruction pamphlet, battery pack, throttle, controller, motor/rim, rack,
charger.
The throttle.
Figuring out the wiring in the battery pack.
August 6,
Electric bike kit installed on a new 7-speed Schwinn Jaguar bicycle from Target
($139 plus tax).
Battery pack and controller.
Motor.
Mystery Markings
Throttle.
Still smiling after the initial evening voyage of 13 miles round-trip to Mariemont.
August 7, after getting wheel trued up (spokes adjusted) and having an
odometer/speedometer installed
($38 parts and labor), here I am putting the battery pack on for a demo at work.
Ready to roll.
Hot dogging. No pedaling, and only one hand.
BMOB (Big man on bike).
August 8 Morning Update
Yesterday’s demo in the parking lot and on the hill emboldened me,
so I rode in to work today.
The odometer said it was 16 miles. The watch
said about 90 minutes. That is versus 35 minutes
by car or scooter. My route to work was longer than usual because I decided to
take the flat route
along the river. On the way in to work I pedaled about 70% of the time, but never too
hard.
August 8 Evening Update
The ride home was quicker and shorter (13.5 miles and 57 minutes, including
two stops).
This time I took the high road and was less conservative with the power, so I
was
sailing along most of the time. I think I pedaled more on the way home, but
worked less.
August 8 Insights
The motor cruises at 20 + mph on flat roads with no pedaling, but the
instructions say
to pedal
at
startup, and then as often and as much as you like, to extend the range.
I can cruise up gentle hills, but I have to pedal up steeper hills. To get to work I go up a very
steep hill in third gear (out of 7) and can maintain 8 mph without killing myself. The most
comfortable pedaling speed in the bike's high gear is about 17 mph, so I don’t go faster
than that usually. Downhill, the bike gets up to 35 mph with no pedal or motor assist.
August 9 Update
Now that I can see this is a winning technology, I'm willing to invest a bit more.
In a rear-view mirror, for safety.
And in a high-end, gel-cushion seat from Italy, for comfort.
Kit purchased from ($398 total):
http://www.fiveflagsmotorbikes.com/elechubmotor.htm.
Kit distributed by:
http://www.wildernessenergy.com/.
Bike purchased from Target ($148 total):
http://www.target.com/Men’s-Schwinn-Cruiser-Bike-26/dp/B000A9QAH8/sr=1-10/qid=1218220250/ref=sr_1_10/601-5180583-2340134?ie=UTF8&rank=price&rh=k:schwinn
bicycles&page=1
Wheel trued up, odometer purchased and installed ($38):
Bishop's Bicycles,
Milford, OH
(Bishop's has a way-cool Schwinn electric bike in stock for $1500!)
Mirror and seat purchased and installed ($66):
Jim's Bicycle Shop,
Cincinnati, OH
(Leah and I got our Raleigh Passage trail bikes from Jim's a few years ago.)
398 + 148 + 38 + 66 = $ 650
NOTE: When needed, we now transport our bikes using a
Swagman XC 2-Bike Cross Country Hitch Rack ($137)
from
BikeMania on the web:
http://www.bikemania.biz/.
p.s. thanks to David A. for the parking lot pictures.