E Bikes
 

Anyone here got one? I do a 25km each way commute and there is no way I
am up to it without assistance. I am thinking an ebike might be the
best way to get my arse out of the car. I have a coupe of bikes that
would do as a base for conversion but I am thinking it is probably
easier to buy one ready made off ebay for $800.

Fraser

E Bikes
 

In aus.bicycle on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:51:10 +0800
Fraser Johnston wrote:
Anyone here got one? I do a 25km each way commute and there is no way I
am up to it without assistance. I am thinking an ebike might be the
best way to get my arse out of the car. I have a coupe of bikes that
would do as a base for conversion but I am thinking it is probably
easier to buy one ready made off ebay for $800.


First off, decide if you want to be legal ornot....

If you do then check your state laws. In NSW you arelimited to 200
watts.

When comparing bikes, take note of battery type and weight and
efficiency. You want the thing to be usable without a motor!

Bigest hassle with buying cheap off ebay is like buying anythign
cheap: how much work do you ahve to do to get the thing in reasonable
condition? You might be willing to go oevr it and get the bicycle
bits properly fettled and working well, you might not.

As far as I know the conversion is "replace the wheel with the
hub motor one, locate the battery somewhere, run the cables."

Zebee

E Bikes
 

For a trike check out
http://secure.oatleyelectronics.com/...&products_id=9
40&osCsid=78c9516a506712be955423b51a509ac6

this does not include the batteries but looks like good value and they are
in Sydney.


"Zebee Johnstone" wrote in message
...
In aus.bicycle on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:51:10 +0800
Fraser Johnston wrote:
Anyone here got one? I do a 25km each way commute and there is no way I
am up to it without assistance. I am thinking an ebike might be the
best way to get my arse out of the car. I have a coupe of bikes that
would do as a base for conversion but I am thinking it is probably
easier to buy one ready made off ebay for $800.


First off, decide if you want to be legal ornot....

If you do then check your state laws. In NSW you arelimited to 200
watts.

When comparing bikes, take note of battery type and weight and
efficiency. You want the thing to be usable without a motor!

Bigest hassle with buying cheap off ebay is like buying anythign
cheap: how much work do you ahve to do to get the thing in reasonable
condition? You might be willing to go oevr it and get the bicycle
bits properly fettled and working well, you might not.

As far as I know the conversion is "replace the wheel with the
hub motor one, locate the battery somewhere, run the cables."

Zebee

E Bikes
 

On 22/09/11 1:45 PM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

First off, decide if you want to be legal ornot....

If you do then check your state laws. In NSW you arelimited to 200
watts.

When comparing bikes, take note of battery type and weight and
efficiency. You want the thing to be usable without a motor!

Bigest hassle with buying cheap off ebay is like buying anythign
cheap: how much work do you ahve to do to get the thing in reasonable
condition? You might be willing to go oevr it and get the bicycle
bits properly fettled and working well, you might not.

As far as I know the conversion is "replace the wheel with the
hub motor one, locate the battery somewhere, run the cables."


I'm thinking illegal. It's not like they are going to dyno it and I
will be riding it a fair way so having a fairly high average speed is
important. From what I see the conversion kits cost as much, if not
more, than a whole bike which means that I can get a whole bike and pull
the bits off and stick them on my current mountain bike and still be ahead.

Fraser

E Bikes
 

Fraser Johnston wrote:

I'm thinking illegal. It's not like they are going to dyno it and I
will be riding it a fair way so having a fairly high average speed is
important.

Collide with a pedestrian, and somebody might take a keen
interest in the bike. I wouldn't want to shoulder all medical
costs because I was riding an unregistered vehicle.

That 200W limit is Australia-wide (enshrined in the Australian
Road Rules).

John

E Bikes
 

In aus.bicycle on 29 Sep 2011 21:22:34 GMT
John Henderson wrote:
Fraser Johnston wrote:

I'm thinking illegal. It's not like they are going to dyno it and I
will be riding it a fair way so having a fairly high average speed is
important.

Collide with a pedestrian, and somebody might take a keen
interest in the bike. I wouldn't want to shoulder all medical
costs because I was riding an unregistered vehicle.


I doubt it.

Unless the bike is very obviously overpower (eg you were speeding)
they might well not care.

There's a rumour that the power limit will be raised to 250 Watts but
that's been around for a while now.

pannonrider.com looks interesting. 250 watt nominal velomobile with
solar charging. The fairing and a reasonably fit rider could probably
get that going at a fair old speed.

I would love to see a graph of aerodynamics vs weight.

Zebee

E Bikes
 

On 30/09/2011 8:05 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on 29 Sep 2011 21:22:34 GMT
John wrote:
Fraser Johnston wrote:

I'm thinking illegal. It's not like they are going to dyno it and I
will be riding it a fair way so having a fairly high average speed is
important.

Collide with a pedestrian, and somebody might take a keen
interest in the bike. I wouldn't want to shoulder all medical
costs because I was riding an unregistered vehicle.


I doubt it.

Unless the bike is very obviously overpower (eg you were speeding)
they might well not care.

There's a rumour that the power limit will be raised to 250 Watts but
that's been around for a while now.

pannonrider.com looks interesting. 250 watt nominal velomobile with
solar charging. The fairing and a reasonably fit rider could probably
get that going at a fair old speed.

I would love to see a graph of aerodynamics vs weight.

Zebee

Do they or can they reverse the flow when going downhill to recharge the
battery? Like the electric trains up and down the Blue Mountains putting
power back into the grid?

E Bikes
 

Rob wrote:

Do they or can they reverse the flow when going downhill to recharge the
battery? Like the electric trains up and down the Blue Mountains putting
power back into the grid?

I'll bet they don't do regenerative braking. It'd add
significantly to the cost for very little gain. Most bikes don't
do much braking at all compared with higher speed, higher mass
vehicles.

John

E Bikes
 

In aus.bicycle on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:31:46 +1000
Rob wrote:
On 30/09/2011 8:05 AM, Zebee Johnstone wrote:
pannonrider.com looks interesting. 250 watt nominal velomobile with
solar charging. The fairing and a reasonably fit rider could probably
get that going at a fair old speed.

I would love to see a graph of aerodynamics vs weight.

Do they or can they reverse the flow when going downhill to recharge the
battery? Like the electric trains up and down the Blue Mountains putting
power back into the grid?

No idea about that lot, they probably don't bother given they've gone
solar.

I know Greenspeed were looking at that for their Velomobile, and had
trialled it on some unfaired electric trikes.

Zebee

E Bikes
 

On Sep 30, 4:31*pm, Rob wrote:

Do they or can they reverse the flow when going downhill to recharge the
battery? Like the electric trains up and down the Blue Mountains putting
power back into the grid?

Regenerative braking is a fairly common feature on electric bike motor
controllers, or it was last time I looked. However, I think it's more
of a feel-good thing than a practical feature; the cumulative
inefficiencies involved mean that of the energy that goes into getting
the bike moving, only a very small proportion ends up back in the
battery.


-- Phil