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Cugel the Clever posted:I see that the Specialized Vado series is in the $3-4k range and weighs in at 33 pounds, while something like the Trek Allant+ 9.9S is $6k and 51 pounds. I'm curious what sacrifices the Vado might be making. The specs otherwise appear very similar, with the only noticeable difference being the Vado using a proprietary motor and battery vs. Bosch. The Vado SL is a smaller motor and battery and so that's partially the reason. Allant 9.9 is carbon fiber frame. You should test ride both. I think you'll notice a difference between them but then you have to decide which type of experience you prefer.
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Apr 12, 2021 16:55
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So my Dad bought a RadWagon, and while he loves it, he's finding it a little hard to get in and out of his van during trips. It's just too long and too heavy for him to do by himself. He's also finding he's not really hauling tons of stuff with it, just using it to cruise around town to grab a few things from the store. For that reason we've started looking at folding e-bikes. Is something like this going to be complete garbage, or will it be pretty similar in terms of quality control to the RadWagon? https://www.ebay.com/itm/16-City-Ebike-Electric-Folding-Bike-Bicycle-Shimano-36V-8Ah-Removable-Battery/164809732215 He's pretty handy, and already had to fix some stuff with the Wagon (although I beleive their support sent him the parts he needed) Edit: Looks like it's available on Amazon, with surprisingly good reviews? https://www.amazon.com/ANCHEER-Folding-Electric-Collapsible-Commuter/dp/B07YTSGY81 frogbs fucked around with this message at 18:36 on Apr 12, 2021 |
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Apr 12, 2021 18:28
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Safety Dance posted:Hey Something Awful Forums User Duck and Cover, how is your Ride1Up bike holding up? I have a coworker who is thinking about one. It's fine. I think I messed up my brakes (it isn't a smooth transition of breaking power anymore) riding on something I shouldn't have (I'm not really sure what happened I don't remember either a stick got stuck in something or when I fell it messed something up, both or something else). I wouldn't suggest someone get it if they knew they liked biking and could afford better, but it isn't garbage either. Duck and Cover fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Apr 13, 2021 |
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Apr 13, 2021 00:11
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Cugel the Clever posted:I see that the Specialized Vado series is in the $3-4k range and weighs in at 33 pounds, while something like the Trek Allant+ 9.9S is $6k and 51 pounds. I'm curious what sacrifices the Vado might be making. The specs otherwise appear very similar, with the only noticeable difference being the Vado using a proprietary motor and battery vs. Bosch. Trek makes Allant+s in the same price range that don't weight much more than the top spec. The weight gain over a Vado comes from: - motor, which is 2lbs heavier, at least some of which probably makes it more robust, given their similar nominal power - battery, 2.5lbs heavier, and supposedly granting higher range - suspension fork, which seems hard to avoid in the Allant+ lineup The previous gen Vados are the same weight as Allant+, so it probably comes down to shaving off a little more weight everywhere else after speccing a lighter battery and motor. Allant+ all seem to be class 1? which is a major pro for the Vado.
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Apr 13, 2021 03:53
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Dropped my bike off at the shop for a 500-mile tuneup (I hit 500 miles back in October, but I've been rebuilding my ankle since then so it's mostly been sitting). Hopefully they'll be able to source a chain tensioner. On the way back I got to ride one of the new NYC Bikeshare ebikes. They're heavy and slow and kinda crap compared to a mid-drive, but they're built like absolute tanks.
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Apr 15, 2021 16:49
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kimbo305 posted:Trek makes Allant+s in the same price range that don't weight much more than the top spec. The Allant+ 7S, 8S and 9.9S are all speed pedelecs so they'll do 28mph and have a lot more torque to sustain high speed. 28mph is actually pretty hard to maintain for longer distances despite the torque of the Bosch Speed motors. I figure the Vado SL has a harder time in that regard. French Canadian fucked around with this message at 17:28 on Apr 15, 2021 |
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Apr 15, 2021 17:25
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Someone here was asking about a good forum about this area of interest, https://endless-sphere.com/forums/ This forum is the best one I have found. I have been an E-Biker for about 10 years firstly with a 1000W Cyclone Kit (sort of a old school chain driven mid drive) from Taiwan https://www.cyclone-tw.com/ Lately I have been using a Bafang Mid Drive (750W 48v) on a 700C City Bike. Also have a Bafang hub rear drive on a vintage GT Mountain Bike (500W 48v) They do 50Km per hour & 38Km per hour respectively on level ground. My battery of Choice is the PING https://www.pingbattery.com/ All of my bikes are home made. Never used a bike store bike. But I do like them to look at. Costs were around $500AU for the mid drive & $200AU for the hub drive + the Bike + Battery The 48v Batteries run around $450 US dollars depending on Amp Hour Capacity. I usually use a 10 or 15AH for around a 60 to 80km range I used to use the Chinese "Happy Time" motors, 2 stroke gas, They performed extremely well when tuned up with a shifter kit, giving over 60Kmph performance & double the range of the electrics. But the NSW (Aust) cops shut them down. Hence the move to electric. I have some older photos of my bikes if anyone is interested to see them.
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Apr 19, 2021 02:10
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Endless Sphere is peak greybeard eBike stuff but for that reason it's pretty awesome.
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Apr 19, 2021 02:59
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ES is definitely the place is you're an EE looking to build an e-bike from scratch, and absolutely no one else 
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Apr 19, 2021 12:13
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Radrunner obtained. Rode it back, in large part uphill. I had a scare when someone just popped out of a parking lot, but the brakes were good, even if I about died. At least it was in front of a hospital, so if I had been waxed or had a heart attack, I was in the right place.  Bike does in fact go zoom. Even a little bit of throttle or pedal assist makes a significant difference. Rad also sent my bike mechanic the wrong storage module kit, but immediately said "Our bad, have the actual one on the house." While it is only a few dollars of shipping and injected plastic/tube metal, I was pleased at the swiftness, and I do feel competent to mount a center console on the dumbass thing.
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Apr 19, 2021 22:30
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Took the Trek Allant 9 and Verve 2 for test rides today. Both have a heck of a lot of pluck, but especially the Allant. Most surprising was just how rideable they are with assist off—having not ridden an ebike before, I really expected the 50 lbs frames to be noticeably more difficult (though I didn't try the hills without the assist).
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Apr 19, 2021 23:04
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Cugel the Clever posted:Took the Trek Allant 9 and Verve 2 for test rides today. Both have a heck of a lot of pluck, but especially the Allant. Most surprising was just how rideable they are with assist off—having not ridden an ebike before, I really expected the 50 lbs frames to be noticeably more difficult (though I didn't try the hills without the assist). They're both really nice and yeah the Allant will give you way more torque. I think you'll never want to pedal either without assist for any meaningful distance.
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Apr 20, 2021 02:35
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Cugel the Clever posted:Took the Trek Allant 9 and Verve 2 for test rides today. Both have a heck of a lot of pluck, but especially the Allant. Most surprising was just how rideable they are with assist off—having not ridden an ebike before, I really expected the 50 lbs frames to be noticeably more difficult (though I didn't try the hills without the assist). It's been a while since I posted since I got my Allant+ 8, so since you're considering one I thought I would jump in and give an update. It's fantastic. I hadn't used a bike in decades and I'm not really having any difficulties at all. The assist modes take a little getting used to, especially how they work with the gears; sometimes it's an easier ride to upshift on a hill because the higher assistance will contribute more -- that is pretty counter-intuitive but I'm getting the hang of it. I use it as often as I can and look for excuses to use it more. I've already commuted once to work on it and I had an amazing day, fulla pep, even if I was a little tired on the way back. So far it hasn't done a full lifestyle change yet but it's definitely happening. It's a beautiful machine, too, but one thing that I definitely wasn't counting on was it attracting attention. I was buying my GF an ebike (from a different store, Trek doesn't have anything small enough in stock), hanging outside while the guy took the new one through some tests, and I noticed a woman staring at it, transfixed, moving towards it. She even brushed her hand across a handlebar. It was insane, I was a little worried she was like, going to steal it or was trying to buy it but she was just, I don't know, flirting with it? Then going home I noticed while I was walking it through the pedestrian mall that lots of people were staring at it. So that's a thing, apparently. I don't hate it, I'm kind of glad something this expensive turns heads but it's the first thing I've owned that... does that. Maybe when I got an iPhone way before everyone did, that also had that effect.
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Apr 20, 2021 07:46
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Our cargo bike *still* does that, it's really funny to watch people react to something so utilitarian the same way they would to a motoGP whip. Adults have gotten mostly used to it the last few years, but little kids will invariably point and stare excitedly.
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Apr 20, 2021 10:17
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Hey all! Recently picked up a used noname bike for 150 with SLA batteries; was curious where would be a good place to look at LiFePO4 replacements for the 36v downtube(?) it came with, ideally other than similarly noname Amazon sellers. Am considering building my own out of 12v ones if need be and putting it on the rear rack, but would rather not.
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Apr 23, 2021 04:44
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Took the plunge on the Lectric XP. Living in Baltimore, anywhere I’d want to take it is within 10 miles. Most of the terrain is gentle slopes and when it does need to go uphill it’s usually on the first leg, so I can spend more time in low PAS on the way back to stretch the battery. Anyone have preferred sites for accessories? I’m thinking of a couple pannier baskets for groceries, cellphone holder, and a GPS tracker to start. Seat upgrade and handlebar swaps seem common for this bike, but I’ll wait a few rides to figure out what I want to change.
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Apr 26, 2021 05:47
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I finally got my Gazelle back from the shop! It feels wonderful! The tech who was working on my bike managed to snap the shifter cable as they were delivering it, so he asked me to wait around for 30 minutes or so while he fixed it. As a gesture of apology, the shop let me test-ride an $11k Riese + Muller Homage GT.  The suspension is really nice. The electric Rholoff shifter is really nice. I thought the display was a little much, but It's a good bike if you've got the means (I do not have the means).
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Apr 30, 2021 00:21
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Double-posting to share that nothing brings me more simple joy than fitting a week's groceries on my bike.  I actually figured out there's a Costco I can bike to right across the Queensboro bridge. I might check it out over the weekend! edit: 4th gear (especially shifting from 5-4) is being weird in my IGH. It feels like it goes from 5-3, and then crunches a bit getting into 4th. My new shifter cable stretched a little bit so I had to adjust it last weekend. I think it still might be stretching in. Safety Dance fucked around with this message at 16:32 on May 6, 2021 |
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May 6, 2021 16:29
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Safety Dance posted:edit: 4th gear (especially shifting from 5-4) is being weird in my IGH. It feels like it goes from 5-3, and then crunches a bit getting into 4th. My new shifter cable stretched a little bit so I had to adjust it last weekend. I think it still might be stretching in. IGH shifting is pretty sensitive, so don't load it up much and ease into the shifts. And yeah, obsessively tune the cable length.
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May 6, 2021 16:44
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Yeah, I pretty much stop pedaling or give it a half-pedal in reverse when I shift. It feels like the (planetary gearbox?) moves pretty smoothly, it just moves to the wrong place when I try to shift down into 4th. I fiddled with it just now and I got the two little marks to line up better. They're aligned when I go from 3-4 (like it says in the instructions), but still a little misaligned when I go from 5-4.
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May 6, 2021 16:55
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That might be the biggest tombstone I’ve ever seen
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May 6, 2021 16:55
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What is a tombstone in this context?
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May 6, 2021 16:59
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The vertical part of the front rack, the backstop
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May 6, 2021 17:36
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Ah! Thanks. Yes, it's 3D printer sized.  Bigger than an 8-pack of paper towels 
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May 6, 2021 18:36
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Safety Dance posted:Ah! Thanks. Yes, it's 3D printer sized. I thought goons usually just carried the printer??
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May 6, 2021 18:38
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All the way from Prospect Park? That's a long way in the rain.
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May 6, 2021 18:38
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Safety Dance posted:All the way from Prospect Park? That's a long way in the rain. Get it together man! https://www.somethingawful.com/great-goon-database/great-goon-best/3/
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May 6, 2021 18:56
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Oh poo poo, for some reason I thought it was raining in that story
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May 6, 2021 19:03
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Bike update: I realized I definitely need a floor pump to fill the tires. It has run just fine, although I accidentally left the charger plugged in overnight. I suspect that has done no serious harm but it would be a bad practice to keep up. Interestingly the battery seems to last a really long time, I rode like 12 miles in a fairly hilly area and it only went down by one light out of five. I suppose a lot of people lean heavily on power assist and the throttle?
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May 7, 2021 22:32
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Nessus posted:Bike update: I realized I definitely need a floor pump to fill the tires. It has run just fine, although I accidentally left the charger plugged in overnight. I suspect that has done no serious harm but it would be a bad practice to keep up. Radpower batteries are pretty big, and in my experience also the indicator is nowhere near linear. My Radwagon 4 will spend about 2/3 of its battery life at 4 or 5 bars, and then rapidly fall from there.
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May 10, 2021 17:14
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Nessus posted:Bike update: I realized I definitely need a floor pump to fill the tires. It has run just fine, although I accidentally left the charger plugged in overnight. I suspect that has done no serious harm but it would be a bad practice to keep up. I like to not fully charge my packs unless I need to but that's totally optional unless your use most of your pack a few times a week.
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May 10, 2021 21:12
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 I had an excellent 10mi ride to/from Costco last night. Probably overloaded my panniers by a little bit, but they held up.
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May 11, 2021 14:25
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Hey, e-bike thread, neat! A subject dear to me from a few pages back:Voodoofly posted:Is there an easy way to charge the battery back up to 80? I have installed these things on all my chargers: https://www.amazon.com/SVR1000-Single-Phase-Overvoltage-Undervoltage-Protection/dp/B087T8HYDT/ They're only rated to be powered by up to 48V but 52 don't seem to hurt them, so they can be powered by the same voltage they monitor and break in most cases. I've used them for years and none have broken yet. Programming the cutoff voltage is easy and fast enough. On one of my chargers I had to mess around with a switched connection to backfeed the relay from the battery for a moment in order for it to wake up since that particular charger doesn't give out enough voltage to power the relay until it senses it's connected to a battery, but the other ones were super easy to install. You can just hook them up to the appropriate male and female connectors and use them inline with the charge cable intact if you don't want to cut your charger up. The last time I bought some from German amazon I got them for like $10 each, so it's likely there's a better deal around than the one I linked.
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May 15, 2021 10:17
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evil_bunnY posted:It doesn't really matter unless your bike's a complete PoS. On most systems the charger is actually in the battery pack's casing, and the "charger" is just a mains adapter (aka a power supply).
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May 15, 2021 10:33
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Nessus posted:I did notice it seemed very light. Proper transformers with lots of heavy iron and copper wire isn't commonly used for these kind of things anymore. It's all switched power supplies which is just some electronics, some kind of heat management for those components and a box to house it all. It's not like the part inside the battery casing is big or heavy either. That part is called the BMS and is just some more electronics that manages the balance charging which is necessary when you have lithium cells in series, as well as some other battery protection functions like voltage and temperature limits.
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May 15, 2021 14:46
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Picked up the Trek Allant 8S this afternoon and had a blast riding it home. Cars on my local city streets have to be a bit confused about a bike keeping pace with them. However, after a couple times taking the battery out and putting it back in, it simply will not go back in and re-lock. A quick Google search turns up a lot of people with the opposite problem (battery can't be removed) and even the inverse problem (battery pops itself out in the middle of a ride and gets completely hosed up), but no one complaining of not being able to re-seat it. I can't tell if I'm somehow doing something wrong or what. The steps are simple and straightforward and worked without issue twice, but is now a complete non-starter. It's going to be an incredible pain in the rear end to bike it back to the store with no assist so they can take a look at it. Hell, I'm not even sure you're supposed to ride it without the battery fully-inserted. Might just have to take it on the bus.
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May 17, 2021 04:19
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Cugel the Clever posted:Picked up the Trek Allant 8S this afternoon and had a blast riding it home. Cars on my local city streets have to be a bit confused about a bike keeping pace with them. However, after a couple times taking the battery out and putting it back in, it simply will not go back in and re-lock. Is it a Bosch battery in that? Mine was finicky at first as well. I have to have the key fully turned and basically smack the battery hard but then it locks in
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May 17, 2021 04:22
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Voodoofly posted:Is it a Bosch battery in that? Mine was finicky at first as well. I have to have the key fully turned and basically smack the battery hard but then it locks in 
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May 17, 2021 04:32
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Cugel the Clever posted:Yep! Thanks, your post actually led me to getting it in. Had been trying pressing, but, when hammering with my palm didn't work, I flipped the bike on its side, lifted the battery a bit out, and really slammed it home. Hopefully this isn't necessary every time and causes no damage to the lock
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May 17, 2021 09:49
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Same with my bosch, it just slots in and is locked. Last time I had a problem with the thing refusing to unlock for a long while which was annoying but it lives in the house so I could have simply moved the charger from the other room. I suspect that one is because I hit a huge pothole
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May 17, 2021 10:16
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