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evil_bunnY posted:yeah, and turbo is literally unusable at low speeds. It'll yeet the bike forward if you even look at the pedal. I'm curious, do you start off in your lowest gear on Turbo? I start midway up in my gear range when I'm in turbo. I just don't need the lowest gears.
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Aug 6, 2020 04:48
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i only use 4/4 if i’m uphill in a headwind with 2 kids on the back. For anything else 2/4 feels about right.
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Aug 7, 2020 00:58
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 battery not pictured (it's charging)
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Aug 7, 2020 01:25
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That's a drat fine bike! drat fine bike.
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Aug 7, 2020 02:31
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next time i promise to post a pic of it actually outdoors!
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Aug 7, 2020 02:35
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We'd love to see pictures of you riding it indoors even more!
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Aug 7, 2020 03:31
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Love new bike day. I can't get over the top tube not meeting the top arms of the rear triangle though
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Aug 7, 2020 04:26
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DELETE CASCADE posted:
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Aug 7, 2020 12:01
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Well I've been cruising reviews and checking out specs for a few weeks trying to learn what I can about these gizmos. If anyone has thoughts or their own experiences to share that speak to these questions, would love to hear! Just about everything that has caught my eye for mid-drive fat tire bikes look to be in the $2100-2600 range or thereabouts, and that feels like a comfortable price range to me for an entry bike. Most of these seem to have similar features, but right now I think these are my frontrunners: First is the Bolton Foxbat, which Rocko Bonaparte seems to be happy with? https://boltonebikes.com/collections/fat-electric-bikes/products/1-000-watt-mid-drive-fat-bike 1000w is probably more juice than I need, but I'm obviously not gonna turn my nose up at that. Vroom! I almost feel like I could get away with a hub drive if I had to, but I'm pretty sure I want to hold out for a mid-drive motor like this one. I have to claw my way up my hill every single day, and even though it's a relatively short climb, it's a healthy grade, so I think I'll appreciate the extra torque over the long term. As I start to range out and explore more with my shiny new ebike, I will also start running into more grueling climbs on hilly, mountainous roads, so mid-drive probably gives me a lot more freedom in my area. Seems like a no-brainer for me. This one's got a 7 gear shifter, which seems to be pretty common, though I've seen a few 8's and 10's out there. I worry that I'll miss the flexibility giving up 27 gears on my current mtb, but honestly I pretty much only ever use like, 4 or 5 of any of the gears, and I doubt I'll miss the flexibility all that much when I have the motor behind me to power up hills, or open it up on straightaways and just zoom. Torque sensor would be a nice bonus but I have a hard time imagining a situation where I NEED it, especially since there's a throttle to get me started if I'm scaling everest or something and having trouble pedaling. Torque sensor would probably also make for smoother riding generally when changing speeds, but I'm not seeing cadence sensors as a dealbreaker. Also eyeing the Biktrix Juggernaut https://www.biktrix.com/pages/juggernaut-classic-details Seems pretty comparable to the Foxbat, but a little less motor which saves me a couple bucks. I think 750w is probably still plenty for a primarily commuter bike. I am a little bit leery of the recommended weight, which is given as 330, because frankly I'm pushing 300 and when I add in a backpack full of groceries or any cargo it starts to look pretty close. The Foxbat rates itself at 375, which makes me feel more comfortable. I imagine these weight ratings are probably more like guidelines, but this is going to be a purchase I use every day, and I'd like to make sure when I get one it'll last, so I really don't want to go around regularly straining the capacity. I could also go for their slightly beefier model, which holds itself out at 400lbs: https://www.biktrix.com/pages/juggernaut-classic-hd-details With that one though, I start wondering if I can get away with just a rigid fork with the slightly-fatter tires (4.8 inches). I feel like I would want to pay a little more for the suspension. Most of the time I'm probably fine with just the tires to eat the vibration of the crummy beat-up pavement and cobbles around here, but when the snow gets churned up and then frozen into all kinds of hosed up channels and ridges, I worry that even with fat tires I'll be getting bounced around. Would also like the option to do some rougher riding on trails or off road, since there's a lot of farmland around outside my immediate neighborhood. I've seen a handful of other models and makes that look very similar in terms of features in this price range, but so far these two have had very nice presentation and comprehensive info online, which makes me more confident buying from them. It's pretty much all predicated on if they ship overseas, though - I have some emails in and they're looking into logistics. If shipping costs turn out to be prohibitive or no one can manage to get it to me, my last resort will be to spin the cylinder on Chinese Roulette. For about half the price, I can get almost the features I want, and some of the parts are even brand name!  Obviously not ideal, but these guys look like they have their act more or less together? Going back to discontinued models I can see they've iterated several times on their bikes and it looks like they've improved it every time, plus they have a sustained web presence, including a few years worth of youtube, instead of some fly-by-night amazon storefront. It might also be all smoke and mirrors, but I guess that's the fun of it!
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Aug 7, 2020 12:11
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Epoxy Bulletin posted:First is the Bolton Foxbat, which Rocko Bonaparte seems to be happy with? For what it's worth, 750W is, um, more legal. Regarding suspension stuff, I can say the Foxbat with the fat tires can ride over mowed grass on the side of the road just fine without using the front suspension. It gets uglier when I start to go on those dirt paths that have been plowed into the ground with all the exposed rocks. An issue there with going too fast there is the turning radius of that bike is pretty big. It's a large bike and the tires make it larger. Regarding the 1000W, yes, it helps greatly on hills. It hasn't directly made me a speed demon. I do most of my riding with level assist 3 out of the maximum of 5, and the display is implying that's normally a little over 500W. I might change out the front sprocket because I tend not to use the first gear even when I have stuff loaded up and I have an excessive battery capacity. Also, I bought the Foxbat with two 21Ah batteries instead of the stock configuration.
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Aug 7, 2020 17:30
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Anything over 250 is already technically a scooter here, so I figure in for a yenny in for a pound 
Epoxy Bulletin fucked around with this message at 11:22 on Aug 8, 2020 |
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Aug 8, 2020 10:57
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Just get some "250W class 1" stickers.
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Aug 8, 2020 13:02
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Aug 9, 2020 00:21
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Just had a day of the battery running dry away from home don't, uh, don't let your batteries run dry away from home especially if your bike doesn't actually have any gears 
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Aug 9, 2020 02:40
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Did it have a bad drain or did it underreport range?
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Aug 9, 2020 02:45
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I was pulling a trailer and on fairly hilly route, so I was running it hard - and I don't have the computer, just 0-5 pips for battery remaining. Probably would have been fine if I'd plugged it in last night instead of this morning, I probably wasn't starting from full. Derp 
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Aug 9, 2020 03:41
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You shouldn't let your battery run below 20%, it will shorten your battery life span a lot.
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Aug 9, 2020 05:06
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stephenthinkpad posted:You shouldn't let your battery run below 20%, it will shorten your battery life span a lot. What could be more fun than min maxing battery capacity? You can even treat yourself to a fancy charger! https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/cycle-satiator.html Duck and Cover fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Aug 9, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 05:29
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(e) your url captured the dot at the end up there , DaC ^^stephenthinkpad posted:You shouldn't let your battery run below 20%, it will shorten your battery life span a lot. I know, believe me I'm annoyed. ADHD is a complete loving arse at times  well, such is life i guess. at least now I know it's not impossible to move - just bloody hard work
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Aug 9, 2020 15:10
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Ciaphas posted:(e) your url captured the dot at the end up there , DaC ^^ Fixed. Best practices as far as battery care are good to know but I wouldn't worry about not following them perfectly. At least I don't with my laptop/car and won't when my bike arrives. Duck and Cover fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Aug 9, 2020 |
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Aug 9, 2020 15:53
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The good:  26 mile ride on Saturday, across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. It turns out: there's nothing on the Jersey side (ok Henry Hudson Drive is nice and I want to explore it further when it's cooler.). The bad: My shifter went out of adjustment on the ride home, and I lost 5th gear. I had to jump from 4th to 6th until I got into a neighborhood where I could readjust it. Annoying, but not the end of the world. My pedals, on the other hand, have these traction studs on them that have absolutely torn up my legs. Then this morning I went to REI to get new pedals (they didn't have any without the studs), an inner tube, and a multi tool. On the way back , literally while I was in my building's elevator, I heard my rear tire deflating. I haven't torn into it yet, but I'm annoyed that I gotta dismount the rear wheel again. Gorgeous shot!
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Aug 10, 2020 03:36
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you just had a flat tire recently on the same wheel yeah? this probably isn't your problem but just in case it is, i'm gonna post. i had persistent flat issues on one wheel on my other bike, went through several tubes, never could figure out what was puncturing the thing. turns out, part of my rim tape had somehow slipped to the side, and one of the spoke holes was exposed, so the high pressure inner tube was pinching itself inside that little hole and eventually blowing out. so if you don't see any other cause of the flat, check your rim tape!
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Aug 10, 2020 03:53
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Yeah, that's a possibility I'm considering. There was also a car with its window busted out right in front of my building, so it's possible I ran over a chunk of glass.
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Aug 10, 2020 03:58
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pro tip: always find and address the source of the flat before replacing the tube. Be mindful of the alignment of the tire (and maybe mark it with a sharpie) when taking it off so you can line up the puncture with the corresponding spot on the tire.
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Aug 10, 2020 04:08
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Safety Dance posted:My pedals, on the other hand, have these traction studs on them that have absolutely torn up my legs. Sometimes the pins are removable. If you get plastic pedals with molded pins, you could also file them down some.
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Aug 10, 2020 07:02
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Epoxy Bulletin posted:Anything over 250 is already technically a scooter here, so I figure in for a yenny in for a pound  Ebikes in places without strict regulation advertise peak power consumption instead of nominal power output
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Aug 10, 2020 17:36
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Good advice: https://twitter.com/SimonCowell/status/1292629837790601216 Loose QR? stem?
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Aug 10, 2020 19:09
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Safety Dance posted:My pedals, on the other hand, have these traction studs on them that have absolutely torn up my legs. Were you just falling off the pedals riding around town? All things equal pedals with good studs keep your feet on them and are much safer than cheap pedals. Really good pedals Pretty good pedals (this is what Kimbo is basically suggesting) Really cheap pedals Sounds like you want the last version but they will provide the least amount of grip, especially when wet.
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Aug 10, 2020 19:10
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kimbo305 posted:Good advice: I was gonna say loose... whatever the bracket's called that attaches the handlebars to the wheel. I found that I'd under-tighten mine and eventually it'd pull up suddenly when I turn. Good thing I was in anxious testing-my-work mode Condolences to Cowell tho, my disc hernia was one of the worst things I've ever experienced in my life; I gotta imagine an injury like that being way worse 
Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Aug 10, 2020 |
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Aug 10, 2020 19:21
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anyone have any experience riding e-bikes on fairly major roads? i want to get one for my ride to work (my farm is about 11 miles from my house), and about three of those miles are on a pretty busy road in new jersey, but uh new jersey drivers aren't the most 'chill' people on the planet and i'm a little worried. or do you think taking back roads would be less safe than major ones?
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Aug 10, 2020 19:37
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Can you post a sample stretch of the road? Essentially you'll be in a lane of car traffic? What's the normal driving speed of the road?
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Aug 10, 2020 19:42
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Look at the Strava heat map and see which roads are more traveled by other cyclists. It can be a good hint about what routes are preferable. https://www.strava.com/heatmap#7.00/-120.90000/38.36000/hot/all
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Aug 10, 2020 19:44
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It depends on how visible your bike is and how fast the cars are going. I suggest you take both routes and decide later. Also get reflective vest and large blinking rear lights.
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Aug 10, 2020 19:46
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kimbo305 posted:Can you post a sample stretch of the road? Essentially you'll be in a lane of car traffic? What's the normal driving speed of the road? this is the route (please do not doxx my farm we have nothing of value) https://tinyurl.com/yy4kye53 my options are basically taking US 130 (the major road) for like 20 pct of the trip or 80 pct. there's a pretty good sized shoulder, but according to that heatmap it looks like no one really rides the stretch i was worried about (i would have to merge across two lanes of non-yielding traffic)
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Aug 10, 2020 22:50
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A 50S RAYGUN posted:this is the route (please do not doxx my farm we have nothing of value) I'm a pretty experienced and confident commuter but drat your options look super lovely. That sucks. The only option I see that would get you able to totally avoid US 130 puts you on a bunch of back roads with literally no shoulder, which are likely super unsafe at commute hours, especially in the dark in the winter.
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Aug 11, 2020 00:35
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A 50S RAYGUN posted:this is the route (please do not doxx my farm we have nothing of value) What about something like this? https://goo.gl/maps/LAxJ1wAYntqZ3WJ57 It's only a mile longer than your original route, and it avoids a lot of stress I think. Most of Route 130 looks pretty gnar, and I wanted to avoid the weird U-Turn the Old York Road route made you do. I hate to suggest commuting when you don't need to go into work, but it might be a good idea to try it out on a weekend. Imagine twice the traffic, and if you feel uncomfortable you can always turn around and rethink your route without having to call in. spwrozek posted:Were you just falling off the pedals riding around town? Yeah, the original pedals that came with my bike were awful. If my foot was the slightest bit wet, it would slip off. Eventually the little rubber nubs wore down and my feet would slip off when dry. It sucked. My current pedals are really similar to the OneUp pedals you posted. They feel awesome and my feet stick like velcro. I have a tendency to kick my pedals around with my shins to get them lined up at stoplights and whatnot, and these are my legs after about 50 miles over the last two weeks: cw: light gore  I'm going to pull the studs out and see how they feel, but I think I'll wind up just getting the Race Faces you posted.
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Aug 11, 2020 00:43
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thanks for taking a look, everyone. i'll try a route this Sunday on my regular bike and see how it seems, or if it's dodgy, if it seems like it would be more manageable if i was moving at a better clip. the real reason I've never tried a bike commute is because my day usually starts at 5 or 6 and goes until about 5 or 6, so the idea of tacking an extra hour on at.boths has never felt really appealing, even if I wanted the exercise and environmentally feel like i 'should' do it
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Aug 11, 2020 01:05
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Safety Dance posted:
Ah yeah, that makes sense. You should get pretty good grip without the stabbing of pins on those Race Face ones.
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Aug 11, 2020 04:08
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A 50S RAYGUN posted:my options are basically taking US 130 (the major road) for like 20 pct of the trip or 80 pct. there's a pretty good sized shoulder, but according to that heatmap it looks like no one really rides the stretch i was worried about (i would have to merge across two lanes of non-yielding traffic) How much of the year are the shoulders on the roads near your house plowed snowbanks and/or that black, salted sand-mush? I don't know what I might say differently depending on that but it might be some motivation to go with a fat bike or generally just something that can put up with poor road conditions. I've found at least in Texas that I got much better treatment on a more major road if I could fit comfortably on the shoulder than if I had to be in the way on the most minor of roads. Being in the way means everything they're feeling in that car at that moment is all your fault. I'm slowly building up more bike riding experiences, and so far the worst is literally right outside my house. It's a 55mph road that doesn't have a shoulder. I usually just take the grass. I only need to be on it for about a hundred yards, but I'm the loving Antichrist when I do. This is all countered with being on major commercial roads with a lot of entrances and exits. In that case, the problem is they don't care about you. That is, they don't even know you're there when they pull into you or out in front of you. In that case, I'd rather have somebody leaning their horn on me because at least I know they saw me. Note that these situations are not that common.
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Aug 11, 2020 18:12
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| # ? May 21, 2024 00:45 |
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kimbo305 posted:Good advice:
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Aug 11, 2020 20:42
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