E-Bikes! Not easier, just farther and faster

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > E-Bikes! Not easier, just farther and faster

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Joined the ebike community this weekend! With a recent move I am able to bike commute again so after a few months of riding my tired Karate Monkey 15 miles a day we sold our second car and put that money towards a HSD P9 performance. I've only logged about 20 miles so far but loving it so far. This morning I was able to load up all our laundry (currently doing our laundry at work) without issue and the bike handled the weight like a champ, can't wait to try some heavier loads.

Feels great to be a one car household again and I feel good about our purchase, we tried several bikes and the Tern HSD felt like the best choice. Can't wait to log some serious miles on her and make some minor changes.

My Karate Monkey with the HSD, keeping the Karate Monkey for bike packing someday.

Laundry day

# ¿ Sep 19, 2022 22:26

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 09:52

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Ah thats why I see so many rad bikers peddling with super high cadence...

# ¿ Oct 7, 2022 18:28

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I�ve stored my mountain bike vertically for years without issue and Terns can stand on end as a feature. Not saying it couldn�t cause issues but it hasn�t for me yet.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2022 02:13

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

It's a bit apples to oranges but I have a rigid Karate Monkey 29er that I outfitted with smooth tires for commuting, I recently bought a HSD P9 (regular seatpost but front suspension) and despite the massive tire size difference the HSD is a much softer ride overall. I am sure frame material, rider position and whatnot factor in but that's my only experience with jumping down in tire size. Main complaint is the 20 inch wheels don't track as well as the 29.

Now I am worried about life expectancy of my fork... Thanks.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2022 01:06

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I don't know if it holds true for the e-bike batteries but our plugin hybrid specifically stated to not store the car with the battery fully charged. I guess Li-lon batteries are at their least stable state when fully charged and should not be kept there for long. I charge my battery inside since my garage is not heated/cooled.

I rode in today for the first time with some icy spots on the roads and almost ate it so now I am thinking I may need winter tires. :homebrew:

kimbo305 posted:

What pressures were you running in each, and what tires sizes?

Good point, 29x2.0 @45 psi and the Tern is 20x2.15 @35-40 psi.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2022 21:48

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I had some jerk yell at me for "cheating" when I rode past him on my Tern the other day and it felt like a rite of passage, much like the first time I had someone roll coal on me when I bought a Prius.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2023 01:55

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

My bike came with Big Apple tires, 800 miles on them so far and they seem fine, no punctures yet and I ride over broken glass and trash almost everyday.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2023 19:55

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

incogneato posted:

This isn't really ebike specific (is there are cargo bike thread?), but I figured it was worth asking:

Does anyone have experience/thoughts on whether a full long tail cargo bike is useful for just one kid? For example, would something like a Radwagon be overkill vs a Radrunner (just using Rad for size reference)?

I have been looking at full size cargo bikes like the Blix Packa Genie with some vague idea that it'd be nice to have room for the kid plus maybe a small grocery run or library books or whatever. But would a Radwagon-sized bike with panniers work just as well?

What about Benno? Might be worth checking out but I have no first hand knowledge of them.

https://www.clevercycles.com/benno-remidemi-etility-bike.html

# ¿ Mar 8, 2023 20:12

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I have a routine maintenance question. I am currently racking up mileage to the point where the maintenance symbol is lighting up every other month, with my local shop charging $120 for each visit I need to start doing my own maintenance. I've done a lot of work on my mountain bikes so I can handle the basics but would usually leave bigger things to a mechanic.

Is it ok for me to maintain my Tern myself and only bring it like every 1,500 miles for a going over or will that void the warranty?

# ¿ Mar 9, 2023 18:51

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I don't mind paying a shop $120 for an hour of their time if the employees are well taken care of, thats not my concern. I just can't justify $700 a year in maintenance for something I can do myself but I am concerned about warranty issues.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2023 19:19

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Huggybear posted:

It's fine with Tern, just don't tell your LBS you're doing it. That little maintenance icon thingy (Bosch?) is so they can update firmware and lighten your wallet for no reason. I am pretty sure you can download the software for the different systems yourself and it's extremely user friendly. Buy a torque wrench and keep your fasteners tight, inspect your brake pads every couple of weeks, check the firmware every thousand klicks or so and bring your bike in if you have legit issues over your head and they likely won't even notice the mileage differential unless they are anal enough to track it. That said LBS owners are a higher than average proportion of assholes. Personally, I see a modified ebike and I just look the other way unless it's a safety issue. Otherwise the industry is going to go the John Deere route and that would loving suck

edit: warranty repair work usually refers to warranty issues, like an electrical fault or a bad motor or I don't know, squished headset bearings out of the box. It's not like a car lease where you must have the oil changed by the dealer every six months or whatever. It doesn't usually mean regular maintenance or firmware updates. YMMV as some bike shops suck.

Thanks for the info!

# ¿ Mar 10, 2023 19:15

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Very nice! Can't wait till I can put a kid seat on the back of my HSD! BTW I found the stock pedals to be very slippery when wet, if you haven't already I would think about swapping those out.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2023 20:03

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

BUUNNI posted:

Super cool, wish it was easier to switch from chain to belt on e-bikes. One of the major upgrades alongside hydraulic brakes that I�ve noticed would be super nice to have.

Yeah my only slight regret with my GSD is not getting the belt drive, last winter I was doing ever other day service on the chain and it needed to be replaced after only 4 months of ownership. I since upgraded the chain but I am still probably looking at 2 chains a year.

# ¿ Jun 26, 2023 21:09

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

kimbo305 posted:

I got my Tern Quick Haul in September last year, and after using it rain or shine (though mostly shine) 5-6 times a week, the controller died and power cut out maybe 30s into a ride.
I have been testing intermittently since, and sometimes I can see the LCD screen power up, and then show the OFF lettering before turning back off. Each time I turn it on, the battery comes on (the LED charge indicator lights up like normal), so there's still some electronic life in there. It rained on me a couple times in the past week, once pretty heavily. The layout of the parts seems pretty weatherized to me, and I imagine Bosch tested these things endlessly, but I still suspect water.

Unfortunately, with the busy summer cycling season, the local Tern dealer can't look at it til 7/8.
I'll keep using it without a battery, with conveniently long daylight right now.
Once I turn it in, I'll have to dust off the old cargo bike.

Have you tried charging the computer via the usb port? I didn't realize I needed to charge it on my HSD until it popped up saying "charge computer" or something like that.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2023 21:57

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Interesting, I have the Bosch Purion and all I did was plug the USB into my laptop for a few hours and the "Charge Display" stopped popping up. :shrug:

After my courtesy tune up I haven't taken my bike into the shop and have done all the maintenance myself, it's probably about time to pony up the cash to have some professionals look over my bike.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2023 17:37

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

It may have just been an extra cold day when I got the battery warning. I wonder why the display can't just run on the main battery, voltage difference?

# ¿ Jun 30, 2023 21:01

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

That makes sense, I guess I'll pick up some batteries to have on hand.

# ¿ Jun 30, 2023 21:14

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

oXDemosthenesXo posted:

Which hsd are you looking at? None of the ones I can find use a 5 speed. Which 5 speed hub are they specing on the one you're looking at?

I've been running a Sturmey Archer 5 speed hub with a BBS02 for 6-7 years and it's worked great. The low gear count is meaningless when the motor can fill in any power gaps, and the range goes from granny gear to 30mph gear. I'm not carrying anywhere near the weight you're taking about but with appropriate gearing I don't see why a 5 speed is a problem.

If anything I like it better with fewer gears, I'd be shifting every two seconds or skipping gears constantly if there were 11 of them.

My HSD P9 performance has a 9 speed hub and I hardly ever use the top 3 gears, I would gladly trade those for a belt drive that didn't need lube every other day and replacement every 5ish months.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2023 22:01

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

oXDemosthenesXo posted:

You must ride way more miles, under more load, or go harder on the power than me because I only oil my chain once every couple months and replace the it every couple years. I'm averaging 5-10 miles per day year round.

I hear you about the belt drive though, I'm eyeing one for my next commute build.

Odd. I�m at 14 miles per day, ride in tour mode 90% of the time and mostly carry light loads. Granted I ride a lot in the rain and and my route has mild hills, I lube the chain closer to 1-2 times per week not �every other day.�

Chain replacement seems better since switching to shimano, the first chain stretched out in under a thousand miles.

# ¿ Aug 19, 2023 17:16

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Useless pedals that make it "legally" allowed to be on the same path as pedestrians and cyclists is such a dick move and is only going to cause more regulation around all ebikes when someone slams into a pedestrian on what is basically a motorcycle.

Edit: Just put schwalbe pick-up tires on my HSD and it's a noticeable difference in ride quality, these tires feel like they were built specifically for cargo bikes (cause they were), highly recommend.

raggedphoto fucked around with this message at 19:18 on Oct 4, 2023

# ¿ Oct 4, 2023 19:15

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Schwalbe Big apple on the front and Big Ben on the back, I don't know why it came with two different tires but they held up well enough. I think I even recommended the Big Apple in the past but I started getting flats from broken glass pretty frequently as the tread wore down. The Pick ups have a stiffer ride but feel so much sturdier, like the bike now has boots on instead of flip flops.

# ¿ Oct 4, 2023 20:57

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I felt the same, I had to dial in the pressure before I felt confident cornering hard... 42 PSI was my sweet spot.

# ¿ Oct 4, 2023 21:47

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

karthun posted:

Well just bought a Benno Boost. My wife's car is on its last legs and we don't know if it will survive another Minnesota winter. Instead of getting a new(er) car for her we are going to try one car and one ebike. Just got to add a dropper seat post so we can change the height of the seat quickly.

Congrats! Wife and I went down to one car when I bought the HSD a little over a year ago and so far so good but it certainly wouldn't work for everyone.

# ¿ Oct 7, 2023 00:46

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

kimbo305 posted:

I've mailed out all the ones that first wave of people wanted.
I have left 2 each of:
- black (looks more like a gray)
- white
- yellow
- blue

I am late to the party but would love to buy a couple from you, PM sent!

# ¿ Oct 19, 2023 17:18

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Thanks to kimbo305 for the sweet sticker! Now if my bike is stolen I can describe something unique about it.

# ¿ Nov 15, 2023 20:23

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Shifter cable busted at handlebar on my Tern HSD. I�m able to handle most maintenance including adjusting derailers but is changing the cable a DIY friendly fix or am I better taking it in. It�s probably time to have the computer firmware updated as well I�m just trying to avoid shop costs.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2024 02:22

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Great, thanks for the info. I figured it�s something I can handle but this bike is far more expensive and complicated than my Karate Monkey.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2024 04:39

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

It's crazy how quickly you can rack up the miles on a e-bike, my HSD is at 3,700 miles and is about 1.5 years old!

# ¿ Mar 8, 2024 00:15

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

My bike is about 60 pounds and I found it to be bigger headache than I though it would be. My office has 4 steps to get into the building and getting my bike up them is doable but a pain, getting the bike into my truck is difficult and overall the bike just feels heavy. Whenever I go to pick up my rigid mountain bike I practically throw into the air it's so light in comparison.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 20:17

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I�m in Portland so I lock up my bike completely even if only running into a coffee shop or something. U-lock with a cable running through the seat and front wheel (if I can�t get the u-lock through the wheel and frame) cafe lock on the rear wheel and I remove everything including the battery if I am going to be a few hours.

I had someone steal my crusty water bottle from my bike once, if it�s not locked up it�ll be gone in no time.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2024 18:42

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Congrats NinjaDebugger! Enjoy that outdoor air and exercise.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2024 22:41

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

I use the proper hand signals for turning but whenever I see a cyclist use the hand down brake signal I am super impressed, I am far too lazy for that.

# ¿ May 8, 2024 19:03

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

corona familiar posted:

are you supposed to signal with your right hand in this case? it seems like more of an emergency measure akin to using the hazards to warn of sudden stopped traffic ahead, in which case i�m usually too busy braking to signal with my left hand

more rear lights should come with accelerometer-driven braking detection as standard

I was a bit disappointed that my bike didn't have a brake light but I am pretty aware of my surroundings (never ride with earbuds) and it hasn't been a issue yet.

# ¿ May 8, 2024 23:51

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

True but other bikers and gizmoducks are a concern too.

# ¿ May 9, 2024 23:35

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 09:52

raggedphoto: May 10, 2008; I'd like to shoot you

Celebrated 4K miles by hauling some wood chips! :toot:

# ¿ May 17, 2024 22:42

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > E-Bikes! Not easier, just farther and faster