|
Thanks for the thread, great timing as I'm taking a hard look at venturing into the wide world of electrified cycles and really looking for some wisdom. Shopping for something mainly for my commute and grocery trips, maybe some light travel and the occasional camping trip or mountain trail if I feel bold. My commute is not too long but includes steep hills, roughly paved roads, and seasonally, deep snow and heavy rain. My body is large and goonish. I've been getting by with a mountain bike for the last few years, but the frame is a little short and can be awkward to pedal, and often leaves me with sore legs. I've also broken spokes, bent the gears, worn down treads (rear tire much more than the front, presumably owing to the weight), and snapped a few chains. Maybe that's normal for an everyday bike over a couple years(I honestly wouldn't know), but at this point, I've put about as much money onto the thing in repairs and servicing as it cost in the first place, so I'm feeling ready to upgrade to something a little more rugged that gives me an easier ride, especially on the uphill legs. I got to borrow a fat-tire model for a week, and I was really impressed. It was a Japanese make, so assist crapped out around 25kph (~15 mph?), which did feel a little underpowered (I very quickly got up to speed on flat ground and then got frustrated with the weight when the assist cut out), and the frame was definitely too short, but I was pretty impressed with the overall feel, so I'm thinking I'd like a fatty, particularly when I account for the snow. Also on the lookout for a generous weight allowance. Whatever I settle on, I'll be needing it in Japan so I'm also open to suggestions regarding shipping options. I wouldn't mind a Japanese-market bike of course, but pretty much all of them I've seen are a little short for me, and most models are either capped around 15mph or just lose the pedals and make the leap into full-blown electric scooters, and I don't think either of those are really what I'm looking for. I've tried to do some research, and from what I've seen, it looks like I might be on the hook for $2500~3000 for a solid number that checks my boxes without going Insano Mode on the horsepower? Any suggestions or advice on what to look out for is welcome, I'm not much of a gearhead.
|
#
¿
Jul 21, 2020 15:37
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 17, 2024 18:11 |
|
|
Rocko Bonaparte posted:I can't help directly here since I don't know what's available in Japan, what could be shipped to Japan, or even what can be bought outside of Japan and brought in. Most e-bikes can be configured to cut off at a lower speed, but I think you're in a legal frontier if software capping is insufficient. For the right bike, I would definitely look at options to import. If it's too much juice, I might technically have to get scooter plates or something but I have my license so that's fine. Thanks for the heads up on Dapu, the bike shop guy that loaned me his fat tire for the week gave me a catalog and it looks like most of the Jpn market bikes I would consider come with Shimano parts, which seem to have favorable reviews?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2020 16:09
|
|
|
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!
|
|
#
¿
Aug 7, 2020 12:11
|
|
|
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 |
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2020 10:57
|
|
|
My bike came, and I've been rambling around with it a few weeks now. The stock headlight is pretty dinky, 100 lumens definitely won't cut it for me. I'd like to get a replacement that also fits on the fender mount and wires into the battery, is there anything I should know or look out for when shopping for lights? I could make things simple and strap on a handlebar mounted one, but I want to keep the bars clear if I can, plus the wired connection works off the controller which has a sensor or something that clicks it on automatically, which I like.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2020 23:50
|
|
|
I posted earlier about looking for a new headlamp, I am eyeballing a model and got the specs for my bike from the manufacturer, but I am not really understanding what a voltage range actually means, in terms of compatibility. The light I want says "Suitable for 6-60 V DC supply." My bike's battery is 52v, but the leads for the headlamp apparently are good for "6-36v," according to customer service. (technically, they said "well the stock lamp is 6-36 so as long as the replacement is too, you should be fine!" not sure how to check the actual range of the connection. Printed on the wires?)If my power supply and the connection meet the lower limit of the range for the light, but not the upper, does this mean I might not have sufficient power on the connection for the light? Do I need to find a light specifically for 6-36v?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 11, 2020 02:32
|
|
|
The hex bolt holding my left crank on keeps loosening itself as I ride, my manufacturer's support line sent me an amazon link to this brand to replace it. I live out of the US and importing adds another 20 bucks or so to the price, not to mention all the fuckery holding up international shipping at the moment... I can see from the search string they left in the url that they just looked up "bafang crank bolt" and whipped that at me (lol), is there anything really special about these bolts that wouldn't be satisfied by, for instance, this brand over here, which happen to be available to me in-country?
Epoxy Bulletin fucked around with this message at 14:01 on Sep 2, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2021 13:59
|
|
|
CopperHound posted:Is the crank arm itself loosening? If so, it is ruined and also needs to be replaced. I'm not sure how to tell the difference. I am regularly re-tightening the bolt - every time I feel a little wobble in the crank as I pedal, and stop to fix it, the bolt has loosened to the point that there is no resistance to turning until I tighten it down again.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2021 22:26
|
|
|
That's kind of what I suspected. Even asked Biktrix support if the loose bolt could be from other issues, they assure me just replace the bolt and all will be well, but the exchange didn't give me a lot of confidence. I'm not sure what I would need to look for, but if I slide off the crank arm and take a look, will I be able to spot the wear causing the problem, just to confirm the issue?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 3, 2021 02:22
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 17, 2024 18:11 |
|
|
Thanks for the clear pictures, that last one with the rounded corners is pretty much exactly what I see. Replacement on the way!
|
|
#
¿
Sep 5, 2021 22:15
|
|