Search found 93 matches

by richtea99
8 Mar 2024, 7:09pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Night p*nct*re scenario comes to pass
Replies: 23
Views: 1045

Re: Night p*nct*re scenario comes to pass

rareposter wrote: 8 Mar 2024, 6:25pm I suspect any sealant would have struggled with the hole from a 35mm screw.
That's well into the territory where you'll be needing a Dynaplug (or similar).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Ugxe3fTNo
Dynaplug is for tubeless tyres, not tubes. And as an aside Dynaplugs can take a fair bit of effort too, I've found (on motorbike tyres anyway), because they need to be a tight fit to seal. This one was definitely a 'replace the tube' solution I'd say, and the OP did very well!

Flipping the bike is less stressful if you have space to lay it down first, and then turn it upside down. Then you're only having to lift up half the weight, in effect. Trying to flip it in mid-air can be painful on the back / impossible, depending in the weight of the bike.
by richtea99
8 Dec 2023, 6:40pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Ribble SLe Range Extender
Replies: 7
Views: 4449

Re: Ribble SLe Range Extender

Did you see my reply here?
viewtopic.php?t=159016&sid=6596aa41fcfb ... b52a419b70
i.e.
1. Allow to charge until the error disappears (around 3 hours). 2. If the error persists, try a new charger.

Step 1 should have been done by your LBS. Did they?
by richtea99
2 Dec 2023, 10:43am
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Helmet choice
Replies: 22
Views: 1870

Re: Helmet choice

Cycle helmets are designed for 15.5 mph accidents, motorbike helmets are designed for 30mph and greater.
How fast do you pedal?

A 1.5Kg motorbike helmet is cosy in the current chilly weather, but it's hellish hot in summer below 30mph - and that's without sweating through exercise.

A potential halfway house is a full-face cycle helmet, if you really believe you're likely to fall off forwards, but expect to be less comfy.
by richtea99
2 Dec 2023, 10:30am
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: E BIKE MOTION ERROR CODE 201
Replies: 1
Views: 776

Re: E BIKE MOTION ERROR CODE 201

Here's what I have for error codes:

Image

i.e.
1. Allow to charge until the error disappears (around 3 hours). 2. If the error persists, try a new charger.
by richtea99
22 Nov 2023, 11:01pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Road/gravel ebike
Replies: 31
Views: 5245

Re: Road/gravel ebike

Cugel wrote: 20 Nov 2023, 10:03pm There's three Fazua equipped bikes in our household, all of which have worked very well indeed, with one now in use for 5 years. There have been some minor issues, such as loose bolts in the BB gearbox and a cracked battery/motor holder catch. Both of these seem to have been faults of the bike manufacturer's installation of the Fazua system into their frame rather than anything to do with Fazua.
Agreed - we have a 3 year-old Fazua (the older Ride 50 system variety), with minimal problems - loose BB bolts as above, and a sticky release button which you need to lubricate every 6 months or so.

> the battery therefore gets torqued/twisted in the frame so needs to be a very snug fit in its sleeve not to shift and vibrate about under load.
Ours is definitely snug in the sleeve - no movement whatsoever.

> Electrical wiring is also pretty exposed on the 50.
It looked like someone designed it to have a clip-on cover under the BB, but never fitted it, agreed! But we've not had any problems there.

I would buy another one in future, but I have an eBikemotion/Mahle-based bike already. I rate the Fazua as better designed and constructed than the Mahle, mainly because of it being mid-motor.

There's no denying both designs are expensive to fix when they go wrong of course, due to the integration and it being a closed system, i.e. you have to use an approved dealer. On the other hand, they're both tidy 'small' battery designs.
by richtea99
19 Nov 2023, 8:27pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Adding USB socket to Shimano Steps - with health warning
Replies: 6
Views: 1121

Re: Adding USB socket to Shimano Steps - with health warning

DGG1941 wrote: 16 Nov 2023, 10:59am As a tourer, keeping my phone charged while using GPS is high up the list of must haves and it seems crazy not being able to exploit the huge battery that’s already in place on the trike.
Consider a cheap power bank - it will keep you charged up. They're around £12 - £25 depending on the capacity required:
- no wiring hassle or worry
- can be used in other situations off the bike
- doesn't drain your just-as-vital-as-the-GPS bike battery!

As an aside, consider using dark mode to save battery if your phone has an OLED screen - less bright pixels require less power power. (If you have an plain backlit LCD screen dark mode won't help.)
by richtea99
19 Sep 2023, 6:20pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Reliability of Mahle batteries
Replies: 16
Views: 6565

Re: Reliability of Mahle batteries

Oh, that's not good. Sorry to hear that.
What were the symptoms?
by richtea99
10 Sep 2023, 12:04pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Is Argos' E-Move Electric bikes worth it?
Replies: 46
Views: 8415

Re: Is Argos' E-Move Electric bikes worth it?

W0lfy wrote: 7 Sep 2023, 8:26pm I'm at 123-125 KGs and I am over the typical 100 KGs manufacturer recommended limit which is extremely frustrating. And that doesn't include my camera gear, water and a jacket or rain protection and helmet (which would be between 5 and 10 more KGs).
I am worried that the spokes and the tires won't be able to take the pressure very well (and I had very frustrating problems with flats on the road in the past).
Maximum rider weight is usually 115-120Kg, plus a decent allowance for luggage 15-20Kg.
See Halfords advice here, as an example - with the overall max being 140Kg:
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/faqs/adu ... limit.html
So don't let that put you off.

Yes, you'll need a reasonable pair of wheels, and you'll need to make sure your tyres are pumped up enough that the rims don't bottom out through the tyres on bumps. The tyres can take it! This pump has a gauge, pumps the tyres in very few pumps, and is a breeze (ha) to use:
https://www.wiggle.com/p/lifeline-essential-track-pump
by richtea99
11 Jul 2023, 6:30pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Reliability of Mahle batteries
Replies: 16
Views: 6565

Re: Reliability of Mahle batteries

stodd wrote: 10 Jul 2023, 9:26am
dragonrider wrote: 10 Jul 2023, 8:37am So much rubbish being talked! The best one is taking the batteries indoors in cold weather. As a friend said, are we all going to park our electric cars in the house!
It is apparently important not to charge in very cold (I don't think you are). With electric cars that can't be avoided, but the batteries have some form of heating to mitigate that. So you can't really compare electric cars and ebikes on that.
Exactly right. From here:
https://batteryuniversity.com/article/b ... mperatures
Many battery users are unaware that consumer-grade lithium-ion batteries cannot be charged below 0°C (32°F). Although the pack appears to be charging normally, plating of metallic lithium occurs on the anode during a sub-freezing charge that leads to a permanent degradation in performance and safety. Batteries with lithium plating are more vulnerable to failure if exposed to vibration or other stressful conditions. Advanced chargers (Cadex) prevent charging Li-ion below freezing.

Using the battery below 0C is OK.
by richtea99
10 Apr 2023, 9:27pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: E bikemotion charging
Replies: 7
Views: 1280

Re: E motion charging

The ideal battery storage level is between 20-80% for extended storage and, if need be, then top it up before you go out for a ride.
The bit I don't know is 'before a ride', but I'm assuming charging it the night before is fine. I believe it's leaving the battery highly charged/flat for many days/weeks that degrades it.

See advice here from Ribble who have the same Mahle / ebikemotion system:
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/blog/car ... les-guide/

You can actively run the battery down to below 20% on a ride without damage - just remember to charge it back up to 20%+ before stashing it away for a week or two.

I've had my ebikemotion bike for 3 years and I've not noticed any drop in storage capability yet.
by richtea99
2 Mar 2023, 4:54pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Lightweight electric bike
Replies: 53
Views: 11804

Re: Lightweight electric bike

dodger1 wrote: 1 Mar 2023, 8:38pm It's light enough to move without a hernia and should slide easily into the rear of my car. Some of those I tried felt like tanks, although under power they are equally delightful.
Remove the battery first before lifting into the car, and it will be pretty close to the weight of a 'normal' bike.
Job's a good 'un.
by richtea99
12 Feb 2023, 4:22pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Servicing
Replies: 8
Views: 987

Re: Servicing

I have a similar bike - an 2020 Orbea Gain - with the same ebikemotion/Mahle system, and have run it for nearly 3 years with no problems.

There's no ebike-specific maintenance required - the system is sealed. You're correct that it's a 'closed' system and only an Orbea dealer can upgrade it, but as a previous poster says if it works well at the moment, I wouldn't worry about it.

If you aren't mechanically minded, then it's worth having someone else check the bike over once a year. It doesn't have to be a bike shop. That's true of any bike - not just ebikes.

The one difference on my Orbea compared to my previous bike is that I have to adjust the brakes much more often, and also replace the brake pads (again this isn't ebike-specific, but I'm just bring it to your attention!). I suspect I'm a bit heavy on the brakes. I replaced my pads at around the 1000 mile mark. They aren't expensive, but there's obviously labour involved to replace them. If they're hydraulic, it's probably a 2 year replacement regime for the brake fluid, so at 8 months there are no worries there.
by richtea99
6 Sep 2022, 10:43pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: No smartphone
Replies: 17
Views: 1623

Re: No smartphone

mumbojumbo wrote: 6 Sep 2022, 7:28pm You can get these for under £100 -join the modern era..|You can use it to watch Max Millar on youtube.
There are also spelling lessons, celeb sites, and fact-checking sites online too.
Karma. :D
by richtea99
31 Aug 2022, 11:28am
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Travellers' Tales: Ranging far on eMTBs Electric mountain bikes aren’t just for trail centres
Replies: 12
Views: 823

Re: Travellers' Tales: Ranging far on eMTBs Electric mountain bikes aren’t just for trail centres

It's unlikely that a well-known company like Scott would sell standard bikes with more than 250W / 15.5mph assistance unless they're speed-pedelecs (which they aren't from a closer look at the image).

To back that theory up, the maximum assistance speeds are described here on their website, along with more info on watt-hours and predicted ride distance:
https://www.scott-sports.com/gb/en/page/e-bikes-faq

I'm sure gxaustin has simply confused watts with watt-hours, as Nearholmer suggests above. It's easily done

It's:
- watts (W) for motor power
- watt-hours (Wh) for battery capacity, i.e. how long can the battery drive that motor for

Example: his 500Wh battery driving a 250W motor gives 500/250 = 2 hours of full blast assistance

The article says after 4.5 hours he had 4Km range left, so he used roughly half power for the whole ride on average. That sounds about right.
Or he sat in the cafe for 2.5 hours, and then just went for it for the rest of the time. :D
by richtea99
28 Aug 2022, 11:21pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Lightweight electric bike
Replies: 53
Views: 11804

Re: Lightweight electric bike

peterb wrote: 28 Aug 2022, 5:03pm I'ii be amazed if anyone finds the bike you describe at under 15kg, or anywhere near. The lightest e-road bikes available are around 12kg and £4.5K up - eg Scott Addict e-ride 30, Ribble SLe, and are certainly not touring bikes. I have an Orbea Gain - middle of the range equipment wise, small size frame, and with pedals mudguards saddlepack, lights, bottle cage etc it weighs almost 16kg. If you then add a supplementary battery pack to give more range it adds even more weight.
Agreed with that.

A 2020 Gain (i.e. the previous incarnation with external cabling) is quite close to a touring bike - I replaced a Mercian with it. :shock:
The addtional weight over a steel audax tourer is offset by the flexibility/ease it offers when climbing hills. It's a compromise I'm very happy with after 2 years of use.

An Orbea Vibe is close to a Gain if you want flat bars, but as peterb says, probably closer to 16Kg once you've loaded it up with the extras:
https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/urban/vibe/cat/

A Boardman HYB 8.9e will probably get you better climbing ability on steep Cornish hills, but that's another extra Kg on top of the Vibe/Gain:
https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/pro ... -8.9e.html

Neither will get you 50 miles unless you limit the assistance to just hill climbing / strong winds. I get around 70-80 miles doing that.

To get below 15Kg with guards, rack, bell, pump, etc, you'll need to go carbon, and pay through the nose to lose the extra Kg or two.