General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[imatlas]

That almost seems *too* cheap. Is it that the class 2 motor setup is actually cheaper because it doesn't have to back itself into "assist-only" mode?

Hub drive, 350W motor, minimal bells and whistles, tight margins. I wonder what the margin is on those $14,000 ebikes from Specialized.

And yes, a throttle seems like a cheaper component to build than the pedal assist drivetrain would be.

 

[Piobaire]

Are you going for just a throttle or throttle/pedal assist combo?

 

[imatlas]

I don’t think we’re going to have a lot of options to choose from - the throttle requirement cut down the options dramatically, and wanting to try it in person cuts it down even further. Pedago has a dealership about 45 minutes out of town, we’re going to try to get there this week.

 

[Piobaire]

Well, you know The Shat recommends 'em.

I see people on them doing 17-18 miles an hour both coasting up a grade without losing speed and also pedaling around 30-40 rpm with no effort at that speed so it must have both.

 

[Thrift Vader]

Big breakthrough in the Marzocchi forks for the Norco.
I had so many frustrations with my forks and finding replacements.
Then? I found THE guy.

Mountain Biking | Forks Springs Shocks | Service | Mtb Forks by Mark

Full Service, Rebuild & Sales shop of Marzocchi mountain bike parts & forks. Mtb Forks by Mark may have the largest global selection of NOS, Marzocchi parts/forks and small selection of Manitou. Always go the extra miles. Your business is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

www.mtbforksbymark.com

This dude Mark is setting me up with Minty replacements of my original forks, with choices of stickers. and some Canti mounts for the 1" headset forks i got here to put on the wife's bike.
**** yes! He's hooking it all up for a great price too!

So even though i don't have them yet? Problem solved.
Check out his site. He's the guy for forks for your project bikes.
Not a paid endorsement, i'm just so stoked.

 

[otc]

@Piobaire @5:43

 

[Piobaire]

It's all the rage with the cycloscenti.

 

[Piobaire]

@flipstah

 

[flipstah]

@flipstah

I love oldshovel videos. So good!

After riding the Phoenix after several sessions, it looks like I made the rear brake cable a bit too long so it has sloppy grip. Adjusted it and running very well! Thanks all for your help and patience. I almost gave up but you all kept me going.

 

[imatlas]

Took the wife to a Pedego dealer over the weekend (her longest trip since early March - an hour's drive out of town). She enjoyed the bikes and found a potential fit for her needs. She needed to build up some confidence but I was having a blast just tooling around at full throttle with my feet in the air

The bikes themselves are practically K-Mart level quality, with a commodity electric motor (hub mounted in most of their models), and a boutique price tag. The base model we are looking at is $3,000, for another $1,000 it comes with shock absorbing forks and some other doodads. The business model seems to be brand specific dealerships with high touch customer service and high price tags.

Luckily Avenant bikes are 1) half the price and 2) repped here in town. We're going to try those next.

The big decider may be something pretty subtle, though: the Pedego has the option to start from stationary with the throttle only, useful if you're not very practiced at getting a bike moving (and these things are heavy). The Avenant does not offer that feature, for safety reasons. I learned that myself during my test ride - at one point I managed to turn the throttle while I was off the bike, which almost ended badly for my crotch.

 

[Thrift Vader]

Betting on Yamaha

 

[imatlas]

Betting on Yamaha

You have lost your bet.

DO YAMAHA POWER ASSIST BICYCLES HAVE A THROTTLE?
All Yamaha Power Assist Bicycles are pedal assist only and do not have a throttle.

 

[imatlas]

I'm kind of in love:

Tracker Classic

The Tracker full throttle electric bike from Vintage Electric can go up to 50 miles in range at up to 36 miles per hour. With its 720 watt battery and thoughtful design, the Tracker e-bike will get you where you need to go and turn heads along the way. Learn More.

www.vintageelectricbikes.com

36 mph on throttle alone, in "race" mode. I like the note: "Only on private property", because that's faster than ebikes are allowed to go in the US.

 

[Piobaire]

I had a bike as a kid that looked rather like that, right down to being red.

 

[mhip]

I'm kind of in love:

Tracker Classic

The Tracker full throttle electric bike from Vintage Electric can go up to 50 miles in range at up to 36 miles per hour. With its 720 watt battery and thoughtful design, the Tracker e-bike will get you where you need to go and turn heads along the way. Learn More.

www.vintageelectricbikes.com

36 mph on throttle alone, in "race" mode. I like the note: "Only on private property", because that's faster than ebikes are allowed to go in the US.

I found one that fully equipped goes 47mph with an 80 mile range.
With all the bells and whistles, it's over $13K