New commuting vehicle

Alternative Fuels of all sorts, Biodiesel, Electric, Human Power, Steam, etc.

Moderator: TMAX

User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

I'm planning a new way to get to work.

Image

I bought this bike recently, wih the intention of converting it into an electric bike,

Since I work alsorts of oddball shifts, I need to be able to use it in the dark, as well as during the day.

I have ordered pretty much all of the goodies needed to do the conversion, so hopefully by this time next week I will be on my way to getting to the conversion happening.

My round trip to work is around 30 kilometres (18.75 miles), give or take a couple, depending on the route I take, with some big hills too.
rlaggren
Posts: 380
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 2:32 pm
Location: San Francisco/Chicago
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by rlaggren »

Great project. Going to post all the gory details, right? <g>

That sounds like about an hour or so of peddling. You figure the electrics will speed that up, right?


Rufus
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

Yes, I will be posting, as the project progresses.

My lights are in transit as we speak, should be here in the next couple of days. The lights I've ordered are an MJ-880 LED headlight (2,000 lumen) and an MJ-818 LED tailight (85 lumen) which both run off the same rechargeable Li-ion battery.

I expect round trip to be around one hour. The motor setup that I am getting should do a top speed of around 38kmh, but I don't expect to average that, particularly with the hills involved. Slower to go up, and with the regenerative braking, possibly slower going down some of them.

If this project works out as well as I hope it will, I plan on replacing my car with a housetruck, in the next year or so. As I figure that the lesser amount of driving I will need to do, should make a truck cost no more to run, than my car currently does. And as my car is getting long in the tooth, I do need to start thinking about what to replace it with, when the time comes.
User avatar
Headache
Posts: 544
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Western Mass for now

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by Headache »

I'm definitely going to be watching your project. I've been looking at electric bicycles and scooters here but the good ones are expensive. I've actually been looking at the 3 wheeled bike so I can haul my groceries and junk I pick up at Harbor Freight.
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

I received my lights yesterday, and must say that they appear to be very impressive. Though, the true test will be seeing how effective they are at traveling speed.

The actual conversion gear is on the way now, so I should have it early next week. I've still got to get some bits locally, tyre changing gear, a carrier, heavier inner-tube, etc..

I've also got some other project stuff to post but haven't the time just yet, will hopefully get onto it next week.
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

The other day I bought mud-gaurds, a carrier, inner-tube and tyre changing stuff. I have fitted the carrier and mud-gaurds.

Today the big box of goodies arrived. I have fitted the inner-tube and tyre to the motorized wheel, and fitted the wheel to the bike. Then it got dark outside.

It seemes that the brake disk won't transfer from the old wheel, so I am now waiting on a new one. Hopefully it won't be to much of a mission to fit it. I had to modify the torque arm to make it fit my bike.

It looks like it may take awhile to get this conversion up and running, as I work through the unexpected kinks, but every day of progress is just getting the project a little closer to a working e-bike.
User avatar
Headache
Posts: 544
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Western Mass for now

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by Headache »

Nice! Do you mind putting up some pics of what parts you are working on or have mentioned? I don't know too much about bicycles or the electric parts either.
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

I will eventually put pic's up, but it may not be until things are a little closer to finish, as my preference is to use what daylight hours I have to work on the bike, rather than taking photo's. But I will definitely do photo's when I get a chance.
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

I managed to get everything temporarily hooked up and took it for a quick test ride, before it got dark tonight. It is going to be very good, when I finish it. I still need to work on how to permanently mount the controller and improve the way I secure the battery. I also need to tidy the wiring from the throttle and regenerative brake switch.

I think all that should be done by early next week, then hopefully I should have the new back brake disc, and should be able to fit that. Also I should get enough time to start taking photo's then too.
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

Here is the first couple of pics. The first is the headlight, and the second is the tail light.

Image
Image
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

This is the torque arm which needed modifying, to fit around the derailier.

Image
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

This is the controller, with the on/off switch at the front.
Image

And from the other side, with all of the wires going in, and coming out of the back.
Image
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

The green button is the re-generative braking switch.
Image

And below is the thumb throttle, against the side of the handgrip.
Image
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

Inside this bag is the 48v 10ah LiFePo4 Battery. It comprises about half the cost of the conversion.
Image

And the 8.4V 6.6mAh Li-ion Battery, which powers the lights
Image
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: New commuting vehicle

Post by stuartcnz »

This is about how it looks now.
Image
Image
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests