Pedego / Interceptor

[Jerome Daoust]

Continuation of a previous topic where i was choosing a pair of new
bikes:
http://groups.google.com/group/tidalforce/browse_thread/thread/91137d8f52bd536b#

Chose the Pedego / Interceptor:
http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/electric-bikes-online-store/?a=store&sview=view_product&id=72

Got the pair of bikes today.
Test ride:
Range: Lisa did 22.0 miles until 1st battery cutoff, then switch to
2nd battery.
Jerome did 23.2 miles on 1st battery to destination. No cutoff,
but was low.
Did not charge the batteries ourselves, so going with being told
they were fully charged.
Speed: 1/4 of the time at maximum (near 30 mph). But varied. Fun
passing other cyclists.
Bike feels like a police interceptor, optimized for speed, so
good "Interceptor" name.
Power: Very little peddling.
Conditions: Lots of stop/go. About dozen small hills (underpasses).

Braking felt good.

Tires don't feel too grippy as I heard them slip a few times when
braking, but no big deal.

Other surprises:
- Center stand has adjustable length legs.
- Rear brake has a key to lock rear wheel.
- Top battery support came unglued from bottom battery, but likely
because it was pried apart when bending it to reduce rattling of top
battery. Should be easy to fix.

Overall: I'm happy, with this setup I can do 40+ mile ride without
holding back. Quote from girlfriend Lisa: "Fabulous".

[deerfencer1]

Jerome,

Sounds great! Best of luck with your new rides.

How about some average speed stats? And how do these bikes do on steep
grades? Extended climbs?
Please continue to file some more detailed reports as you put some
miles on. How many Ahs on the packs?

BTW, regarding rattling batteries and the like, I use one of those
compressed foam rubber gardener's kneeling pads as cushioning between
the rear rack and the battery, which sits inside a fairly heavy Topeak
cargo pack, so essentially the batts are double-cushioned. Strap it
all down tight with a couple heavy-duty bungees and nothing moves or
even rattles, even over jarring terrain.

LH

On Aug 10, 1:48 am, Jerome Daoust <eyestothe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Continuation of a previous topic where i was choosing a pair of new
> bikes:

> http://groups.google.com/group/tidalforce/browse_thread/thread/91137d...

>
> Chose the Pedego / Interceptor:

> http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/electric-bikes-online-store/?a=sto...

[Jerome Daoust]

Hi Larry,

Each battery is rated as 48 V 10 Ah.

I need to get instrumentation (speed, distance) for my bike. Last time
I measured speed was by borrowing my motorcycle GPS (Zumo 660).

One thing I did do yesterday, is start a short underpass hill (maybe
300' long) from a standstill. It got up easy and then I put my hand on
the hub motor... Cold. I will see if longer hills heat it up.

Good idea about the foam rubber to eliminate rattling.

Jerome

> > holding back. Quote from girlfriend Lisa: "Fabulous".- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[deerfencer1]

20+ miles/10 ah at the speeds you were traveling with light pedaling
is very good efficiency IMO--at least compared the the TFXs. I average
around 1.6 miles/ah on my SX.

LH

[Jerome Daoust]

On Aug 10, 12:04 pm, deerfencer1 <deerfenc...@aol.com> wrote:
> 20+ miles/10 ah at the speeds you were traveling with light pedaling
> is very good efficiency IMO

> LH

I agree.

I put together this dedicated webpage and will post future updates
there:
http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Jerome/Bike/Gear/Electric/Review/2010_08_10_JeromeDaoust_Pedego_2010_Interceptor/Main.htm

Good rides,
Jerome

[miro13carr]

Be careful when comparing 36V system with 48V system.
At 48 obviously there is no problem to reach 30m/hour.
Currents drawn are smaller for the same delivered power.
MC

On Aug 10, 11:25 pm, Jerome Daoust <eyestothe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Aug 10, 12:04 pm, deerfencer1 <deerfenc...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > 20+ miles/10 ah at the speeds you were traveling with light pedaling
> > is very good efficiency IMO
> > LH
>
> I agree.
>
> I put together this dedicated webpage and will post future updates

> there:http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Jerome/Bike/Gear/Electric/Review/20...
>
> Good rides,
>    Jerome

[Jerome Daoust]

On Aug 5, 2:47 pm, Bike_on <therowe...@verizon.net> wrote:
>
> 500W ave at 48V means the average current is 10.4A. It should handle
> small hills and short current surges. Be careful running it too hard
> for too long.
>
> Dan

Made this entry the other day. It isn't Pike's Peak, but it's the
biggest climb I encounter in my typical routes...
On 2010/8/13, I rode fast up a moderate hill, climbing 230’ in 0.47
mile (2482’) which is a 5.3° incline. I stopped at the top to touch
both motor sides and they were warm but not hot. I guess the
temperature to be 120°F. No overheating.

One of my bike path takes me through a park and it is a pattern of
gentle S-turns. Pleasant if you go at normal bike speeds, but at my
speed I was finding myself leaning like I do on my motorcycle. Instant
grin.

Going on a 35 mile ride this afternoon with the GF. Half straight
river trail (probably with headwind), half slow beach bike path
cruising and people-watching. Nice to know we will have battery energy
to spare.

Good rides guys,
Jerome

PS, yesterday's pictures from the dark side:
http://ocmoto.com/index.php?topic=31986.msg4380770#msg4380770

[Jérôme Daoust]

2010/8/15 ride.

Conditions: Moderate wind. No hills. 50% of the distance on road or straight river trail at high speed, other half at slow pace along busy beach bike path.

1^st battery cut at 27.4 mile for girlfriend, and 33.7 mile for me. Great.

 

Picture...

I added an Airzound horn and a Planet bike / Superflash tail light.

[Bike_on]

Jerome,

Thanks for the report. 48V speed must be a thrill.

So your eff is 48x10 whr/33.7mi = 14.2 whr/mi. Not bad for a 500W
motor running 100% half the time.

You speced your bike at 54 lbs without the battery. How much extra
are the two batteries in the back? It looks rear-heavy. If those
batteries weigh 20lbs, and it is all on the rear with a motor, i'd say
that is not a moderate issue (75lb bike). But for casual riding...who
cares?

For comparison, the high-priced Opti weights 55 lbs with a 20 ahr (at
36V) battery placed low and center, balanced, light wheels and low
COG. When running ECO mode, I get 12-14 whr/mi at 250-300W ave.

Dan

On Aug 16, 12:36 am, Jérôme Daoust <eyestothe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 2010/8/15 ride.
> Conditions: Moderate wind. No hills. 50% of the distance on road or straight
> river trail at high speed, other half at slow pace along busy beach bike
> path.
> 1st battery cut at 27.4 mile for girlfriend, and 33.7 mile for me. Great.
>
> Picture...

> I added an Airzound <http://www.deltacycle.com/Airzound-Bike-Horn> horn and
> a Planet bike / Superflash <http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3034.html> tail
> light.
>
>  2010_08_15_CA_HuntingtonBeach_PedegoInterceptor.jpg
> 1520KViewDownload

[Jerome Daoust]

On Aug 17, 9:51 am, Bike_on <therowe...@verizon.net> wrote:
> How much extra
> are the two batteries in the back?  It looks rear-heavy.  If those
> batteries weigh 20lbs, and it is all on the rear with a motor, i'd say
> that is not a moderate issue (75lb bike).  But for casual riding...who
> cares?

Hi Dan,

I should weight them myself, but the manufacturer said about 10 lb
each battery.
It is rear heavy, but I only notice it when parking the bike.
Like you said, for my casual riding (road or bike path), it doesn't
bother me.

- Jerome

[Jerome Daoust]

On Aug 17, 10:01 am, Jerome Daoust <eyestothe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I should weight them myself, but the manufacturer said about 10 lb
> each battery.

> - Jerome

The manufacturer lied... They weigh less.

I used my electronic fish scale (perfect for this weight range) and
found that each pair of battery (2 piggyback batteries for each bike)
including the middle rail, weighs 17.6 lb (8.0 kg).
So each battery weighs about 8.8 lb (4.0 kg). Good for their 480 Wh
capacity (48 V 10 Ah). ==> 54.5 Wh/lb

A big improvement (2x) for me over my previous eZee Quando with NiMH
battery: 12.1 lb for 36 V and 9 Ah ==> 26.8 Wh/lb.

So, the grand total...
With a pair of batteries mounted piggyback, total weight of the bike
is 72.5 lb (32.9 kg).

- J

[Jerome Daoust]

Got a Garmin Edge 500 yesterday and went for a short ride this
afternoon:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46577962

It was windy, but still got a decent average speed.

- Jerome

[Jerome Daoust]

Did my first ever 100 mile ride today:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46790876

I had my 4 batteries (48 V 10 Ah).

[remf]

Monster ride J, all the way across LA, not without hazards. For a
total weight of 72.5 lbs, 100 miles is très impressive.

[deerfencer1]

Wow, very impressive, Jerome--mucho kudos! My arse would be screaming
after 50 miles. Did you go solo are was your girlfriend riding as
well?

Sounds like the Pedago's a winner. That kind of efficiency is
remarkable given your very respectable average speed.

LH

[Jerome Daoust]

On Aug 30, 8:43 am, deerfencer1 <deerfenc...@aol.com> wrote:
> Wow, very impressive, Jerome--mucho kudos! My arse would be screaming
> after 50 miles. Did you go solo are was your girlfriend riding as
> well?

Hi Larry,

I got a very comfy seat free upgrade from Pedego:
http://www.serfas.com/product_details.asp?ID=43
It is huge, but I don't care what people say, my ass is happy.

I did this solo, and borrowed the 2 extra battery pack from my GF's
bike, so I could have a total of 4...
Consumed 3 batteries fully and about 90% of 4th one ==> 1872 Wh (3.9 x
48 V x 10 Ah).
So 18.7 Wh/mile at 21 mph average, and with moderate/strong headwind
half the time.

Good rides,
Jerome

[OptOut]

Amazing distance and average speed Jerome! That's farther than I've ever gone but maybe one day I still will.
Made my day to see your nice ride.

Best,
Joe (mobile)

[deerfencer1]

Jerome,

I might have to sample that seat when mine wears out but for now I'm
good for the 20-35 mile rides I average.

1872 Wh capability is excellent and about 2.5X my capacity. Kudos to
Pedego for designing a ride with extended range capability. Do you
ride one pack at a time or can you hook them up in a parallel chain?
If the former, how quick/easy is it to swap packs? Did the dealer
provide all the wiring harnesses? Was the extra weight of the packs
very noticeable on your century ride and where on the bike did you
carry them? Any photos you can share of your set-up?

I love the idea of having this kind of modular capability of taking as
much or as little power as you need for each ride depending on your
plans for the day. This opens up all sorts of possibilities for long
distance e-touring. Sweet!

LH

[Jerome Daoust]

On Aug 30, 1:18 pm, deerfencer1 <deerfenc...@aol.com> wrote:
> Jerome,

>
> 1872 Wh capability is excellent and about 2.5X my capacity. Kudos to
> Pedego for designing a ride with extended range capability. Do you
> ride one pack at a time or can you hook them up in a parallel chain?
> If the former, how quick/easy is it to swap packs? Did the dealer
> provide all the wiring harnesses? Was the extra weight of the packs
> very noticeable on your century ride and where on the bike did you
> carry them? Any photos you can share of your set-up?
>
> I love the idea of having this kind of modular capability of taking as
> much or as little power as you need for each ride depending on your
> plans for the day. This opens up all sorts of possibilities for long
> distance e-touring. Sweet!

Hi Larry,

For my setup, see the second picture (my ebike at the beach) in my
review, just above the conclusion:
http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Jerome/Bike/Gear/Electric/Review/2010_08_10_JeromeDaoust_Pedego_2010_Interceptor/Main.htm

I have 2 ebikes with this dual battery setup. One for me and another
for my GF. The top battery can slide off from the bottom and the
bottom one can slide off from the rack. So I could only ride around
with a single battery for shorter ride.

For this century ride I just put the second pair of batteries (from
the 2nd bike) into my backpack and swapped it out with the pair on the
bike at one point. Took 1 or 2 minutes. As I wrote above, a battery
pair only weighs 17.6 lb (8.0 kg), so it was a non-issue for my ride.

No parallel use of batteries, just one at the time. When one if fully
depleted, I just move the electric plug from one battery to the other.
It's as quick as it sounds. Maybe with practice I can learn to do this
without stopping, just reaching back and swapping the plug. But I
prefer to stop and do it more carefully.

Different issue...
Near the end of my ride about (3 miles from home) it was dark and I
did not see a pothole when running over it around 25 mph. Almost got
thrown off the bike. The good part is that the bike suffered no
obvious damage (did not do a full inspection yet) which is a testament
to its robustness, including the battery support rack. But it does
bring to mind that a full suspension setup with 4-5" of travel would
be desirable, specially on ebikes capable of 30 mph speeds.

- Jerome

[Jerome Daoust]

Yesterday I noticed that the charging connectors on the batteries of
my main bike were loose.
Stopped by Pedego today and Terry easily opened up the rear of each
battery and tightened the nuts holding the connectors.
They are tight again.

It's nice when components are easy to get to.

- Jerome

[Jerome Daoust]

Today I chased a good average speed:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47437137

I did the course in both directions to cancel wind influence.
18.3 mile total.
Average moving speed: 27.1 mph.
Max speed: 37.6 mph.

Tomorrow: Change of pace, just cruise the cute bike paths with my GF.
That's fun too.

Sunday: Epic MC ride:
http://www.ocmoto.com/index.php?topic=32788

Keep having fun guys,
- Jerome

[Jerome Daoust]

Very hot day with temperature reaching 115°F.
46.5 mile loop with many long hills.
Average moving speed of 23.2 mph (weighted average of the 3 parts).
Used about 2.3 batteries.
No motor cutouts during the hot hill climbs.

Part 1:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50681056
Part 2:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50681052
Part 3:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/50681048

Good rides,
Jerome

[deerfencer1]

Jerome,

Very impressive performance for sure but I'm wondering how accurate
your Garmin is when it comes to temperatures. One weather service has
102.4 as the high temp today in Irvine:

http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KCAIRVIN10&month=9&day=26&

Regardless, it's great news that your Pedago did all that climbing
without blinking in 100+ degree weather. Bravo!

Cheers,

LH

[Jérôme Daoust]

On Sep 26, 9:51 pm, deerfencer1 <deerfenc...@aol.com> wrote:
> I'm wondering how accurate
> your Garmin is when it comes to temperatures. One weather service has
> 102.4 as the high temp today in Irvine:

Hi Larry,

I have no reason to doubt the temperature readings. When I was going
through Irvine, it matched the mid 100's you reported.
Santiago Canyon was significantly warmer than Irvine, which is closer
to the ocean and has better air circulation.
See attached recorded temperature for Trabuco Canyon, which is close
by, but not as hot as Santiago Cyn.

Today was even hotter.

Good rides,
   Jerome

[deerfencer1]

Blazing saddles! Looks like new record highs in an area that's known
for warm temps. Makes the Pedago's performance all the more
impressive!

LH

P.S. How's the humidity? I'm assuming it's not horrendous or I doubt
if anyone would be riding bikes in those conditions.

> Trabuco_Canyon_2010_09_26.png
> 27KViewDownload

[Bike_on]

Jerome,
Thanks for the great reports. 48V seems to rule.

If you can pick up a $125 Cycle Analyst, you will be in Ahr heaven.
ebikes.ca

Then we will know your ahr/whr rather than guess 23 ahrs from 2.3
batteries.

Dan

> > 27KViewDownload- Hide quoted text -