Rivendell e-bike (conversion)

[A. Nostuh]

Anyone here try to turn their Riv into an e-Riv? How did it turn out?

[Joe Bernard]

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 3:14:36 PM UTC-8, A. Nostuh wrote:
> Anyone here try to turn their Riv into an e-Riv? How did it turn out?

I did a CLEM with a rear hub motor and battery on a rack. It was fun, but too heavy to pedal without assist. I now have an Appaloosa with a 250W front hub and simple button to add a little juice on my monster hill up to my apartment. Much lighter than the big-power system; rides like a bicycle off the juice. Here's a couple pics.

[Joe Bernard]

[Joe Bernard]

Here's another one Grant showed on the Blahg. That Dutch wheel thingy..you gotta scroll down a smidge.

https://www.rivbike.com/blogs/peeking-through-the-knothole/daves-riveopardy-and-key-to-rivp-1

[Alex Wirth- Owner, Yellow Haus Bicycles]

We've done several Bionx kit conversions, one of which was a Betty.  Bionx is nice because they have a dealer network and a proven record for warranty support etc.  There's a lot of iffy stuff on the market right now...after-market kits especially.

[Joe Bernard]

Dave is the electric guy at Riv. He and Grant expressed some interest in kits on the Blug a while back, but almost everything for this market is made in China, so that's a no-go for them. It's unfortunate 'cause I think RBW could generate some business kitting Rivendells like CLEM and Rosco Bubbe, but whaddyagonnado? I just bought a rather expensive purpose-built ebike, and I'm pretty sure the only non-China bits are the Deore shifter and rear derailer!

[dougP]

Joe:

Is the battery in the front bag?  Easily removable for charging? 

Could be in my future.  If it fits an Appaloosa, it should work on an Atlantis.

dougP

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 3:27:57 PM UTC-8, Joe Bernard wrote:

[Joe Bernard]

Oh, my bad, Doug..the more recent photo is sans battery. It's a black square that sits under the toptube, then the excess length of wires are stuffed in the front bag. It's easy to unplug and remove the battery for charging. The outdoor shot shows my first attempt with the battery on the rear mini rack. You can get an idea what it looks like by zooming on the photo.

[A. Nostuh]

A bionx (or similar) with a frame bag to hide the battery would be sweet looking. Perfect for a Clem

[Valerie Yates]

I have the Roscoe with a Copenhagen Wheel that was featured in the blahg recently. It is fantastic. I wasn't really sure I wanted an e-bike but I had ordered the wheel a few years ago pre-production because it sounded like a cool idea. When it finally arrived, I didn't have a frame to put it on but the Red Roscoe frame looked perfect. I sent the wheel to Walnut Creek and they put this together for me. I have since changed the saddle and pedals to some I bought on this list (thanks Richard!) and also added a Wald medium basket in front and I have grocery baskets in back as needed.  

I love it. It is a fantastic combination. It is so much fun to ride - extremely intuitive and natural. I love that there aren't any battery backs or wires visible except what you see in the giant hub on the wheel. I've been inventing reasons I need to go run a quick errand by bike. The best part is that when you start off, you just go. It eliminates the few rounds of work to get the bike up to cruising speed. There are 3 levels of assistance: turbo, standard, and eco, that govern how much assist you get and also how long your battery will last. Standard is only about 30 miles. With eco, they say you might get up to 39. I have been mostly riding in standard mode because I live in a hilly neighborhood. Having the boost means any road feels flat. You can recharge the battery a little with the regenerative braking feature, which is actually fun to use when cruising to a stop. It also has an exercise mode if you prefer resistance. I would think that just having the wheel turned off would count as exercise since the wheel is 22 pounds.  I suppose that, once it is moving, perhaps the momentum would cancel that out. I haven't really tried it much without power. I keep thinking I should but then I turn it back on because it is really fun with it on and I am not a scientist. 

I would highly recommend the Copenhagen Wheel to anyone thinking they might enjoy some electric assistance and if its somewhat limited stats work for your needs. It comes in a small variety of wheel sizes and types.  It is expensive but the add-on kits I've seen are pretty pricey too. Because the wheel is so heavy, I think it makes sense to have a geared bike to accommodate pedaling without power if needed. Also, it is not really meant for rain, puddles, or rough terrain.

I also really love the Roscoe. Such a great deal for a frame. The Roscie decals and head badge make me smile like a kid. And it has lift-a-tube. Even without the C-wheel, I expect I will love this bike. With normal wheels, I imagine it would ride like my Appaloosa -- a bike that sails comfortably through whatever it encounters. The Roscoe seems like it might be a bit lighter and maybe stiffer but that could just be based on how I have them set up. And that could just be my imagination. Whatever it is, it feels terrific.

[Joe Bernard]

Valerie: That's a neat bike (my apologies to Denmark for calling it "a Dutch wheel"..I'm not very smart). It's nice to see the Copenhagen Wheel finally hit the market; I imagine you were wondering if it would ever show up. I'm on the fence about them making the thing in bright red, but it looks perfect on your red Rosco. Welcome to The Cheater Rivs Club!

Joe Bernard
Vallejo, CA.

[Jim Bronson]

Blasphemy.

Maybe I'll feel different in 20 years, though.

On Mon, Feb 20, 2017 at 5:14 PM, A. Nostuh <nos...@gmail.com> wrote:

Anyone here try to turn their Riv into an e-Riv? How did it turn out?

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[Valerie Yates]

Thanks for the welcome Joe. Since I do really like pedaling, my main hesitation was that it would feel like cheating. But I rationalize it by reminding myself that I ride for pleasure not for exercise. This is definitely a pleasure. I did wonder if it would ever arrive. It took exactly 3 years. I sent a few email inquiries over the years and they kept assuring me I would have one eventually.  A benefit of ordering early was that it was substantially less expensive than it is now. I still think it is worth it at the current price. It provides a really nice assist. 

[Joe Bernard]

We're on the same page, Valerie, I like pedaling and I ride for fun. The exercise is good, too, but I came to bicycles from being a car/motorcycle guy, and have always been into it as much for the mechanical aspect of bikes as for the riding itself (I taught myself how to work on them).

My kitted Appaloosa is low-power/low-weight, and a good portion of those rides is spent without using the button. My new - and very off topic! - mid-drive ebike is a pedelec like your setup, where you pedal with varying levels of assist.. there's no throttle you can stab and just sail down the road like a scooter. I prefer this "still a bicycle" style.

[Valerie Yates]

Joe - me too on mechanics. I've been learning bit by bit. It is really immersive and satisfying. 

[Joe Bernard]

The internet is a wonderful thing for learning wrenching. I did it pre-internet, mostly with bike magazines including the Rivendell Reader. Now we have YouTube videos which show you how to not make every mistake I made. Oy! ;-)

[Marc40a]

Boo

Hissss

[Ashwath Akirekadu]

I'm waiting for this technology to prove out.   http://www.bimoz.ch/en

On Wed, Feb 22, 2017 at 6:41 PM, Marc40a <40a...@gmail.com> wrote:

Boo

Hissss

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www.freerice.com

play and feed a hungry person

[Joe Bernard]

Ash: That's a neat lower-power mid-drive system, which is really the way to go for cyclists who still want to pedal like a cyclist. I'm quickly learning on my new mid-drive Haibike that you still get a good workout with these, it just goes by faster. I have a torque sensing system (I won't bore RBW with how all this works, I'll let y'all search the terms) that produces kind of a "matching" amount of power based on how hard you pedal. I just came back from a fast, cold ride, and I'm sweating!

The great undersold aspect of ebikes is the time factor: I love to ride, but my time is very limited; this "faster pedaling" technology lets me get more miles and sights in, in a short-ish time window. There's a lot of riders out there with job and family responsibilities who would appreciate this benefit. But that's only if it's your thing. For the rest..boo hiss! ;-)

[Ashwath Akirekadu]

Joe,

I'm 100% in the same camp.  A few months ago I was religiously opposed to the idea of e-bikes.  (a) I didn't like the way any of them looked (b) Less workout (c) more complicate, more things to maintain/worry about (d)  many of them felt like flaky prototypes still 

After I changed my job and the commute got significantly longer, I do realize the value of some peddle assist.  E-bike will probably save 15 minutes each way for me.  I think my bike commute would involve some 30 or so stops.  A good chunk of my commute time goes into accelerating from stop to 12mph.  This is where peddle assist could make a huge difference.  It will improve my cruising speed too. 

With a kid at home and a busy work/life, lot of times it becomes a choice between some exercise and no exercise (not just with biking).  If the battery can help me reach home before my son goes to bed, I will happily accept reduced peddling every time!

There's a good chance that my Joe will feature Bimoz (or something similarly simple) one day.

Cheers,

-Ash

On Fri, Feb 24, 2017 at 1:32 PM, Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ash: That's a neat lower-power mid-drive system, which is really the way to go for cyclists who still want to pedal like a cyclist. I'm quickly learning on my new mid-drive Haibike that you still get a good workout with these, it just goes by faster. I have a torque sensing system (I won't bore RBW with how all this works, I'll let y'all search the terms) that produces kind of a "matching" amount of power based on how hard you pedal. I just came back from a fast, cold ride, and I'm sweating!

The great undersold aspect of ebikes is the time factor: I love to ride, but my time is very limited; this "faster pedaling" technology lets me get more miles and sights in, in a short-ish time window. There's a lot of riders out there with job and family responsibilities who would appreciate this benefit. But that's only if it's your thing. For the rest..boo hiss! ;-)

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[Patrick Moore]

This may be interesting, but to insert an aside: I wish websites would have a "merely text" alternative to video. I find videos hugely slow, and you can't as easily skim to the essential parts. 

(Why are they so g-damned slow?)

But I f-fwded through it and got the idea, and I (personally, approaching 62) rather like the general idea. 

Patrick Moore, who cancelled Netflix b/c it's not worth paying to f-fwd through movies, in ABQ, NM, who wonders if you can lace a Copenhagen Wheel into the 20" rear wheel of a Dahon Hon Solo.

Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews.

By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching.

Other professional writing services.

http://www.resumespecialties.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique,  Vereinigte Staaten

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The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on the contours of which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. Chuang Tzu

Stat crux dum volvitur orbis. (The cross stands motionless while the world revolves.) Carthusian motto

It is we who change; He remains the same. Eckhart

Kinei hos eromenon. (It moves [all things] as the beloved.) Aristotle

[Scott G.]

I had a Bionx kit installed on an '01 Stumpjumper.
The Bionx has a working regen system, 4 levels of regen,
feels like engine braking in a manual transmission car.
Apply the brake also turns on regen, very Prius like.

On ride of 20 miles with 1500 feet of climbing  uses 10% or less of the battery.
The whole ride is 35 miles with 2300 feet, 40% of battery used, the way
back is flatter. This with using some regen level 1 on the flats, and the higher
levels on down hills. Bike is rideable in bike mode aka zero assist.

model is P350rx

[Joe Bernard]

Ash: Search Luna Cycles if you want to see some currently available mid-drive kits that would fit your Appaloosa. Much reading to be found there about all this electricky stuff.

[lum gim fong]

bump, any newer ideas?

[Andy Beichler]

Is anyone still electrifying Rivendells?  I just recently purchased two mid drive kits (one for me, one for my wife) and have installed them on non Rivendell bikes.  But, I really love them and still have a desire to eventually own a Rivendell bike so I am curious if others are still doing it.

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 10:50:40 AM UTC-4 Lum Gim Fong wrote:

bump, any newer ideas?