ππ²It's amazing how much faster the #bikeFriday tandem is with the fixed-geared #GrinMAC motor (max speed 22mph, maybe needs a field-weakening adjustment) vs the #supercargo with 350W 13mph assist w/clutch. No stoker/passenger, mostly downhill, but up Terwilliger to Condor, up Ankeny to the 20s. The heavier bike will go faster downhill but weaker motor vs mostly doing 20mph the whole time made 10-12 min difference even with me putting in much more work on the supercargo, cooler day etc. #eBikes
I can see where the EZ motor (with regen braking) would be better suited to the cargo bike, I'm just not fond of the cable coming out the end of the axle, and misaligned brake rotor for the 12mm flatted axle (why don't we file the top mm off of that?) When I ordered these, the rear was going to have a #GrinMAC (which got reallocated to the tandem project when 2/3 potential passengers -- all those over 5ft tall -- refused the bakfiets.) I'm pretty sure it needs to be geared, not the All-Axle DD
What's it like climbing S Corbett with a mostly-charged battery and just me on #BikeFriday #tandem #eBikes project #BikeTooter? The #GrinMAC hub motor is a standard/slow wind in a 20in wheel (top speed ~22mph) and the battery is 52V 14.5Ah, load is probably ~1200W. I was in the middle ring of the 3x8 gearing.
What's it like going down S Corbett with about 500W #regenBraking? (I'm trying to save brake pads+rims but not sure if my battery can handle more than this. Sometimes the baserunner cuts out here if I have a stoker on the way down.) #GrinMAC #eBikes #BikeTooter
Mt St Helens was out too, just to the right halfway down the last stretch, but it doesn't come through on video.
I'm using the brake + throttle control for #RegenBraking, on the #GrinMAC motor + baserunner + CycleAnalyst setup. Trying to save the rim brake pads but the throttle gets taken as a Go signal if it's still down when the brake switch is let off, so you have to keep the brake squeezed exactly that much or drag the pads on the rim. I'm thinking a parallel button to the brake switch, that I could just hold down for electric braking with the throttle. There's also the two-way throttle available π€
Riding the 2014 #xtracycle bbs02 #edgerunner more often lately, thinking maybe I should get a #GrinMAC motor for the rear of it, possibly a new bigger battery and update some parts. It's just such a dependable old truck but the rear is a little flexible when youngest+spouse are both on it. 11yo prefers the #supercargo / #umbrellaBike & 13yo is too heavy to not be pedaling so we end up on the #bikeFriday tandem more. Crowded in the garage though #nPlus1Problems #BikeTooter #eBikes #cargoBikes
Update on the #bikeFriday #GrinMAC motor project, I've saved maybe two dimes on electricity and like $10-15 for a set of brake pads/rim wear with #regenBraking. #eBikes
@cargot_robbie see my posts under #RegenBraking with the #GrinMAC and @kevinschaper or @graham_freeman 's recent projects with the all-axle + mid drive. I'm getting 20% regen on the tandem while being limited by the battery/controller to around 500W max braking, might do 30% given a capacitor bank or 20Ah battery, plus a 1000W heater could be an option if the controller would handle it. The geared motor braking force is significant! Drag is ~15W, but virtual freewheeling cancels that...
Who has $9k to spend on #cargoBikes and wants to try this? With the #GrinMAC motor and #RegenBraking (in the rear wheel), front suspension, cable steering, should be quite the ride (caveat really steep hills vs 130lb bike with hub motor in 26in wheel, you need to keep some speed up and probably need dual batteries, but you can check on the ebikes.ca motor/trip simulator vs your actual hills.)
@bhawthorne @jef I have a tandem with the slow-wind #GrinMAC motor in a 20in wheel, which is not quite enough torque by itself for some steeper segments with over 400lb bike+riders+etc (I plan on combining it with a 2nd mid-drive motor, but zig-zagging helps), but that's typical of hub motors and a direct drive would be much worse. Mine is not working at full braking power due to limited battery charge rate, but see #regenBraking tag. Saving brake pads is my main goal but I'm recovering 20%+