Recent content by drsolly

  1. drsolly

    Recommend me a new front light

    I just bought a Solarstorm X3 (triple front light). They throw in a free rear light. I had a Solarstorm before, but I accidentally gave it 50 volts, and it's dead. Oops. The listing says you also get a 4x18650 battery pack (but I think without batteries). 6600 lumens. It hasn't arrived yet, so...
  2. drsolly

    sods law

    I had a similar experience. It all started when I got stuck in a bog ... http://blog.drsolly.com/2015/02/bogged-down.html
  3. drsolly

    Xiongda two speed whistle

    Hmm. Is there an easier way to take the motor apart than unlacing the whole wheel?
  4. drsolly

    Xiongda two speed whistle

    My motor has done about 2500 kilometers, and I've been very pleased with it. Lately, it's developed a whistle. This only happens in the low gear, and only when I apply power. Can anyone guess what the cause might be, and do I have to take action? My guess is that this has to be to do with the...
  5. drsolly

    Hobby king multi star on offer

    I just bought three more 10AH 4S, to make into a 12S 10AH pack. I already have two of these packs, and I'm very happy with them. Cost, £21.89 per battery, down from £42.62. Very good value! I'm using 2-4S chargers. They cost £6.61; I run a bunch of them off an old PC power supply. It means I...
  6. drsolly

    xiongda questions

    I've done about 2000 kilometers on mine, it's a 36v model that I'm running at 12S, and I'm very happy with it.
  7. drsolly

    Puncture-proof tyres for mixed on/off-road bike

    http://blog.drsolly.com/2014/03/puncture-resistance.html
  8. drsolly

    Best helmet IF you want one?

    Yes, I wear that sort of helmet in winter. But it a hot summer, it gets a bit clammy in there, so I wear the usual sort of helmet with lots of slots and holes. I came off my bike yesterday (I was on very uneven ground), no damage done, and I didn't hit my head, so the helmet wasn't relevant...
  9. drsolly

    Hobbyking 6S 16ah Lipo packs

    Full marks for the battery box!
  10. drsolly

    Hobbyking 6S 16ah Lipo packs

    These 16ah, 6s batteries are not quite as cheap as the 4s 5ah hardcase batteries, which are 5% cheaper (comparing watt-hours). They are lighter, though, by about 25% (per watt-hour), which is very useful for aircraft; also useful for bikes. More importantly, they're in stock in the UK, whereas...
  11. drsolly

    XiongDa Two-Speed Motor

    That's right, I'm using battery packs made up by myself from Hobbyking batteries. It means I have to make up quite a lot of soldered connections, but I don't mind doing that, and it does mean I get a 12s 5ah battery for £45. I wouldn't recommend this for an absolute beginner!
  12. drsolly

    XiongDa Two-Speed Motor

    I love my Xiong Da. But one of the wires from the controller to the battery broke while I was in the field (literally). Those wires are very short on the controller they sent me, and although they are mulitstrand, they aren't 1000-strand like the 10awg wire you can get from Hobbyking. I'm...
  13. drsolly

    What do you carry in your repair kit?

    In saddle bag: Open ended spanners, bike multitool, pump, spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, fuses, spare wire, terminal connectors, 5v step-down board (to power PDA if need be), external battery for iphone (which also has a backup navigation system), zip ties, silicone bands, small front...
  14. drsolly

    Aluminium and Front Hubs

    My XiongDa is fitted in a front suspension fork. But I had to use a car jack to widen them by about an inch. These are steel forks, I wouldn't do that with aluminium.
  15. drsolly

    Broken wire

    I was partway across a muddy field, switched on the power for a bit of help, and ... no power. I got off and had a look, flicked the switch a couple of times, changed the batteries, then I noticed - the negative wire from the controller to the connector that I plug the batteries into, had...