Recent content by Pingk

This data doesn't mean much without data about how the bikes were stolen (what tools were used), and the quality of the locks people were using. It's honestly baffling how many bike shops still sell combination locks which can be bypassed, or those metal zip-ties looking ones which can be cut...

If your controller can only take a maximum of 20A but you change a wrong setting and it tries to draw 30A, a 21A fuse between the battery and controller should blow first -breaking the circuit and hopefully protecting it.

In my opinion fuses are cheap enough that it's not worth the risk to skimp a few extra pennies for a potentially faulty part. Spending an extra 20p on a fuse from a reputable supplier is gonna be cheaper in the long run than accidentally blowing your controller.

Better yet, ask them to teach you! I was fortunate enough to learn soldering in school, and I can count on one hand how many times I've needed to solder as an adult. However I've been grateful every single time because I love the feeling of fixing/making my own stuff. Just like sewing a button...

Echoing some other comments about replacements. If it was a hard knock, consider replacing the helmet even if there's no visible damage. They are designed to protect a single strike and there's no way to tell if the internal structure has been compromised.

I feel like we're so afraid of having deep conversations and tackling hard problems - Why are people buying cheaply made battery packs? Is the cost of quality batteries too high for most people? If so, how can we address the cost of living crisis where people don't feel like they need to risk...

This wouldn't work for most people with wireless headphones. Another reason to bring back the headphone jack!

Motor wattage is a fundamentally flawed method of measuring it's power, Grin has a great article about why it's misleading: https://ebikes.ca/learn/power-ratings.html A maximum torque figure would be a more robust measurement (and there are probably better systems than that), but legislators...

I don't think we're going to agree on this, but I appreciate the discussion. People should take responsibility for their actions, rather than using their tools as an excuse for their bad behaviour. Have a good weekend!

All the more reason to push for better cycling infrastructure? Are scared/cautious cyclists the same people who might be a menace if they have a more powerful motor? I struggle to see this as a good reason to hamstring the potential of pedelecs as a viable alternative to personal transport for...

Cycling on pavements is against the UK highway code, bikes belong on cycle paths or roads. If that's what you're worried about then ask your local police to enforce that harder.

Why does the increased power make them riskier? Riding like an idiot has nothing to do with how much power you have, I've seen standard cyclists blow through red lights sometimes, and powerful motors will still need to follow the 15.5mph assist cutoff.

But Lenny, your graph shows that ebike deaths *tripled* from 2019 to 2020, clearly this is an epidemic! /s

Counter example, my parents are casual cyclists with premade ebikes of similar cost to what you're looking at and they've never had problems in 3-4 years. They have Bosch motors, only cycle in warm dry weather for fun, and rarely longer than 15 miles. My dad is mechanically competent and takes...

I've not looked for examples, so I might be completely off-base here, but I feel like the risk of explosion in a crash is pretty small. Most ebike batteries are a collection of cylindrical cells like 18650s or 21700s, and to puncture those takes a lot of force. I'd imagine the bigger risk...