Built my bike at last

bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
At long last I have finaly built my bike. Started last night and finished (well, sort of) today.

The bile is a very old (about 18 years) dawes Horizon touring bike. I have not used it for about 13 years until I dug it out recently and started cycling to work. I have had to spend money on it getting it into reasonable shape but most of it is not so bad given the years. I had used and abused it a fair amount for its first four or five years of life.

I liked the steel frame but found my 42 mile hilly comute hard going. Things I have done are:

Butterly bars to allow V-brake levers. Not sure about these yet, stem is kind of stuck solid and I would like to lower it. I will need to get the WD-40 and a matllet on it I think unless somebody has a better idea.
Changed Canti brakes to v so v levers would work. These are so much better although I ended up with mountain bike ones that don't fit as well as I would like.
Ping 10ah 36v battery.
Tongxin brushles and sensorless 175rpm motor and controller.
Thumb throttle.

Changed the bars and brakes and installed the rest of the stuff. Took it out today without a cycle computer. I think I did about 25 miles on very hilly roads with lots of throttle - it was quite windy. Worked without fault and could not kill the battery. I tackled some steepish hills - looked for them rather than avoiding them and no issue at all. So far very happy indeed.

There is some stuff still to do like tidy the wiring and sort out a battery encolsure but it is functional. I will post some pictures and provide some range info and speed info when I have it.

By the way, I got the motor from Johnp on this forum. He was very easy to deal with, honest polite etc. I picked the motor up from his house as we live reasonably close to each other. If you are after a Tongxin he may be able to provide the necessary.

I am a moderately fit cyclist as I was doing the 42 mile round trip once or twice a week for the last 3 months. I found the bike complimented the way I wanted to ride and I still got a workout without killing myself. The real proof of the pudding will be how long my commute takes. I don't think I would recommend this setup if you don't want to put a fair degree of effort in but for me I think it is near perfect.

All in the bike is 19kg. It was 13kg before the conversion.

The conversion was really quite easy and so far has worked without fault. I know it is early days.

I have spent about 450 squid on the project excluding repairs to the old bike (chain, cassette, tyres, tubes, bearings....)

Thank you for all the help and advice, could not have done it without you all.

Cheers, BM.
 
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frank9755

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 19, 2007
1,228
2
London
Well done - I'm sure you've got a great bike. Sounds like you're getting good performance. Look forward to seeing the pictures.

What's the issue with V-brakes? I've been wondering if it would be straightforward to replace cantis with Vs.

Sounds like your stem might be seized up. Worst case is that you have to cut it out from the inside and get a new stem. I would soak it liberally in WD40 to try to free it and would also hold back on the mallet as, if they have fused, there's a risk of damaging your frame.

Alternatively, I presume the stem is the right height for you with drops, so you could ditch the butterfly bars, get some modern drops, which are wider and straighter than the old ones, and put the cut-out brakes on as top levers....

Frank
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,760
30,348
Try coke, it contains phosphoric acid, good for dissolving rust as well as tooth enamel. Pour it in with the bike upside down and leave to stand overnight. Just watch your paint work for spills.
You can buy phosphoric acid in a stronger form which won't harm your bike. It's useful for rust curing to prepare for painting and also as a handy way of removing severe oxidation from alloy parts. It's sold in a black plastic bottle as a rust curing product under the trade name Jenolite, and sometimes stocked by Halfords. And yes, you can actually make your own cola using it, something which I've demonstrated a couple of times. :)
.
 

wurly

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2008
501
9
Yeovil, Somerset
Well done BM
I'm still working on mine. I bought a rim yesterday and now need to get the right length spokes and get the motor laced up into the wheel. Interesting comments about the battery surviving. Pity you didn't have a meter on it. Would love to know what power the motor was drawing.
I also bought mine from John but chose the 190rpm, (it's going in a 26inch rim). Love to see some picture of you conversion. And when i have something to show, i'll post my conversion here to.
Can't help you about the stem though other than WD40 and moderate brute force!
Mel
 

Mussels

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2008
3,207
8
Crowborough
WD40 may not be the best oil for this use as it was designed primarily as a water dispersant, a specialist penetrating oil may do a much better job.
 

Barnowl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 18, 2008
954
1
Look forward to seeing the pictures BM. Also interested in how the bike runs. I have an old Dawes Galaxy and have considered something similar. I wouldn't have thought the speed with the 175RPM Tongxin shouldn't be any different to the Cytronex, What would be interesting is the unassisted speed on the tourer. Is the speed limited at 15mph or off road? Also I guess the steel frame and forks should make for a smoother ride.
 

bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
Hey, not done much as I have been over worked and had the flu. Anyways, got the stem moving again. Turned bike upside down, removed wheel, sprayed in lots of WD40, applied woodwork clamp around crown of forks, got wife to hold bars and pulled. As soon as I got it rotating it became lose and I was away.

Looking on the web some stems become very stuck. The only answer then is to cut off the top, drill out as much as possible and then saw through the sides.

Thankfully this was not needed. Lesson is to apply some grease every now and again I think. Also on the seat post. The stem had probably not been moved for 16 to 18 years....:eek:

I have also reconfigured the shape of the Ping cells. Made a mistake a bit when I ordered. There is a waterproof box on the way for both the battery and the controller. The controller is potted but I think it would be better in a box as I can put all the conections in there as well.

I will sort out some photos over christrmas when all the rels have gone :D

Cheers, BM.
 

bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
Had the flu and been real busy over Christmas with rels but eventually got out on the bike. First conditioning run and very cold and very windy. I managed 38 miles before the battery gave out. And that was me being real lazy in places. There were some big hills on the route. I can down off the Mendips twice. The fisrt time I went up a 1 in 10 at about 13mph+ with the wind behind me. On the second time up the hill it was 1 in 6 in places and a much slower 8 mph, but that was also into a gale. Up on top the hill it was a real battle against the wind on the flat. I averaged about 16mph.

So, I had hoped for 40 miles on the first conditioning run but given the cold and wind and hills I can't complain. I would be expecting 50+ once the battery is conditioned and the waether is more favourable.

Based on the first part of the trip I am expecting to be able to do my 21 miles back from work (Bath) in about 1 hour 15 which is what I was aiming for (I averaged 17.5mph for the first 25 miles). I can already get into work in the time due to lots of downhill so trying for 1 hour into work.

Cheers, BM.
 

Alex728

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 16, 2008
1,109
-1
Ipswich
Hmm - I've got a somewhat newer Dawes Horizon (my first "proper" bike) but it is sadly languishing in the shed as it needs a fair bit of work done on it due to various worn bearings etc...could be a medium/long term project (need to get a decent workshop sorted out first!)

do you guys build your own wheels, or get the bike shops to lace the motor hub into the rim?
 

Fecn

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 28, 2008
491
2
Warlingham, Surrey
I laced up my own wheel about a month ago when I changed the gears on my Agattu over to a Nuvinci hub. There's plenty of good howtos out there on the Internet (Sheldon Brown's was the one I used). It's really not difficult as long as you have a spoke key and can rig up some kind of truing jig... I've done about 100 miles on the wheel so far with absolutely no problems.. not even a creak. Having never built a wheel before this one, I very seriously considered taking it to a local bike shop but figured that I'd have-a-go first and maybe save myself a journey.

Here's my hastily improvised truing jig.


My 'dishing guage' was a similarly improvised affair using a 1-metre steel ruler and two woodworking clamps.
 

johnp

Pedelecer
Dec 14, 2006
43
0
ba22
I have built my bike as well

Hi everyone.
I have managed to save a motor for my self (that was the reason for buying them) and built it into a bike,I have finnished it and am very pleased with it.
I have orderd some more for those that are waiting wont be long and well worth the wait.
I was going to post the pictures of mine but cant find out how (anybody help!!!)
 

alsmith

Pedelecer
Feb 15, 2008
79
0
Northumberland
Had the flu and been real busy over Christmas with rels but eventually got out on the bike. First conditioning run and very cold and very windy. I managed 38 miles before the battery gave out. And that was me being real lazy in places. There were some big hills on the route. I can down off the Mendips twice. The fisrt time I went up a 1 in 10 at about 13mph+ with the wind behind me. On the second time up the hill it was 1 in 6 in places and a much slower 8 mph, but that was also into a gale. Up on top the hill it was a real battle against the wind on the flat. I averaged about 16mph.

So, I had hoped for 40 miles on the first conditioning run but given the cold and wind and hills I can't complain. I would be expecting 50+ once the battery is conditioned and the waether is more favourable.

Based on the first part of the trip I am expecting to be able to do my 21 miles back from work (Bath) in about 1 hour 15 which is what I was aiming for (I averaged 17.5mph for the first 25 miles). I can already get into work in the time due to lots of downhill so trying for 1 hour into work.

Cheers, BM.

Hi

Do you have more details of your battery choice? Range seems impressive, and total weight addition to your bike seemed reasonable.
thanks
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,760
30,348
I was going to post the pictures of mine but cant find out how (anybody help!!!)
Here you are John, two ways:

1) If you have somewhere to post pictures online like flickr.com or similar, you can display those here in this way. Just go to your web image, right click it and select Copy Image Location from the context menu, or if that doesn't show, click Properties on the context menu that appears and highlight and copy the URL there on the Properties page. Then return to the Reply box here, position the cursor below the text where you want the photo to appear and click the yellow mountain scene icon above. You'll get a box to paste in the link and ok it.

Then submit the reply and your photo will appear.

OR

2) Click the paper clip button above the reply box and have a look at the photo size rules there. Then make sure the picture in your computer conforms to those rules, and preferably is sized to 800 x 600 pixels or less to avoid the huge oversize things that some insist on posting.

If all's well, click the paperclip again and browse to your image, then upload it. Then click the paperclip again and you'll see the image name, click on that and it will be attached at the point of your cursor in the text box.
.
 
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bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
Hmm - I've got a somewhat newer Dawes Horizon (my first "proper" bike) but it is sadly languishing in the shed as it needs a fair bit of work done on it due to various worn bearings etc...could be a medium/long term project (need to get a decent workshop sorted out first!)

do you guys build your own wheels, or get the bike shops to lace the motor hub into the rim?
Hi, was going to have a go at building the wheel myself but work has been mad so didn't have much free time. Cost 70 pounds at the local bike shop. Most good bike shops will be happy to do this. I think it was 35 for the rim and 35 for the spokes and labour.

The other bike shop I asked quoted about the same total price, with 20 for the labour.

If you have the time you can save yourself some money but it is not too expensive anyway. I would certainly get a spoke key anyway and learn how to true a wheel. I rebuilt by back wheel a few months ago and it was quite easy.

Cheers, BM.
 

bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
Hi

Do you have more details of your battery choice? Range seems impressive, and total weight addition to your bike seemed reasonable.
thanks
I used a V1 Ping at 10ah 36v. It was bought in a long configuration about 28cm x 10.5 x 8.7. This turned out to be a mistake so I took it apart and reconfigured it into more of a square. Having had a go at this I am impressed with Ping's duct tape skills, my attempt was not quite so tody :D

Anyway, it is all in a weatherproof Maplin enclosure now - very good fit.

My Horizon was in a bit of a mess, not having been used for about 14 years. Did not take too much effort or cost to get it running again. New wheel bearings, chain, cassette, tyres, tubes etc. I need to replace the bottom bracket at some point and there is an issue with the real wheel, with the freehub I think but not so bad as to make me fix it yet. The cassette does not turn concentrically but a blind man would be pleased to see it.

BM
 
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bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
Look forward to seeing the pictures BM. Also interested in how the bike runs. I have an old Dawes Galaxy and have considered something similar. I wouldn't have thought the speed with the 175RPM Tongxin shouldn't be any different to the Cytronex, What would be interesting is the unassisted speed on the tourer. Is the speed limited at 15mph or off road? Also I guess the steel frame and forks should make for a smoother ride.
Been hard to tell with the wind lately. I think the anassisted speed is about 16mph. With no load the motor turns at 18.4mph (not too sure how well calibrated my cycle computer is mind). I think there is noticable assitance upto about 17.5 mph. It is not so windt today so I think I might go out again when the ice has melted.

I was thinking about my first real run and I beleive the fast average MPH is due to all the hills here. I averaged about 17mph for the first 25 miles but that included some fastish downhill sections. Paradoxically I don't think the average will be as high on the flat unless you are prepared to cycle above the assist cutoff and therefore no point in having a motor.

The motor was selected for my hilly commute, this is not a config I think I would favour on the flat.

Cheers, BM
 

bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
What's the issue with V-brakes? I've been wondering if it would be straightforward to replace cantis with Vs.

Frank
Frank,

The issue has been the distance between the front wheel and the mounting bosses on the forks. With the V brakes I have there is not enough room to fit the brake blocks with the proper spacer washers. I have no washers on the inside which makes adjustment a little harder but they are working OK. Think I bought the wrong brakes.

The situation is not helped by my filling of the dropouts as needed to fit the wider Tongxin axle. The wheel sits lower on one side pulling the rim closer to one fork than the other. This is easily fixed and I might get time to look at this today. I want to tidy up the dropouts but testing the motor was more of a priority :eek:

Overall, the brakes are working well.

Cheers, BM.
 

bogmonster

Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2008
127
1
Did another run this morning. Like a muppet I didn't note my time of departure accurately but my wife assures me she looked at the clock before I left so I have a rough idea. I was out for no more than 1 hour 15 and probably about 1 hour 5. I managed 21 miles with a downhill from the Mendips into Wells, along the bottom to Cheddar and up Cheddar Gorge and back home. For those interested here is a profile of the gorge.

profile of the Cheddar Gorge

I only managed 30mph on the downhill, still getting used to the butterfly bars, the new weight disrtibution, the new brakes and paranoia about the modified dropouts.

Given the 1 hour 15 time that would be about 17mph average and I am happy with that. I suspect it was a bit faster but due to my dodgy time keeping would not want to set false expectations. I found I was down to under 10mph at one steep section but was going 16+ on the long shallow hill at the top.

Overall I am happy with the result. Note however that I put a fair degree of effort in cycling up the gorge. This was not a sit back and let the bike do all the work experience. That is what I wanted from the bike but may not work well for everyone.

Cheers, BM.