Checking off decision to convert

[Nosweat]

Thread update - I got the Woosh XF07 torque sensor kit and am in the process of fitting it.

Meanwhile I've been wondering how best to keep the battery in good shape. Principle use for the bike will be a 30 mile round commute perhaps 2 days a week when I have to go into the office. I expect I'll use it for leisure at weekends and the odd midweek ride into town in the evening, round trip 10 miles.

Bike will be locked in a brick shed with a mains supply at the bottom of the garden when not in use. On the face of it seems to make most sense to just leave it always plugged into the charger when at home. But will that prematurely age the battery? Would I be better off putting the charger on a timer that stops say 6 hours after I get home (or that starts six hours before I set off in the morning? I don't really want the faff of repeatedly going down the garden at night in the rain to check if the battery is full and then turning the charger off.

Also unless it's expected to be icy I expect I'll be cycling and charging all year round. I'd rather not bring bike or battery into the house every night (more wear on holder and contacts surely?) and it appears charging in the freezing cold is inadvisable. In which case how do you charge electric cars in winter when you can't them indoors?

 

[Nealh]

E- cars use far larger battery systems so have built in systems to heat and cool the cells, e- push bikes don't. The e- push bike battery is very very basic so ideally needs charging in a frost free location.
Charging on a timer is a good solution if it is reliable, leaving a battery fully charged will age the battery so best not to charge until a few hours before it is needed.

A car battery won't utilise the full 4.2v per cell as manufacturers R&R have shown the battery will degrade, so the cost to replace is expensive ( thousands of ££££'s) so they will use a BMS to controll charge to < 4.1v or so as well as limit any deep discharge cycling.
E- push bikes of all makes generally use a BMS with generic 4.2v cut off, it would make sense for mass produced BMS to have a sensible lower cut off.

 

[Nosweat]

Well here we are, a couple of months after the conversion and so far very happy (though obviously not a lot of chance to ride). XF07 front wheel with torque sensor kit on an old Dawes utility bike with ancient steel drop handlebars (which is how I accomodated the motor controller and gear shift). For good measure seven speed Shimano hub with coaster brake.


As I like my lights to be powered off the bike a bottle dynamo was a necessary evil (I don't think they are that bad, OK it's a bit noisy but I don't cycle a lot at night anyway).


Easy to reach controls (the Nexus shifter is directly underneath the motor controller; I can't see the gear number but I know the gear by feel so not a problem and both gear and motor controls are easily reached).


Torque sensor disc next to chainset. No need for throttle kill switch therefore, nor speed magnet sensor in the wheel.


Overall very satisfied with it - I tend to ride on the 3/5 power setting, and 5/5 will get me storming up a nearly 1 in 10 hill. So no quibbles on the power. I managed one 25 mile run on a flat canal towpath before lockdown and battery went down from 5 bars to 4, which doesn't seem too bad. I've noticed that on the flat I tend to cruise at around 18mph, just above the motor cutoff in fact so the motor is of most use getting me up to speed and assisting me if my speed falls (tired, or going up a hill). In essence it feels like the hills are barely steeper than flat and the flats are a gentle downwards slope. The torque sensor is very satisfying to ride with , I much prefer it to the cadence sensor approach. A benefit of a front motor is the reduction in chain wear, compared to a crank motor and torque sensor arrangement.

Downsides? Not really found any yet, I have got used to the hum of the motor and haven't noticed any loss of grip though rarely leave the road. The extra weight of the front wheel means potholes are definitely to be avoided. I like the LCD very much, very compact but gives all the information I need. When I have more time I'll have a go at tidying up the wiring a bit. It's an old bike and an unusual design (drop bars, coaster hub gears etc) but absolutely designed for fast, almost maintenance free commuting.

Woosh were brilliant both in the advice and the aftercare (one component in the box was the wrong size, a replacement arrived next day).

The bike shop that fitted the motor did suggest I might want to upgrade the brakes due to the extra weight of the bike and at this point I am inclined to agree. They suggested fitting disks at the front (I would need new forks but can get replacement steel forks for this bike with a disk brake attachment). The question I have, given I have no prior experience with disks, is whether there are any significantly better rim brakes available that would clear the mudguard, or whether I should just go for new forks and disk brakes? Thoughts appreciated.

 

[sjpt]

I had an old Claude Butler with traditional Weinemann centrepull brakes (probably marginally better than your brakes, but not good). I eventually decided v-brake brazings were not worth it and gave up the bike and my son took it on and fitted dual pivot caliper.
(??? https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/technologies/component/details/dual-pivot-caliper.html). (I don't think they'd been around when I was looking, or maybe I just missed them.) A huge improvement. Not the best brakes ever, but might be a good compromise for that sort of bike.

I think his were a bit under £50; there are some Tektro ones as well probably cheaper and nearly as good(???)

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