For the last few months, I've had to use my crank-drive bike because it's too comfortable and convenient. I suffer from shoulder and neck pain on my hub-motor bike, which has normal MTB type bars. The crank-drive bike has nice Raleigh North Road bars, which are lovely, plus it has that comfy Aliexpress seat. Also, my HM bike is strictly speaking not legal.
It was too convenient to keep riding my CD bike, and I've been too lazy to do anything to the HM one. Finally, I got off my backside and sorted it. I bought a £69 inc delivery 250 MXUS XF08 motor from PSWPower, and built it into a rim:
I gave it a new Marathon Plus tyre because the one on the old motor was more or less worn out after about 10,000 miles. When I took it off, there was a broken and rusty bead wire hanging out of it:
Then I fitted one of thos comfy Aliexpress seats:
And finally a pair of those Raleigh North Road bars raised as high as I could:
So, £69 motor, £10 spokes, already had the rim, £24 tyre (got a pair cheap in a sale), £7 saddle and £20 bars makes £130. I just tried it out and nice and comfy just like my CD bike. The motor isn't quite as good as the Q128C. It seems to have less initial torque and might be a lot faster, which would account for the lower initial torque. I have yet to sort out the speed settings to get its correct max speed, but I'd say around 30 mph. Once it gets going it seems to be the same as the other one. I'm running at 48v 22A. I wish I could get a 48v 260 rpm version.
I don't think £130 is bad for an 11 year service. Previous to that, I've had a new chainwheel, cassette, chain and gear cable that cost about £50 in total. Add a fiver for some hypoid 90 oil for the chain and another for something I probably forgot. I did change from LCD3 to 4, which cost about £20, but that was just on a whim, partly because I had several LCD4s that I bought in a fire sale, so lets say £200 for 11 years riding. I can't really include batteries. It's sort of on it's third one, but I only changed them for convenience (extra range and standardisation across my bikes). None of the previous ones showwed any signs of wear, but if I'd kept the same one, it would probably be worn out by now.
Anyway, I'm back on a hub-motor bike and it's lovely. Yippee for me and Yah boo sucks to any crank-drive riders!
It was too convenient to keep riding my CD bike, and I've been too lazy to do anything to the HM one. Finally, I got off my backside and sorted it. I bought a £69 inc delivery 250 MXUS XF08 motor from PSWPower, and built it into a rim:
I gave it a new Marathon Plus tyre because the one on the old motor was more or less worn out after about 10,000 miles. When I took it off, there was a broken and rusty bead wire hanging out of it:
Then I fitted one of thos comfy Aliexpress seats:
And finally a pair of those Raleigh North Road bars raised as high as I could:
So, £69 motor, £10 spokes, already had the rim, £24 tyre (got a pair cheap in a sale), £7 saddle and £20 bars makes £130. I just tried it out and nice and comfy just like my CD bike. The motor isn't quite as good as the Q128C. It seems to have less initial torque and might be a lot faster, which would account for the lower initial torque. I have yet to sort out the speed settings to get its correct max speed, but I'd say around 30 mph. Once it gets going it seems to be the same as the other one. I'm running at 48v 22A. I wish I could get a 48v 260 rpm version.
I don't think £130 is bad for an 11 year service. Previous to that, I've had a new chainwheel, cassette, chain and gear cable that cost about £50 in total. Add a fiver for some hypoid 90 oil for the chain and another for something I probably forgot. I did change from LCD3 to 4, which cost about £20, but that was just on a whim, partly because I had several LCD4s that I bought in a fire sale, so lets say £200 for 11 years riding. I can't really include batteries. It's sort of on it's third one, but I only changed them for convenience (extra range and standardisation across my bikes). None of the previous ones showwed any signs of wear, but if I'd kept the same one, it would probably be worn out by now.
Anyway, I'm back on a hub-motor bike and it's lovely. Yippee for me and Yah boo sucks to any crank-drive riders!
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