My BBS 01 one month on...

[safetyfast]

I thought I would do a quick summary of how the BBS01 is performing now that it has had some use.

Those that have read my other post will know that I went for the legal 250w version (from Eclipse) and fitted it to my Gary Fisher Monona hybrid. The converted bike weighs in at about 18kg including the 14.5ah bottle battery.

I have been very fortunate in that the weather here in Devon has been very dry most of the time since doing the conversion, fuelling my desire to get out and use it. Most runs have been 15-20 miles at a time in the evening.

Today I decided to attempt a partial commute to work. I work in Bude in north Cornwall, which is about 17 miles from home. The thought of doing the entire distance on my bike is still a bit overwhelming, and there are also time constraints to consider, especially first thing in the morning. Instead I left my car in Holsworthy, removed my bike and cycled the 9 miles or so to Bude. It was a stunning morning and a real pleasure. I did about 5 miles on the main road, which had a bit of traffic but nothing major. Initially I panicked about being late and probably wellied the bike more than I needed to. I couldn't believe how rapidly I made progress. After a while I relaxed and enjoyed the stunning views, especially for the last 4 miles down quiet country lanes.

I am delighted with how the BBS01 is performing. It is very quiet and just makes a very pleasant whistle/drone when running. Being a crank drive the bigger hills can require lots of changing down and steady progress, but the torque is phenomenal. At no time have I considered getting off and pushing, and some of the hills have been pretty serious. It cracks on nicely on the level. As others advised, it does require more input at the pedals from me, but I still feel that the bike is giving me a workout, with all the added advantages.

The bike feels 'right', not like something I have cobbled together, which is what I hoped for. I rode home a more rural 11 mile route, avoiding main roads entirely, and still showed full battery despite upping the power several times just to have some fun!

I think the full distance commute will be on the cards soon. I was actually quite gutted to have to return to my car the afternoon; I just wanted to keep going and ride all the way home.

The photo below was taken this morning approaching the village of Marhamchurch, the views are stunning looking over the bay towards Bude.

 

[Nealh]

I've clocked up 850 miles on my 350 BBS01 and it hasn't missed a beat. Some when I'm taking it off the 700c and putting it in on my CUBE AMS, also will be able to go out all day now I have a second Woosh 15ah Battery.

 

[RobF]

I agree the 250W BBS01 has a nice feel to it.

The one I tried was quieter than either of my Bosch bikes, although not quite as powerful.

The Bosch system is no more than adequate in terms of grunt, so if I were having one of these kits I would be tempted by the 350W.

 

[mfj197]

I agree the 250W BBS01 has a nice feel to it.

The one I tried was quieter than either of my Bosch bikes, although not quite as powerful.

The Bosch system is no more than adequate in terms of grunt, so if I were having one of these kits I would be tempted by the 350W.

Was that using throttle or PAS, and had the unit been programmed? By default the controller is set up to only provide part power under PAS, even when set to maximum assist. The exact limit depends on where and when the motor was bought - many examples on the internet are coded to only provide 20% of the maximum power when using PAS, but mine from Eclipse was set to 60%.

I must say that having set it to allow 100% power on PAS, and to allow full cadence at lower assist settings, it is a dream to ride and very powerful. I only use it on assist 3 of 5 for my commute but even with that I'm cruising between 22 and 24mph. Indeed the stated maximum torque of the BBS01 is significantly greater than the Bosch system, at 80Nm to the Bosch's 60Nm (Performance Line).

It is also possible to change the overall current limit on the 250W to the same as the 350W version as they are identical units just coded differently, but I certainly haven't found any need to do that.

Michael

 

[RobF]

My test on the 250W was only a short one using pedal assist mostly and throttle occasionally.

No idea how the unit was programmed, but I was expecting a bit more power so maybe the one I tried was undercooked.

For the benefit of others, how do you set the unit to allow 100% power?

 

[mfj197]

For the benefit of others, how do you set the unit to allow 100% power?

There's a long and convoluted thread here on Endless Sphere (link) all about programming the BBS01/02 controllers. Basically you need a specific programming cable (which I have) and software for your PC. You can then connect the PC to the BBS01 controller and view and adjust settings.

The default settings of the controller are a little weird. As I say, it is set to only allow a percentage of maximum power when using PAS. This setting is Keep Current(%) on the Pedal Assist tab, expressed as a percentage. Changing it to 100% (mine was set at 60%) permits the unit to operate at full power under pedal assist.

Another oddity is on the Basic tab, where the varying assist levels are specified. Increasing assist levels increases the available current (specified under Limit Current(%) for each level) but also increases the maximum motor speed before assistance cuts out, specified under Limit Spd(%). The motor speed is of course directly linked to cadence as it is a crank drive, so by default at low assist levels you only receive assistance up to a slow pedalling speed. Changing the Limit Spd(%) to 100% throughout makes the unit much more natural to cycle with (to me anyway, as a cyclist) as you can happily use low assistance levels at whatever cadence you wish to cycle at.

There's a whole other swathe of settings that can be changed, but best to do so with caution. There's quite a good little guide written by an Australian company Emax Ebikes, link here.

Michael

 

[safetyfast]

I must say that having set it to allow 100% power on PAS, and to allow full cadence at lower assist settings, it is a dream to ride and very powerful. I only use it on assist 3 of 5 for my commute but even with that I'm cruising between 22 and 24mph.

Mine was from Eclipse, so I am assuming it is set to 60%. I guess reprogramming to 100% makes it ride the same as using full throttle as well as pedalling. Now that does sound appealing... I wish I lived nearer to you mfj197!

 

[RobF]

There's a long and convoluted thread here on Endless Sphere (link) all about programming the BBS01/02 controllers. Basically you need a specific programming cable (which I have) and software for your PC. You can then connect the PC to the BBS01 controller and view and adjust settings.

The default settings of the controller are a little weird. As I say, it is set to only allow a percentage of maximum power when using PAS. This setting is Keep Current(%) on the Pedal Assist tab, expressed as a percentage. Changing it to 100% (mine was set at 60%) permits the unit to operate at full power under pedal assist.

Another oddity is on the Basic tab, where the varying assist levels are specified. Increasing assist levels increases the available current (specified under Limit Current(%) for each level) but also increases the maximum motor speed before assistance cuts out, specified under Limit Spd(%). The motor speed is of course directly linked to cadence as it is a crank drive, so by default at low assist levels you only receive assistance up to a slow pedalling speed. Changing the Limit Spd(%) to 100% throughout makes the unit much more natural to cycle with (to me anyway, as a cyclist) as you can happily use low assistance levels at whatever cadence you wish to cycle at.

There's a whole other swathe of settings that can be changed, but best to do so with caution. There's quite a good little guide written by an Australian company Emax Ebikes, link here.

Michael

Excellent explanation, Michael.

Not that I grasp all of it.

I have a longer term plan to crank drive a quality hard tail mountain bike.

I had ruled out the BB 250, but it would do if set up like yours.

Would the 350 give me something similar?

 

[mfj197]

The 250 and 350 watt versions are the same unit with just one setting in the controller changed - the maximum current is set at 15A in the 250W and 18A in the 350W. This can of course be changed with the programming cable - set Limited Current(A) on the Basic tab in the software to 15 or 18.

I would always advise people to get the 250W version as it has a legal power marking on the motor and is usually slightly cheaper. I've left mine at 15A as that is plenty of power for my use - indeed I'm almost always running it at lower assist levels as it's providing me with plenty of assistance but I can still shift gears without stressing the drivechain or cutting the power.

Whereabouts are you based? When you have yours all set up I'd be happy to reprogram it if you like!

Michael

 

[RobF]

The 250 and 350 watt versions are the same unit with just one setting in the controller changed - the maximum current is set at 15A in the 250W and 18A in the 350W. This can of course be changed with the programming cable - set Limited Current(A) on the Basic tab in the software to 15 or 18.

I would always advise people to get the 250W version as it has a legal power marking on the motor and is usually slightly cheaper. I've left mine at 15A as that is plenty of power for my use - indeed I'm almost always running it at lower assist levels as it's providing me with plenty of assistance but I can still shift gears without stressing the drivechain or cutting the power.

Whereabouts are you based? When you have yours all set up I'd be happy to reprogram it if you like!

Michael

Good offer, I'm in the North East so we are some way apart.

I've no immediate plans to push the project forward, it may depend on how my toy budget is fairing in a few months.

 

[mfj197]

Good offer, I'm in the North East so we are some way apart.

I've no immediate plans to push the project forward, it may depend on how my toy budget is fairing in a few months.

Well, I'm up in Nottinghamshire every couple of months if that helps when the time comes!

 

[RobF]

Well, I'm up in Nottinghamshire every couple of months if that helps when the time comes!

Thanks.

You may have one or two other 'customers'.

 

[mfj197]

Thanks.

You may have one or two other 'customers'.

I'll hold workshops ...

 

[RobF]

This reminds me of when I had my Ford Focus diesel remapped.

Nothing flash, just a small increase in power and torque.

It really was all good, the car drove much nicer, and as the man said, if anything it used a bit less fuel.

 

[mfj197]

The change to maximum PAS assistance and to the motor speed limit at lower assist levels are of course not doing anything to overly stress the motor as the same power can always be produced by using the throttle anyway. Indeed changing the motor speed levels are if anything reducing stress on the motor as it is now happily spinning away up to its maximum speed when lower assist levels are selected, rather than bogging down by being restricted to low speeds.

 

[safetyfast]

This reminds me of when I had my Ford Focus diesel remapped.

Nothing flash, just a small increase in power and torque.

It really was all good, the car drove much nicer, and as the man said, if anything it used a bit less fuel.

Yes, I had my previous Golf GTTDI remapped and still remember coming out with some expletives when I first drove up the road (not to mention the smile on my face!)

I've kept my current one standard as the budget won't stretch to non essentials like that since the three little ones have come along. I did manage to wangle converting the bike though, so all is not lost!