Torque distance riding

urstu

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 6, 2007
13
0
Hi after having a go at poor old Scott with his flu germ yesterday<he did manage to wriggle out of the questions pretty well>i thought i would tell you how i regularly get between 35and 39 miles on my day trips out<can you do better>on the torque with one batt.First off my bike is fitted with a Watts Up Meter which measures amps being used or you have consumed<or watts> an absolutely brilliant bit of kit despite what Flec says about meters, so much so i would not take a bike with a lithium battery out without one and cycle any distance. Second i am not in a time trial, and go at a leisurely pace cycling on the flat without motor assistance,there is a part on the torques throttle
just before your motor makes that horrible strained sound ,if you do not open your throttle past the strained sound your motor will draw between half an amp and 4 amps,of course i open the throttle for inclines.I regularly cycle the Wirral Penininsula it is reasonably flat, and admit this method would not work in a hilly area or if you were in a hurry cycling to work,but in the end the distance you can travel is determined by how you manage your battery power and the amount of work you are prepared to put in.The meter tells you when to lay off the power and cycle more so your batt will get you home. This method does not seem to work if your bike is derestricted ,i can only assume i subconsciously open the throttle more.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Coming from anwering your other mistaken post, you really do seem to have it in for me Urstu! :confused:

What I've stated on meters is indisputable physical fact about them, and whether I've said it or not is irrelevant and your comment was unnecessary sniping. It results from you not even knowing that what you are speaking of is not a battery meter, it's a consumption meter, a very different thing.

I have clearly stated that an electrical meter cannot tell you or anyone what is in a battery without using all the power in it. That's because a battery is a chemical device, not electrical. These meters take a stab at what's in the battery by measuring the voltage supplied, which dips as soon as the throttle is opened anyway. The only way a meter can do this accurately is to measure what is used until the battery is empty, and then sum the result to tell you what was in the battery.

What you posted just supports that, since your meter measures the consumption and does not tell you what's in the battery at any one point in time. Some of these consumption devices can memorise from previous use of a battery's content and therefore estimate the content by deduction of that used at any stage in riding, and these are fairly accurate, but like your's they are very expensive and not original equipment on bikes.

The original equipment ones which nearly all forum members have and which I've posted about are fairly useless for judging what is in a battery for the reasons give, these being explained on each occasion I've posted about this.

As said in my other reply Urstu, criticism is welcome, but please be sure of your facts first and also be sure of your own knowledge before commenting.
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Ian

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2007
1,333
0
Leicester LE4, UK.
Those figures sound similar to my own NiMh Torq in reasonably flat Leicestershire, The gauge normally goes amber and stays there after about 30 miles, I have on occasions got to 40 miles without a permanent red but have never pushed it beyond that. Recently in Cornwall, unrestricted to cope with the hills, I twice ran the battery to cut-off after 24 and 28 miles,(I was carrying a spare) those being the only occasions I've flattened the battery on the bike (I periodically discharge the batteries off the bike to condition them).

I too am usually in no hurry, whenever possible I avoid that strained sound as to me it's the sound of amps being sucked out of the battery, I have a switch on the restrictor which usually only comes off in very hilly areas.
 
C

Cyclezee

Guest
Ian,
can you tell me more about that switch on the restrictor? I was only mentioning that yesterday and didn't realise such a thing existed.
Did you make it your self or is it available off the shelf?
Oh my God that rhymes, sorry, it must be the heat and the thought of having to cut the grass before I can go out for a ride!
Seriously any info on the restrictor switch would be helpful.
John
 

urstu

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 6, 2007
13
0
watts up meter

Just to clarify what i mean-here goes the Watts Up meter cost me £48 new off EBay not a lot when your paying nearly £1200 pounds for a bike.Inever said it could measure how much was left in the battery as you went along.Also i find lithium batts go from green to flat with very little warning with the supplied bike volt meter.With the Watts UP you run a battery through the meter, record the reading you get in amps or watts for future reference,as you go out on your bikes next run you note the amps or watts being consumed as you go along,it gives you a total as you ride along, deducting what you have used from your recorded reading, you know how much is left in your battery as near as dam it.It is also very useful to use it to see if your battery is losing capacity.Flecc i was not having a snipe at you ,i cannot see how anyone as obviously intelligent as you are can be so blind to the benefits of these meters,may be you do not cycle long distances, or could you be getting inflexible to new ideas as you get older.
 

Ian

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2007
1,333
0
Leicester LE4, UK.
Torq Restrictor

Ian,
can you tell me more about that switch on the restrictor? I was only mentioning that yesterday and didn't realise such a thing existed.
Did you make it your self or is it available off the shelf?
Oh my God that rhymes, sorry, it must be the heat and the thought of having to cut the grass before I can go out for a ride!
Seriously any info on the restrictor switch would be helpful.
John
John, as supplied the restrictor on the Torq is a small 2 pin plug & socket sheathed in red shrink tube behind the bottom bracket, it is simply a shorting link on a 2 core cable to the controller. When disconnected the speed is de-restricted.

In my case I connected a miniature toggle switch with a weatherproof cover across the link and attached it with cable ties. As I only rarely de-restrict the bike I don't mind reaching underneath to operate the switch, best done with power off, although at least one member has fitted a handlebar mounted switch with longer leads reaching down the bottom bracket area.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Flecc i was not having a snipe at you ,i cannot see how anyone as obviously intelligent as you are can be so blind to the benefits of these meters,may be you do not cycle long distances, or could you be getting inflexible to new ideas as you get older.
You're beginning to make me angry with this repeated misrepresentation Urstu.

You said originally when speaking of a consumption meter, "despite what Flecc says".

I've praised consumption meters like the BrainDrain in this forum, my criticism of battery meters being an entirely different thing, so once again you've got it completely wrong.

As for your further digs re: age and cycling, they aren't relevant and are unworthy of you.

Take some advice Urstu, when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
It's not WW3 Nigel, it's just that I will not stand for someone attributing to me something I have not said. If Urstu had done the decent thing and removed the incorrect references when I protested, the matter would be closed.

Instead he's chosen to bluster and expand on his incorrect statements, just making things worse, and then compounded it by getting personal.

He is entitled to his views on these matters and should by all means post them since his rights to express his opinions are the same as any member. What is not appropriate is to do so in the form of an incorrect criticism of another. To do so in two successive threads is clearly deliberate targeting of that other person with scant regard for the truth.
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coops

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 18, 2007
1,225
1
Manchester U.K.
Expression of individual preferences/opinions and statements of objective facts should be clearly demarcated: if someone's words are quoted exactly, there can be no doubt about what was said. Thats got to be a starting point to prevent confusion, and grounds for a discussion, if wanted.

After that we must all accept facts as they are, and accept others opinions/preferences where they differ from ours: problems only seem to arise when the two become confused :).