Unavoidable Bicycle Badger Collision

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
39.2v is ok it is a tad over 70%.
Thank you - so is the voltage 36V at 50%? How does one work it out? I've just double checked and I had misread the display (I can't move the bike one handed, and it's at a weird angle in the hallway) and it's actually 39.6V. I'm keeping the display on but the voltage isn't reducing at all, and it's been on for about two hours.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
I might have several 12V DC computer case fans I could connect together to run it down, and a fuse. But if 39.6V is fine for a couple of months, I'll leave it as is. I'll keep and eye on it - I may charge the battery when it hits 36V, then run it down a bit with either something like cyclebuddy's lighting arrangement, or daisychained computer fans.
 
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cyclebuddy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 2, 2016
1,545
732
Beds & Norfolk
That's a really good idea! Are those 12V halogen bulbs?
Yes, just B&Q kitchen downlighters... 4 x 12v 40w = 160w / 36v = an average of a 4-amp draw. It's a comfortable load for a 36v ebike battery. 20w would do too, just take longer to dump the surplus energy.

Others here likely see me as paranoid regaling tales of having batteries for 4/5/6 years and never having a problem.... and I dare say that's true. It's easy to be cavalier with the "it'll be fine" spiel... until it's you that loses £400+ with a stressed cell battery. I've got 4 batteries for 3 e-bikes and not all are regularly used. Having lost that brand new one within just a few months previously, I'm not taking any more chances. That's just me.
 

Jodel

Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2020
158
131
I have a habit of charging my battery to full in anticipation of a days ride, only to find the weather turns and not going. I've lost a 36-volt battery before by leaving it fully charged for too long, so I always take my batteries back down to about 38-volts if they're then not going to be used for several days. I just use this (made from scrap bits and bobs):

View attachment 45028
I have something similar for my 48 volt batteries. I use either 5 x 12 volt 20 watt bulbs in a little wooden holder, or a 'normal' type 48 volt 100 watt incandescent bulb.

I can also be in the situation where the batteries may not get used for a while due to inclement weather, so I like to have a means of putting a load on them to bring the voltage down to a better level for storage.

I also thought it would be quite handy to have as an emergency lighting option if there is ever a power cut.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
Hope you heal quickly and the bike isn't damaged.
I still can't move the bike with one hand... but so far: Two torch handbar clamps broken and one Bafang headlight smashed. The good news (?) is that there's plenty of time before I can ride again (2 months), to receive new parts from China. I'll have to wait a week or several to properly inspect the wheels; repair and true if required. Serves me right for intruding into the badger's natural habitat - I'm sure with it's triangular snout and stout & strong form, smashing through undergrowth at speed works... the same approach doesn't work so well with traffic. Badgers are mad b*stards (recently acquired bias).
 
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Jodel

Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2020
158
131
The financial damage is probably easier to cope with as opposed to the discomfort which you have to contend with yourself. Given the weather at this time of year, your period off the bike may not be quite so hard to bear.

For me, any sign of frost / ice and I give the bike a miss. I've come off on ice in my youth and at that time, I bounced quite well. These days I tend to crumple rather than bounce and I know that healing takes a long time.

Chin up - you'll get there!
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
The financial damage is probably easier to cope with as opposed to the discomfort which you have to contend with yourself. Given the weather at this time of year, your period off the bike may not be quite so hard to bear.

For me, any sign of frost / ice and I give the bike a miss. I've come off on ice in my youth and at that time, I bounced quite well. These days I tend to crumple rather than bounce and I know that healing takes a long time.

Chin up - you'll get there!
I've been avoiding looking at my bike... I'm surprised at the breakages of light clamps and headlight. The handlebar must have hit the ground with more force than it had in other collisions, maybe from a height after riding up over the badger like it was a fleshy bump on the road. I really can'tremember, I'll have another look at the footage for a momentarily increased view of the sky. The pannier bags were also carrying a lot of weight, and it was a sudden stop; if the forks have bent they're bent and I'll obviously have to repair whatever damage there actually turns out to be. The only worrying thing would be a crack(s) in the old aluminium frame somewhere.

I wasn't going to get into the discomfort but now that you mention it: My wrist joint didn't move at all when they took the second cast off, to replace with an extremely hard to remove velcro secured strap with integrated metal splint. The velcro fastener is so large and so strong that I hurt myself taking it off, to attempt the prescribed exercises. Mere mimimetres of wrist and hand movement, was all I could manage (I'm told it's largely damaged and/or stiff tendons restricting movement) after which my wrist and hand puffed up and I was in agony, but I eventually found relief by covering my entire left wrist and hand (apart from the 58mm scar) and hand with a thick layer of 5% ibuprofen gel and placing cling film over it all, to stop it drying out, thus aiding deeper penetration of ibuprofen into the tissue for a longer period of time (I've found this works far better than the pills). After two hours, I removed the cling film and ibuprofen gel - today the swelling has reduced a bit on one side of the back of my hand, and I've gained a centimetre or so of movement in all directions. The raw burning sensation in my tendons has reduced. My wrist makes horrible clicking noises, which are accompanied with sharp pains. The absurdly strong velcro strap containing the splint had to be refastened so that it slips off when I need to attempt exercising my wrist and hand four times a day (while remaining tight enough to provide adequate support), rather than undone using the velcro fastener, which is near nigh impossible with one hand to do without intense pain. I've got another appointment in 4 months. I'm worried that at my age, it won't heal properly or take a very long time to do so. Eating foods high in calcium, taking calcium and selenium supplements.

I was cycling to work last winter, in all but snow covered roads. I'll be tempted to go pedelecing as soon as I can!
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
19,990
8,172
60
West Sx RH
36v is approx. 40%, although not truly linear as an approximation 33v can be regarded as 10% and then one can do the simple maths.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
36v is approx. 40%, although not truly linear as an approximation 33v can be regarded as 10% and then one can do the simple maths.
Thank you for that information, I'll plot a little graph/get Excel or something to fit a curve.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
Yes, just B&Q kitchen downlighters... 4 x 12v 40w = 160w / 36v = an average of a 4-amp draw. It's a comfortable load for a 36v ebike battery. 20w would do too, just take longer to dump the surplus energy.

Others here likely see me as paranoid regaling tales of having batteries for 4/5/6 years and never having a problem.... and I dare say that's true. It's easy to be cavalier with the "it'll be fine" spiel... until it's you that loses £400+ with a stressed cell battery. I've got 4 batteries for 3 e-bikes and not all are regularly used. Having lost that brand new one within just a few months previously, I'm not taking any more chances. That's just me.
£400+ is not nothing. I'm sorry to hear of your battery's early demise - was there not any way to revive or salvage it? Have you thrown it away?
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
The Tripadvisor page for "Badger Bicycle Collision", will get a zero star review
 

Jodel

Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2020
158
131
You have certainly sustained some battle damage. The length of time the healing process takes can be a bit frustrating, but things will slowly get better. It took me over a year to get back on the bike after I was knocked off by a dog, but I got there eventually.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
You have certainly sustained some battle damage. The length of time the healing process takes can be a bit frustrating, but things will slowly get better. It took me over a year to get back on the bike after I was knocked off by a dog, but I got there eventually.
Whose dog was it anyway, and why wasn't it on a lead? How did they resolve your compressed spine problem(s)? Did you have to have spinal traction? What state is your back in now? I wonder if more bike collisions with dogs happened on roads, before owners were required to keep them on a lead.
 
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I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
I've just ordered this "20W 1800LM" light, to replace one of broken lights on the handlebar. I might try lifting my bike up the stairs to my workshop-like area for a proper inspection, in a week or two. I need my left wrist sufficiently healed, so I can hold onto the bannister while the bike's on my shoulder. For now, I know the electrical system works. If this light's good, I'll add a second to the handlebar, they'll have independent switches for when battery is low, or when I need more range:


I have to be careful repairing the bike, because I'll be tempted out for a test ride. A bike slightly non-functional until my wrist heals, if I have the will, would be a wiser course of action. This splint velcro wrap thing should allow me to make light repairs with both hands (fingers work), if I don't prang the injury and unsettle my amazing self-repairing body system. Someday bikes will be able to do it too... they might be called "AlexaBike" or "SpotTheBike" or something. I live for the day I can simply say "Spot, grow two new 20W headlights on the handlebar", but I fear I won't live quite that long, not while badgers stalk the roads. There should be badger/critter tunnels under roads, or bridges over them. I should campaign.
 
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Jodel

Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2020
158
131
Whose dog was it anyway, and why wasn't it on a lead? How did they resolve your compressed spine problem(s)? Did you have to have spinal traction? What state is your back in now? I wonder if more bike collisions with dogs happened on roads, before owners were required to keep them on a lead.
Just a normal 'well behaved' dog who 'hasn't done anything like that before'. It should have been on a lead, but a lot of dog owners feel it is their right to let the dog run free. There are good and bad dog owners just as there are good and bad cyclists. On shared cycle paths, I always make a point of thanking dog owners who control their dog when they see / hear a bicycle approaching.

My back is OK(ish) now, it does get quite sore at times but tolerable. I didn't get traction (it wasn't mentioned as a treatment pathway). I was found have quite severe osteoporosis in my spine, which didn't help (a side effect of my Chemotherapy medication).
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
Just a normal 'well behaved' dog who 'hasn't done anything like that before'. It should have been on a lead, but a lot of dog owners feel it is their right to let the dog run free. There are good and bad dog owners just as there are good and bad cyclists. On shared cycle paths, I always make a point of thanking dog owners who control their dog when they see / hear a bicycle approaching.

My back is OK(ish) now, it does get quite sore at times but tolerable. I didn't get traction (it wasn't mentioned as a treatment pathway). I was found have quite severe osteoporosis in my spine, which didn't help (a side effect of my Chemotherapy medication).
Dogs are property, and you might have been able to file a personal injury claim against the owner. Someone I know won about £10,000 from a driver who drove over his foot (broken).

Sorry to hear about your chemotherapy. Are you clear of it now?

I've applied another huge glob of ibuprofen to the back of my hand and covered it with cling film, keeps reswelling. This will continue for some time I think...
 

Jodel

Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2020
158
131
Dogs are property, and you might have been able to file a personal injury claim against the owner. Someone I know won about £10,000 from a driver who drove over his foot (broken).

Sorry to hear about your chemotherapy. Are you clear of it now?
Much as I would liked to have filed a claim against the dog owner, I was more concerned with just getting home / to hospital at the time.

Chemo is a permanent thing for me unfortunately - well at least until I snuff it :)
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
Much as I would liked to have filed a claim against the dog owner, I was more concerned with just getting home / to hospital at the time.

Chemo is a permanent thing for me unfortunately - well at least until I snuff it :)
Yes it's hard to note name and address when you're in a lot of pain. Permanent chemo sounds very unpleasant too, I hope you don't snuff it.
 
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
10,048
2,966
I've just ordered this "20W 1800LM" light, to replace one of broken lights on the handlebar. I might try lifting my bike up the stairs to my workshop-like area for a proper inspection, in a week or two. I need my left wrist sufficiently healed, so I can hold onto the bannister while the bike's on my shoulder. For now, I know the electrical system works. If this light's good, I'll add a second to the handlebar, they'll have independent switches for when battery is low, or when I need more range:


I have to be careful repairing the bike, because I'll be tempted out for a test ride. A bike slightly non-functional until my wrist heals, if I have the will, would be a wiser course of action. This splint velcro wrap thing should allow me to make light repairs with both hands (fingers work), if I don't prang the injury and unsettle my amazing self-repairing body system. Someday bikes will be able to do it too... they might be called "AlexaBike" or "SpotTheBike" or something. I live for the day I can simply say "Spot, grow two new 20W headlights on the handlebar", but I fear I won't live quite that long, not while badgers stalk the roads. There should be badger/critter tunnels under roads, or bridges over them. I should campaign.
I ordered one of those last week:


...can never have too many lights wired to my bike battery...

I hope you heal up well.
 
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I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
533
128
I ordered one of those last week:


...can never have too many lights wired to my bike battery...

I hope you heal up well.

Mine arrived today. Now I'm (literally) sorely tempted to risk unsettling my wrist by dragging my bike up stairs to install it. 20W should be pretty bright. 1800LM? We shall see. I'll restrain myself for a time.



45075


A couple of these might help run the battery down, when needed.
 
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