Cannonball Builds Himself A Girly Bike

cannonball2 · Aug 5, 2014

Back when I was a kid no self respecting guy would be found on a girls bike, you would never live it down. Now however old age washes away some of the craziness of youth, not to mention you don't have to throw aged legs over the seat, plus I already had the frame. So a girly it is. Wanted a bike to throw in the back of my Honda for riding the bike trails at the beach. A simple light build that would be fun/comfortable to ride.
Heres the beginning. Its a Pacific Schwinn frame married to a new decent model RST front end. Will have a 160mm disc brake up front and a coaster in the rear. Power is a 350w 24v geared motor, that freewheels when I want to pedal. Power comes from 4 Turnigy 4cell 5ah R/C batteries in series/parallel for a 10ah battery. Will ride on meaty 2.5x26 Hookworms. Was surprised they fit the narrow front rim on the hub motor. Am lacing a wider rim for the rear. Paint is gonna be Bad A$$ black with red and white trim so it looks like a mans girly bike. Cool thing is all the batteries, controller, and most of the wiring will be in the leather tool bag on the bars for a very stealthy Ebike. The bag rides in a very sturdy metal frame work.

Doesnt look like much now but should be manly enough when done!

cannonball2 · Aug 6, 2014

Laced and trued the wheel and mounted the tire this morning. Couple of hours of interesting and enjoyable work to go from the parts pile to a road ready wheel. Now just really need to paint the frame and assemble. Still waiting for the disc brake though.

Lungcookie · Aug 6, 2014

Nice, looks good, HD spokes?

I built my first wheel last year, one this year and getting ready to do 2 more. I though it was some kinda bike voodoo but its really not that bad. I found a flat bladed screwdriver on the back of the nipple works way better and faster than a spoke wrench.

For me the worst/hardest part is painting. My cruiser I ended up using 3M vinyl wrap, after I painted and stripped it 2 times...sheesh.

cannonball2 · Aug 6, 2014

Thanks LC! Yeah 12ga, the wheel came that way. I only dismantled it to paint the rim. Hate taping off spokes. Been awhile sine I laced one(have built many) so benefited from the refresher course.
Got the frame painted black. Turned out well. Perfect day for paint low humidity and 94 degrees. You can really shoot the paint to it under those conditions. Am making the head tube white like the old bikes so have to wait a day or so for the second color. Going pretty well though.
Cant wait to ride the little pup.

lowracer · Aug 6, 2014

Wanna see more pics of this one...
Dare to be different!
Nice work
(man's girly bike...lol)
-Low-

silverbear · Aug 7, 2014

I've had several bikes that were "step through". That's what I call them. A couple of 1930's Elgins, a couple of Schwins from the 60's and right now a 63 Schwinn American Deluxe being made into a hybrid trike. One plus in finding a vintage girls frame is that they are usually in better shape than the boys version. I'm guessing the girls didn't do as much curb jumping and dumping bikes on the ground instead of using the kick stand... that sort of thing. And they are always priced lower than the boys version. My current Elgin bike, a 1934 model I could never have afforded in a boys model. Collectors, too, seem to zero in on the boys bikes leaving some pretty neat old girls bikes to us builders. Foolish not to consider them, in my opinion.

And yes, stepping through rather swinging your leg over the seat is a help when time starts catching up with us.

Looks like a fun, nimble ride you're putting together.
SB

cannonball2 · Aug 7, 2014

Thanks SB. I like the term "step through" I will have to practice saying that with an aire of disdain when confronted with the term girls bike. Actually as of late the "step through" frames have risen in value. I bought 4 recently for various custom builds and was surprised at the prices. Truly they are not in the stratosphere of the mens vintage frames but not cheap like they used to be.

So here is the basically completed bike. I thought I had a new chain but it was for a multispeed bike so had to order a BMX chain. Also I had forgotten the suspension front end was a long travel version which made the bike sit too high in the front. So it was back to the stock front which of course needed painting. There went my plush ride and disc brake! Now will have to add side pull brakes to the front. Also need to add a kick stand. This bike is LIGHT so hoping a side stand will work.
All the wiring will disappear into the tool bag making a really neat well hidden Ebike. Was an easy build only started late Monday on it. Heres a few pics of the roller. Was trying to show the bag mount structure but it washed out in the pic.

cannonball2 · Aug 8, 2014

Got the wiring complete. Had to shorten all the leads as there was no room to in the bag for something like 10' of extra wiring. I really hate stripping, soldering and shrinking all those tiny little wires, 13 in all! But its done and it works. In my younger years I would have probably blasted this thing down the street with no brakes, but wisdom comes with age. Its a neat system with 3 motor speeds, battery indicator, headlight switch, pedelec, and I think a form of cruise control. All for $194 shipped. The motor has WAY more initial power than the other DD mini hub I built, but it is some what over volted. Cant wait to ride it!

silverbear · Aug 8, 2014

Yep pardner, real men jes step on through, none a that swingin' yer leg in air like a girly man... no, sir! Jes step through... (said in a decisive, manly low voice) & yer done.

That really is a small hub. Pretty small price, too. Who makes that hub? Do you have a link?
SB

Mike B · Aug 8, 2014

Sweet.

That is my "next bike" plan too, a step thru electric with direct drive hub motor and the batteries mid frame or distributed along the frame.

So nice to not have to swing a leg. When you're 60, you no longer care if people think you're a "girly-man"

cannonball2 · Aug 8, 2014

Thanks SB and MikeB!
I feel the bike turned out sufficiently manly. The Macho black paint and the big tires say manly man, yet the white accents allow me to stay in touch with my softer side, as well as not burn my fanny(on the seat) when its been sitting in the hot S Ga. sun.

I agree that stepping thru is the way go for guys our age. My left knee certainly agrees.
Heres the link SB but looks like the seller is currently out. He usually restocks though. I have bought several kit from him. Whoops cant list the link that way as it opens my ebay account to the world. Will search the seller and link later.

2door · Aug 8, 2014

Girly, step through, call it what you want that is a good looking machine, cannonball.
Congratulations. It is so clean and uncluttered. Just a great looking bike.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

Tom

cannonball2 · Aug 9, 2014

Thanks 2door I appreciate the kind comment! The whole build on this one is minimalist. I wanted every thing to fit in the tool bag(it just does) so that even determined the voltage/number of batteries. I believe it will be a fun comfortable rider for the laid back beach scene.

cannonball2 · Aug 9, 2014

silverbear said:
Yep pardner, real men jes step on through, none a that swingin' yer leg in air like a girly man... no, sir! Jes step through... (said in a decisive, manly low voice) & yer done.

That really is a small hub. Pretty small price, too. Who makes that hub? Do you have a link?
SB

Heres the link to the seller. He has sold thru the 24v kits($194.99) but still has the 36v kits which would be better, for $199.99 shipped. The costs are coming down since I started with Ebikes. I just saw a kit I thought I got a good deal on had dropped $20! These are rear wheels, he has sold the fronts. Keep the link and check back. He usually restocks fairly quickly. These are nice kits and meet the EU requirements to be legal which requires the pedelec to be in the kit. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ebikeling-E...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item20e9726d41

Lungcookie · Aug 9, 2014

Wow you really flew through that build, wish some of your motivation would rub off on me. I like how your new bike is stealth, just looks like a drum brake.
Also so un-intimidating any one could ride it.

In the 1920's someone had the motorcycle idea, Google Ner-A-Car.

2door · Aug 9, 2014

Lungcookie said:
Wow you really flew through that build, wish some of your motivation would rub off on me. I like how your new bike is stealth, just looks like a drum brake.
Also so un-intimidating any one could ride it.

In the 1920's someone had the motorcycle idea, Google Ner-A-Car.

Check the steering on that bike! That is unique.

Tom

KCvale · Aug 9, 2014

cannonball2 said:
I feel the bike turned out sufficiently manly. The Macho black paint and the big tires say manly man, yet the white accents allow me to stay in touch with my softer side, as well as not burn my fanny(on the seat) when its been sitting in the hot S Ga. sun.

I agree that stepping thru is the way go for guys our age. My left knee certainly agrees.

Beautiful build and I totally agree that easy mounting is a big plus, very well done Cannonball!

Even though this Giant bike is a men's bike I got **** for it looking 'girly', until they saw it run that is, jackshafted 66cc with X-chamber and NuVinci rear disc internal shifting hub, it's wasn't so 'girly' after that ;-}

I really liked that bike but I was just getting started back then and wanted to try new things and let it go.

Did 3 upright adult electric shifting trikes but they don't perform well with any speed or turning and the label is just flat 'for old people'.

You did good ;-}

cannonball2 · Aug 9, 2014

Thanks for the + comments yall!

Nothing girly about that bike KC! Got enough mechanical aspects to please any guy. Looks like its haulin a$$ just sitting there!

LC there was a Ner-A-Car on ebay awhile back. Pretty cool! I have an antique motorcycle book that had a section on them. Seems they were very good in ride and handling, and was a good piece of transportation for its day. Those that had the really liked them. But its odd looks worked against it and it didn't fare well commercially. Too bad its pretty neat!

cannonball2 · Aug 11, 2014

Got my chain installed today so it was time for a quick ride. The batteries were at storage voltage(around 3.8v), so it was only a run down the road and back. Very impressive. The little motor is much more immediate than the similar DD hub. Its certainly quiet at least for now. No louder than the DD just a different sound. more of a whir than the turbine like sound of the DD. The control for the different speeds works as advertised offering 3 speeds. The little bike is so light. Was a pleasure to carry down the front stairs. Now to charge the batteries!

cannonball2 · Aug 15, 2014

Got the R/C type watt meter installed. Interesting device. I got no instructions so have been sorting out the various readings. It of course has a volt/amp reading and watts. But what I really like and relate to is amp/hrs consumed. I am impressed with the Turnigy R/C batteries. Mine are all about as perfectly cell matched as can be. I determined that the operator LVC is 28v. That cuts at a cell voltage of 3.5, a conservative number. The batteries were still at 3.85v as shipped for a pack voltage of 30.8 so why not ride on! I rode for about a half hour at various speeds and never did see the voltage drop under 29v. Consumed 1.8ah. The controller is limited to 17amps and being 24v you see max amps pulled with any acceleration or loading. but as soon as it unloads it cruises around 5amps.

Conclusion is these are(as well known) energy rich batteries. Even in the lower state of charge the pack easily and repeatedly provided 17amps. My bigger bikes with much higher voltages only pull 15amps(controller limited). If you are familiar or will learn the quirks of the R/C lipo cells, these are a great way to go for light high density packs at reasonable prices.

BTW this little motor was sold as a 350w. At 24v/17amps it makes 408w. At the higher voltages of the lipo pack(33.6 fresh charge) it makes 571w. Correct me if Im wrong on the math, but this is pretty good output from such a small package!

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