no stress riding

paul

paul

Well-Known Member
just got back from and early morning ride and was thinking. when i had my gas bikes their was always that thing when you wondered how many times you would try to start the bike before it fired up and it was like a great feeling if it started first pull with the 4 stroke or first time you released the clutch on the 2 stroke. then them times it didn't start by the 3rd try thinking "now whats wrong" also getting home and a lot of times halfway thru the ride checking the chains and the tensions and the mounts and readjusting things. with the electric bike you just touch the throttle and off you go i still check all bolts regularly and i have not had to tighten a single one. i think that is because the e-bike does not have the vibration that a gas motor has. don't get me wrong i loved my gas bikes and i am not knocking them. i put thousands of miles on them and had great times but i did not like the constantly working on them. i broke many a chains and tightened and replaced many bolts. i guess at my age and my lazy lifestyle down here i just want to get out and ride and not have to worry about a thing except crazy drivers and the electric bicycle is perfect for that.
 
It's good to enjoy a motorized bicycle rather that stress over it so I can understand the elation. I will say though, reading through the list of problems you experienced (and I'm aware they are quite common on some set-ups), I have never had to deal with any of those issues you mention with the gas bikes I own. Sounds like you found your solution, so enjoy your eBike, but I know it's also possible to have a similar experience with the right gas bike.
 
As much as I hate to admit it I am a bit smitten with electric bikes too, even more so since my little spill last night.

It wasn't riding a bike, I tripped over something in the shop (cat? Tailpipe?) when I came back in the shop in the dark to make sure the back door was locked.
I went down pretty hard and hit the filing cabinet I assume on the way down.

I'm not sure what, but even though I have padded carpet for a floor it knocked me out for a spell and when I came to I had a chunk of right elbow skin missing and bleeding, a bad headache, and my already broken right collar bone really complaining.

But back to topic...
The clean reliable simplicity of an electric shifter MB is awesome and I have all the parts to make a great one here waiting to be assembled.
(NuVinci Caddy with 960W shifter electric)

Unfortunately my shop mate is taking a weeks vacation as of this morning and I can't even get the frigg'n parts out of the boxes let alone assemble them myself now. Sucks. But if this electric was build I could ride it right now and be OK but I can't see me being able to start and ride any of the 3 gas bikes I have here right now.

Ya, maybe I'm a frigg'n wussy that isn't aging well but tell me about it when you are over half a century old too.
I like electrics and working with others so we don't have to get bent over to buy the parts and doing pretty well so far.
I can't go into who and where and such yet but suffice it say I have better sources than this for it.

3 Chainwheel Complete kit
Item # 3CCK
3 Chainwheel Complete kit: 960W / 12A 36V battery

http://www.ebkit.com/3ck.htm
$1,287 delivered if I got it from them.
I didn't ;-}

Still more than a 4-stroke shifter bike but not outrageously priced out of practical range considering the actual bike.
Click and Go as fast as I want to in style suits me these days despite the fact I build high end gas bikes for a living.
 
Last edited:
Mike B said:
Heal up and build that bike KC, looking forward to watching another ebike build!
Click to expand...
The Caddy's out of the box and in the shop stall on it's back while I bullet proof the tires and get the new BB cartridge and sprockets attached.

Ya, I'm still sore but I had help, I needed it damn heavy bike.
 
I made some tire liners out of mini-blinds once, that **** worked good. I wonder what KC's recipe is
 
From my web sites 'Recommended' stuff:

2. Heavy Duty Tubes and Tire Liners.
Though most quality bikes come with good tubes some don't, and none come with tire liners.
Forget 'Slime', it is a messy temporary fix for a puncture you could avoid in the first place.

I highly recommend at least a tire liner on the rear wheel, but if the budget allows then Heavy Duty tubes and Liners front and rear.
I don't know what the laminate material of the outstanding liners I buy is, but I liken it to Kevlar, nothing you hit on the road is going to get past it into the tube.

Liners are $10 ea.
HD Tubes $12 ea.
Labor $5 one wheel, $8 for both wheels.

I don't mark up parts, that's what I pay my local bike shop.
$22 a wheel.

Flats? never seen one with that combo and with that thick tube I only have to check air pressure every few months.
I'm tempted to let the local tire shop fill 'em with Nitrogen.
I called, it's like $10 a wheel on a car, I told the guy I just wanted a couple bicycle tires filled, he laughed his butt off and said 'bring it down, I'll do it for free'.

Nitrogen is a thicker inert 'air' molecule.
Tubes with no holes will still loose air over time, it penetrates the rubber, Nitrogen does that much slower, especially with a thick tube.

Anyway that's how I bullet-proof a wheel and both wheels done that way is still less than a single actual Kevlar tire and better yet, when the actual tire wears out you can still use the insides ;-}
 
One more note about this being a Kent Cadillac Fleetwood bike with NuVinci powered back wheel with a disc brake, the tires are thin and the tubes are crap.

The tires have a cool flame tread and I run them until they are worn out but pulling the back wheel is a major chore so hence the 'bullet-proofing' which of course does not mean an actual bullet but stopping anything but something big and sharp enough to penetrate which would make you wipe out and a flat tire would be the least of your worries ;-}
 
KCvale said:
One more note about this being a Kent Cadillac Fleetwood bike with NuVinci powered back wheel with a disc brake, the tires are thin and the tubes are crap.

The tires have a cool flame tread and I run them until they are worn out but pulling the back wheel is a major chore so hence the 'bullet-proofing' which of course does not mean an actual bullet but stopping anything but something big and sharp enough to penetrate which would make you wipe out and a flat tire would be the least of your worries ;-}
Click to expand...

ya i agree, getting that back wheel perfect, then having to pull it because of a flat is a true PITA.

What do you think about using cans of fix-a-flat? I found a bunch one time at a dollar store and stocked up, Ive been using them to air up my tires when needed. One can does like 12 bike tires. It was a quick way before I got a compressor.
 
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