Things are a'changing...

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Got on the www last night to pay some bills etc. Had just completed them when the www started going funny. Rebooted the modem, except it didn't reboot, died a miserable death on the desk, no lights, nothing.
Spent 30 mins waiting on the phone to get a replacement sorted from Spark, our Telco provider.
But it was a beautiful night, crystal clear finally, cold southerly after some thunder and rain. Observatory time I thought, can't browse the web or nothing.
Mount fired up first time ... but the Ob PC didn't ! After multiple attempts to reboot, repair, recycle, re-anything, I gave that up too !

Went to bed, read a book ...

On another note. I have been busy setting up a small business at home. Retirement looms and I need something to keep me out of trouble and provide a bit of beer money now and then. Not sure when I'll transition out of the rat race workforce completely, depends on growth I guess, 6 months, 12 months maybe ? Hopefully ? Wishfully ?

Electric Vehicles are the growing trend so I have set up a bike conversion business. Convert your bike to electric assist. Fits well with Auckland's transport directions, cycleways and the multitude of small hills around.

Involves some degree of local promotion and getting out and about to push(bike) the concept to the commuters etc. So may not be quite as regular posting on here while I get this going and my astro time will be curtailed a bit.
But I'll be keeping an eye on you fella's so behave ...

Look out for E+BIKE around town ... ok, in Auckland anyway..

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Would love to see electric vehicles and bikes become common here, rather than something you see once in a blue moon.
But for now it's pollution spewing cars and trucks everywhere.
Hawaii is years ahead of us, Teslas everywhere.

[xelasnave]

Hi Brent,
I am developing a motorised walking frame which is to help me get around but I think it has the potential to change the shopping center world.
It would seem to be handy for folk who don't need one because it is also in effect a motorised shopping cart and a chair...I see a future where everyone in a shopping center is getting about on one of these...Now if you developed faith in the idea I would be happy to see you make enough money to buy your own brewery... I had a thread discussing it recently.
The proto type is near complete and is proving a very complex item. I am using cordless drill but hub motors would be the go...
And if you check the net nothing exactly like this exists....and as a friend once said about an invention of mine (a fishing rod where the line went up the inside of the rod)..." Mate it does not have to work, the fact that its a new idea will get all we can produce sold"..

I have often thought of getting a company going involving folk from here who each can contribute a certain expertize...what I offer is being able to direct and encourage which does not seem like much but those qualities are often the key to getting something done.
Alex

[julianh72 (Julian)]

On a recent visit to mainland China, I was stunned by the number of electric scooters - they are everywhere, in vast numbers. They look very much like a typical modern scooter, and seem to perform better than a petrol-powered scooter (at least up to typical commuting speeds of say 60 km/hr - I'm not sure what their upper speed capability is).

To me, this is an obvious step to take. While the range and speed might not be enough to be a practical option for long-distance rides, you can get plenty of battery range for a typical daily commute, and they are obviously much cleaner and quieter than a petrol scooter, and should be more reliable if they are built to a reasonable standard.

So why don't we see them in the First World? (I haven't seen any in Australia, and I didn't notice any when I was in Europe recently, although electric cars are becoming quite common in the major cities.)

[raymo]

With the horrendous air pollution being a huge problem, maybe the government have subsidised electric vehicles in an effort to improve
things. I know the vehicles have to be charged by power from mainly
coal powered stations, but perhaps the stations are sited away from
the cities, so their smoke is not such an obvious problem.
I suppose its also possible that they have been forced on them in
some way. They're actually fun to ride, with better acceleration than
petrol powered ones.
raymo

[raymo]

Its interesting to note that 24 to 48v 600w small electric moto cross bikes are becoming popular, as they have instant torque, allowing them to compete
with the 80cc bikes. A few large road going bikes are starting to appear here.
raymo

[ZeroID (Brent)]

The motor kit I am using is 300 watt (no Motorscooter license req'd over here) and fits at the crank. So rear gears ( 7-8 speed) are still available and all you need to be honest. Assisted range is about 60-70 km, depends a wee bit on hills obviously but I rode up a reasonably steep hill for about 600 meters sitting down at about 15 kph and didn't even breathe hard. A charge would cost about 20c - 50c depending on provider and 80% of NZ's power is renewable Hydro so a very small eco effect.
Auckland has a lot of cycleways already and lots more coming and I see a lot of riders on my trip to work each morning, mostly without motors. Potential customers !!

Alex, I think mobility scooters, the 4 wheel kind, have already taken that market.

[Mamba (David)]

Last year John McGuinness averaged 118mph around the IoM TT course and peaked at 168mph on his electric motorcycle. Bit of a cheat really as about 4 miles of it is downhill.
Mamba

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by raymo

Its interesting to note that 24 to 48v 600w small electric moto cross bikes are becoming popular, as they have instant torque, allowing them to compete
with the 80cc bikes. A few large road going bikes are starting to appear here.
raymo

Raymo, there is a local manufacturer over here who has made a farm bike with I think, a 1000 watt motor and plenty of battery for a full days work. Silent, powerful and climbs any hill carrying several dogs and a rider.

http://www.ubcobikes.com/

Check it out, correction two motors !!

[glend (Glen)]

Maybe not an issue for your product and market but for many elderly customers using any sort of two wheeled balance bike is out of the question. As i suffer from vetigo now and then (BPV if you know what that is), i can no longer ride my much loved full suspension mountain bike, lest i find myself stranded and unable to get home during a vertigo episode. A trike, or mobility scooter type device would suit my condition but they all look terrible. The Greenspeed recumbent trikes look great, and i would love an electric version or a kit for one.

[xelasnave]

The advantage of my idea is that the unit is not heavy like the mobility scooter. It is easy to lift into a car. A very lite unit is what I need or a heavy unit and a crane on the car...
Alex

[silv (Annette)]

cool project, Brent! Hope it gets out of the "planning womb" and into life!
Would be something morally worthwhile and very useful particularly in Auckland and Wellington.

Do you want to convert them individually?
Or are you also considering becoming a rent-an-e-bike agency?

- As for the eco concerns re power requirements:
Came across 'solar bicycle sheds" while I was googling how to get more energy independent and away from the grid, myself.
Since almost everybody in NZ lives in 1-family-homes, getting such a solar roof for a shed seems much more feasible than in Germany where we rent flats in beehives and in streets with no free space between buildings.

(Whishing the dye sensitized solar foil development would speed up! No direct sun necessary, a foil rather than a solid structure. Could even be "mounted" at the windows of rented apartments, no roof or balcony ownership needed. )

- Theft discouragement would be already available in GPS-modules for bikes. Just like the well-known "Find-my-Smartphone"-apps.
I imagine that would be a sad yet necessary addition for expensive bikes, everywhere.

Not closely related to your project but still worth sharing, I hope:
When Alex spoke about his motorized walking frame and suggested it could be used by normal people doing their shopping, too,

I remembered this video on the Taga Bike Stroller.
My motherly heart went "boom boom boom" when I first saw this. How much I would have wanted such a bike back then!
Of course it doesn't have to be (used as) a baby stroller and can just as well be used as a dedicated shopping cart.
It looks very portable, too, good for people in multi story apartment buildings.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by glend

Maybe not an issue for your product and market but for many elderly customers using any sort of two wheeled balance bike is out of the question. As i suffer from vetigo now and then (BPV if you know what that is), i can no longer ride my much loved full suspension mountain bike, lest i find myself stranded and unable to get home during a vertigo episode. A trike, or mobility scooter type device would suit my condition but they all look terrible. The Greenspeed recumbent trikes look great, and i would love an electric version or a kit for one.

Trikes and older riders are part of the target market. I understand your particular problem but I've also seen an 82 year old Grandma out in the CBD on her wicked MTB with full suspension with her mates. You just never know do you ?
Recumbents are another area being investigated.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Hi Annette, thanks for the encouragement and links.
It's already out of planning and into action. I had my first enquiry last night for a conversion. I will be doing conversions to individual bikes and possibly new bike sales soon. Kits and batteries will be on the for sale list as well. Long term, who knows.
Solar charging would need some thinking, needs a fair bit of charge rate to top up a battery, they rate at between 10 and 15 kilowatts.

I have hardware on order to convert my Cannondale first, hopefully arriving in the next day or two. Workshop is more or less complete, depending on how much more paint I want to throw at the walls. The conversion will give me a demo bike and transport to work as well, the best way to advertise is be seen apparently.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

The advantage of my idea is that the unit is not heavy like the mobility scooter. It is easy to lift into a car. A very lite unit is what I need or a heavy unit and a crane on the car...
Alex

Hi Alex,
The hardware for bike conversion is specifically designed to fit to a bike. It does not adapt to any other mobility options. Even for recumbents and trikes the technology would need to be re-engineered considerably due to major design differences and usage requirements (speed and control functions).
I understand where you are coming from but it would be a whole design and build exercise to come up with a viable solution for your concept. I am not in a position to undertake that or the cost risk involved. I have already sunk about $5000 into this venture and returns are not going to come quickly, there is not a huge profit margin in it.
As long as it sustains my beer and single malt acquisitions during my retirement I'll be happy. Anything more will be bonus !!

[xelasnave]

Hi Brent

I was trying to put money in your pocket not take it out...

I know the feeling as to development cost and as simple as my idea is it costs money for stuff.

To build my frame from the ground up would be very expensive.

I had a client ,well that is over 20 years ago, who sort to produce a "special" pillow. It looked simple enough but he said he had invested $30 k and had not got past proto type and initial paper work.

Nevertheless you will regret not getting on board when you see me on TV riding my solid gold frame up to my new second hand jet I purchased from Donald Trump and then you will need a pint of good malt to drown your regret.

I mentioned my hollow fishing rod..I built one caught fish with it, it overcame the problem it was designed to fix...Well about 2 weeks after I caught my first fish with it I called into a large fishing store ,near Liverpool where I was doing some work, and there it was...someone had done it...but to rub salt into the new wound it had the exact same reel, my favorite sitting on it.
Well I haven't seen them since so I guess the market rejected them.

That night I got really drunk I was absolutely shattered.

A character building episode.

And I think what you are doing is fantastic.


And if you ever need any help finding the bottom of a bottle please let me know.

Good luck with your wonderful enterprise.

Alex

[The_bluester (Paul)]

The only downside that I can see to crank mounted motors would be not having the ability to do regenerative braking.

Do the systems with a hub mounted motor do regenerative braking or is the possibility of locking it up with brake force and falling off considered too great? It could be a handy range extender if there are hills to be ridden.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by The_bluester

The only downside that I can see to crank mounted motors would be not having the ability to do regenerative braking.

Do the systems with a hub mounted motor do regenerative braking or is the possibility of locking it up with brake force and falling off considered too great? It could be a handy range extender if there are hills to be ridden.

From what I understand the cost to implement would not really be worth the extra few watts it would generate. I asked the same question but in reality braking is a rarely used function in bikes, most people use downhills to gather speed and stopping for lights etc is a shortlived action, very little to gain.
I gather some hub motor models do it but for crank mounted motors it would have to be a fixed wheel setup sort of.
There are two motor types for this install.
One is the assist motor, adds to your effort but you have to pedal, my preferred option as it is very natural to use. You pedal, it adds a preset % of your effort to the crank. 4 settings on the one I rode. 4 or 'Turbo' is just about effortless. On flat keep it low, hills 2 or 3.
The other is an accelerator on the handle bar which is more like a motorbike action, you don't have to pedal. But it has a much shorter range as riders tend to use it instead of adding their own pedal power to the motor.
Depends on your personal requirements. The Assist one is best for the benefit of exercise and range. The other is a two wheel low power scooter, pedalling optional.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

He Alex, when I see you riding your gold plated frame I'll bring the bottle over and we'll both search for the bottom.
Thanks for the best wishes, it's a slightly daunting step to be taking as it signifies some pending life changes and a different perspective on things. I have other options I can take up as well with less stress involved to my current situation and more time for my own plans.
Funny how a few things have fallen into place during this phase though ..... kind of prophetic ...

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

I like the sound of that assist motor. You can dial up or down the laziness factor
I ride to work every day, and can see myself buying one of these things when I have a few more grey hairs on my head.