Stealthy Cruiser EBike

[mikeschn]

Since I brought this up in another thread, I figured I might as well start the build thread for it now. One of my future bikes is going to be a stealthy cruiser. I would have liked to find a bona-fide cantilevered cruiser, with a suspension, but no such luck. I suppose a retrotec classic is an option: http://ingliscycles.com/retrotec-classic/

But my second choice is to mimic this bike:

Here's the original article: https://www.electricbike.com/mini-hub-motors/

Anyways, I bought the Pomona,, and since the colors and decals were atrocious, I sent it off to the powdercoaters, to have coated in gloss black. I have not received it back yet.

I did an old fashioned version of Photochop... Ha!

I've already picked up a new front fork, which supports either disc or v brakes. So front disc, rear V, with kool stop pads. A lot of the parts are junk. I might have to strip one of my other bikes for some decent parts...

I'm thinking 36V TSDZ2 with torque sensor, and a bottle battery. Estimated range 12 to 25 miles.

Did I miss anything?

Mike...

 

[PedalUma]

Just some random thoughts here. Depending on the quality of the cells and a bunch of other factors, wind, hills, # of stops with jackrabbit starts, clothing, weight, gearing, cadence, assist level, speed.. Range can be 50 miles. And that's is averaging over 18Mph.
Here is a stealth cruiser I did. Look for wires and connectors and zip ties.

I took a one speed coaster brake cruiser and made it an eight speed. Sorry I could not recommend suppliers. A guy following that other thread (who directs everyone to his brand) accused me of 'advertising.' I do not advocate for any brands. Don't ship or sell anything and am only a local bike tech. That is a lot like being a local dog walker.

 

[mikeschn]

@PedalUma

Very impressive Cruiser ebike conversion. Thanks for sharing! Is that coaster brake enough for the TSDZ2? Did you have to spread your chain stays to get that Nexus in there?

Over here in SE Michigan it's mostly flat, and in the summer usually not that windy. I would typically expect the high end of any estimated range, except I like to run at the higher power levels, which bumps me back down.

Mike...

 

[EMGX]

I had a 36v 500w tsdz2 temporarily on this cruiser with a Nuvinci N360 CVT rear hub. It worked well and I had no trouble keeping up with another rider who was riding my Yamaha PW-SE mid drive gravel bike on a very hilly route. From this angle it is hard to tell that it even has the mid drive tsdz2. Battery was in the seat bag.

 

[mikeschn]

@EMGX Very nice. Were the brakes strong enough?

Mike...

 

[tomjasz]

A guy following that other thread (who directs everyone to his brand) accused me of 'advertising.'

No good deed goes unpunished. I made the mistake of trying to help a customer here. I’d stayed away from that sort of exchange here for years. The first time I did the prick went mental. I’m loving being retired from a support role. Another dipwad here did aGoogle review claiming I tried to sell my employers products here. There’s always one.

 

[tomjasz]

@EMGX Very nice. Were the brakes strong enough?

Mike...

They can be. Sometimes better pads from Koolstop can make a marked improvement in braking. They have an eBike pad and their mtb pads are almost as effect. I use both.

 

[EMGX]

@EMGX Very nice. Were the brakes strong enough?

Mike...

Not for where I ride in a hilly/mountainous area. It has a rear roller brake and front side pull brake that was an add on, they would be fine for flat routes but that isn't where I ride. Originally the bike had a rear mechanical disc (with the older N171 Nuvinci hub) with no front brake at all. I have another tsdz2 converted bike with a coaster brake that severely overheats the coaster hub - I gave it a quick touch after one ride and got burned. Regular V brakes have been fine as have disc brakes. My Yamaha powered gravel bike has mechanical disc brakes which aren't really any better than V type rim brakes. Just coasting down hills in my area I reach upper 30s to low 40s mph on every ride so I have a pretty good range of experience with the brakes that I have.

 

[EMGX]

PS
I'm a SE Michigan native too but have lived in Oregon and Washington for the past 28 years

 

[mikeschn]

I think I've been here in SE MI for 36 years now!

Mike...

 

[PedalUma]

@mikeschn, That is a great question. First I had the local bike shop cut the spoke and lace in the Nexus. I do not have a spoke cutting machine. That customer was impressed how well the LBS and I worked together to meet his desires. He wanted his cruiser to beer garden hop on the flats. It is a casual bike. Back to your question: I needed to expand the dropouts by about 8mm total, or about 4mm on each side. I made one of these.
I love the Nuvinci but it is so darn heavy! I can ride whatever I want and I keep jumping on a three speed Nexus coaster. K.I.S.S. Keeping it simple is more fun. I cannot afford to take myself too seriously.
@tomjasz, There is a story about a spandex man who is full of SH!T. What a braggart and bully. He was exposed in N. VA. See below.

 

[PedalUma]

Hey, @tomjasz. I do not work on everything. I declined to have this bike in my workshop. And it is not just about the bike. But I did help the guy over the phone. It was a jammed cutout lever. The thing is if I touch a bike like this then I own it when the guy crashes. He is about 20 and is doing 45Mph. The frontal lobes have not jet gelled, yet testosterone is at full blast. The pedals are decorative. Something has to give.

 

[EMGX]

On a ride as we speak. After the wettest April on record here. Over a foot of snow fell 3 weeks ago. Feels good to get out. And don't believe it when certain people say you need an expensive bike to tackle hills and distance.

 

[mikeschn]

@mikeschn, That is a great question. First I had the local bike shop cut the spoke and lace in the Nexus. I do not have a spoke cutting machine. That customer was impressed how well the LBS and I worked together to meet his desires. He wanted his cruiser to beer garden hop on the flats. It is a casual bike. Back to your question: I needed to expand the dropouts by about 8mm total, or about 4mm on each side. I made one of these.
I love the Nuvinci but it is so darn heavy! I can ride whatever I want and I keep jumping on a three speed Nexus coaster. K.I.S.S. Keeping it simple is more fun. I cannot afford to take myself too seriously.
@tomjasz, There is a story about a spandex man who is full of SH!T. What a braggart and bully. He was exposed in N. VA. See below.
View attachment 122080
View attachment 122081

Pedaluma,

Impressive jig. I use something similar on my head tube. when you spread your chainstays, does that jig move the chainstays so that they are perpendicular to the axle?

Mike...

 

[Taylor57]

Since I brought this up in another thread, I figured I might as well start the build thread for it now. One of my future bikes is going to be a stealthy cruiser. I would have liked to find a bona-fide cantilevered cruiser, with a suspension, but no such luck. I suppose a retrotec classic is an option: http://ingliscycles.com/retrotec-classic/

But my second choice is to mimic this bike:

View attachment 121925

Here's the original article: https://www.electricbike.com/mini-hub-motors/

Anyways, I bought the Pomona,, and since the colors and decals were atrocious, I sent it off to the powdercoaters, to have coated in gloss black. I have not received it back yet.

I did an old fashioned version of Photochop... Ha!

View attachment 121930

I've already picked up a new front fork, which supports either disc or v brakes. So front disc, rear V, with kool stop pads. A lot of the parts are junk. I might have to strip one of my other bikes for some decent parts...

I'm thinking 36V TSDZ2 with torque sensor, and a bottle battery. Estimated range 12 to 25 miles.

Did I miss anything?

Mike...

How much does it weigh?

 

[PedalUma]

perpendicular to the axle?

Probably not. But it is not a space telescope mirror! It does not seam to be noticeable. As a percentage of the overall chain stay length the lack of parallel does not make any difference. It is only a few mm to each side. 4mm out of 400. Is that even 2 degrees of arch?

 

[tomjasz]

The pedals are decorative. Something has to give.

Resellers like Luna will someday be ass deep in the manure they spread. Skirting the law and common srnse will eventually bust their arse. I was Always bothered by the customers that bought BBSHD motors and installed the HD on crap bikes incapable of reasonable stopping distances. Maybe not in my lifetime, I’m nearly at the life expectancy for an American male, but more regulations are coming. There will be a Ralph Nader once cities have to scrap citizens off the pavement as the aftermath of high speed unregulated eBikes.

 

[mikeschn]

Probably not. But it is not a space telescope mirror! It does not seam to be noticeable. As a percentage of the overall chain stay length the lack of parallel does not make any difference. It is only a few mm to each side. 4mm out of 400. Is that even 2 degrees of arch?

@PedalUma

So if I had a steel bike with 110 rear hub, and wanted to stretch it to 135, would I be able to? Just wondering, not that I am actually going to do that, cause bikes like that don't have good brakes either.

Mike...

 

[tomjasz]

@PedalUma

So if I had a steel bike with 110 rear hub, and wanted to stretch it to 135, would I be able to? Just wondering, not that I am actually going to do that, cause bikes like that don't have good brakes either.

Mike...

Confusing question for me. You have a 110mm motor? What bike has a 110mm rear? I’ve only seen 26” scooters with rear 110mm dropouts. Spreading 110mm dropouts to 135mm is not a good idea. But could you please clarify?

 

[mikeschn]

Confusing question for me. You have a 110mm motor? What bike has a 110mm rear? I’ve only seen 26” scooters with rear 110mm dropouts. Spreading 110mm dropouts to 135mm is not a good idea. But could you please clarify?

LOL, yeah, I wasn't very clear. I have an old Schwinn cruiser maybe 55 years old, which has a rear hub spacing of 110mm. I was just curious if it was even possible to spread it out to 135mm, because it's steel... But no I wouldn't do something like that...

Mike...