Alternative CCS headlight (for Dan)

[Reid]

Reid that looks great! I had considered that myself if I was to keep them on.

I was going to ask you about your front light since I read where you wrote about wiring one in. I see you did it. I want to install a better, and better looking, light myself. Mind sharing how you went about it?

Also, how did you clean up the cables so nicely? That mess is driving me nuts.

The earlier photo blocked view of all the cables. I removed the brake inhibitor wiring because I don't use ebike brake levers, don't see much point in brake inhibitors. The black elastic bandage material is easy to cut to a narrow width and easy to wrap and remove for bundling stuff although it is not slick looking. I wrap the suspension seatpost with it, too, to keep the road dust out of the bushings.

The headlight is not waterproof and cannot easily be well-sealed. It is lightweight, a cheaply priced multi-voltage input headlight. However, I think it looks better than the chunky stock headlight; it is brighter in the sense of increased throw by about a factor of 2, using only about 10W* despite the claim of 20W. I switch it on and off from an always-hot wire so I can use the headlight day and night for manual biking even with the controller turned off.

Note: see the video and if you want to mount in place of the stock headlight please do not employ the right angle shape of the supplied mounting bracket. Suggest instead folding the L arm flat against itself and to mount the light from the resultant flat strap as shown because the L bracket will otherwise eventually crack from vibration, report various other users.

Amazon @ $12.39 and there are others...
...or order direct from China via various Amazon and Ebay resellers for less. There is also a stubby, shorter body variant unaccountably priced a lot higher. But I suppose the longer body is "better" because the longer body is a much larger heat sink. Note, too, the example linked below also illustrates the newer bracket with stiffening bosses to address the vibration cracking issue of the plain bent bracket version.

* https://www.amazon.com/BYOPTO-12-80...s=12V-80V+20W+Motorcycle+E-bike+LED+Headlight

• For it make by 4*5w high power led chips,so called 20w bulb, not the power consuption is 20w, power consuption is 7~10w only.energy save.we don't accept any one to three star for misunderstanding for the power.

 

[DanInStPete]

Awesome Reid, thanks for that info and video. That light does look nice, and the switch is a great call. It is also definitely a cleaner setup without the brake inhibitor cables.

That shorty bar is crazy! It's cool looking, and I can see how it would be great in traffic. It must also cut your drag way down bringing your arms in.

I spent a few minutes with some zip ties and tamed the cables down as much as I could. Much cleaner I think.

 

[Reid]

What the 25.4mm x 450mm barand the required smaller ID stem gave me, Dan, the ease of cutting through traffic and wheeling the bike into the house side door, the newly added Mirrycle mirror mostly taketh away! But yes, a short bar inherently looks athletic and neat.

The short bar also makes me more comfortable when standing on the pedals for exercise. I like to put the bike in the highest gear and stand and pump without assist, sort of like being on a Stairmaster. I don't go very fast that way, only about 15 to 16 mph, but it feels good and is harmless to my joints and helps me build strength and endurance.

I very much like your cable neatening job better than mine!

 

[Dunbar]

Does Juiced Bikes list the voltage output and power limit of the stock headlight lead/connector? Typically it would be something like 6V and 5W (I’m just making up those numbers.)

 

[Reid]

Does Juiced Bikes list the voltage output and power limit of the stock headlight lead/connector? Typically it would be something like 6V and 5W (I’m just making up those numbers.)

It is the battery voltage (48V nominal) and reportedly OK to handle up to 1A.

There are a few universal voltage scooter/ebike headlights that can be tried....

 

[Chris Hammond]

Personally I have always commuted on my bike with 2 headlights. I plan to mount a second light to the handlebars. For those who commute regularly I highly recommend a second light. I run both lights on high in the morning until its light enough to see all obstacles in the road clearly, then one gets switched to flashing mode. This alone is a good reason to add a second light to a CCS. The primary light does not have a flashing mode according to the website. I run a flashing headlight (and taillight) anytime I am riding. Flashers naturally draw peoples attention, making it harder to not see you on a bike. This becomes even more important if you get caught in a rainstorm or other poor visibility conditions. My suggestion to those looking for a better headlight than stock, is to just add a second quality light.

 

[Asher]

What the 25.4mm x 450mm barand the required smaller ID stem gave me, Dan, the ease of cutting through traffic and wheeling the bike into the house side door, the newly added Mirrycle mirror mostly taketh away! But yes, a short bar inherently looks athletic and neat.

The short bar also makes me more comfortable when standing on the pedals for exercise. I like to put the bike in the highest gear and stand and pump without assist, sort of like being on a Stairmaster. I don't go very fast that way, only about 15 to 16 mph, but it feels good and is harmless to my joints and helps me build strength and endurance.

I very much like your cable neatening job better than mine!

Curious, why is the stock handlebar so wide? I've done a few miles on my new CCS, and that's the only thing so far I'd like to change (and probably the tires but only for puncture protection). IMO an acromial (shoulder bone) width bar is ideal, which for the average man is around 18" wide.

 

[Reid]

Curious, why is the stock handlebar so wide? I've done a few miles on my new CCS, and that's the only thing so far I'd like to change (and probably the tires but only for puncture protection). IMO an acromial (shoulder bone) width bar is ideal, which for the average man is around 18" wide.

That is the width ofmy straight bar: 450mm = 17.7", and there is barely room on it (a new stem is required, too) for the accoutrements and not enough room for the thumb throttle (I have installed a pushbutton, instead).

There is a great deal of opinion on the net. It boils down to using what you like.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

I like the stock width. Reid likes it more narrow. Just goes to show, one size never fits all. I like what Reid said in another thread, something to the effect of how we have to do adjusting because we're the only ones who live with the bike all the time.

@Reid, you got your CCS back on the road again?

 

[Asher]

That is the width ofmy straight bar: 450mm = 17.7", and there is barely room on it (a new stem is required, too) for the accoutrements and not enough room for the thumb throttle (I have installed a pushbutton, instead).



There is a great deal of opinion on the net. It boils down to using what you like.

Good point. I guess I don't understand how there's not enough room even with 6" less, because I feel like I have tons on the stock one.

I like the stock width. Reid likes it more narrow. Just goes to show, one size never fits all. I like what Reid said in another thread, something to the effect of how we have to do adjusting because we're the only ones who live with the bike all the time.



@Reid, you got your CCS back on the road again?

Do you ride it more like a 'hog'? I have this image of two kinds of riders, one a cruiser style, upright and further back, using a wider position; the other, sporty and leaning forward, pedaling more/harder, preferring a narrower position.

Now with a fat bike option as well as the oceancurrent/Non-S Crosscurrent, the CCS is the only 'sport' option. I wonder what the breakdown is among CCS owners, of how many are upright vs 'sport' as in the graphic below (from Shimano).

 

[DanInStPete]

I like the stock bars also, but my shoulders are wide and in line with the grips.

I raised my bar 30 degrees with an adjustable stem but am definitely forward. I saw that someone put a Jones H-Bar on a CCS, wonder if they had a cruiser seat...

 

[Reid]

I like the stock width. Reid likes it more narrow. Just goes to show, one size never fits all. I like what Reid said in another thread, something to the effect of how we have to do adjusting because we're the only ones who live with the bike all the time.

@Reid, you got your CCS back on the road again?

Yeah, it is a bit bent, the headtube with regard to the frame is a bit twisted by the impact but overall, the bike looks OK after some parts swapping and paint retouching, thanks for asking!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

That is the width ofmy straight bar: 450mm = 17.7", and there is barely room on it (a new stem is required, too) for the accoutrements and not enough room for the thumb throttle (I have installed a pushbutton, instead).

There is a great deal of opinion on the net. It boils down to using what you like.

Fascinating that you run that small handlebars. Of course you are obviously a veteran in the world of E-bikes and know your stuff but I can never imagine riding small handlebars like that.

Having gotten used to the wide bars, when I ride a bike with narrow bars, I feel weird

What do you think of the opinion of this rider, Reid?

 

[Asher]

Fascinating that you run that small handlebars. Of course you are obviously a veteran in the world of E-bikes and know your stuff but I can never imagine riding small handlebars like that.

Having gotten used to the wide bars, when I ride a bike with narrow bars, I feel weird

What do you think of the opinion of this rider, Reid?

Fabian says to use a handlebar width that corresponds to your push-up width, which is what I'm after, and is roughly how road bike bars are sized. But his handlebars are way wider than that. He looks to have shoulders that are average to slightly above average in width, so 18-19" and bars that are 24"+. I don't quite understand the appeal of MTB width bars for road riding, maybe people with that preference never gave themselves time to adjust to shoulder width bars.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Fabian says to use a handlebar width that corresponds to your push-up width, which is what I'm after, and is roughly how road bike bars are sized. But his handlebars are way wider than that. He looks to have shoulders that are average to slightly above average in width, so 18-19" and bars that are 24"+. I don't quite understand the appeal of MTB width bars for road riding, maybe people with that preference never gave themselves time to adjust to shoulder width bars.

One of bike has road-sized bars while my Haibike has slightly wider bars. Traveling 20+ mph, I feel slightly safer with wider bars. It is just my subjective feeling. Of course, one can attune oneself to smaller bars as well.

 

[Reid]

Hi Ravi! I really like my narrow bar for the city biking that is all I do: for the ease of passing nearby obstacles, primarily.

I can see your point: a wide bar will feel more secure at 28MPH...unless you have gotten used to a narrow bar; mine feels stable to me at 28MPH, perhaps because it takes so little steering force to control a bike, especially on pavement, and a shorter bar can be said to be less sensitive to the rider's steering force inputs.

Am looking for the next new trend in handlebars (reid is reading, lol)

 

[Reid]

Well, this is awkward work, observes the bicycle trade journal of 1896,

Like many 1896 counterparts, I have to wheel through a narrow doorway, with a sharp turn just inside the door to clear a fixed obstacle. The narrow bar makes this easy. Easier, too to bypass cars. Thirdly, I feel that I have much less chance of getting clipped by a passing car (the best reason for a narrow bar, of all reasons, I think).

 

[Reid]

Good point. I guess I don't understand how there's not enough room even with 6" less, because I feel like I have tons on the stock one...(snip)

It is that the stock bar is thicker except at the ends where the accoutrements slide on. They cannot be easily fitted to the thicker region of the stock bar.

See how the short bar below only thickens right near the stem?

Also I had to change the stock stem for a 25.4mm stem compatible with the 450mm 25.4 mm bar.

Also, got the shortest stem available, in order to decrease the reach; puts me a little more upright.

The bar and stem are elevated by this riser.

These changes suit me and I don't expect very many others!

There are reasons for norms and equally valid reasons for what seems like extremes: it all just depends on what suits you.

There was no longer room for the thumb throttle;

so a tiny push button glued below the LCD controller substitutes for a throttle: on/off 20mph boost at a touch.

The left brake is the Magura MT5.

The right brake is the several-years-ago model, Tektro Auriga HD-M290 lever and caliper and 160mm disc, a disc size downgrade I wanted.

The disparity in brakes improves the brake balance, stopping the bike from high speed faster because of the much more responsive front four-piston brake and with less tendency to skid at the rear wheel because of the smaller disc there today.

 

[Chris Hammond]

So road bike drop bars are always quite narrow. (Although Reid's still seem to be even narrower). However, most road riders ride the majority of the time (myself included) with hands turned out on the tops of the shifters. It's the rough equivalent of resting the palm of your hands turned sideways on the silver part of Reid's grips in the above pic. The only time I turn my hands to the flat bar position on my road bike is to change positions a bit and relieve back strain.
In the end we should all just find what is most comfortable to promote more time on the bike. As Reid pointed out, the effect on control is not significant enough to worry about IMHO for commuter style riding. If you are doing more serious MTB singletrack then it is a different discussion.

 

[Asher]

So road bike drop bars are always quite narrow. (Although Reid's still seem to be even narrower). However, most road riders ride the majority of the time (myself included) with hands turned out on the tops of the shifters. It's the rough equivalent of resting the palm of your hands turned sideways on the silver part of Reid's grips in the above pic. The only time I turn my hands to the flat bar position on my road bike is to change positions a bit and relieve back strain.
In the end we should all just find what is most comfortable to promote more time on the bike. As Reid pointed out, the effect on control is not significant enough to worry about IMHO for commuter style riding. If you are doing more serious MTB singletrack then it is a different discussion.

I'd like a solution like that, with 'neutral grip', palms facing each other. It's supposed to be easiest on the wrists, and I have fragile ones. But I'm not sure I can fit on all the buttons I need with that - brakes, shifter, throttle, air horn, maybe a bell (I don't touch the display much during riding).