Court J, Thanks for your response. When I first started thinking about doing this, I was considering a Trek FX3. Now after reading all the comments that might be overkill, except for the fact you want to make sure you have a great braking system. I will check out Bikes Direct. Thanks again. Tom
Commute bike 12 miles Marin to SF, hilly
- Thread starter Alex Smith
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GMS
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Good brakes are very nice (OK, required) on these bikes, but hydraulic is probably not a necessity. My Marin came with hydraulic brakes and I like them alot, except for the lack of integrated e-brake cutoff switches (the external ones work, but not great).
In an ideal world, I would convert to Trektro hydraulics with built-in ebrake switches (which you can get with Bafang connectors), but cannot justify the cost.
The build I did for my wife uses mechanical disc brakes and the standard Bafang provided brake levers - works well with sufficient stopping power. From an integration perspective, mechanical discs are the route to choose (no messing around with external eBrake sensors).
My first commuter build used rim brakes, which were OK until it rained (which is does a lot in the Seattle-area). Had other aspects of the bike been more acceptable, I might have continued with the rim brakes (but I wouldn't choose them if given the choice).
Will keep the community posted on how the Alfine IGH holds up over time...
In an ideal world, I would convert to Trektro hydraulics with built-in ebrake switches (which you can get with Bafang connectors), but cannot justify the cost.
The build I did for my wife uses mechanical disc brakes and the standard Bafang provided brake levers - works well with sufficient stopping power. From an integration perspective, mechanical discs are the route to choose (no messing around with external eBrake sensors).
My first commuter build used rim brakes, which were OK until it rained (which is does a lot in the Seattle-area). Had other aspects of the bike been more acceptable, I might have continued with the rim brakes (but I wouldn't choose them if given the choice).
Will keep the community posted on how the Alfine IGH holds up over time...
Logan Gogarty
Active Member
@Alex Smith you will not be disappointed with the BBSHD. Great point on the lights. I spent more money and did the Supernova e bike lights and wired them directly into the battery. Best decision ever! I love not thinking about them dying out on me. I press one button and the front and rear lights are illuminated. If you don't want to get sweaty the BBSHD will most definitely help you. Attached is my commute from this morning. I rode in PAS 5 and barely had any sweat at all, granted it was 32 degrees this morning. I have over 200 miles on this bike so far and everything has worked great besides the original dolphin pack battery which Luna replaced with a shark for free. I love the look of the shark anyways.
I would also recommend going tubeless. With the extra weight the bikes seem to pick up thorns easier and I love not worrying about it or changing flats. I've had no flats and pulled out at least 20 big piercing thorns. I spin the tire and its plugged up again. Another recommendation is to add a pannier rack and bags. The backpack is what causes me to sweat the most.
I don't know what brakes you have on the hardtail but with an e bike make sure you are servicing your bike a little more regularly. I have SRAM guide disc brakes and pulled the pads off last night cleaned them and cleaned the discs as well. The bike was a lot quieter and smoother today. I also cleaned and lubed the chain and rear cassette which made a big difference. with the higher speeds things gets flung up a little more and you brake a little harder so make sure to just do that maintenance as needed.
I would also recommend going tubeless. With the extra weight the bikes seem to pick up thorns easier and I love not worrying about it or changing flats. I've had no flats and pulled out at least 20 big piercing thorns. I spin the tire and its plugged up again. Another recommendation is to add a pannier rack and bags. The backpack is what causes me to sweat the most.
I don't know what brakes you have on the hardtail but with an e bike make sure you are servicing your bike a little more regularly. I have SRAM guide disc brakes and pulled the pads off last night cleaned them and cleaned the discs as well. The bike was a lot quieter and smoother today. I also cleaned and lubed the chain and rear cassette which made a big difference. with the higher speeds things gets flung up a little more and you brake a little harder so make sure to just do that maintenance as needed.
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Logan Gogarty
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Alex Smith
New Member
@Logan Gogarty - that is an awesome commuter build! That's what I'm talking about. Thanks for the tip about brake and bike maintenance. I have hydraulic disc brakes. I assume I'll have to pay close attention to chain health as well.
Question - I'm starting to purchase parts for the conversion of my 29er. This is my bike:
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2012&brand=Marin&model=Palisades+Trail+29er
Does anyone have advice on tires? I'd like some sort of puncture resistant tires for mostly road (~90%), maybe a little fire road mixed in (there's a trail option for part of the commute). I've been looking at these on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Mara...p/B015DJWN7U/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
I'd buy 28x1.75. What do you think? Too thin? Work OK for high speeds? One reviewer rides an e-bike, but doesn't comment on speed. I can't go too fat with the tires as I have to roll these down the carpeted hallway to my office - cleaning staff will probably blow a fit if I come in with giant tires. They've never complained about my road bike with slicks.
Question - I'm starting to purchase parts for the conversion of my 29er. This is my bike:
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2012&brand=Marin&model=Palisades+Trail+29er
Does anyone have advice on tires? I'd like some sort of puncture resistant tires for mostly road (~90%), maybe a little fire road mixed in (there's a trail option for part of the commute). I've been looking at these on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Mara...p/B015DJWN7U/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
I'd buy 28x1.75. What do you think? Too thin? Work OK for high speeds? One reviewer rides an e-bike, but doesn't comment on speed. I can't go too fat with the tires as I have to roll these down the carpeted hallway to my office - cleaning staff will probably blow a fit if I come in with giant tires. They've never complained about my road bike with slicks.
Alex Smith
New Member
Also interested in recs for tubeless. I run tubeless on my MTB and road bike. Agree @Logan Gogarty it's the best.
Ravi Kempaiah
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
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- Halifax
I'm expecting your 29er build would be similar to this.
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=76252&p=1151699#p1151699
Alex Smith
New Member
@Ravi Kempaiah - bingo. That's what I'm after. Though I hope I have better luck with my hydraulic e-break set up!
Ravi Kempaiah
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Halifax
You can get Shimano hydraulic ones with bafang motor cutoff from Luna itself.
They just added it to the list.
http://lunacycle.com
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Alex Smith
New Member
Thanks @Ravi Kempaiah - I added the hydraulic e-brakes sensor to my kit for $9, I'm hoping the kit comes with e-brakes that adapt to the hydraulic sensor; the BBS02 kit clearly shows them but the BBSHD kit does not. I have hydraulic brakes, just need the sensor and e-brake levers I think. Could be wrong, I emailed to ask.
Took my bike to the shop to have the remove the bottom bracket assembly - good thing I did. It was stuck in a 3 places and required two guys to pull off. Got a rack and fenders, new grips.
I've heard the easier part is installing the motor and batteries. Ordered from Luna today and should be here in about a week. Note that when ordering the BBSHD from luna they don't show the option of the 52V 13.5ah shark pack in the kit. You have to order it separately. According to Louis, just an oversight on their part.
Took my bike to the shop to have the remove the bottom bracket assembly - good thing I did. It was stuck in a 3 places and required two guys to pull off. Got a rack and fenders, new grips.
I've heard the easier part is installing the motor and batteries. Ordered from Luna today and should be here in about a week. Note that when ordering the BBSHD from luna they don't show the option of the 52V 13.5ah shark pack in the kit. You have to order it separately. According to Louis, just an oversight on their part.
Kaldeem
Active Member
@Logan Gogarty what are you using to get that data? It's so annoying to have to log into 3 or 4 different apps. I'm currently using Strava, Fitbit, and iPhone Health app. All which are kinda wonky at best.
Logan Gogarty
Active Member
I paid for an app called cycle tracker. I wanted something that gave me average speed, elevation, and overall time. I would also like to see my top speed but I haven't messed with the app very much to see if it does that.
Kaldeem
Active Member
Okay great thank you!!
George S.
Well-Known Member
That bike seems to be the iconic HD/Luna (or anyone else) build. The basic Bikes Direct frame and one of the more integrated looking batteries. With a black frame, it's a good look. The price is still shocking to me.
I'd like to know if anything is under too much stress, but I have two sub-$400 BD frames, and they seem fine to me.
I wouldn't push the speed, but people have to decide that for themselves. The regs are a mess.
Bafang could have brought out a huskier BBS02 with a torque sensor, something easier to keep within the regs, smoother to ride.
What's it gonna take to get Ravi into an HD with a big ole battery pack? You could find the weak points in a few weeks, the way you ride.
Ravi Kempaiah
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Halifax
Hi George,
Because of some stressful few weeks at school, I haven't had much time to ride but I will be moving to mid-west sometime in May and hope to build a nice DIY bike this summer.
I have looked into the BBSHD build carefully and have corresponded with Paul re: a massive battery i.e., 52V 35Ah traingle pack. This could get me 100 miles/charge.
I have no doubts about HD's performance and torque, it's just not refined.
While Bosch is like a through gentleman, chivalrous and all that... BBSHD is more like a wild man, less refinement but with a big dong! (Torque, LOL).
Bosch due to his uptight religious upbringing (read as 20mph limit) may not appeal to all but it's very smooth system. Just not enough power.
My build with that massive battery (if it happens this summer) would involve a strong Cro-moly steel frame. All aluminum frames would get bent or cracked because of the way I ride.
flymeaway
Well-Known Member
George S.
Well-Known Member
I don't know if I will ever do a BBS. Maybe the Bafang Max is refined, but it's not so powerful. I have a Golden Motor Magic Pie 5. Played around with it and decided it should have something like a Surly frame. Maybe this summer. Got the smallest GM, the Smart Pie. Climbs as well as the small Mac, super-quiet and super smooth. The Mac disengages, of course, with the clutch. Both motors are light, similar, and the GM is narrow. There are some great motors out there, but the assist systems are probably lacking.
The hub motors seem to be a lot easier. In the US it seems like everything over $300 is a performance motor, more so with a 48v or 52v battery.
Looking forward to your conclusions and any comments if you do build.
The hub motors seem to be a lot easier. In the US it seems like everything over $300 is a performance motor, more so with a 48v or 52v battery.
Looking forward to your conclusions and any comments if you do build.
Alex Smith
New Member
OK here it is!
I've had some smiles and some frowns building this baby. Basics: Marin Palisades 2012 hardtail 29er with BBSHD and 52V Luna Shark pack 13.5 amphr battery.
Smiles first: big smile during my commute to work on Friday.
Here's the Strava segment. 13.3 miles, 1200 feet of climbing, 45 minutes (usually an hour, but this ride included looking for lost keys, see frowns).
The big climb from Sausalito to the Golden Gate Bridge took me only 3 minutes. Usually takes me 9 minutes (going fast on a road bike). I use pedal assist level 5 the whole way. On the bridge and bike paths I run the speed limit (or close to it). So not much difference there.
Huge smile. I met my goal of putting on work clothes in the morning and biking to work without sweating. Of course, I hit the heavy fog on the golden gate bridge and arrived soaking wet anyway...oh well...
My adventure with soldering the battery and motor together went smoothly. I twisted the wires together, lathered with solder, and covered with heat shrink, then electrical tape. My next adventure will be soldering the front and rear lights to this same connection. I've been following this thread on the electric bike forum: http://electricbike.com/forum/forum/main-forum/diy-discussion/876-lights. I'm still waiting for clarity on the optimal place to wire the lights. I called luna support and one of the guys said to wire it to the wires going to the controller. But i'm scared to mess with the controller (C965). Maybe I shouldn't be scared. It would be a lot shorter wire.
The battery kept rotating up and trapping my rear derailer cable against the down tube. So I stuck a rubber shim in place to keep it from rotating.
Frowns:
1. Luna cycle guy advised me to buy this tool to install the first part that holds the motor in place (http://amzn.com/B002PTVDP0). It doesn't fit. You can only turn it part way, then it can't reach around for the next turn. I ended up using a plumbing wrench to turn it part way, then this tool, the plumbing wrench, etc. Not sure if it's tightened enough, frankly, though got it pretty tight in the end.
2. hydraulic ebrake sensors don't fit my hydraulic breaks. Just no place to put the sensor and magnet that makes sense. I just purchased the full brakes from Luna. http://lunacycle.com/parts/bicycle-parts/brakes/shimano-m355-hydraulic-brakes/
3. I lost keys to my battery at the bike shop (while buying a new chain - old one was too short). Spent some time riding around looking for them, no dice, asked Luna if they'd send some new keys with the brakes.
4. My 52V shark battery pack doesn't fit into my water bottle cage holder. There isn't enough room to use the bottom water bottle mount (hits the seat tube). So I mounted it just on the top one. Might have to ask the shop guys to drill another hole. I don't want to drill myself and crack the frame.
5. I thought I would have enough charge to make it to work and back. Wrong. My battery died on the golden gate bridge on the way home. Biking home a 50lb bike in a rush to get the kids...big workout! Here's the Strava segment: https://www.strava.com/activities/503101858
Guess I need to bring my charger to work with me.
Adventure continues! It's all part of the fun of building your own bike. I'm learning a ton. Total cost is approaching $2K with all the upgrades (rack, fenders, new helmet with face shield, new tires on the way, brakes, lights, etc.). That doesn't include the cost of the bike itself. So I can understand why some people opt for a factory made ebike. I still believe this is more powerful than what's out there currently. I might be running my battery too hard and perhaps should have purchased the 11.5 ah pack instead of the 13.5. And I'm just getting started in learning how to ride it. Shifting is loud - clunk! I don't have any shift sensor or ebrakes, so I just try not to shift too much under load. Hard though, as a biker I'm so used to shifting all the damn time.
OK, enough, will update in the future. Thanks again for everyone's advice on this journey!
I've had some smiles and some frowns building this baby. Basics: Marin Palisades 2012 hardtail 29er with BBSHD and 52V Luna Shark pack 13.5 amphr battery.
Smiles first: big smile during my commute to work on Friday.
Here's the Strava segment. 13.3 miles, 1200 feet of climbing, 45 minutes (usually an hour, but this ride included looking for lost keys, see frowns).
The big climb from Sausalito to the Golden Gate Bridge took me only 3 minutes. Usually takes me 9 minutes (going fast on a road bike). I use pedal assist level 5 the whole way. On the bridge and bike paths I run the speed limit (or close to it). So not much difference there.
Huge smile. I met my goal of putting on work clothes in the morning and biking to work without sweating. Of course, I hit the heavy fog on the golden gate bridge and arrived soaking wet anyway...oh well...
My adventure with soldering the battery and motor together went smoothly. I twisted the wires together, lathered with solder, and covered with heat shrink, then electrical tape. My next adventure will be soldering the front and rear lights to this same connection. I've been following this thread on the electric bike forum: http://electricbike.com/forum/forum/main-forum/diy-discussion/876-lights. I'm still waiting for clarity on the optimal place to wire the lights. I called luna support and one of the guys said to wire it to the wires going to the controller. But i'm scared to mess with the controller (C965). Maybe I shouldn't be scared. It would be a lot shorter wire.
The battery kept rotating up and trapping my rear derailer cable against the down tube. So I stuck a rubber shim in place to keep it from rotating.
Frowns:
1. Luna cycle guy advised me to buy this tool to install the first part that holds the motor in place (http://amzn.com/B002PTVDP0). It doesn't fit. You can only turn it part way, then it can't reach around for the next turn. I ended up using a plumbing wrench to turn it part way, then this tool, the plumbing wrench, etc. Not sure if it's tightened enough, frankly, though got it pretty tight in the end.
2. hydraulic ebrake sensors don't fit my hydraulic breaks. Just no place to put the sensor and magnet that makes sense. I just purchased the full brakes from Luna. http://lunacycle.com/parts/bicycle-parts/brakes/shimano-m355-hydraulic-brakes/
3. I lost keys to my battery at the bike shop (while buying a new chain - old one was too short). Spent some time riding around looking for them, no dice, asked Luna if they'd send some new keys with the brakes.
4. My 52V shark battery pack doesn't fit into my water bottle cage holder. There isn't enough room to use the bottom water bottle mount (hits the seat tube). So I mounted it just on the top one. Might have to ask the shop guys to drill another hole. I don't want to drill myself and crack the frame.
5. I thought I would have enough charge to make it to work and back. Wrong. My battery died on the golden gate bridge on the way home. Biking home a 50lb bike in a rush to get the kids...big workout! Here's the Strava segment: https://www.strava.com/activities/503101858
Guess I need to bring my charger to work with me.
Adventure continues! It's all part of the fun of building your own bike. I'm learning a ton. Total cost is approaching $2K with all the upgrades (rack, fenders, new helmet with face shield, new tires on the way, brakes, lights, etc.). That doesn't include the cost of the bike itself. So I can understand why some people opt for a factory made ebike. I still believe this is more powerful than what's out there currently. I might be running my battery too hard and perhaps should have purchased the 11.5 ah pack instead of the 13.5. And I'm just getting started in learning how to ride it. Shifting is loud - clunk! I don't have any shift sensor or ebrakes, so I just try not to shift too much under load. Hard though, as a biker I'm so used to shifting all the damn time.
OK, enough, will update in the future. Thanks again for everyone's advice on this journey!
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Logan Gogarty
Active Member
Thanks for the update. Maybe consider getting the green button which will cut the motor when you tap it to shift. Luna should be able to replace the keys. That's a bummer the battery doesn't fit I think tou should drill through the battery tray before drilling the frame to make it work. It is a journey but I think your bike in the end will be worth it. Much more power and you will know the thing inside and out. I bought the supernova lights and soldered directly to the battery tray wires. I know my lights are rated up to 52 v and I haven't had any problems with them. Good luck
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