Ecotric 20" Folding Fatbike

[Ezequiel]

Hello community! I've made my account only because of this thread. I recently bought an ecotric 20" and I'm loving it so far. I'm using it to my 30 min daily commute to work. So far I bought a mirror (DRCKHROS Bike Mirror) that is pretty good, I'm planning on moving the controls to the middle and put the mirror closer to the handle but it's OK as it is now. I got a opamoo Bike Bicycle Phone Mount Holder that is amazing, easy to install and cheap. I also got a Vont Bike Light that comes with a rear light too and you can take the front one to use it a flashlight. I'm planning on getting a rack and i wanted to know what would you recommend. I'm looking for a rack mostly to install a rear child seat for my 40 lbs daugher. Have anyone tried the original ecotric rack? Couldn't find the max weight on the website. If anyone have it can you tell me the specs on the rack? Any experiences on rack mounted child seats? The child seat i have in mind is the Qibbel Bicycle Childseat Rear Junior 6+ https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/bicycle-seat/qibbel-bicycle-seat/qibbel-junior-6/ or the Yepp junior https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/b...s/yepp-bicycle-seat/yepp-junior-bicycle-seat/ 5

 

[harryS]

I think I would buy a child seat that comes with its own rack. Then I would know that someone might have thought about about the load on the rack. I've bought four or five different kinds of racks in the past 5 years. None have broken, but a few of them have legs and struts that bolt on, and those have come loose.

 

[BigMatt]

I have the rack (link below) and can confirm it’s very sturdy as far as bike racks go, but I don’t have any specs on it.

Rear Rack for 20 inches Fat Tire Folding Electric Bike and Dolphin

The rear rack is for the Fat Tire Folding Ebike(20") and Dolphin only, with nuts and bolts.

www.ecotric.com

 

[PaulHarding]

Greetings all from Chicago...

Thanks, Harry, and others for this thread. It helped me get over the hump on ordering the Ecotric Fat Tire Folding Bike to replace my Swagtron EB5 which is serviceable but a little hard on my butt (235 pounder). Well, I’m blown away by the ride of the Ecotric. Really enjoy it.

I actually ordered the E-Joe epic se a week ago, but I realized the wife was going to start bogarting it, so I went looking for a budget but comparable bike to the E-Joe (which still hasn’t arrived yet). Also, having 2 quality bikes allows us to ride together without one of us getting butt hurt on the Swagtron... That’s where the Ecotric comes in. Well, gotta say I love the Ecotric fat tire ride, so we’ll see which bike I choose to commute with more and which I leave for the wife to ride. I’ll do a comparison of the Ecotric and E-Joe here in a few weeks if anyone is interested.

In any regard, I was wondering if you guys had a recommended suspension fork (make and model) for a big guy (6’ 3”, 235 pounds) like me. I plan to take the Ecotric off road a little bit (on vacations out of the city), so I may want to make that adjustment. I’m a handy guy, but I haven’t spent much time messing with bikes since I was a kid, so your expertise would be appreciated. (Even the Swagtron was a recent purchase for me.)

Thanks all.

FYI - The Ecotric is available again on Amazon. (19 in stock).

 

[PaulHarding]

Just ordered a fat tire folding 48 v from Ecotric last night..... it has already shipped and delivery scheduled for Monday. 4 days total....excellent !

 

[GypsyTreker]

I can say unequivocally, our Ecotric's have surpassed our expectations in both value and performance. I have the 26" snow fattie and my wife the (both are 36/500) fattie 20" (folder). I do find myself daydreaming about the full suspension Hai Fattie but love having the simplicity of a rear hub. Anyway enjoy your new Ecotric

 

[Rainman6412]

Yes. I really wanted the white. We're partway there.
View attachment 34401

My controller has 63V caps, and I know that the 810LED will not blow up right away if overvolted to 48V, so I have run it on 48V. However, the 810LED's are voltage specific, so when I run on 48V, the battery display is wrong. Also, this display does not monitor the low voltage cutoff. That's hardwired in the controller and stuck at 36V, which is too low for a 48V battery. While a 48V battery should have its own cutoff circuit, it's a bad idea to rely on that. You want the ebike to shut off before the battery.

So 48V is just to see how the bike runs. It runs fine. All three PAS levels are still there, as is walk mode. The battery display is wrong. Again, there's the problem of knowing when to stop using the battery. Maybe a simple voltage readout would work.

Your question is wheter an LCD is available? I think not. This particular controller only accepts a 4 wire analog 810LED display and will not take a 5 wire LCD display. Too bad.

So the solution is to replace the controller with a controller/LCD combo. They start at $50.

The Ecoctric motor cable terminates in the typical three motor phases and 5 wire Hall sensor plugs. The other plugs (throttle, brakes, and PAS) are standard, although the wires may be in a different order. And one would have the proper display plugs already for the new LCD and new controller. Might have to add an external speed sensor as I didn't look to see if the motor had an internal one. For me, it's not a hard project. .

That's next on my project list - replace the controller/810LED with controller/LCD. I just haven't decided which controller to use. I would like it to fit in the existing compartment.

If the 3 level PAS on the 810LED worked better on the Ecoctric, I wouldn't pursue it. I had the 810LED on my first ebike and still like it. That's a 26" wheel, also a lighter bike, and I have good pedal control between 8-12 mph. The Ecoctric seems overboosted at 8 mph and too easy to pedal. It also tends to surge when this happens. I could get used to it if I didn't know it could be better, so I want to make it better.

By the way, I used a tire pump to boost my air shocks back up. Didn't know that's too crude.It shot up to 10 psi just like that. Went on Youtube and learned I had to buy a special air shock pump. I did. $25. The air shcks are really something for adjustability, compare to oil shocks. Hope I didn't wreck them already.

Sorry to jump in on you post. Following up on you post on controller/LCD swap I think you might can help me. I have an ECOTRIC 20” Folding Fatbike and I want to be able to disable PA and be able to use only throttle. With you vast knowledge on ebikes, I hope you have an idea. If I understand you post correctly, you can’t swap the 810 for a LCD without changing the controller. If that is correct, do you have a preference on controllers. Preferably one that will fit in the current spot. Thanks

Doug

 

[harryS]

Sorry to jump in on you post. Following up on you post on controller/LCD swap I think you might can help me. I have an ECOTRIC 20” Folding Fatbike and I want to be able to disable PA and be able to use only throttle. With you vast knowledge on ebikes, I hope you have an idea. If I understand you post correctly, you can’t swap the 810 for a LCD without changing the controller. If that is correct, do you have a preference on controllers. Preferably one that will fit in the current spot. Thanks

Doug

To disable PAS, just unplug the sensor. It's on the left side of the pedals. Now your bike will only work on throttle.

There's a post on what controller I used in the Ecotric subforum on this website, about halfway up from this OTHER BRANDS sunforum. You can also find the wire colors for the sensor if you're not sure.

Some people on the Ecotric facebrook group are using the same model. Others will work, if they fit.

 

[KSS]

Hi all. I am trying to figure out if I am able to ride on this Ecotric 20" without any problems. I am at 5ft tall. The recommended height for this bike on the Ecotic specs is 5'1" at the shortest. The saddle height is 33" at the lowest. If I remove the rear reflector attached to the seat pole, will the saddle sits lower than 33". Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[GypsyTreker]

Is it the step through? If so, your probably fine. You can kinda use your pedal as a step, that's how my wife uses her's, shes 5'4 and said she had to adjust because she keeps her seat raised so her calves won't cramp. My frame on my 26" snow sand fattie is big for me. I kinda use the pedal and swing my leg over as I move forward. I also use the throttle in PAS 1 to get going.

 

[KSS]

Is it the step through? If so, your probably fine. You can kinda use your pedal as a step, that's how my wife uses her's, shes 5'4 and said she had to adjust because she keeps her seat raised so her calves won't cramp. My frame on my 26" snow sand fattie is big for me. I kinda use the pedal and swing my leg over as I move forward. I also use the throttle in PAS 1 to get going.

This picture is the one I am looking to get. I am new to the e-bike. I used to ride on a motorcycle (sports bike) that had the seat height at 30". I was still touching ground with my tippy toe! So I understand this is not the same but the saddle height 33" appears to be a lot higher to me. Thank you so much.

 

[harryS]

My saddle height is 33" from top of saddle at its lowest position. It's not a stock Ecotric 20" though. I got tires that are 1" lower in the rear, and the front is raised 3". It's still probably a wash.

In reality, no one rides a bicycle with the seat properly extended, and is able to touch the ground while seated. One is supposed to have the legs straight when pedaling to prevent knee issues. Then we all hop off when stopped. Well, I'm still always looking for a curb to put my foot down if I stop on a street.

The Ecotric does have short pedal arms at 160mm.I replaced mine with 170mm arms. That allows me to put my seat down 1/2" lower. Woohoo.

Having a throttle to get started does make it easier to remount the bike.

 

[GypsyTreker]

This picture is the one I am looking to get. I am new to the e-bike. I used to ride on a motorcycle (sports bike) that had the seat height at 30". I was still touching ground with my tippy toe! So I understand this is not the same but the saddle height 33" appears to be a lot higher to me. Thank you so much.

Ok so not the step through but probably no biggie. My wife simply stands down off her seat when stopped. Your m/c experience will allow you to adjust to the higher seat. This is my wifes version that's a step through.

 

[KSS]

Ok so not the step through but probably no biggie. My wife simply stands down off her seat when stopped. Your m/c experience will allow you to adjust to the higher seat. This is my wifes version that's a step through. View attachment 52871

I did not look at this. This is cute and the recommended rider height is lower at 4'8”--5'9'' even the saddle height is the same.

 

[GypsyTreker]

I did not look at this. This is cute and the recommended rider height is lower at 4'8”--5'9'' even the saddle height is the same.

It is the Dolphin model. Really compact when folded, we carry it inside an Aliner pop up camper.

 

[KSS]

It is the Dolphin model. Really compact when folded, we carry it inside an Aliner pop up camper.

The step through makes that much difference in the recommended height (4’8” vs 5’1”) even the saddle height is the same? I still like the other model better (not dolphin) but also see 5’2-3” people complaining on amazon and elsewhere that it is too high for them. I also don’t think I have a problem but it’s hard when I can’t see the actual bike.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Ecotric has a 30 day trial policy. We had some minor cosmetic damage when we received ours and they stepped up and gave us like $35 refund. It was a scratch. Something to consider. My wife rode our friends 20" folder ( not the Dolphin) and did not like the higher cross bar. She would have taken it but they released the stepthrough.

 

[GypsyTreker]

The step through makes that much difference in the recommended height (4’8” vs 5’1”) even the saddle height is the same? I still like the other model better (not dolphin) but also see 5’2-3” people complaining on amazon and elsewhere that it is too high for them. I also don’t think I have a problem but it’s hard when I can’t see the actual bike.

See above

 

[bpds1]

Hello thanks for letting me join the forum. I own an older black Ecotric folding bike and I am looking for some advice. I have owned this since Feb 2019 and it has been great, HOWEVER various parts have needed replacing. Without too much detail, controller in box, controller on the handlebar and throttle all covered by warranty and both tires and tubes twice. This bike has been used by my son to go to work 10 mi. each way Mon-Fri and more during the weekend so it's got the miles on it. I'm now starting to see broken rear wheel spokes (8!) and it's down until they can be repaired. My question is this, what are the spoke specs? Size 13mm or 14mm diameter? Length? I measure 5in but I don't know if that's correct never having done this myself. Does anyone have any firsthand experience getting it repaired or repairing it yourself? Thanks for your time.

 

[harryS]

I've built about a half dozen wheels, including three fat tire models. I prefer to use 14G spokes with 13G elbows, but I have done 13G to save a little money. My Ecotric 20" fat folder comes in about 2.6mm diameter on its spokes, which is 12G. EVen the front wheel is 12G.

I get the length from the inner edge of the hole to the rim at 127 mm, same as your 5 inches. Supposed to add the width of the rim and how high the top of the nipple sits above the rim, and that's usually about 2 mm.

However, replacement spokes are easier to install if they are on the short side. This works for a few spokes. If all the spokes were short, be hard to build the wheel. Anyway, if you have broken a few, you should know if the replacements had to be bent to go inside the hole, or if they swing freely just above it.

I get my spokes from this guy. He's in Chicago, but he sells on ebay. Send him a query for pricing. They probably won't believe you if you say inches. Change it to mm. Order the nipples too, as I found the chinese nipples fit poorly on spokes cut in the USA.

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