Giant e-Bike User Club

[almikel]

Thanks Stefan...
...but unless there's some sort of clutch/loss mechanism (like the clutch in a manual car or the torque converter in an auto), there is no spin up/down to match the crank...the motor mechanism is so small I'd be gobsmacked if they managed to fit any sort of clutch into the space...I reckon the motor is directly coupled to the cranks.

...different question on battery charger connections on Giant e-bikes
This is the connector on my Giant battery charger

I'm keen to get another charger that can (selectively) charge to 80%, but aftermarket chargers don't have this connector type.
Does anyone know if the Giant connector is proprietary and/or where to source connectors to use with an aftermarket charger?

cheers
Mike

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Mike, I said it already twice and will say it once more and for good: Use Giant Smart Charger. Proprietary batteries are based on firmware and "talk" with a dedicated charger. Giant charger works the way it provides high current at low battery charge (so it is fast charging) and the charging slows down when the battery is partly charged. (The charging process is variable). You cannot even predict when the battery reaches 80% (it is possible only by disconnecting the charger and turning the bike on). Bear in mind: a battery fire would burn your house down...
Leave Satiators and similar stuff to reckless DIYers. (Ask Ravi about his opinion). And trust me: charge to 100% and discharge to 20%. The whole 20-80% matter is overhyped.

Motor and pedal sensors: It is about control technology. The motor has to follow variable pedalling rate, and as such it needs to be equipped with own sensor. (Ever wondered why some mid-drive motor e-bikes feel more natural than others?)

 

[almikel]

thanks Stefan,

you are vastly more experienced than I am with e-bikes, and I greatly appreciate your input

As you suggest I will ask Ravi for his opinion...
...given Apple have the charging optimisation now to not charge above 80% till the phone is about to be used, Tesla/Elon Musk recommend 20-80%, and graphics such as this

would all imply significant benefit to increasing battery life by not charging to 100% unless you plan ride to it soon.

If I appear obsessed about battery longevity, it's because from my perspective my new e-bike cost more than our family car is worth.
Ignoring the fact that my wife has been banging on about a new car for some time now...I just dropped a wad of cash on an ebike, and I need to maximise the life of the battery, which is approaching 20% of the total bike cost (new battery ~AUD$1000, bike cost ~AUD$5600).

The whole 20-80% matter is overhyped.

again respectfully - how is it overhyped? if I can get significantly more charge cycles from a battery by charging <100%, why wouldn't I?
The science says it's fine to charge to 100% as long as you ride it - it's leaving it at 100% that's detrimental - so if I have a long ride planned, then I charge to 100% before I ride.
On my standard commute I can easily get to work and home again on 80% charge - so I prefer to charge the battery to around 80% the night before.

I completely get that letting the battery sit at 100% overnight won't degrade the battery like letting it sit for a month at 100%...I just choose to let it sit around 80% unless I know I'm going to ride it.

From what I can determine, running a Li-ion battery <20% is no issue - just charge it again (for storage ~60% is recommended) and don't leave it flat.

@Stefan Mikes based on your comments I will investigate what a 2nd Giant charger would cost, so I can charge at work...
...but a charger such as the Satiator won't increase the risk of a battery fire or is only for reckless DIYers.

Although I'm new to e-bikes, my background/education is electronics engineering - I understand and appreciate your cautionary approach.
As you suggested, I'll contact Ravi.

cheers
Mike

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Mike, do you use Apple charger for your iPhone? Or, "a satiator"? Talking about battery longevity and using a Satiator seems counterintuitive. More: I have not heard of 500 Wh smartphone battery. Yet Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fires were a fact.

20-80% theory is correct. There is just another approach behind my thinking:

• Life is short
• Batteries are just a commodity
• E-bikes themselves are not designed for many many years of use.

I enjoy life. After over a year of riding my Vado with more than 5000 km ridden, none of my two Vado batteries exhibited significant degradation, and I use them in the range of 100 -> 5%. Batteries are there to be used, not to make scientific studies on them.

Next: Assume you avoid fire. Have you thought about invalidating the warranty on your battery in case anything goes wrong? And the batteries don't come cheap.

 

[Johnny]

I'm keen to get another charger that can (selectively) charge to 80%, but aftermarket chargers don't have this connector type.
Does anyone know if the Giant connector is proprietary and/or where to source connectors to use with an aftermarket charger?

If your problem is just stopping the charge around %80 you may use a timer and/or you can make use of a energy monitoring smart plug.

 

[Captain Slow]

I have been wanting to get my wife on a Thrive+ so she can keep up with me and so we can travel longer distances when we're out, but she's kind of stubborn.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If anybody's interested, I've just ordered Schwalbe Johnny Watts 27.5 x 2.6" tyres for my Giant Trance E+. I have discovered that I typically ride my e-MTB in mixed terrain (road/off-road). I expect silent rides on-road with good enough grip off-road.

@RandallS: Are you going for the same this Spring?

 

[RandallS]

I bought my Johnny Watts the same time I bought the Ice Spikers. Just waiting for Spring to try them out. I really believe they will be the right solution for 95% of my riding in non-winter conditions.

 

[FlatSix911]

If anybody's interested, I've just ordered Schwalbe Johnny Watts 27.5 x 2.6" tyres for my Giant Trance E+.
I have discovered that I typically ride my e-MTB in mixed terrain (road/off-road). I expect silent rides on-road with good enough grip off-road.

@RandallS: Are you going for the same this Spring?

Looking forward to hearing about your experience with the new Schwalbe Johnny Watts tires.

 

[almikel]

If anybody's interested, I've just ordered Schwalbe Johnny Watts 27.5 x 2.6" tyres for my Giant Trance E+. I have discovered that I typically ride my e-MTB in mixed terrain (road/off-road). I expect silent rides on-road with good enough grip off-road.

@RandallS: Are you going for the same this Spring?

I have OEM Giant "Crosscut Gravel 2" tyres 700 x 45C on currently, which came on the bike (Revolt '20) - no idea who actually makes them.
They're "tubeless ready" but run inner tubes - and for my usage (primarily commuting on pavement) I don't see any advantage in going tubeless.
They have way more tread than a road tyre, but less than an off road MTB tyre
Much bigger and fatter than my road bike - similar width/bag to my 26" hard tail and dualie mountain bikes.

On first seeing them on the Revolt, and coming from a roadie acoustic perspective, I thought, "I'll swap them for some slicks" - less rolling resistance etc...
...well of course I now own an e-bike...and who cares if there's a tad more rolling resistance - that tread is mighty fine over grass/gravel and in the wet - I'll stay with a nicely treaded tyre on the Revolt e-bike - the Schwalbe Johnny Watts is still likely more aggressive than I need for primarily road use.

I'm running Schwalbe on my 700C acoustic roadie after replacing Maxxis - the Maxxis were just that tiny bit smaller and hence a PITA to change and expecting a tyre lever to snap getting them on...plus the Maxxis got worn down to a point then peeled/delaminated on a heavy braking event...not catastrophic - I easily made it home afterwards, but changed the tyre immediately.
So far the Schwalbe on my roadie acoustic are great.

cheers
Mike

 

[jabberwocky]

I’m running the crosscuts as well, though I primarily ride gravel. They are ok. I probably won’t buy a replacement set when they wear out but I’m also not in a hurry to replace them. I would definitely not keep them if I rode the bike mainly on pavement though. Rolling resistance isn’t as much of a concern on an ebike, but it’s still burning extra battery to spin a tire that is not great on smooth pavement (I find it very squirmy with the knobs, though that could also be running fairly low pressure).

If I had to mix surfaces a lot I’m a fan of the schwalbe g-one allrounds (which I run on my non-e gravel bike). Surprisingly good on smooth pavement and handle dirt and gravel ok for such minimal tread.

 

[almikel]

I’m running the crosscuts as well, though I primarily ride gravel. They are ok. I probably won’t buy a replacement set when they wear out but I’m also not in a hurry to replace them. I would definitely not keep them if I rode the bike mainly on pavement though. Rolling resistance isn’t as much of a concern on an ebike, but it’s still burning extra battery to spin a tire that is not great on smooth pavement (I find it very squirmy with the knobs, though that could also be running fairly low pressure).

If I had to mix surfaces a lot I’m a fan of the schwalbe g-one allrounds (which I run on my non-e gravel bike). Surprisingly good on smooth pavement and handle dirt and gravel ok for such minimal tread.

So Jabber/others what would you suggest for mostly pavement when my crosscuts wear out? I love the big bag of the 700x45 tyre coming from an acoustic roadie.
The Schwalbe g-one?...it would be nice to know I can my take Revolt on gravel occasionally.

cheers
Mike

 

[jabberwocky]

I've been happy with the G-One Allrounds I run on my normal gravel bike. Great on pavement and hardpack, reasonable on gravel. Not as grippy as the crosscuts but definitely way faster rolling. Though like all Schwalbe tires, really pricey in the US.

No experience with them, but lots of friends who ride lots of mixed surfaces rave about the new Panaracer Gravelking SS (semislick) tires. The SK (small knob) version has been a well liked gravel tire for years now, the SS version keeps the casing and side knobs but changes the center section to a light tread for faster rolling on pavement. Available in plus versions which have panaracers flat protection layer around the whole tire.

 

[Oski1997]

I must admit I could not see a Giant e-bike in my stable in the past because...

...there are no Giant S-Pedelecs available in my country, Poland. Initially, I was in search of e-bikes that could easily and without de-restricting ride beyond the EU 25 km/h pedal-assistance limit, and actually I found two such e-bikes. As an inhabitant of the flatland, I had no need or desire to look for an e-MTB, and all of them are the 25 km/h ones. As a technology fan, I loved reading about and watching videos on the e-MTB though. It was a two-week "fast" during which my two e-bikes were stuck in different workshops for upgrade and/or service. And then I thought "why don't you find a full suspension e-bike for yourself?"

I was in a quest for Specialized Turbo Levo, and I could say -- to my luck -- none were available. It was @Browneye here who inspired me to look to the Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro; the guy went through all the LBS in the Orange County in a quest to find the dream e-MTB for himself. If it was for Chris to buy that Giant e-bike and he was so happy with it, why not I? It was @PDoz who had inspired Browneye in turn An Ozzie, a Californian, now a Pole, hah.

Then I believed in Giant and their e-MTBs. Giant has a tremendous, strong, and capable network of LBS, standing for the customer and creating loyal base of users. SyncDrive (or, Yamaha) motors are perceived as powerful, durable, and they break very rarely. Yes, same as every brand they have their ups and downs. The new RideControl One remote is modern, minimalist and requires the RideControl App to get the max from your Giant e-bike. Unluckily, the Giant app is a cr@pp, and the first thing I did to my Trance E+ 2 Pro was downgrading it to the 2020 RideControl Evo display. I'm extremely happy now.

What a beauty of a bike! Delightful Cameleon painting. The geometry meticulously designed, high-end components, extremely powerful yet battery-saving electronics. A small detail says everything about the skill of Giant engineers: The way the battery is integrated in the frame. You turn the key in the lock; pull a small latch and the battery gently slides into your hands. You replace the battery and it clicks in the frame so fast and smoothly you've hardly noticed it was already done! Yes, this, and every and single component is so well thought in this e-bike. The range is so big I don't need to buy a spare batttery.

My brethren were trying to convince me to make some upgrades: "Add mudguards" -- "No, it won't be done; every detail of this e-bike is so well-thought I don't wanna to spoil this perfection!"

I've been already in the hilly country with my Trance a.k.a. Monster. I rode single track, downhill, a 45 degree slab, sand, cobblestone. I don't want another e-MTB! I'm in love with the Monster!

Someone could have asked "What do you need an e-MTB for in the flatland?" -- "Because I've always liked the idea of riding off-road, and yes, there is a lot of off-road here in Mazovia!"
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Share your experiences with Giant e-bikes of different flavours! Let us make a community, The User Club!


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Wow, that is a BEAUTIFUL bike!!

 

[Mindylen]

Nice to find a forum of people with a Giant/liv eBikes. Not many out there.
I bought a Liv Embolden e+2 in November of 2022. I love this bike. i’ve had others..
Bolton, Aventon, Lectric .. nothing compares to my Liv.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Nice to find a forum of people with a Giant/liv eBikes. Not many out there.
I bought a Liv Embolden e+2 in November of 2022. I love this bike. i’ve had others..
Bolton, Aventon, Lectric .. nothing compares to my Liv.

Welcome to the club!
Happy Stance E+2 rider here!