Last minute questions about CCS

[Zarathustra]

Hello all,

I am very close to purchasing a CCS but have some additional questions

1) I live in Central Iowa so mostly flat land and paved trails but I'm wondering how the bike will perform during the winter months and in rain? Snow is my biggest concern.

2) @Reid had mentioned putting 2.25'' tires on and I'm very curious about this. How did you accomplish this, sir?

3) I'm a bit concerned about the battery connection port melting / warping over time. I've read a bit about in the "Problems" thread. How would you even fix something like that?

4) Longevity of the planetary gears within the geared hub. Are these expensive to repair / replace?

I think that's all of my immediate questions. The bike looks fantastic and I think fits what I'm looking for but I might need just a bit of a nudge here.

Thank you!

 

[Jeffrios]

1) I used to live in Ames and biked year round. I would recommend buying studded winter tires. Have you ever biked in winter before? I believe the electrical components will be fine if you are biking and caught in the rain, however I'd keep the bike covered if left outside and rain was in the forecast.

I don't know any other answers to the questions you posted. I do remember others saying the geard hub should last thousands of miles. 5000-10000 someone mentioned.

 

[Justin Fischer]

I think the people in the port melting/warping thread agreed to slightly loosen the connection on the frame side, so the socket can 'float' with bumps that might cause the battery to wrench away from the frame. That's what I did.

As a side note, I love mine. It feels like a big step up from my old traditional bike, the biggest difference being that it feels much safer. Being able to kick it up to Sport and take the lane, riding with traffic at 35mph in the city part of my commute.

 

[Nova Haibike]

2) @Reid had mentioned putting 2.25'' tires on and I'm very curious about this. How did you accomplish this, sir?

He crashed his bike and his frame got damaged, so since it was already wrecked, he crimped the chainstays to make wider tires fit. You do not want to do that.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Hello all,

I am very close to purchasing a CCS but have some additional questions

1) I live in Central Iowa so mostly flat land and paved trails but I'm wondering how the bike will perform during the winter months and in rain? Snow is my biggest concern.

2) @Reid had mentioned putting 2.25'' tires on and I'm very curious about this. How did you accomplish this, sir?

3) I'm a bit concerned about the battery connection port melting / warping over time. I've read a bit about in the "Problems" thread. How would you even fix something like that?

4) Longevity of the planetary gears within the geared hub. Are these expensive to repair / replace?

I think that's all of my immediate questions. The bike looks fantastic and I think fits what I'm looking for but I might need just a bit of a nudge here.

Thank you!

1. You will have somewhat lower performance from the battery when it is cold out. Anything you can do, such as keeping it inside and wrapping it with some kind of sleeve while riding, will help alleviate this. As to riding in the snow, it doesn't matter much what brand ebike you have. Fat tires might help, in which case you could consider the RipCurrent instead of CCS. My experience with snow suggests to me that it's not the snow, it's the ice, that causes problems. For a closer look at the snow issue, This guy in Finland has many videos with snow, including one about replacing the stock tires with studded Schwalbes.

2. See answer above.

3. The melting battery port has been reported by one or two people. While it is worth noticing, that's not enough data to generate real concern, when you consider all the people who haven't had it happen. We're more likely to be hit by a car, but for me that's an acceptable level of risk.

4. Ravi Kempaiah, record-holding ebiker and PhD candidate in engineering, says that with reasonable care a geared hub motor should be good for 10,000 to 20,000 miles. Given that, I'd replace the motor, not the gears.

 

[Steve L.]

I was on the fence and lurking for many months while also researching other brands. Kept coming back to Juiced for the value and wealth of information here thanks to the regulars (you know who you are, many thanks). Finally jumped and received my CCS, XL black (fastest and so stealth), 52V of course, last Thursday - could not be happier. The looming tarriffs had a lot to do with my decision to act now as they may add $600 to the price of the 52V models (25%). How's that for a nudge. Unfortunately, CCS stock is looking rather depleted - Ripcurrents in much better supply. Glad I acted when I did. Happy trails to all.

 

[Asher]

Just to clarify 2), it was a 2.35" tire, and you can out one on with ease I believe in the front. In the back, 2", maybe 2.15" is the max.

 

[Steve L.]

Tariff pricing to start August 23rd - see Juiced website.

 

[youth]

I have a original CC received in June 2016 & still riding it today. I ride year round in Chicago weather & moisture intrusion into the connectors was a problem early on till I started using dielectric grease in the front connectors. The CCS may have improved on these. The 350w wheel lasted till April 2017 & the replacement is still going albeit the freehub is kindof worn now & seems difficult to remove. Keep in mind I ride it pretty hard usually in sport or level 3 & have nearly 16,000 miles on it now with around 10,000 miles on the current wheel. I believe the first one failed from the gears, but since it was in warranty I didn't get to explore how easy it would have been to service. Tried to unscrew the cover but felt as if I would've stripped something so stopped. Probably need an impact driver to open it.

Ice is manageable with studded tires, but I find any snow that isn't fresh powder difficult because of the tendency of the wheels constantly wanting to slip out from under you (fishtailing). This is especially a problem following car tire tracks. I think this is where fat tires & low pressure helps greatly.

 

[Rob02150]

I have a original CC received in June 2016 & still riding it today. I ride year round in Chicago weather & moisture intrusion into the connectors was a problem early on till I started using dielectric grease in the front connectors. The CCS may have improved on these. The 350w wheel lasted till April 2017 & the replacement is still going albeit the freehub is kindof worn now & seems difficult to remove. Keep in mind I ride it pretty hard usually in sport or level 3 & have nearly 16,000 miles on it now with around 10,000 miles on the current wheel. I believe the first one failed from the gears, but since it was in warranty I didn't get to explore how easy it would have been to service. Tried to unscrew the cover but felt as if I would've stripped something so stopped. Probably need an impact driver to open it.

Ice is manageable with studded tires, but I find any snow that isn't fresh powder difficult because of the tendency of the wheels constantly wanting to slip out from under you (fishtailing). This is especially a problem following car tire tracks. I think this is where fat tires & low pressure helps greatly.

hey youth. I've been on the fence about getting the Paragon fork for a while now. Do you think it was worth the upgrade?

 

[youth]

hey youth. I've been on the fence about getting the Paragon fork for a while now. Do you think it was worth the upgrade?

With the upgrade only being around the $200'ish range; yes. The RS's mid tier air spring noticeably feels better then the coil spring of the Suntour. Just keep up with the recommended maintenance if riding in foul weather.

 

[Zarathustra]

Thank you to everyone who replied all of the information was very helpful! I placed my order earlier today and it should be shipping out shortly. I ordered a 52v battery as they only had the red in 48V.

Does anyone know what size (mm) suspension seatpost is compatible with the CCS? Amazon has a bunch of different sizings.

 

[Nova Haibike]

Does anyone know what size (mm) suspension seatpost is compatible with the CCS? Amazon has a bunch of different sizings.

27.2mm. Don't buy a cheap one; they aren't smooth and they always go bad. The Bodyfloat, Redshift, Suntour, and Thudbuster are the ones to look at.

 

[Rob02150]

With the upgrade only being around the $200'ish range; yes. The RS's mid tier air spring noticeably feels better then the coil spring of the Suntour. Just keep up with the recommended maintenance if riding in foul weather.

Thanks for the feedback. Even though I don't really come across any terrain, I just think the air fork will have a more premium feel all together. Did you have to cut the steerer tube down at all when you installed it? I'm not sure of the length on the stock steerer tube.

 

[youth]

Did you have to cut the steerer tube down at all when you installed it? I'm not sure of the length on the stock steerer tube.

Did have to cut it down. You can used the stock fork as a rough guide, but remember it's better to be a liitle over then under since you can always use spacers.

 

[rich c]

Battery capacity gets cut almost in half in the very cold weather. Snow is a real pain to ride in. A very narrow window of good riding in snow. If it's too wet, the whole bike slushes up. If it's been wet, then very cold, it's like riding on cobblestone. If any ice under it, it's impossible. Just a few days of riding in fluff when it's okay.

 

[Jeffrios]

Battery capacity gets cut almost in half in the very cold weather. Snow is a real pain to ride in. A very narrow window of good riding in snow. If it's too wet, the whole bike slushes up. If it's been wet, then very cold, it's like riding on cobblestone. If any ice under it, it's impossible. Just a few days of riding in fluff when it's okay.

Not to mention how salt and sand can trash a bike in one winter.