Hey folks,
I finished (or almost finished) my TSDZ2 conversion of a Giant Talon hardtail bike. I actually picked up the Talon used specifically for this conversion, so I didn't have time to get to attached to it in its non-electric state. I gotta say, I'm diggin' it.
I really love the torque sensor. I've ridden some hub motor bikes with cadence sensors and I thought they felt kinda strange and a bit jerky. I'm sure many of you have read that before. I mean they're fun, don't get me wrong. They just didn't feel like bikes to me. The motor was doing most of the work and the pedals were moving, but not really doing anything. By contrast, the mid drive, torque sensing bikes I've ridden felt/feel like bikes, but I also feel like I have super strength and stamina. Pretty awesome.
I also approached the whole e-bike idea from the standpoint of wanting to get my father (in his later years) to get some exercise and for it to be simple and safe. I kinda feel like these zippy hub motor bikes with a throttle may be a little confusing to him and he'd either end up only using the throttle or end up getting in a wreck. So I've focused on mid drive torque sensor bikes. And due to costs and the limited options for torque sensing kits, I ended up trying out the TongSheng TSDZ2. So far, I'm very happy with it.
There are a couple of things that I wish I had thought about a bit more before I started.
First, the Talon came with a terrible SR Suntour XCT fork that barely works. I mean it almost doesn't move at all. I guess I'll be looking for a replacement fork, but I may try to open this one up and clean it first.
Second, I bought the 500W 48V version. I'm definitely happy with it, but I see that there's a 750W version. I'd consider that one, if I were to do it again. There are also versions that come with a pre-loaded open-source firmware update and different controller that have all kinds of nice bells and whistles. I might consider that one too.
I had a question about trying to identify the hanger bolt type/size/threading, etc. On my Talon, the 50mm length was too short and popped out. My local hardware store surprised me. They had the exact bolt and the next size up. For reference, the standard bolt is M8 x 1.25 pitch (standard thread) 50mm. I got one that's 60mm and it seems to have solved by problem. Woo-hoo! I think I'm actually done now...
So one question for anyone who has installed any mid drive kit... What do people do with the electric cable management? I see some people wrap it around the frame (as I did) but what about any extra protection or organizational hints? I kinda feel like the battery cable coupling, at least, should maybe get some electrical tape protection. Or duct tape? I don't want it to look ugly, but it seems that the cables that come up right in front of the rear tire should have a little extra protection, especially if I were to take this off-road. (This is perhaps the biggest reason I would consider a purpose-built electric bike. The hidden cable management makes it feel nicer. But the DIY kit is soooo much cheaper and still a lot of fun.)
Thanks.
I finished (or almost finished) my TSDZ2 conversion of a Giant Talon hardtail bike. I actually picked up the Talon used specifically for this conversion, so I didn't have time to get to attached to it in its non-electric state. I gotta say, I'm diggin' it.
I really love the torque sensor. I've ridden some hub motor bikes with cadence sensors and I thought they felt kinda strange and a bit jerky. I'm sure many of you have read that before. I mean they're fun, don't get me wrong. They just didn't feel like bikes to me. The motor was doing most of the work and the pedals were moving, but not really doing anything. By contrast, the mid drive, torque sensing bikes I've ridden felt/feel like bikes, but I also feel like I have super strength and stamina. Pretty awesome.
I also approached the whole e-bike idea from the standpoint of wanting to get my father (in his later years) to get some exercise and for it to be simple and safe. I kinda feel like these zippy hub motor bikes with a throttle may be a little confusing to him and he'd either end up only using the throttle or end up getting in a wreck. So I've focused on mid drive torque sensor bikes. And due to costs and the limited options for torque sensing kits, I ended up trying out the TongSheng TSDZ2. So far, I'm very happy with it.
There are a couple of things that I wish I had thought about a bit more before I started.
First, the Talon came with a terrible SR Suntour XCT fork that barely works. I mean it almost doesn't move at all. I guess I'll be looking for a replacement fork, but I may try to open this one up and clean it first.
Second, I bought the 500W 48V version. I'm definitely happy with it, but I see that there's a 750W version. I'd consider that one, if I were to do it again. There are also versions that come with a pre-loaded open-source firmware update and different controller that have all kinds of nice bells and whistles. I might consider that one too.
I had a question about trying to identify the hanger bolt type/size/threading, etc. On my Talon, the 50mm length was too short and popped out. My local hardware store surprised me. They had the exact bolt and the next size up. For reference, the standard bolt is M8 x 1.25 pitch (standard thread) 50mm. I got one that's 60mm and it seems to have solved by problem. Woo-hoo! I think I'm actually done now...
So one question for anyone who has installed any mid drive kit... What do people do with the electric cable management? I see some people wrap it around the frame (as I did) but what about any extra protection or organizational hints? I kinda feel like the battery cable coupling, at least, should maybe get some electrical tape protection. Or duct tape? I don't want it to look ugly, but it seems that the cables that come up right in front of the rear tire should have a little extra protection, especially if I were to take this off-road. (This is perhaps the biggest reason I would consider a purpose-built electric bike. The hidden cable management makes it feel nicer. But the DIY kit is soooo much cheaper and still a lot of fun.)
Thanks.
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