My DIY builds: GMAC, BBSHD, 9C RH212, CYC Photon, ToSeven DM01

[linklemming]

Regarding the blue - my new bike is kind of a "Smurf" blue. I didn't think I'd like it when I first bought it, but it's grown on me to the point I like it just fine!

Regarding the "pondering" - This new project bike is done, and I really like it. Now faced with the decision regarding what to do with my MAC 12t bike. It's in perfect condition. Doesn't make a sound, new Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires, shifts perfectly, and has GOBS of very friendly easy to use power. Downside is it's 15lbs heaviaer than the new bike, it's age and the age of it's battery (2017). My point is, I get where you are coming from....

Smurf blue...uggghhhh, I cant get that out of my head

That being said, it reminds me of the paint on my old 1981 BMW320i which I adored so its staying this color for awhile.

Just decided to make a parts bike for now and retire my 1994 GT zaskar(post #8) as a utility bike.

Literally the last step I needed before taking it on a maiden ride was to cut the steerer tube and the pipe cutter cutting wheel gave up (not surprising as it wasnt designed for cutting steel pipe). Just ordered a park saw guide (SG-6) that should arrive on monday

Its amazing how easy a 1x acoustic bike is to build/setup and how clean it is.

The rims at the moment are WTB ST i21 29 rims with 700cx41 tires from the Bridge Club. I found some WTB ST 29 i29 rims with the same ERD($40 each) so will be replacing them next week and likely run Johnny Watts 29x2.35 tires as this will be a more street oriented build. 29x2.6 tires would fit easily buy just seems excessive with out a motor.

The GMAC bike is a gem and exceeded every single expectation, I just think in the end a second BBSHD may be better for me. I will provide more reasoning on this in a later post.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Will look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[linklemming]

Troll-BBSHD quick update
Just for fun, decided to see what the BBSHD would do speed wise, throttle only on a flat section in the lowest gears

Im using an HG400 9 speed cassette 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30-34 with an 42t lekkie front chainring (blingring)

42x34 - 17mph
42x30 - 19mph
42x26 - 22mph

The BBSHD really likes to spin

Overall update
Im pretty sure Im going to abandon the GMAC pretty soon and go with another BBSHD (maybe use a phaserunner in the future).

The GMAC has exceeded every expectation and is in many ways better than the BBSHD for much of my riding but for some reason I cant quite figure out, I enjoy riding the BBSHD bike better.

GMAC pros:
Acceleration is the same no matter the gear, very powerful yet managable/configurable due to the phaserunner and CA3
No pause for shifting while accelerating from a stop, you can just bang thru the shifts
Better at higher speeds (especially with torque sensing when I am in an aero position and PAS selection and/or throttle is hard to reach). I just push harder on the pedals instead of fiddling with PAS and gears.
More efficient in conditions with a pedal cadence limited by 90rpm (the BBSHD to be really efficient works at much higher cadence)
According to Grin motor simulator, it only starts to get worse than the BBSHD for grades above 6%, even then, it will do it, just not for a 5000ft ascent. While my rides are in rolling 4-6% grades, I routinely encounter grades over 15% for limited distances without issues
No doubt the best for minimal drivetrain wear and commuting especially on nice clean roads/paths.
Torque Sensing
Quiet up to about 750 watts, even then its minimal
CA3 display (readable and has everything you would ever want)

GMAC cons:
The erider torque sensing BB - I think I have figured out how to make it work but in the end, due to the exposed drive side bearing seals, its always going to be an issue. Yes they are sealed bearings but the drive side needs more shielding/cover like the non drive side (which has never had an issue). I have bought the parts for cadence only sensing but if thats what I need to do, I would just prefer a BBSHD.
Weathersealing - not just the BB but all the CA connections are really prone to getting wet. The torque sensing has stopped working several times, sometimes just going thru a small puddle although the cadence sensing still works. I try not to ride in wet weather much but alot of my winter/spring riding is in snow thaw conditions which just gets everything wet/muddy.
Cable clutter - Just alot more cables. Grin offers a great solution with a stretchable velcro sleeve but it is just tacky and prone to issue if it gets wet.
Stealthy - the GMAC is not stealthy at all, just the opposite. Its like its saying, yeah Im an ebike, get over it..... later dude!
Complicated mechanical install - not that big of a deal but I need a special set of tools to remove the rear wheel to be able to fix a flat. I would rather just carry an extra chain
CA3 display (just too big, while functional, its obnoxious)

 

[Merle Nelson]

Fantastic write up and sharing of info, thanks.

I want to convert at least one anolog bike to get a lighter ebike for my wife. It would be extremely tempting to do one for me too.

 

[linklemming]

Some updates:

BC-GMAC - now approaching 1900 miles on the GMAC motor, phaserunner and CA3 (it was on the troll initially). The erider torque sensing bottom bracket bearings that were replaced 300 miles ago are still turning smoothly but all the rides have been in mostly dry conditions. The crankarms are staying put which is good news. Basically the bike is running like a champ. Been a hot summer out here near denver and the GMAC has been getting toasty while riding in 95F+ weather but all within limits as long as I dont put a ton of power thru it. Not sure what the limit is but I did a climb at 10% for about 1/2 mile limiting power to 500w (which was more than enough) and the temps stayed constant. This was a 95F day and the GMAC stayed around 93C. Note that I have the CA3 is setup to start limiting power at 90C with an overall temp limit of 130C. Highest temp I have seen yet is 95C. Its nice that the CA 3 has different presets that can be easily changed. I did a ride the other day in 98F temps and after about 45 minutes I completely bonked probably with a touch of heatstroke. I was running the CA3 in torque sensing mode about 1.5x assist. At that point even going up to 5x assist was chore so I used a cadence only PAS setup(set power levels for each assist level) and just ghost pedaled the rest of the way home. Nice to have the option to do that.

Troll-BBSHD - about 600 miles now and it has been pretty trouble free. The BBSHD is getting noisier but I really only notice it at really slow speeds and on pavement where the tire noise is minimal. The noise is present in this video at 1:00

Chainnwear is fine, hoping for 1k+ miles

Overall- I weighed both bikes

BC-GMAC - ~50#
Troll-BBSHD - ~59#

Although the Troll-BBSHD is heavier, it feels lighter and more responsive while riding.

Couple of reasons for the Troll-BBSHD being heavier
Luna wolf battery is 3# heavier than the em3ev battery
Front Tire and wheel is 1.5# than on the BC-GMAC, not surprising considering Im using heavy DH specific rims and the biggest spokes I could use. So likely 3# overall increased weight due to tires/wheels
Troll Frame is likely 1-1.5# heavier that the BC.
The XT350 hybrid rear hub is the beefiest hub I have ever seen, its got to add something.

My next post will discuss my experiences with cadence vs torque sensing for the last couple of months riding them both back to back on the same trails and swapping them every ride.

 

[tomjasz]

The BBSHD is getting noisier but I really only notice it at really slow speeds and on pavement where the tire noise is minimal. The noise is present in this video at 1:00

Lubricate! Before it gets louder. Often the chainring gear needs better lubrication.

 

[linklemming]

Battery Update:

While the 52V 12ah Luna wolf battery with 30Q cells is a beast(very low ir), I always get range anxiety riding it and I dont really need the low ir and would prefer more range.

For the same weight, I can run a 52V 17.0ah (35e cells) em3ev jumbo pack so I just ordered one from california ebike (em3ev was out of stock). This will be a good compliment to my existing em3ev 52V 13.5ah(GA cells) super shark pack.

The luna wolf pack batteries are super durable (and heavy), they are just not what I want on my bikes as I would prefer range over performance/durability I am not using.

I will either sell the wolf pack or hard mount it to a rear rack I can attach to either bike when I want a range extender.

No hard feelings on the wolf pack as its a great pack for many use cases, I was willing to try it and potentially not like it and that ended up happening.

Of course, I will now have 2 ebikes with compatible battery mounts so I dont really need the wolf pack as a range extender.

Overall Update:
The Surly Ogre non-ebike build is such a nice bike to ride. Im glad I finally replaced my 26inch rigid bike(GT zaskar) with the 29inch ogre for light trail/bike path/city duties. 29inch wheels are just so much smoother. Did a 15mile 1500ft climb ride (10mph average) on the ogre yesterday and while the lack of assist wasnt fun, it was a very enjoyable ride although my body was pretty sore today. I am hoping to do 2 non ebike rides every week (I ride 6-7 days a week), one on the ogre and one on my 2019 santa cruz tallboy

After that ride and a few hours of lawn work in 90+ weather today, it was nice to take the BC-GMAC bike out and just cruise at high assist settings(5x) and enjoy a sunset ride without having a big workout. Overall used 20wh per mile for 25 miles with 1200ft elevation gain and 17mph average speed with ALOT of throttle...nice to have options

 

[linklemming]

So I thought I would share some thoughts on various things like mid-drives vs hub drives and torque sensing vs cadence sensing after a summer of riding my brose torque drives (Bull Evo 3 eMTB and iZip Moda E3), a GMAC 10t grin CA3.phaserunner and BBSHD with eggrider.

I come mostly from a background of MTBs.

Summary: I just get used to whatever I have and how to make the best use of it.

1. GMAC with Phaserunner and CA3 with erider torque BB – my initial DIY setup and a joy to ride. Does just fine on my typical ‘gravel’ rides consisting of about 1200ft gain over 20 miles or so. Lots of 4-6% rolling terrain with some grades more than 20%(for short periods). The only real issues here is that this setup IMHO is more designed as a commuting setup (general weatherproofing and potential regen braking). As my rides are usually 60%+ offroad, this isnt so important to me. That being said, this combo works fine and I almost committed to a second build with this setup. The CA3 is big and ugly but provides everything I would want in an ebike display, is easy to use and easy to read for my 50+ year eyes. A powerful hub drive seems perfect for more pavement oriented riding like commuting. The only real downsides are the complications in changing a flat with a rear wheel which requires a lot of specific tools (all of which are required). With just PAS (no torque sensing), this setup works well as well and typically requires less user power than torque sensing although it all depends on the rider/gear/assist level. A nice feature of the CA3 is the ability to have 3 profiles/presets. I have 1 as a class 1 torque sensing ebike (20mph/750 watts/up to 3x assist and 1500w throttle), one as a cadence based assist (no speed limit, up to 1000watts PAS and 1500w throttle) and an unlimited 5x assist limited with 1500w throttle.
2. BBSHD/eggrider - with luna hotrod settings and a few simple changes (no speedlimits per assist level and keepcurrent at 100% (no reduction of assist based on cadence). The stock keepcurrnet of 60 felt horrible, 100 felt much better. Nothing else changed. Doesnt feel as responsive as the GMAC/phaserunner/CA3 setup but very flexible since you can vary the feel of assist level/gearing. I cant explain it but it feels better/more maneuverable...probably due to a lower polar moment of inertia. Setup as 9 assist levels 10-100%current with 30amps max so a max power of around 1500W.

Overall thoughts on a cadence sensing mid-drive(BBSHD).

A cadence sensing mid drive feels the most like a normal MTB at my 58year old capability. To all the torque sensing fanboys, read the whole post before going ballistic. Im also a torque sensing fanboy.

Much better than I ever thought. I did try a BBS02 awhile back and even changed programmed settings but never liked it. Same with a friends stock luna BBSHD. Pretty sure it was the keepcurrent at 60% that I didnt like.

The hotrod settings cadence based startup from luna is just fine with me. No lurching or anything although when I get in super technical stuff….it s$cks and I end up just going to throttle. Somebody more skilled than me might be able to make it work.

It just feels dead...the thing is thats exactly what my newly built non powered bike feels like. The BBSHD feels the same, its just a lot faster.

Seems best for my needs which are really more of a gravel bike.

After a few rides, I get used to it and enjoy it for what it is

In summary, its the best solution for most of my offroad oriented rides

Overall thoughts on a torque based Hub drive (GMAC with Phaserunner/CA3)
A very well integrated system. Not as responsive as the big 4 euro based mid drives at lower speeds but much better/more powerful at higher speeds. Pretty much a silent setup. It was good enough that I considered a second setup before trying the BBSHD. Grin is more focused on road/commuting and this is an excellent setup for that. Not as weatherproof as the BBSHD setup which can be an issue for my riding which is more offroad based (70%+ offroad). Most riding out here in the denver area is dry but snowmelt conditions get pretty nasty sometimes. The erider torque sensing BB has cutout several times in wet conditions (although cadence based PAS still seems to work). The torque sensing with this setup is more of a variable way to add more power while riding whereas my brose based mid drives feel more like an extension of my legs making me feel like I am a super fit 20 year old rider.

Lots of tools needed to change a tire and missing just one tool would end up in me walking home. I have all the tools, I would just prefer not to. I would rather carry a spare chain.

The Erider Torque sensing BB design isnt the best as far as weatherproofing as the drive side bearing is exposed although its sealed. The replacement bearings I tried seem much better

Handled all the conditions I threw at it. I climbed short 20%+ hills without any issue and even 6% grades at 24+mph battling a good 20mph headwind and the highest temp I ever saw was 95F. In these higher speed ‘commuter conditions’, its actually better than the BBSHD

I was able to cure most of the weatherproofing issues by sealing the erider torque sensing BB connections in self sealing heatshrink and RTV sealant at the BB. If one wanted, they could replace all the CA3 connectors with higo weatherproof connectors like the BBSHD uses.

GMAC is great for regen if thats what you want. I had no need for it (I rarely brake enough on downhills to make it worthwhile)

In summary, this is a the best 'commuter' setup hands down unless you commute exclusively on MTB trails

Overall thoughts on my Brose Middrives

Didnt ride my 2 Brose mid-drive bikes for a month and when I got back on my Brose speed pedelec(2018 iZip Moda E3) it was an absolutely incredible experience. Riding even in the lowest assist level felt like magic and I did my first complete ride in eco mode and averaged 15.5mph for 25 miles which is a best ever for this bike. I was completely trashed the next day. The instant response to my inputs was so addicting. That being said, I wore myself out pretty fast although the experience was so much fun.

Subsequent rides were not as much fun and required more assist. Still enjoyed the Brose feeling so much.

In summary, my BBSHD feels the most like my non ebike. My Brose bikes feel ALOT better

 

[linklemming]

BC-GMAC update:

At 2361 miles, the GMAC/Phaserunner/CA3 is being replaced with a BBSHD.

Just ordered all the parts, more updates next week

 

[linklemming]

BC-BBSHD update (new build, replaced the GMAC).

The Surly Bridge Club(BC) is now running a BBSHD.

Pretty much all the same parts as on the Troll-BBSHD except this build is using lighter asymmetrical rims and 32 spokes per wheel instead of 36.

The BBSHD is from EM3EV (delivered in 2 weeks). Pretty much stock EM3eV settings except keep current changed from 90 to 100.

Front Hub - 32H Shimano XT 100mm QR hub
Front Spokes - DT champion 2.0mm
Front Rim - WTB HTZ i30 (Ebike specific rims)

Rear Hub - 32H DT Swiss 350 hybrid 148mm boost hub (with QR endcaps that make it 141mm). The BC rear spacing is 138mm to accommodate 135mm and 141mm hubs
Rear Spokes - SAPIM E-leader 2.34mm spokes
Rear Rim - WTB HTZ i30 (Ebike specific rims)

Definately noticed a difference when building the wheels in more even spoke tension.

Roughly speaking off the top of my head, the spoke tension on a normal rear rim was about 130kg on the drive side and 90-100 on the disc side. With the asymmetrical rims, its roughly 130kg on the drive side and 120 on the disc side. The front wheel spoke tensions are about equal at 130kg.

The Bridge Club is just as accommodating as the Troll/Ogre for BBSHD installation. The Troll/Ogre list a max 1x chainring 42T, The BC is listed as 34T.

The Troll required a 1mm spacer on the drive side for the BBSHD housing to clear the chainstay. Im assuming the Ogre would require the same (I will verify at some point in the future). The BC stock requires a 2mm spacer. A few hard whacks with a deadblow hammer on the BC chainstay got it down to 1.5mm. Pretty sure I could take a dremel to the BBSHD housing and get it to 1mm buts its only 0.5mm so a 1.5mm spacer it is for now.

A 42T lekkie bling ring is about as large as I would want to go on the BC with the 1.5mm spacer. The Troll/Ogre could go larger

While the rear 135mm QR seems to have enough threads engaged to be safe, I am going to order a 141mmm rear QR skewer.

Need to clean up the wiring enclosed in a grin velcro sleeve. Will do that in the next week.

Definately feels lighter than the Troll Build (probaby 1# in the frame and 3# in the wheels/tires)

The bottom line: The Surly Bridge Club makes a great BBSHD conversion

 

[linklemming]

Troll-BBSHD Update:

This bike is now at 1k miles and chain(KMC 9 speed, non ebike as its all I could find) wear is still within limits. I dont take really good care of my chain. Usually at 100miles I spray a rag with WD40, wipe off the chain and then apply squirt lube, 1 large drop per roller on the inside of the chain to prevent adding more dirt with the lube.

The eggrider + button sticks every now and then. Whats frustrating is this appears to put it into walk mode effectively cutting out useful assist. The cure is to simply press the - button

EM3EV Battery from US Vendor Rant:

I wont rehash all the details as I have outlined my issues in the "Items, Parts and Promotions, By-Dealer or Brand" forums. Whats ironic with all of this is that one of the top posters on this site and self proclaimed BBSHD customer service guy somehow took this personally and criticized me for simply stating my views on a problem I had with a vendor over a lost email who was also stocking EM3EV batteries (the batteries were actually NOT in stock). He even went as far as taking my post, getting my info from the vendor and calling me on my cellphone personally which ironically happened while I was giving a eulogy at my dads funeral (to potentially harass me? I hate to assume about someone I dont know this but further actions by this individual make me question his initial motives). I finally ended up cancelling the order after almost a month of waiting for the battery (which Fedex returned to the vendor for some reason). This individual has further tried to harass me when I posted further after cancelling my order going as far as trying to get me banned for my avatar which while confrontational(it was a meme, thats the point) had been in use for over a month and needed to be understood in context which was actually explained to him in a forum conduct thread he initiated and later deleted. Thanks to all those who replied to his ridiculous thread showing both the context of my avatar and how it could be perceived as more generic than he was trying to imply. It was a typical "cancel-culture" move. Take something someone said, take it out of context, imply what they meant and pretend to be insulted(fake ourage). A simple search of his activity on twitter would show this is typical of his ideology.

EM3EV Battery Advice:

EM3EV is a great company to work with, has always responded well to my email correspondance and has quick shipping from china (all orders arrive in 2 weeks, no signature required). They always seem out of stock so I just simply post a note on my computer and check EM3EV daily. Usually within 2 weeks to a month I will catch an instance where they have batteries in stock. Today I lucked out and ordered a 52V 17AH battery which will arrive in two weeks.

Skip the middleman, support EM3EV directly

If somehow I get banned for posting this, its been nice sharing my builds with everyone and hope it provides inspiration for others to DIY.

 

[tomjasz]

Wow! No good dead goes unpunished. I’ve worked with Paul since 2014. And with Doug California eBike since 2016. I saw your post. I knew there were delays and I broke my “primary directive” and mixed my support relationships with a member disappointed in the way a sale was handled. My mistake . I knew better and sure enough it bit me. I didn’t have to contact the seller, in my support role I can look up orders to confirm just what parts a support caller ordered and help complete repairs and builds.

I’m saddened to read about your father. How ever could I have known? Again you make comments that are seemingly based on feelings rather than facts. But you have taught me a lesson. I’ve been right in my staying out of business threads these past years here. Crossing the line from being a helpful poster to a support guy from a reseller was a huge mistake. Believe me, it won’t happen again.

 

[linklemming]

Wow! No good dead goes unpunished. I’ve worked with Paul since 2014. And with Doug California eBike since 2016. I saw your post. I knew there were delays and I broke my “primary directive” and mixed my support relationships with a member disappointed in the way a sale was handled. My mistake . I knew better and sure enough it bit me. I didn’t have to contact the seller, in my support role I can look up orders to confirm just what parts a support caller ordered and help complete repairs and builds.

I’m saddened to read about your father. How ever could I have known? Again you make comments that are seemingly based on feelings rather than facts. But you have taught me a lesson. I’ve been right in my staying out of business threads these past years here. Crossing the line from being a helpful poster to a support guy from a reseller was a huge mistake. Believe me, it won’t happen again.

You also make numerous statements based on feelings rather than facts all the time, you just seem to think you are above that so you dont see it. You also did many things to worsen the situation by snide comments. Pretty much the equivalent of walking away from a disagreement in person and whispering something insulting as you walk away.

Sorry this worked out the way it did, I have alot of respect for your experience and knowledge, Not sure why you went ballistic when I stated my side of a situation just because you know the other party involved.

No need to apologize for my father, of course you had no way of knowing. You gave me a phone number, which I could have called when convenient yet you called me directly which I thought was in bad taste and was reported to the mods of this forum.

This outlines the importance of the whole 'correct stock status' which you have tried to minimize. I had been wanting to get a new battery for several months but couldnt due to these family issues. I finally had a short window of time where it looked like things would be good for an order, I tried EM3EV which didnt have any in stock so I went with california ebike. I wont rehash all the details but that was a huge mistake not all of is the fault of california ebike. All my non battery orders have been handled promptly and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend them for BBSHD related parts.

I have no issues with you trying to help and have thanked you for that. It was your choice to escalate matters when they didnt work out they way you wanted. That seems to be the definition of making comments based on feeling other than facts. You even went as far as trying to discredit me in the 'conduct' forum Im guessing in an attempt to get me banned. You could have simply PMd me about it and if I didnt remove it you could have then escalated it. As you might recall, most responders to that post showed you how that avatar wasnt as specific as you wanted to imply and in fact had context which you were not aware of. Funny how that thread was deleted.

Dewey in the other thread gave the perfect answer and one which I was ok with(although still points to bad website issues) in that Doug didnt really work in that area anymore and that was likely the reason I didnt get a response. You choose a completely different path apparently based on emotions and got an equivalent response

Its time for us both to move on, both sides have been presented multiple times in multiple threads and we both got dirty in the process.

 

[linklemming]

Overall BBSHD Notes:

I have the overall current limit set to 30a and the assist limits on both my BBSHDs setup to 1 at assist 0 an, 20-100% for assist levels 1-9 respectively.

On typical rides, I typically ride at level 2 about 70% of the time, going to level 3 when tired or even level 5+ when tired and encountering strong headwinds and the rolling hill we have here.

My typical wh/mile is 13-20 with a high of 25 (I was riding it like I stole it). Typicl average speed from GPS is 16-20mph

Had a couple of cooler no wind rides in the last few days and did a whole ride on level 2 and a whole ride on level 3 (no throttle at all for either ride)

Level 2 ride: 31.3 miles, Avg Speed 14.6, 1038ft elevation gain, 9.2wh/mile

Level 3 ride: 19.31miles, Avg Speed 15.3mph, 608ft elevation gain, 11.6wh/mile

 

[tomjasz]

You gave me a phone number, which I could have called when convenient yet you called me directly which I thought was in bad taste.

No need to apologize for my father, of course you had no way of knowing. You gave me a phone number, which I could have called when convenient yet you called me directly which I thought was in bad taste and was reported to the mods of this forum.

I work support of BBSxx drives for the reseller. I saw you had a problem, so I looked up your order to tried to help. Now calling a customer to help sort a delivery delay is bad taste? WOW. Just another anonymous forum bully. You go girl.

 

[linklemming]

I work support of BBSxx drives for the reseller. I saw you had a problem, so I looked up your order to tried to help. Now calling a customer to help sort a delivery delay is bad taste? WOW. Just another anonymous forum bully. You go girl.

Equating my post on these forums to an order at california ebike and then directly calling me without my consent, I consider bad taste. Some would consider it cyber-stalking. In a world of escalating name calling this description seems appropriate.

Its completly different if you had called in direct response to an email or phone inquiry I left at california-ebike. That is not the case here as 'according to you', they never received the email.

Quit projecting tomas, the only bully here is you as proven by your childish attempt to ban me. You are not the victim, this is all happening due to your actions. The thing is, your highly emotional actions and name calling have escalated this situation and now you respond to my reactions to this calling, me emotional and a bully amongst many other things. I have no idea what planet you are on right now but you completely lack self awareness and the inability to take responsibility for your own actions.

Not sure why you persist here, you are only making california ebike look bad. You have turned this from an unfortunate circumstance(which was all I ever intended, not a "hit piece" as you have accused in PM) to a situation where everyone can see that if they have any problems with your vendor, you will appear as their henchman to crucify. Customer service at a whole new level.

I was actually going to place an order to california ebike tonight for a few hundred $, not anymore....congrats, perhaps you should be in sales as well

All this because I dared to question why an email from an order wasnt responded to. WOW..classy.

 

[linklemming]

BC-BBSHD Update:

Battery is EM3EV 52V 13.5ah battery(GA cells), 702wh.

Decided to do a 'range test' today. Probably 50% level 2, 40% level 3, 10% level 5+ at 25mph+ in a tucked aero position on my origin8 strongbow handlebars...gotta love em

Ride specs: 37 miles, 17.5mph average speed, 117/148 average/max heartbeat, 1192 elevation gain, minimal wind, 1493 calories burned

486wh used. A 702wh battery discharged 80% is 562wh so Im guessing the range at 45miles.

I have done fast rides on this combo and ran out of range at 20miles

Eggrider Note:
The eggrider has a battery percentage on the main screen. It can be a little confusing in that the % doesnt match what would be expected when one looks up battery % vs voltage.

The simple answer seems to be that the eggrider % is zero when the battery is actually at 30% when I lookup the voltages. No problems once I figured this out.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, I can post eggrider screenshots and setup info

 

[linklemming]

Troll-BBSHD Update:
At 1200 miles, the chain appears to be worn using my Shimano TL-CN42 Chain Wear indicator so chain replaced. No idea if the HG400 cassette will need to be replaced but I will find out when I take it for a ride tomorrow. Ordered an 11-34 HG400 anyway

BC-BBSHD Update:
After about 150 miles, started making the sounds the the Troll-BBSHD did signifying it needed regreasing. Easy 15 minute procedure. Thanks for the tip tomjasz

Had the chain come off today while riding and it wasnt really even that bumpy of a section although I was flying at the time. Note I am using a Lekkie NarrowWide Chainring. I will be installing a chain guide like I have on the Troll-BBSHD.

I have used both of these which appear identical with success.
problem-solvers-chainspy
origin 8 chain guide

Added updates: The HG400(Troll BBSHD) skips in the two smallest cogs, just barely under pretty high loads only. This has happened on my lower power Brose speed pedelec mid-drives as well so no biggie. Will replace HG400 cassette when new one arrives

 

[linklemming]

Troll-BBSHD update:

Replaced the HG400 with 1200 miles as it was skipping in the 2 smallest cogs (which are both seperate). Not that big of a deal since the HG400 cassette is pretty cheap.

If anyone knows about any HG400 replacement cogs, please chime in

BC-BBSHD update:

Noticed a complete flat on the front tire today. Tires are 27.5x2.6 smartsams with about 2.5k miles (easily another 1k+ miles before just rear is replaced). Put in 2 oz of stans sealant last october (roughly). I couldnt hear any stans sloshing around when shaking the tire so its likely the stans is all dried up (I typically add more stans at 6 months and replace tubes every year). I spent a good 30 minutes looking for a puncture and couldnt find anything. Most likely a goathead stuck in the tire for awhile that just worked its way into the tube. Added 2oz of stans and tire is holding air fine.

 

[linklemming]

Troll-BBSHD Update:
Finally received the EM3EV 52V 17.0ah battery(35e cells). I ordered it on Sept 2, got a fedex shipping notice on Sept 6 which took forever to update. Finally got it yesterday so it wasnt as quick shipping as last time (2 weeks). Not sure why...perhaps it got picked up by customs. It also required a signature which is a first from EM3EV.

Took it out for a ride today and did a 37 mile 'fast fitness ride' no problems (average speed 18.8mph, 1537 vertical, 570wh used, 15.45wh/mile, 130 avg heart rate). Im pretty impressed with the wh/mile vs avg speed but I have really improved my fitness this summer riding my BBSHD bikes. A 52V 17ah battery has 884wh so at 80%, thats 707wh so at 15wh/mile (my typical average), thats 47 miles range...lets just round it up to 50 miles

A pic from todays ride