new member from Brisbane Australia

[Stefan Mikes]

The guy in the LBS where I bought it did the same thing I did, ie apply front brake, turn the handle bars, and rock back and forth...with no noticeable play...
...then he checked something I'd never seen done before - he checked to see if the spacer rings under the stem could be rotated while holding the handle bars still - which they could...identifying there was a tiny bit of play requiring a slight snug up to the headset bearings.

This is why we buy e-bikes from a good LBS

I have found that a clean and lubricated chain is more important on my e-bike than on my acoustic.

Word.

It is good you went for the "first warranty service". I didn't do that with my first e-bike in time. The derailleur lost its adjustment, and a friend who tried to ride my Lovelec damaged the derailleur and bent the hanger. As I had to wait for a month for a new hanger from the manufacturer, I bought a second e-bike meanwhile...

Five months later, my two e-bikes were kept for 2 weeks at servicing. At that time, I bought a third e-bike... I would like to buy a fourth e-bike but my cellar/garage is not big enough

 

[PedalUma]

This is why we buy e-bikes from a good LBS


Word.

It is good you went for the "first warranty service". I didn't do that with my first e-bike in time. The derailleur lost its adjustment, and a friend who tried to ride my Lovelec damaged the derailleur and bent the hanger. As I had to wait for a month for a new hanger from the manufacturer, I bought a second e-bike meanwhile...

Five months later, my two e-bikes were kept for 2 weeks at servicing. At that time, I bought a third e-bike... I would like to buy a fourth e-bike but my cellar/garage is not big enough

that's stealth - where's the motor/battery?
I put the motor between the pedals and the battery looks like a bottle. Wires thru-frame for a clean build. Non-proprietary parts and firmware so I am not stuck paying 3x3x3 more for dealer service, parts, and updates over the years. And they cannot turnaround and Win'95 it, saying, sorry, your bike is no longer supported.

 

[almikel]

I'm not sure why, but my e-bike shifting deteriorates faster than my acoustic as my chain gets dirtier...clean the chain and the shifting is clean and crisp again.

I have a chain keeper for my acoustic to be able to clean the chain without the wheel on, but it's designed for quick release road wheels and doesn't fit the Giant with its 12mm through axle
I need to get one of these:

Morgan Blue Chain Keeper Thru Axle

Morgan Blue Chain Keeper Thru Axle

www.epiccycles.com.au

The device fits on the through axle to allow a "reasonable" clean of the chain without taking the chain off using one of those "on the bike" chain cleaner thingies I've had for years...

I had the chain off for a proper clean last weekend, and I struggled to get the quick link/ master link off with a variety of "not quite the correct" tools such as circlip pliers, needle point pliers etc...
I bought a pair of these to make the job easier, they should arrive this week:

MLP-1.2 Master Link Pliers

Remove and install chain master links in one simple motion with this tool.

www.parktool.com

I'm slowly expanding my collection of Park tools

If I'm not riding in the wet, I reckon the "reasonable" clean leaving the chain on the bike should be fine every 3-4 weeks, and removing the chain for a deep clean every 3 months or so should keep shifting OK...obviously depending on how the bike is shifting...atm I always seem to be riding in the wet ...La Nina here currently.
Essentially when shifting gets clunky I'll clean the chain, and motivation will determine if I take the chain off or not - who knows, once I have the tool to remove the master link easily, I may just take the chain off for a deep clean every time...I have read elsewhere that master links should be changed every time you open them...but I think this is overkill...a new master link with a new chain IMO should be sufficient...my opinion will change the 1st time I have a master link go "pop" on a ride!...
...note to self - get some spare master links to carry as spares!

cheers,
Mike

 

[davatar]

My first post on this forum, after googling for reviews of the Giant Revolt E Pro...and found this thread:

Anyone with a 2020 Revolt E Pro?

Very nice! Did the lbs need to do any drilling or major mods to get a fit?

electricbikereview.com

I joined the forum after reading this thread - great info, helpful people!

I thought I should introduce myself.
I live in Brisbane, Australia, and commute 8km each way to work, almost always on a Cannondale "acoustic" roadie (only learned that term from the thread above, but I love it!)
I got back into cycling about 25 years ago when a mate suggested I try mountain biking - what a blast!
I added the Cannondale roadie to the quiver (GT duallie and GT hardtail) about 12 years ago.
I don't do much mountain biking anymore, but the duallie gets out occasionally on the trails, and the hardtail is used for commuting if the roadie is in the shop, or if it's wet (the hardtail has disc brakes)...although if it's properly raining I'll normally slack out and take the bus (yes I know - soft).

Brisbane is quite a hilly city (not San Francisco hilly, but it's not flat like say Melbourne), and over the last few years, age and creaky knees has made my commute into a chore - especially the ride home as we live at the top of a steep hill - I've been riding around it for about 5 years now, but even the gentlest way home has become a challenge for my knees.

I started investigating peddle assist e-bikes mid last year to help me up the hills.
I wanted to get a road style drop bar e-bike, and I liked the concept of the rear hub drives - no more stress on the chain/rings/cassette than an acoustic bike and very "stealth"...
I took an Orbea hub drive for a test ride (I think around 40Nm torque), specifically seeking out hills similar to my commute and I was quite disappointed with the assistance it provided on the steep hills, even in the lowest gear.
The bike shop let me next test a Focus mid drive with a bit more torque (I think around 55Nm) - again it didn't give me enough assist up the hills, but noticeably better than the hub drive...
...time to look for e-bikes with more torque!

The bike shop recommended the Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 4 - what a beautiful bike! but at AUD$8700 it was never going to get approved ... my top end was between AUD$5-6K
...but that led to investigating what other bikes had the Bosch Performance CX (Gen 4) motor, and other motors of similar torque (eg Shimano EP8, Yamaha PW-X etc).
These motors are typically found in e-mountain bikes, but crossing over to gravel bikes like the Cannondale Topstone, Canyon Grail:ON...both too expensive for me.
Focus has some flat bar hardtails with the Bosch gen 4 motor, and Merida has similar with the Shimano EP8 motor...but I wanted drop bars and no front suspension and something under 20kg (44lb).

I "stumbled" across the Giant Revolt E+ Pro 2020 through random google searching for bikes with the Yamaha motor...
For some reason when I review all the e-bikes on the Australian Giant website https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au, the Revolt E+ isn't there...
...If I search on the same site (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au) for Revolt E+ it appears...WTF?...

...anyway, the Giant Revolt E+ Pro seemed to tick all the boxes - Giant branded Yamaha motor with 80Nm torque (I think it's a re-branded Yamaha PW-X), drop bars, reasonable groupset...in my price range...
...further googling found this forum and the thread I linked to above with mostly good reviews of the bike.

I visited a Giant store in the CBD of Brisbane close to work, but they only had a medium and a large, and I needed an XL, and only floor stock was available - with no possibility of ordering an XL in ?...? - I asked him about the Giant Revolt E+ Pro 2021, which is available in New Zealand, but he said they didn't come to Australia...
The proprietor suggested I get on the phone to find a Brisbane shop that has an XL sized Revolt E 2020 on the floor.

I located another Brisbane shop that had an XL in stock (their only model) and test rode it the next day...found some steep hills...and wow, this thing is the bomb.
I'll have no issues getting up our steep street home !
I don't have it yet, as I only put a deposit down to secure it - the bike shop puts it in storage (ie no-one else test rides it etc) - and I'll pay it off over the next few pay cycles...
...can't wait to get it...

...I'm very much looking forward to my cycle commute being a joy again!...

Great forum!

cheers
Mike

Your info is very interesting. We are going through a rain event right now with more frecast in the next 24hrs, so your tip on waterproofing is welcome..

 

[PedalUma]

I have a chain keeper for my acoustic to be able to clean the chain without the wheel on, but it's designed for quick release road wheels and doesn't fit the Giant with its 12mm through axle
I need to get one of these:

Morgan Blue Chain Keeper Thru Axle

Morgan Blue Chain Keeper Thru Axle

www.epiccycles.com.au

The device fits on the through axle to allow a "reasonable" clean of the chain without taking the chain off using one of those "on the bike" chain cleaner thingies I've had for years...

I had the chain off for a proper clean last weekend, and I struggled to get the quick link/ master link off with a variety of "not quite the correct" tools such as circlip pliers, needle point pliers etc...
I bought a pair of these to make the job easier, they should arrive this week:

MLP-1.2 Master Link Pliers

Remove and install chain master links in one simple motion with this tool.

www.parktool.com

I'm slowly expanding my collection of Park tools

If I'm not riding in the wet, I reckon the "reasonable" clean leaving the chain on the bike should be fine every 3-4 weeks, and removing the chain for a deep clean every 3 months or so should keep shifting OK...obviously depending on how the bike is shifting...atm I always seem to be riding in the wet ...La Nina here currently.
Essentially when shifting gets clunky I'll clean the chain, and motivation will determine if I take the chain off or not - who knows, once I have the tool to remove the master link easily, I may just take the chain off for a deep clean every time...I have read elsewhere that master links should be changed every time you open them...but I think this is overkill...a new master link with a new chain IMO should be sufficient...my opinion will change the 1st time I have a master link go "pop" on a ride!...
...note to self - get some spare master links to carry as spares!

cheers,
Mike

I like MuckOff dry lube. I will flip the bike upside down and spray the drivetrain with soapy water then lightly rinse. Then I will uses the dry lube, wiping off the extra. It does not attract grit. When you can order a CC-4 or similar chain guage. I change chains before they damage the cogs.

 

[almikel]

I've noticed when riding with others that my speed reads a little higher than others' cycle computers, eg cruising along theirs will read 20km/h and mine says say 24km/hr.
Similarly when I look at Strava data after a ride, where I've been hitting the 25km/h limit constantly and back off a little each time so I still get assistance, Strava will say my max speed for the ride was say 23km/h.

Living with an assistance speed limit of 25km/h is a bit frustrating, but getting robbed of a few km/h is worse.

Is there a wheel size adjustment on Giants that would give me an accurate 25km/h cutout?

cheers
Mike

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I've noticed when riding with others that my speed reads a little higher than others' cycle computers, eg cruising along theirs will read 20km/h and mine says say 24km/hr.
Similarly when I look at Strava data after a ride, where I've been hitting the 25km/h limit constantly and back off a little each time so I still get assistance, Strava will say my max speed for the ride was say 23km/h.

Living with an assistance speed limit of 25km/h is a bit frustrating, but getting robbed of a few km/h is worse.

Is there a wheel size adjustment on Giants that would give me an accurate 25km/h cutout?

cheers
Mike

Mike: My observation is the wheel circumference set in Giant e-bikes is typically set wrongly. The only thing you could do is to visit a Giant LBS and ask them to correct the value. Is it practical for you to travel to any Giant LBS?

 

[almikel]

I've recently had some eBike shutdown issues on my Giant over the last couple of months, where the screen goes blank and the motor cuts out
Once on a ride is annoying, 4 times on my daily commute was getting ridiculous so time to take it into a Giant LBS.

Mike: My observation is the wheel circumference set in Giant e-bikes is typically set wrongly. The only thing you could do is to visit a Giant LBS and ask them to correct the value. Is it practical for you to travel to any Giant LBS?

I had a chat to the guy in the Giant shop on this issue - he said Giant don't let them muck with this at all
He completely understood the issue - he test rides Giant eBikes all the time and they consistently cut out lower than 25km/h, but there's nothing Giant allow the LBS to do to "tweak" this to a "proper" 25km/h

On the cut-out issue he said as a 1st step they apply some dielectric grease to the battery contacts, but I'd have to book my bike in as they were booked solid for the next week.
Interestingly before I rode my bike to the shop, I removed the battery and re-installed it - I didn't have any cut-outs on that ride.

And unfortunately the Giant shop on the way to work isn't the Giant shop where I bought my bike, as they didn't have my size of the '20 Revolt, and as Giant Australia didn't have stock left, I had to find a Giant shop that had my size in stock.

I'm thinking the battery contacts had some minor oxide build up, and removing/re-installing the battery fixed that.
On my audio kit I use a product called DeoxIT for the connectors https://www.jaycar.com.au/deoxit-co...OQeo8JjuSTxi2V7eROZ_-nwdjpMT0g3xoCxl0QAvD_BwE which I'll try on the bike battery connectors, then apply some dielectric grease.

If the issue persists I'll take it back to the Giant shop I purchased from.

Different question:
I cleaned my chain today and measured the wear - my chain wear tool just fits on the 0.75 side - so time for a new chain.
The OEM chain is a KMC e11 Turbo - so far the cheapest I've found is AUD$140...but I'll keep looking...
I get that eBike chains cop a harder flogging that acoustic chains, and I'm happy to replace chains sooner rather than later...
...any recommendations for 11 speed chains for ebikes?

cheers,
Mike

 

[TheEqualiser]

Hi Mike, I have only had the cut out a few times and it has always remedied itself if I turn the motor off and back on again. I take out the battery when I finish my ride and clean the contacts, if it does ever happen, and the problem goes away for a while, There are one or two threads on here about slight adaptions that people have made, including shims under the connector plate, to provide a better contact. There is also a guy in the UK who got his battery replaced by Giant, free of charge. I think that the dielectric grease would be a good starting point if it was happening a fair bit.

On chains, I don't buy anything other than KMC for any of my bikes. At the moment they are getting hard to get hold of due to COVID, fortunately I have a KMC 10 speed e-bike chain and a normal KMC 10 speed chain as spares at the moment and I'm still on my original chain (just about) on my Giant Fastroad (after about 4000km in nine months). I would say that any 11 speed chain, especially a KMC, would do you, it just might not last quite as long. I haven't had anything more than 10 speed until last week when I bought an 11 speed Cannondale. My recommendation would be buy things like chains, tyres, tubes etc before you need them and have them available to use rather than risk them being out of stock during COVID when you need them. I rely on a few of the online sites (Bikebug, RAM, Chain Reaction - other sites are available) and the good thing with most of them is that you can set a stock alert to get an email notification when an item comes back in stock.

 

[PedalUma]

I just did a quick check in the US for availability and prices. The X chains have worked well for me on 5,6,7,8, and 9-speed builds. The e11 is currently hard to come by and much more pricy than the X11. It might be better to buy three X11's for about the same money if it is your own bike. The pins on the e11 are very hard steel. Oil the tip of your chain tool so it will freely spin against the pin or it could snap.

 

[almikel]

thanks for the responses - another month has gone by on the original chain, so I just pulled the trigger on a KMC e11 that was "in stock".

I also had a look at the total mileage on my e-bike - only 1500km...so then I looked at some YouTube vids on using a chain wear tool...

My rooky mistake - on my X Tools chain wear tool (0.75/1.0), the tip of the tool goes in on the 0.75 side, but not all the way in.

Interestingly the Park Tools chain wear tool (CC 3.2) has 0.5/0.75 settings, and Park Tools recommend replacing the chain on 11 speed bikes at the 0.5 setting.
I think I'll buy the Park Tools chain wear tool.

My current OEM chain ring is an FSA Megatooth 1X BCD104 42T narrow/wide chain ring.
I find on the commuting I do I'm always in the bottom half of the cogs on my rear cassette - so I'm looking to purchase a bigger front chain ring on my 1X setup to "share the wear" on the cassette...
...with each new replacement chain I would swap the front chain ring between the OEM 42T chain ring and a larger chain ring.
FSA supposedly make them in 44, 46 and 48 teeth - but with COVID etc they're hard to source of any size

There appears to be ample clearance on the chain stay to fit any size chain ring, and I can adjust/remove the OEM chain catcher...it's not required on a commuter bike with a wide/narrow chain ring

The only limitation I can see is if the new chain isn't long enough for a bigger chain ring - which would be unlikely.
The new chain I just ordered is 122 links long - I haven't counted the links in my OEM chain, but hopefully shorter.
I have a chain breaker to remove links.

Any guidance on the benefit of swapping between the OEM 42T chain ring and a bigger front chain ring on chain swaps to share the wear across the cassette? eg

• 48T is much too big a jump from 42T, don't go more than 46T?
• 48T needs a longer chain than 122 links if you want to get up to to the 42T cog on the rear (Shimano GRX RX810 rear mech)
• don't bother changing the front chain ring, just keep swapping chains early?
• etc

cheers
Mike

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I find on the commuting I do I'm always in the bottom half of the cogs on my rear cassette - so I'm looking to purchase a bigger front chain ring on my 1X setup to "share the wear" on the cassette...

You actually don't need to do it. It is the smallest cogs that wear first because the stress acts on very few sprocket teeth. The phenomenon is very well known; for that reason, advanced cyclists only replace two or three smallest cogs on their cassettes, and such cogs are sold separately to reduce the cost of maintenance. Your larger cogs will last for a long time as long as you replace worn chain regularly.

There are many drawbacks of replacing a chainring with a larger one:

• You need to absolutely make sure the large chainring would fit your e-bike's frame
• If you go from 42 to 48T, you need 6 chain links more. Long chains are hard to obtain and are very expensive.
• Your cadence will decrease, which is neither good for the motor assistance nor for your health
• The acceleration of your e-bike will deteriorate (it will become sluggish).

25 km/h e-bikes are equipped with smaller chainrings on purpose, so you could maintain proper cadence at 25 km/h. 48T chainwheel is for 45 km/h S-Pedelecs or for road bikes, where you can get on high speed at reasonable cadence.

My 45 km/h Vado was originally equipped with a 48T chainring. I eventually replaced the ring with a 38T one, which gave outstanding riding properties to my speed e-bike, especially as I can and like to pedal at high cadence and don't need to ride at the maximum speed of my e-bike. Acceleration and climbing properties of my Vado are as good now as I'm not going back to the large chairing!

 

[almikel]

I managed to take a tumble off the bike yesterday in the wet
The usual bark off, but I'm OK otherwise...I felt a bump on the head, so time for a new helmet!

Riding away after picking myself up, I could feel something wasn't right with the left side pedal/crank...and after swapping the pedal today it was still wonky...
...and on closer inspection I've bent the left crank arm...
Attached are photos comparing left side with right side.
Left - note the continuous arc

Right

They're OEM FSA 170mm cranks - code: CK-745/IS, to fit onto my Giant Revolt '20 e-bike with a Yamaha PW-X2 motor.

Every Giant store I spoke with just wanted me to bring the bike in, unable to give any advice on sourcing a crank over the phone.
The FSA US site "appears" to have them but they're listed as a Bosch Gen 4 crankset, and all but the 165mm option is sold out https://shop.fullspeedahead.com/en/discipline/e-bike/crankarm/e-bike/fsa-ck-745-is-gen4-armset
I've found an e-bay link in Europe https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265371944319?hash=item3dc966857f:g:MOMAAOSwv5JiKimZ that says "FSA E-Bike Crankarms CK 745 B 170mm Isis Brose Bosch Cx Haibike Yamaha Cranks"...I've asked the seller what the CK745 B means...but encouraging that they seem to fit multiple brand e-bikes.

I'm fine to get both left and right cranks - hey I've bent one side, a crash on the other side could bend the other.

Any suggestions on sourcing a new crank or crankset that fits?
...I didn't crash that hard, so I'm a bit surprised I managed to bend the FSA crank...but I get that large forces are involved in a bingle...
...I'm happy to stay with FSA or change...I just need a crank/cranks that fit!

cheers
Mike

 

[PedalUma]

Mike, I am glad that you are okay. My last crash was two years ago. My friends called me Rainbow Man. I had bruises of every color, green, purple, yellow. A dog on a three meter leach jumped on me when I was doing 48. If they are square taper than that is standard. You can get them on eBay. Look for 170mm square taper crank arms. Sometimes you need to remove 4mm from the left inside with a hacksaw and file. It is best if they match. So do both sides.

 

[TheEqualiser]

There are a few on eBay (e.g. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/363782986132?hash=item54b327d994:g:GTQAAOSw84ZiRUi4) but none in Australia. Guess you'd just have to bite the bullet and wait, unless you can find another ebike stockist in Brisbane that use equivalent cranks and have spares in stock. Try RT Cycles in Cleveland - very knowledgable and helpful.

 

[PedalUma]

I have a box with about 20 pairs of spare square taper crank arms. If you were local and not half a world away, I would just give you a pair at a coffee shop. Someone local must be like me and willing to help a fellow cyclist. Are there any builders in your neighborhood?

 

[almikel]

I've ordered cranks from overseas - they're a spline crank, not square taper