ParDo's CCX log

[paralleldo]

Following in @Justin Fischer 's footsteps, I'm starting my own CCX Log.

My commute is 17 miles each way or 34 miles round trip. I already own a Bulls Lacuba 8 (gates belt with Brose mid-drive, class 1) but wanted something faster and knew I needed a large battery.
For commuting, I was considering the Watt Wagon, Stromer, and the CCX. Ultimately, I decided to buy the CCX and use the difference in price to buy a bunch of bike tools.



Mar 1
Before receiving the bike, I bought:

• parktool PCS 9.2 bike stand
• BIKEHAND Premium complete bike repair kit
• 24 X 2 Inch Cinch Straps from secure cable ties
  • In case the battery mounting issues of earlier CCX's weren't resolved

Received the bike. The FedEx person was carrying the 80 lbs box on his back! The rear fender was poking out of the box and it was clearly banged up a bit, but everything inside was OK.

For setup, I've only done minor brake adjustments on bikes before, but enjoy building IKEA furniture, so I think this was the right level for me. There's very little setup required really, my handlebar was already installed, so the main thing I had to do was insert the front wheel, pump up the tires, and install the pedals. One issue I did have was the front brake pads were too tight and I had to use tire levers to push them apart. The disc brakes still rub a tiny bit after 30 minutes of adjusting, but I know that's quite commonplace and it's not affecting the ride.

Other minor things: adjusting the seat and the handlebars. I forgot to install the front fender, but won't really need it for a while. I'll probably get a professional mechanic to check out my bike in a week or two.

Took it out on a short test ride. This bike is really fast. There is motor noise, especially compared with my brose with belt drive, but it's not that loud and not at all annoying to me. In fact I enjoy the sound, it's like the bike is alive. At speed, with the wind rushing by you cannot hear it at all. Shifting seems fine out of the box. The handlebars are also pretty good and offer a variety of positions.

Mar 3 - mileage: 35
Took it on my 34 mile RT commute. The first few bars of the battery seem to drop very quickly, so I dialed it back to Eco mode mid-ride and got to work with about half charge remaining. I didn't bring the charger so didn't charge at work. On the way back from work, I biked a bit with the assist off to conserve the battery some more. Using only Eco or the 1 setting really conserves the battery. Also being able to see how many watts the motor is putting out is very interesting and will be useful in seeing how much I'm paying in watt-hours to go faster.

The throttle is super useful for taking off from stops at red lights.

I have a couple of Timbuk2 panniers that fit okay on the bulls but don't fit well on the CCX. I may have to buy the rockbros bag as well, unless I can find other bags that are verified to work.

Otherwise no issues at all on the commute, which is mostly on street with cars and some bike paths that have a little bit rough road surface. The suspension worked pretty well. Looking forward to commuting again.

Things I'm considering buying are:

• Extra charger for work.
  • Unsure if the Satiator is worth the $200 extra over the stock one, but I suppose it would last a lifetime.
• Kinekt seat post suspension.
  • Juiced sells the 150 - 200 lbs one for $220 which is cheaper than anywhere else, but I weigh around 135 - 140. Would it make that big of a difference?
• An abus lock that can unlock with the same key that I have now. Looks like you can't do this online but have to take your key code to a local bike shop - a little annoying in the year 2020 but whatever.
• Tuneup via velofix or LBS

Mar 6 - mileage ~110
The CCX cuts my commute from work to the train (BART for you bay area people) from 1 hr 10 minutes down to 50 minutes, so it seems like a worthwhile purchase. My commute is flat, with a 110 ft elevation gain due to the Dumbarton bridge. There are about 15-20 stop signs / traffic lights along the way. Might have to do an actual count someday and compare different routes. Luckily at work we have a bike room with an outlet, so I don't even need to take the battery off at work for charging.

The limiting factors for sustained speed seem to be wind and my legs. It's hard to tell if the top speed is limited as the battery voltage drops, I usually reach about 4-5 bars remaining at the end of each run so probably I am not in that reduced output zone yet.

Some minor issues:

• The brakes have some sort of a squealing sound to them when braking quickly. Will need to get that checked out. Braking with a slower onset seems fine.
• At high speeds, the brake levers seem to jiggle a little bit and produce a little bit of noise.
• If I run over a tree root bump in the road at high speed (25+mph) the chain can bounce off the crank if there's no tension.

 

[Sojourn7ers]

Thanks for posting this! Just ordered my RCS yesterday and it sounds like our commutes are going to be very similar. Helps to hear you are able to get your 34 mile RT commute in one charge. My commute will be 36 mile RT and went ahead and ordered the Satiator with the bike so I can "drain" the battery as needed to get to work and have plenty of time to charge before the return home trip. I may just have to keep a log of my commutes as well.

 

[paralleldo]

I've done the commute 3 times now.

It's possible to do the commute roundtrip on one charge, but if you want to use level S or level 3 PAS, you may want to charge at work as well (this sounds like what you are planning to do).

Part of my motivation to keep this log is just to keep track of maintenance done and the things I want to modify/change. Glad you find it of value.

Editing the original post with an update/details.

 

[cuwatra]

Thanks for posting this! Just ordered my RCS yesterday and it sounds like our commutes are going to be very similar. Helps to hear you are able to get your 34 mile RT commute in one charge. My commute will be 36 mile RT and went ahead and ordered the Satiator with the bike so I can "drain" the battery as needed to get to work and have plenty of time to charge before the return home trip. I may just have to keep a log of my commutes as well.

36 daily street miles on a fat tire? Wouldn't there be better bike choices for this kind of riding? How about the CCX?

 

[Sojourn7ers]

36 daily street miles on a fat tire? Wouldn't there be better bike choices for this kind of riding? How about the CCX?

I was going back and forth between the RCS and the CCX. The deciding factor for me actually came down to the fact that I live on 10 acres of property and would like to be able to ride effectively off road and on. I considered getting the CCX and just putting more aggressive tires on it, but given how muddy and snowy things can get here in central Indiana, I figured the RCS would provide more riding opportunities overall.

 

[Sojourn7ers]

I've done the commute 3 times now.

It's possible to do the commute roundtrip on one charge, but if you want to use level S or level 3 PAS, you may want to charge at work as well (this sounds like what you are planning to do).

Part of my motivation to keep this log is just to keep track of maintenance done and the things I want to modify/change. Glad you find it of value.

Editing the original post with an update/details.

Great to know you can do the whole commute on one charge! I am an hourly worker at the moment so I wanted the confidence of being able to drain the battery on the commute in to make sure I can clock in on time. I’ll use my afternoon commute home as more of my workout, so I’m less concerned with how long it takes in that regard.
Thanks for updating the log! I got my RCS shipping notification yesterday so I should be on the road by the end of next week!

 

[scout592]

Thanks for your comments. It sounds like your terrain is pretty flat. Anyone know how it performs going up some long, steep paved roads using throttle only and then also when using pas? Thanks

 

[cerecdoctor]

I have my CCX for about three weeks . I have a nine mile round trip commute but part of that is on the George Washington bridge and manhattan streets.
I can just get about four commutes using minimal PAS . I am a bit bigger size and Im carrying a payload with clothes shoes and lunch. so at least 230 pounds.
There are few hills and usually windy conditions on the bridge.
Sometimes i notice some wacky hesitation when i push the throttle ..Im not sure what that is

One thing to consider is that when riding a regular bike, I have my hands on the brake lever a lot and with an e bike that kind of touch can cut power to the motor

 

[paralleldo]

Thanks for your comments. It sounds like your terrain is pretty flat. Anyone know how it performs going up some long, steep paved roads using throttle only and then also when using pas? Thanks

Yes my route is quite flat. I do have a 85 foot bridge (Dumbarton). I haven't tried using only throttle, but using PAS I can still hit 26 mph using S or R mode and pedaling hard. On the way down the bridge I hit around 33 mph due to the motor plus gravity providing assist.

 

[cuwatra]

How are the ergos on this bike? Just looking at side profile pics the bars look pretty low and flat. I'm looking for a comfortable, fast commuter.

 

[paralleldo]

How are the ergos on this bike? Just looking at side profile pics the bars look pretty low and flat. I'm looking for a comfortable, fast commuter.

I'm no ergonomic expert, but it's been fine for the ~1 hr commute each way before the Coronavirus shutdown. The grips are molded so you can hold them in a couple different ways. You can adjust the handlebars and seat height to your liking. I think people flip the stem to make the handlebars higher too if you want.

The seat itself could be a little softer or something, I might switch it out with the seat that's on my other bike (both are Selle Royale seats, just different models) to see if it's better, but seat fit tends to be highly individual.

The front suspension is OK. It deals well with rough road surfaces, but not bumps caused by tree roots. Honestly, not sure if there's anything out there that would handle going over a tree root bump at 28 mph. I've been looking at seatpost suspensions, I might buy an animaris to give it a try, the kinekt is just too expensive for something with unknown amount of benefit (I don't doubt it will improve the experience, but by how much?). Also because seatposts are sold by different diameters, it's not a buy it for life product as it may not be compatible with whatever my next ebike is. eg see https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/product-review-kinekt-2-1-suspension-seatpost.30672/


Going fast means a lot of wind drag, which means you'll tend to want to lean forwards more, so that take into account as well.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

How are the ergos on this bike? Just looking at side profile pics the bars look pretty low and flat. I'm looking for a comfortable, fast commuter.

I switched out the seat on my CCS (same ergos as the CCX) for a more comfortable Cloud 9; and I bought a set of spacers to raise the handle bar for a more upright posture. Neither of those were expensive and I'm happy with both.

 

[cuwatra]

I switched out the seat on my CCS (same ergos as the CCX) for a more comfortable Cloud 9; and I bought a set of spacers to raise the handle bar for a more upright posture. Neither of those were expensive and I'm happy with both.

There you go!

 

[Johnny]

Following in @Justin Fischer 's footsteps, I'm starting my own CCX Log.

My commute is 17 miles each way or 34 miles round trip. I already own a Bulls Lacuba 8 (gates belt with Brose mid-drive, class 1) but wanted something faster and knew I needed a large battery.
For commuting, I was considering the Watt Wagon, Stromer, and the CCX. Ultimately, I decided to buy the CCX and use the difference in price to buy a bunch of bike tools.



Mar 1
Before receiving the bike, I bought:

• parktool PCS 9.2 bike stand
• BIKEHAND Premium complete bike repair kit
• 24 X 2 Inch Cinch Straps from secure cable ties
  • In case the battery mounting issues of earlier CCX's weren't resolved

Received the bike. The FedEx person was carrying the 80 lbs box on his back! The rear fender was poking out of the box and it was clearly banged up a bit, but everything inside was OK.

For setup, I've only done minor brake adjustments on bikes before, but enjoy building IKEA furniture, so I think this was the right level for me. There's very little setup required really, my handlebar was already installed, so the main thing I had to do was insert the front wheel, pump up the tires, and install the pedals. One issue I did have was the front brake pads were too tight and I had to use tire levers to push them apart. The disc brakes still rub a tiny bit after 30 minutes of adjusting, but I know that's quite commonplace and it's not affecting the ride.

Other minor things: adjusting the seat and the handlebars. I forgot to install the front fender, but won't really need it for a while. I'll probably get a professional mechanic to check out my bike in a week or two.

Took it out on a short test ride. This bike is really fast. There is motor noise, especially compared with my brose with belt drive, but it's not that loud and not at all annoying to me. In fact I enjoy the sound, it's like the bike is alive. At speed, with the wind rushing by you cannot hear it at all. Shifting seems fine out of the box. The handlebars are also pretty good and offer a variety of positions.

Mar 3 - mileage: 35
Took it on my 34 mile RT commute. The first few bars of the battery seem to drop very quickly, so I dialed it back to Eco mode mid-ride and got to work with about half charge remaining. I didn't bring the charger so didn't charge at work. On the way back from work, I biked a bit with the assist off to conserve the battery some more. Using only Eco or the 1 setting really conserves the battery. Also being able to see how many watts the motor is putting out is very interesting and will be useful in seeing how much I'm paying in watt-hours to go faster.

The throttle is super useful for taking off from stops at red lights.

I have a couple of Timbuk2 panniers that fit okay on the bulls but don't fit well on the CCX. I may have to buy the rockbros bag as well, unless I can find other bags that are verified to work.

Otherwise no issues at all on the commute, which is mostly on street with cars and some bike paths that have a little bit rough road surface. The suspension worked pretty well. Looking forward to commuting again.

Things I'm considering buying are:

• Extra charger for work.
  • Unsure if the Satiator is worth the $200 extra over the stock one, but I suppose it would last a lifetime.
• Kinekt seat post suspension.
  • Juiced sells the 150 - 200 lbs one for $220 which is cheaper than anywhere else, but I weigh around 135 - 140. Would it make that big of a difference?
• An abus lock that can unlock with the same key that I have now. Looks like you can't do this online but have to take your key code to a local bike shop - a little annoying in the year 2020 but whatever.
• Tuneup via velofix or LBS

Mar 6 - mileage ~110
The CCX cuts my commute from work to the train (BART for you bay area people) from 1 hr 10 minutes down to 50 minutes, so it seems like a worthwhile purchase. My commute is flat, with a 110 ft elevation gain due to the Dumbarton bridge. There are about 15-20 stop signs / traffic lights along the way. Might have to do an actual count someday and compare different routes. Luckily at work we have a bike room with an outlet, so I don't even need to take the battery off at work for charging.

The limiting factors for sustained speed seem to be wind and my legs. It's hard to tell if the top speed is limited as the battery voltage drops, I usually reach about 4-5 bars remaining at the end of each run so probably I am not in that reduced output zone yet.

Some minor issues:

• The brakes have some sort of a squealing sound to them when braking quickly. Will need to get that checked out. Braking with a slower onset seems fine.
• At high speeds, the brake levers seem to jiggle a little bit and produce a little bit of noise.
• If I run over a tree root bump in the road at high speed (25+mph) the chain can bounce off the crank if there's no tension.

Thank you for sharing your experience,I hope you are staying safe during these crazy times.

It is especially interesting since you already own the best mainstream mid drive system around. I hope you don't mind me asking you a couple of questions.

- I am planning to take the same route to train I was wondering if you had any difficulty taking the bike to the train?
- You said you cut your commute by 20 minutes , which bike were you riding before for that commute?
-How would you compare ccx to bulls in terms of power to sustain 22+mph.

 

[paralleldo]

Thanks, not doing much biking due to the shelter in place but hope to get back to it soon.

If you are asking about taking bikes on BART, it's not an issue but since ebikes are so heavy you'll have to rely on the elevators. My route on bart is counter-commute, so there's plenty of space.

I also occasionally take amtrak, and it's been fine there as well, just a step up onto the train.

I was riding the bulls class 1.

My Bulls is only class 1, and in practice tops out at 19 mph as the assist cuts off. That was what I was comparing the commute time on the CCX to.

Since then, I've also gotten a badassbox for my bulls, i can sustain about 23-25 mph on it now, but haven't done a full commute with it yet.

CCX is much better suited to sustain 22+ mph. If it's just a straight bike path with no traffic lights, you can sustain 28 mph on it easily. For commuting, the start/stop with traffic lights will play a role in the commute time as well.