ShareRoller V3, expansively described & illustrated here...

Thanks for continuing to keep us posted, Nirmala. Looking back over this l-o-n-g thread of projections, promises, feature creep and delivery delays, I'm hoping Jeff is preparing for a thorough, well edited video of the SR product in use. It will be needed in lieu of all these updates which some potential buyers won't have the initial interest to wade through. And maybe from you, too?

Jack
 
Another update and another delay (once again due to improvements to the design):

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

We've made a LOT of progress since our last Update, but unfortunately have also encountered a few unanticipated delays. We'll try to share as much color as we can below so you understand both our challenges and accomplishments.

So we're nearly ready to begin assembly of the first 150 unit batch of the new ShareRoller SR4. Our team of suppliers (we have 7 different suppliers!) has been manufacturing the first batch of SR4 subcomponents since early May, and first shipments (of subcomponents) should be going out any week (we've learned that 3-4 week production estimates seem to become 4-6 weeks+ as standard practice..)

Nevertheless, here's what's ready to ship from our suppliers imminently:

- Drive Motors: We've talked a lot about these before, so you know how amazing they are - we can't wait to have hundreds of them sitting on our assembly floor!
- Custom urethane Drive Belts: We've had to go through several iterations of molding to get the fit just right on these, fortunately it's a quick turn-around so they're fully sorted.
- Heatsinks: If you recall in our last email we talked about our solution to improve motor cooling, well here it is: Dual heatsink mounting plates for the motors. We had to build molds for diecast aluminum to make these cost-effectively, which takes a LONG time, but they're done now - and here's a picture of the first sample diecast parts:


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- Gearmotors: We haven't talked much about these yet for IP reasons, though if you search our patent filings you'll find a reference to them... Custom ultra-small, ultra-high torque gearmotors to continually manage normal force for our Automatic Traction Control system (both under power and while braking), and to lift the motor clear off the tire when you don't need it. Our supplier has been making these for over 6 weeks now, and they're due to arrive in NYC any day.
- Wireless throttles: We've got a great custom design perfected now for our wireless custom throttles, with custom PCB production underway. Not only do they give you proportional control of both throttle and brake, but they also have secondary buttons for operating TailWind or PAS settings. Plus a rechargeable battery that seems to last days. And a really cool spring-clip mounting system with ball-joint pivot that allows you to mount the throttle almost anywhere on a bike or scooter and still find a comfortable position.
- Retracting battery cables: After our earlier quality issues were solved by upsizing the housing, our manufacturer is currently assembling our first production batch as quickly as they can. These required custom injection mold tooling, which means a 6-8 week leadtime, but they should be done in another two weeks.

Unfortunately, we have two components that are further behind schedule. Our custom PCB and our custom Battery Packs. These two components are a big piece of what makes the SR4 so special, which is a good thing given how much work they've required!


To be clear, we already had a first version production SR4 PCB several months ago and it worked well, with both the wireless throttle and phone app functionality we dreamed of. But we needed to add a few more pieces of critical functionality to it:

- Inrush current protection (aka 'Anti-Spark'): this is necessary to prolong the life of our magnetic battery connectors, especially at the higher voltages the SR4 uses.
- Onboard DC gearmotor control: we had been using a standalone board for this, but for reliability and ease of assembly it made sense to integrate it

Both of these circuits are relatively large, and since we had no more room to make the PCB any bigger, we needed to redesign it using surface-mount components (SMT) to shrink every section. This is a lot of work and has taken longer than expected, but we do expect to have production PCBs completed within 3-4 weeks, so this won't be the biggest holdup....

Which brings us to our custom battery packs, the most delayed of all our components: We can't begin to describe how involved the design and manufacturing process has been for these. With nearly a dozen different molded parts, a custom-designed Battery Management PCB, soft power switch, USB charge port, LED indicators, and the aforementioned retractable battery cable, this by itself is probably more complex than many hardware products in their entirety. But with ShareRoller's unique versatility and portability, an existing 'off-the-shelf' battery pack just wasn't an option.

Since we haven't shown the battery packs in detail yet, here's a teaser pic of our unique 'Multi-Mount' attachment system (on a 'Mini' pack) - believe it or not, both the mounting brackets needed for bike share use and personal bike/scooter use are contained in the folding, modular mount shown below:


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The other completely unique part of ShareRoller's battery packs is our 'Versa-Handle,' which does double duty as both a carrying handle and as a locking mechanism for bikeshare use. Here's how it looks extended for transport (You can see our LED battery gauge here too, and yes that is brushed aluminum for the handle!):


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We've had 'near-final' designs settled upon month-after-month for these packs, since as far back as March. And every time, it seems a new subtle tweak is needed to meet the complex demands of either our custom housing, electronics, mounting system, or unique multi-purpose handle.

The good news is that after 7 months of relentless back-and-forth CAD iterations with our supplier, we've finally resolved all design issues, signed a Molding Contract (in Chinese!) and wired a sizeable tooling deposit, so they are officially underway. Unfortunately, it will take 4 weeks to complete the molds, and another 2-3 weeks after that before packs are assembled. We also need to complete UN38.3 certification (required for air shipment), but the plan is to do that in parallel with volume assembly.

Given all of that, we don't expect to have production battery packs ready to ship before early-mid August. Fortunately, there's zero assembly required for the packs - they arrive turn-key. So we can assemble everything else in advance, and ship out complete ShareRoller SR4 boxes the moment the packs arrive.

We're deeply sorry for these continued delays and we really wish there was some way we could deliver sooner. We understand how frustrating it is to still be without ShareRoller power, especially as Summer unfolds. Unfortunately, many factors are outside our control here, so all we can do is just continue to push relentlessly to be sure the ShareRoller SR4 we finally deliver will perform beyond all expectations, and at least in hindsight make it all worth the wait.

Thank you so much for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
 
Another email and another delay:

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

Now that August has arrived, we wanted to share a quick update, as we know you are more than ready for your ShareRoller(s) to arrive. We continue to get closer to assembly kick-off, with 4 of 7 key supplier sub-components now received or shipped, and 2 in final supplier production testing. But unfortunately our battery packs have been delayed another month, as production sample testing revealed further weatherproofing requirements for an IP54 rating (see below for detail).

We do expect to begin assembly of the main motor modules this month, but the battery packs will now delay shipment until September. We're terribly sorry to keep you waiting longer, but we absolutely want to be sure ShareRoller's battery packs can stand up to any amount of rainy weather!

On a more positive note, in preparation for our production launch we have moved into a much larger assembly facility here in lower Manhattan. This new space will allow us to both expand the ShareRoller Team and to produce the significantly higher volumes we hope ShareRoller will achieve once full launch occurs. It's a very exciting step for ShareRoller and we look forward to sharing photos of the new space soon!

And for those who want to read further, here is additional detail below on all key subcomponents:

  • Drive Motors: Our supplier has completed and shipped the first production run of our incredible custom Drive Motors. Since we managed to incorporate a few performance enhancements vs our earlier production samples (slightly thicker magnets for one), we can't wait to test out the optimized production version!
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  • Heatsinks: With our diecast molds complete, our supplier has manufactured and shipped the first production run of our heatsink set (shown below is the smaller of the pair).
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  • Gearmotors: Our custom designed ultra-high torque gearmotors+encoders have been received and are awaiting assembly here in our new space.
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  • Retracting battery cables: We had to make a small unexpected change to the tooling last month, but that is now complete and the final plastic shells are in production (samples below). Assembly and shipment of our first production run should be complete within 2 weeks.
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  • Wireless throttles: Since we had the time, we made one last change to a button position on the custom PCB, and expect to receive our production batch before the end of the month. We'll share pictures of our ultra-versatile and ultra-functional throttle design then.
  • PCBs: We had to make a few more tweaks to the design before doing a volume run, but still expect to receive production units before the end of the month.
  • Battery Packs: Below is a picture of a production prototype pack being assembled by our supplier - the BMS board has yet to be installed, hence the gap between the cells and the retracting battery cable (also a sample).
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The issue with waterproofing had to do with the joint between the top and bottom halves of the battery pack shell. Initially our supplier felt we could meet IP5X level waterproofing without a rubber seal between the shells, but testing proved otherwise. So we had to design the custom seal below, and have another mold made to produce the seal, which takes several weeks, hence the one month delay.
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At least with the rubber seal in place, the battery packs should have no trouble exceeding the IP54 standards, meaning you'll never have any problems riding in the rain.

Again, we're terribly sorry for these further delays and we really wish there were some way we could deliver sooner. Fortunately, we continue to get closer and closer to the goal (despite the fact that the goalposts keep moving on us!), and we're confident the ShareRoller SR4 we finally deliver will far exceed all expectations.

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
 
Since there never was a kickstarter for v4, I unfortunately was not able to get in on ordering. Just putting out there if anyone's situation has changed and this no longer fits into your needs, I would be very willing to "purchase" your place in line for a "mini". I'd be willing to provide you some profit for your long wait as well. That's assuming Jeff is willing to transfer your slot. I'll be ordering one when regular orders open up if not, but I personally have waited for kickstarter stuff and found I had moved on to something else before it finally arrived so I know that can happen.
 
Since there never was a kickstarter for v4, I unfortunately was not able to get in on ordering. Just putting out there if anyone's situation has changed and this no longer fits into your needs, I would be very willing to "purchase" your place in line for a "mini". I'd be willing to provide you some profit for your long wait as well. That's assuming Jeff is willing to transfer your slot. I'll be ordering one when regular orders open up if not, but I personally have waited for kickstarter stuff and found I had moved on to something else before it finally arrived so I know that can happen.



OK I have found a backer who no longer wants his Shareroller and is willing to "sell" me his place in line! Hopefully the Facebook message I sent Jeff will get read sometime soon and he will let me know if this is okay and how to make it happen (I will paypal the $ to the buyer). So - hopefully going to be joining the backers soon!!!! YaY!!!!
 
And once more, another delay:

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

September is here and we continue to make progress towards shipment, but unfortunately design iterations for the waterproof Battery Pack seal have taken 4 weeks longer than expected. As a result, our pack supplier is now promising us that production packs will ship by the end of October, instead of the end of September.

We're as frustrated as you are by this one, as it's completely out of our control, and this is the third significant timeline delay we've been hit with. However, we have a lot of faith in this supplier (they are used by several highly-respected industry players), and we're confident the final packs will be of the highest quality. And to be fair, this is likely not uncommon when creating a feature-packed entirely custom pack from the ground up...

Here's a photo montage from our supplier showing all the key features of our custom packs in the latest production prototype - please note that these are still 3D-printed plastics, and the production packs with injection-molded plastic will have a much smoother finish (similar to the production retractor shown below, which already uses injection-molded plastics):

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Outside of Battery Pack development, the good news is that this delay has given us more time to test other components, in particular our new production Drive Motors. You'll be pleased to hear that we've confirmed that the new motors can provide solid power all the way to 28mph (45 km/h) on flat ground. Now, we do need to comply with the US Federal E-Bike law (15 U.S. Code § 2085), specifically:

"maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph"

But, rather than simply cutting all power above 20mph, we can just reduce power output above 20mph such that it's not enough to push a 170lb rider above 20mph without some pedaling assistance from the rider (this equates to a ~300W cap).

(Note: In the EU, these limits are more restrictive (no assistance allowed above 15.5mph), and this will be the default software setting for EU shipments. We are looking into how best to implement an 'off-road only' mode for EU customers.)

So, with light pedaling you'll be able to easily cruise at 28mph on flat ground. We've even tested this for 10-mile continuous stretches at 27-28mph on hot August days, and motor temperatures remained within our target limits.

And it's a very good thing we were able to do this prolonged high-speed durability testing, as we discovered that our Urethane Drive Belts stretch just a little too much when they reach maximum temperature and maximum RPM simultaneously, causing some minor slippage with respect to the motor rotor. So we've already worked with our urethane supplier to improve the stiffness of the belts (but without changing the incredibly grippy compound). We're glad we caught this early, and these revised belts will be ready before the battery packs, so at least some good will come out of this delay!

We'll keep you posted on further progress and we're hoping it's all good news from here on.

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
 
The way I look at it is we can complain about the delay or we can complain about the product when we receive it. I'd rather wait and get something that works properly. Go read up on the disaster that Urbanext released via Kickstarter (an all-in-one wheel) that is a great concept but was not adequately tested before release. While we all are anxious to get our sharerollers, receiving a problem plagued product would be awful. Hopefully we will all be tooling about on our new sharerollers by Spring (and if it comes sooner we can be pleasantly surprised). I appreciate the dedication to making it as right as possible before release - nothing spoils the joy and excitement of a new electric drive more than lots of little mechanical and electrical problems.
 
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And yet another email and another delay:

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

Unfortunately, we have some bad news regarding our production timeline. Just as we were kicking off the battery pack mold tooling last month, we experienced a failure of one of our retractable battery cable production samples. After several months of high power durability testing (higher than will occur under normal operation), the rotating electrical connection mechanism in the sample failed.

While it's possible the retractors would be fine under the normal production ShareRoller power levels, we didn't want to take any chances, so we've been working with our retractable cable supplier on a solution for the past 3 weeks. We've increased the grade and thickness of the copper rings and brushes that make up the rotating electrical connection, and we've got an improved design now undergoing final testing at our supplier. Here's a picture of the upgraded parts:

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We are hopeful that this will solve the issue, but it will be another two weeks before we're able to validate it fully, since we need to perform our own testing here in the US as well.

The most frustrating part of this redesign is that it has prevented us from starting the battery pack mold tooling, the longest lead-time part remaining. Since the retractable battery cable sits inside the battery pack housing, if we need to change the size of the retractor in any way, we will have to modify the battery pack housing. So we have to wait until the retractor issue is confirmed solved before we can start the battery pack mold tooling. It is truly exasperating.

Once we start the mold tooling, production packs can ship in approximately 6 weeks if our battery supplier pulls out all the stops, which now pushes us back to mid-December provided this retractor fix proves out. We're beyond disappointed by this additional delay and have no doubt that you are as well. In hindsight, we've probably been a bit too ambitious in creating nearly all custom components, but it's practically impossible to make a game-changing product like ShareRoller using off-the-shelf ones. And the downside to entirely bespoke production, as we've all learned over the past 16 months, appears to be seemingly perpetual delays. But we're closer than ever and we will get to production soon. And we're completely sure that when it's all said and done, there will be no doubt it was worth the effort.

In other more positive news, ShareRoller has just been selected as a Finalist in a prestigious international 'Urban Mobility' event. We can't formally announce it until next week, when the conference kicks off their PR campaign, but it's a terrific sign that the market is beginning to recognize the unparalleled versatility that ShareRoller brings to personal electric transport. We're hoping that some of you may be able to make it to the event and see us in person (it's on the US West Coast). Further details to come soon.

We'll update everyone again once the retractor revisions have been validated and the battery pack mold tooling has begun.

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
 
And yet another email and another delay:

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

Unfortunately, we have some bad news regarding our production timeline. Just as we were kicking off the battery pack mold tooling last month, we experienced a failure of one of our retractable battery cable production samples. After several months of high power durability testing (higher than will occur under normal operation), the rotating electrical connection mechanism in the sample failed.

While it's possible the retractors would be fine under the normal production ShareRoller power levels, we didn't want to take any chances, so we've been working with our retractable cable supplier on a solution for the past 3 weeks. We've increased the grade and thickness of the copper rings and brushes that make up the rotating electrical connection, and we've got an improved design now undergoing final testing at our supplier. Here's a picture of the upgraded parts:

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We are hopeful that this will solve the issue, but it will be another two weeks before we're able to validate it fully, since we need to perform our own testing here in the US as well.

The most frustrating part of this redesign is that it has prevented us from starting the battery pack mold tooling, the longest lead-time part remaining. Since the retractable battery cable sits inside the battery pack housing, if we need to change the size of the retractor in any way, we will have to modify the battery pack housing. So we have to wait until the retractor issue is confirmed solved before we can start the battery pack mold tooling. It is truly exasperating.

Once we start the mold tooling, production packs can ship in approximately 6 weeks if our battery supplier pulls out all the stops, which now pushes us back to mid-December provided this retractor fix proves out. We're beyond disappointed by this additional delay and have no doubt that you are as well. In hindsight, we've probably been a bit too ambitious in creating nearly all custom components, but it's practically impossible to make a game-changing product like ShareRoller using off-the-shelf ones. And the downside to entirely bespoke production, as we've all learned over the past 16 months, appears to be seemingly perpetual delays. But we're closer than ever and we will get to production soon. And we're completely sure that when it's all said and done, there will be no doubt it was worth the effort.

In other more positive news, ShareRoller has just been selected as a Finalist in a prestigious international 'Urban Mobility' event. We can't formally announce it until next week, when the conference kicks off their PR campaign, but it's a terrific sign that the market is beginning to recognize the unparalleled versatility that ShareRoller brings to personal electric transport. We're hoping that some of you may be able to make it to the event and see us in person (it's on the US West Coast). Further details to come soon.

We'll update everyone again once the retractor revisions have been validated and the battery pack mold tooling has begun.

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
Well, my gut feeling of January is getting less likely, but as long as it comes by Spring and fully tested, I'm okay. I had bought in to another solution and it was released without being fully tested and (while I was able to get out before shipping) it's been a disaster for many. Not only did they wait and wait, but they ended up with something that didn't do what was promised and failed anyway after a few uses. As they say, better safe than sorry. For the original backers, after such a long wait, the last thing you want is problems due to insufficient testing.
 
Another update:

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

We have some exciting news to share. If you remember in our last Update, we mentioned that ShareRoller had been selected as a Finalist in a prestigious international 'Urban Mobility' event? Well, that event was the L.A. New Mobility Challenge:

http://www.lacomotion.com/press_roo...sts-15-startups-selected-100-global-entrants/

And just last week, ShareRoller was selected as the category winner, the Top Startup Innovation in Personal Mobility:

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Here's a link to the Tweet above - if you expand the pic and look closely, you'll see that small device I'm holding is the SR4 Mini assembly (Battery Pack + Motor). It really is tiny!
https://twitter.com/LA_CoMotion/status/931719949067763713

We're tremendously excited to have been selected by a jury of mobility industry leaders from amongst an impressive group of competitors. Not only that, but the interest we received from festival participants, including bike and scooter manufacturers and bike share operators, gives us confidence that ShareRoller has a very bright future.

We apologize that we weren't able to invite any of you to attend and see us in person as hoped, but the competition session days were not open to the public, and we weren't able to stay long enough to participate in the public demo days. We've got ShareRollers to get into production after all!

However, if any of you are interested in seeing our presentation, LACoMotion has posted it on their Facebook page. We start 44 minutes in:

https://www.facebook.com/LACMOnews/videos/508478079528112/

And some more good news: our retractor improvements have now passed all our durability tests! So the 6-week battery molding and production process can now get underway. In addition, we've realized an unexpected side-benefit: while re-evaluating the entire retracting battery cable assembly, we discovered some weaknesses in the battery cable itself: it was not flexible enough to convince us it would withstand years of use, and it was getting a bit hotter than we liked under maximum current stress tests (when fully retracted, where air convection disappears).

Unfortunately, given that our retractor design requires coiling a long length of high-current cable into a very small diameter housing, there literally was not a single cable on the market that could meet all of our demands for size (small!), flexibility (max!), and current carrying capacity (high!). Our retractor supplier told us our only option was to significantly increase the size of the retractor assembly, which would have required increasing the size of the battery packs. That was not an answer we were willing to accept!

So we sought out and found the top aerospace cable manufacturer in the world (that fortunately likes working on interesting small projects) and worked with them over the past few weeks to design a custom-spec cable that met all of those demands. The downside is that it is going to be over 20 times more expensive than the cable we had (!), but it's a no-brainer for us given the amazing improvement in quality. Plus, it's pretty awesome that ShareRoller's battery cables will be made by the same manufacturer that supplies cables for fighter jets, guided missiles, and satellites. And they also happen to look pretty cool (see below). It will take them 5 weeks to make the cable batch for us, so this shouldn't hold up the battery packs by much.

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We've also now filed our last remaining Patent Application that was holding up our full disclosure of the entire new SR4 design. So as soon as we can get a modest photo shoot put together we will begin updating our website with all the glorious detail that has until now remained under wraps. And we will be sure to send our Backers some early previews as soon as we possibly can, since we realize a full unveiling is long overdue!

Look for lots of new photos and website content coming over the month of December, and hopefully the first production packs rolling out of the factory before NYE. We also plan to open up discounted Pre-Order slots for new customers during the month (to ship after all the Indiegogo units of course, and at much higher prices), so if you have any friends interested in the SR4 this will be their most affordable option. And finally, we promise the Updates will get more frequent and more exciting as we near the finish line!

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
 
Another update:

Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

We have some exciting news to share. If you remember in our last Update, we mentioned that ShareRoller had been selected as a Finalist in a prestigious international 'Urban Mobility' event? Well, that event was the L.A. New Mobility Challenge:

http://www.lacomotion.com/press_roo...sts-15-startups-selected-100-global-entrants/

And just last week, ShareRoller was selected as the category winner, the Top Startup Innovation in Personal Mobility:

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Here's a link to the Tweet above - if you expand the pic and look closely, you'll see that small device I'm holding is the SR4 Mini assembly (Battery Pack + Motor). It really is tiny!
https://twitter.com/LA_CoMotion/status/931719949067763713

We're tremendously excited to have been selected by a jury of mobility industry leaders from amongst an impressive group of competitors. Not only that, but the interest we received from festival participants, including bike and scooter manufacturers and bike share operators, gives us confidence that ShareRoller has a very bright future.

We apologize that we weren't able to invite any of you to attend and see us in person as hoped, but the competition session days were not open to the public, and we weren't able to stay long enough to participate in the public demo days. We've got ShareRollers to get into production after all!

However, if any of you are interested in seeing our presentation, LACoMotion has posted it on their Facebook page. We start 44 minutes in:

https://www.facebook.com/LACMOnews/videos/508478079528112/

And some more good news: our retractor improvements have now passed all our durability tests! So the 6-week battery molding and production process can now get underway. In addition, we've realized an unexpected side-benefit: while re-evaluating the entire retracting battery cable assembly, we discovered some weaknesses in the battery cable itself: it was not flexible enough to convince us it would withstand years of use, and it was getting a bit hotter than we liked under maximum current stress tests (when fully retracted, where air convection disappears).

Unfortunately, given that our retractor design requires coiling a long length of high-current cable into a very small diameter housing, there literally was not a single cable on the market that could meet all of our demands for size (small!), flexibility (max!), and current carrying capacity (high!). Our retractor supplier told us our only option was to significantly increase the size of the retractor assembly, which would have required increasing the size of the battery packs. That was not an answer we were willing to accept!

So we sought out and found the top aerospace cable manufacturer in the world (that fortunately likes working on interesting small projects) and worked with them over the past few weeks to design a custom-spec cable that met all of those demands. The downside is that it is going to be over 20 times more expensive than the cable we had (!), but it's a no-brainer for us given the amazing improvement in quality. Plus, it's pretty awesome that ShareRoller's battery cables will be made by the same manufacturer that supplies cables for fighter jets, guided missiles, and satellites. And they also happen to look pretty cool (see below). It will take them 5 weeks to make the cable batch for us, so this shouldn't hold up the battery packs by much.

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We've also now filed our last remaining Patent Application that was holding up our full disclosure of the entire new SR4 design. So as soon as we can get a modest photo shoot put together we will begin updating our website with all the glorious detail that has until now remained under wraps. And we will be sure to send our Backers some early previews as soon as we possibly can, since we realize a full unveiling is long overdue!

Look for lots of new photos and website content coming over the month of December, and hopefully the first production packs rolling out of the factory before NYE. We also plan to open up discounted Pre-Order slots for new customers during the month (to ship after all the Indiegogo units of course, and at much higher prices), so if you have any friends interested in the SR4 this will be their most affordable option. And finally, we promise the Updates will get more frequent and more exciting as we near the finish line!

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team

Wow, that's exciting news! That's going to give the product a real boost in the retail world. Rubbee just came out with their newest iteration on kickstarter this week - not as good as the share roller and you can't use a rear rack on it. My new bike comes mid-December and a NYE delivery would give me just enough time to get to know the bike a bit. I've a friend who just signed up to get one through the pre-order. Gonna be amazing!!!
 
Unsure if some of the bikeshare companies allow modification of the bikes, a couple of years ago I asked DC's Capital Bikeshare about adding a child seat and and they quoted their user agreement which prohibits any modification. DC is trialling JUMP dockless ebikeshare and CaBi may wait to see feedback from the trial and from Baltimore's experience with mixed pedal/pedelec bikeshare docks before considering changing its no motor policy.
 
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Another update from ShareRoller today with another delay, but also lots of new details about and images of the device:



Hello ShareRoller Indiegogo backer:

First off, our apologies for the long delay in getting out this Update - we have been absolutely scrambling over the past two months trying to get every component shipped to us before our China suppliers shut down for the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday, which falls on Feb 16th this year. The Chinese New Year is a 3-week+ shutdown for ALL factories that we were trying our hardest to avoid...

Unfortunately, we didn't make it and now several suppliers will not be able to deliver components until after the break, namely our Battery Pack and Wireless Controller suppliers. This means it will be the end of February at the earliest before we can expect to receive these components, and more than likely will slip into March, given the slow start-up that is common after this holiday. This is an enormously frustrating scheduling impact for us, and we understand it is equally painful for our Backers as well. Please accept our apologies for this further delay and know that we are doing everything we can.

Several main issues pushed us past the CNY holiday shutdown:

Wireless Controller Waterproofing: During wet weather testing, we discovered that our wireless controller housing was not adequately protected from water ingress. Given the multitude of controls and ports on our remote (Single-axis joystick, two buttons, two switches, and a Micro-USB port), a standard rubber seal was not effective enough. So we had to go back to the drawing board and design a custom latex bladder to enclose all the electronics, and move to an IP67-rated Micro-USB port since that needs to be exposed.

Wireless Controller FCC Certification: We had understood that FCC certification was already completed by our wireless controller supplier, since the base wireless architecture is already in commercial use. Unfortunately, we've learned that Chinese suppliers often complete only CE certification for wireless, since the FCC process is so expensive and time-consuming. So we've had to pay for complete FCC certification on our own, and it's not just expensive but also time-consuming. Hence the delay.

Battery Pack Mold Tooling : We've been unbelievably frustrated at how long it has taken to start the tooling for the battery pack molds. Believe it or not, we paid our deposit for these molds back in April 2017 (!), and we've expected the mold to start month after month after month since then. So we haven't been misleading you when we've said the tooling was about to begin, again and again. To our great frustration, there has been one change request after another from the molding engineers in China, and many of them have not been acceptable, so we've had to go through prolonged back and forth design iterations to find a workable solution. I can count nearly 500 emails this year alone between us and our battery supplier! BUT, at long last the design has passed final approval on both sides and the molds will start tooling this week. Our supplier is doing their best to expedite the lengthy tooling process (normally 6 weeks), so we're hoping to have it done by the end of February, and then Battery Pack assembly can begin (a much quicker process).

Given all of the delays with the Battery Packs, we've unfortunately had to postpone production of the Ultra size packs. However, with the advances in Lithium battery cell tech over the past two years, and the fact that we're using the highest-quality cells on the market (and most expensive!), our Standard packs now have 300 Watt-hours of capacity, nearly 40% more than we originally promised for the Standard pack, and 75% of the range of the original Ultra spec. Regardless, we will still offer partial refunds for all of our Ultra pack Backers, which of course could be applied to extra packs if you wish! And some good news for all the 'Mini' Backers out there too - the final capacity spec is 130 Watt-Hours for the Mini packs, almost 20% more range than originally promised!

Now that all the disappointing news is out of the way, at long last we can show you ALL the glorious details of the final design. We're very sorry to have kept you in the dark for so long on exactly what you would be getting (!), so we're thrilled to finally share all of the pics and details below. We are in the process of updating our website for Pre-Orders, but the photo and video shoots are taking much longer than expected. So in the meantime here is a sneak-preview of the all-new SR4 -apologies for the renders only, but we should have photos soon and will share them with you as soon as do.

First off, here's how the SR4 looks when assembled and carried: the Mini is shown below - it really is tiny:


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And here is an annotated pictogram of the assembled SR4 package: Battery Pack + Motor Module + Wireless Remote (again, the Mini version is shown below)

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And here is a close-up annotated pictogram of the SR4 Motor Module alone- the feature-packed heart and soul of ShareRoller:

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And here are the key measurements of the Mini vs Standard combinations.

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And since it's hard to see every detail with two pics, here's a rotating pictorial of the Motor Module so you can see it from every angle:

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Now for some detail on SR4's groundbreaking new Automated Traction Control System (ATCS) with Motorized Normal Force Control. This Patent-Pending technology transforms the century-old technology of Friction Drive, making it finally competitive with more common E-Bike powertrains. We've described this to you previously, but here is a LOT more detail - hopefully this will make you appreciate the significance of this advance (and all the work it has entailed!):

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Here's a small video animation to sum up how it all works:

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And now on to our completely custom wireless controller. We looked at all the available E-Bike and E-Skate throttle systems on the market, and none of them came close to what we wanted for a truly removable and portable system. And none had the feature-packed functionality we desired. So we designed our own implementation (using existing wireless tech), creating a completely unique form factor that gives vastly more versatility in mounting options, and significantly better control options than anything else on the market.

With a dual-direction infinitely variable 'joystick' controller for Throttle and Brake, a second 'Throttle Mode' switch, and two separate buttons, this controller offers way more 'control' than anything else out there. It also works in tandem with our optional PAS sensor (coming soon), so you can easily adjust assist levels on the fly, activate Regen Braking, and control Drive Motor engagement as well (for when you want to pedal without any motor assistance and eliminate drag).

With a built-in rechargeable battery and Micro-USB port plus two battery/signal LEDs, you'll find it incredibly convenient to use as well. And we've also figured out a clever way to attach the throttle to the battery pack using a high-strength magnetic attachment point. It's super-quick to snap on/off and makes the whole Install/Remove for SR4 as fast and easy as possible.

This has taken a ton of work, and for competitive reasons we've kept it under wraps for as long as possible, but at long last we're ready to share it with our Backers. We hope you like it!

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And finally, an update on mounting options: if you recall, we've told you previously that the new SR4 design supports multiple mounting options, including both front and rear wheel installations (as a reminder, you will still be given a chance to update your mount options prior to shipment). So let's look at all the mount options more closely:

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Zooming in on some close-ups - first of the Front Universal Mount (note that we have Front U-Mounts that fit both Suspension and Non-Suspension forks, as well as both V-Brakes, Disc Brakes, and Side-pull brakes):

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And a perspective view of the Rear Wheel Kickstand Bracket U-Mount - we were thrilled to validate that the SR4 will fit between the pedal cranks and chainring of most bike types:


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And finally, of the Rear Wheel Seatpost U-Mount and Rear Wheel Topeak MTX Rack Mount. Note that both of these mounts also offer the option to attach the Battery Pack to the mount itself, making for a 'one-piece' ShareRoller installation. And since they are both Quick-Release designs, these can be installed in seconds even for the first installation, and without a single tool! A great option for Rental Bikes or other situations where you want to ride a 'loaner' bike:

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Keep in mind that our Front Universal Bike Mount will also work on any other platform with V-Brakes, including many Folding Bikes (Dahons for example), Kick Bikes (Sidewalker, KickBike America, Amish) and some Kick Scooters (like the Sidewalker Micro we have here in our office).

In addition to the amazing new set of Universal Bike Mounts, we also are busy with our 3D Scanner finalizing Custom Mounts for unique folding bikes, trikes, and scooters. Here's a partial list of what we're developing - if anyone has any specific requests, please let us know:

Folding Bikes:
- Brompton
- Strida

Trikes:
- Trikke T78

Kick Scooters:
- Hudora Big Wheel Air Dual-Brake
- KickPed
- Razor A5/A6
- Micro PedalFlow

To give you a sense of how our Custom Mounts work, here's an image of 3D-scanned Brompton with a Custom Mount (we hope our Brompton backers are as thrilled as we are that the new SR4 can remain on the bike when folding without any interference!):

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And one last detail: here is how our quick-release mount for the Battery Packs works (you've probably been wondering how we could keep the sub-10 second install/remove of the 1-piece ShareRoller when moving to a separate, frame-mounted Battery Pack). The solution? It uses the Topeak QR CageMount removable water bottle mounting system - a robust and affordable system that's easy to install on every bike you own. Here's how it works:

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And since it mounts to the bike using standard water bottle braze-ons, if your bike (or scooter) doesn't have braze-ons, many off-the-shelf products are available to easily add them on (secured via velcro, zip-ties, or clamps - we'll provide a list of our favorites later).

And if you want to use ShareRoller on a compatible bike share system (please consult your system operator first), you'll prefer our Multi-Mount Battery Pack option. It's a little bit bulkier, but allows you to have both bike share triangle pockets as well as a Topeak QR CageMount bracket disposed on the same Battery Pack:

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Whew, that's it for now. We hope this gigantic email made its way into your Inbox successfully. And that you found the time to read it all!

We'll keep you posted as we finish photo and video shoots and move to re-launch www.shareroller.com - so there's lots of great content on the way. And of course we will keep you updated on the progress of our last straggling supplier deliveries.

Thank you again for your patience and support.

Jeff Guida & The ShareRoller Team
 
Some new pics from ShareRoller of production samples: (no word in the message on Indiegogo about shipping dates)


First Photos of Production Samples

A few unedited teaser pics from our recent photoshoot. Gearing up to re-launch the website soon with tons of info about the all-new SR4, including how to Pre-Order. Stay tuned.

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Trying to figure out all the cabling I see; looks like a cable on the last pic goes to the throttle (which is supposed to be wireless). The lights look great, and the black matte finish seems nice. Overall, it is very discrete looking. Summer is coming, hope the pics will be followed up soon with some more info...found this on IGG comments:
Shareroller LLC Campaigner 9 hours ago

Hi guys, sorry so late in replying here. Still waiting to get firm delivery timing from our battery pack manufacturer – the molds are done this week, but we still need to get through sample approval and then pack production. Once we have more clarity on those timelines, we’ll send out a detailed Update (by next week latest). In the meantime, I’ve put a few ‘teaser’ pics from our recent photoshoot in the Update section here, so you can see how a ‘real’ SR4 looks as opposed to just a render.
 
Only out of curiosity did I read this topic. Wow, it is crazy the amount of time this project has taken. Between this and the scooter project recounted here on EBR, it scares me away from ever backing a crowdfuding project.
 
Only out of curiosity did I read this topic. Wow, it is crazy the amount of time this project has taken. Between this and the scooter project recounted here on EBR, it scares me away from ever backing a crowdfuding project.
You should check out the thread on the Helix (titanium KS bike) on bikeforums.net if you really want some entertainment, lol. Crowdfunding is, as I have learned to avoid a heart attack, something you do and then forget about. I just received a product in the mail I backed 17 months ago!!! Totally forgot about it, lol. Turned out pretty good.
 
I've casually followed this product. I have a question: is this a 2 piece system, or 3 with throttle? I see what looks like a controller or small battery pack on the downtube. I thought the idea was an all-in-one unit to take along to use on any bike, including rentals. If it is several wired pieces, including throttle, that wouldn't be as convenient as the original proposal.
 
I've casually followed this product. I have a question: is this a 2 piece system, or 3 with throttle? I see what looks like a controller or small battery pack on the downtube. I thought the idea was an all-in-one unit to take along to use on any bike, including rentals. If it is several wired pieces, including throttle, that wouldn't be as convenient as the original proposal.

As I understand it, the ShareRoller can be used with the battery attached to the motor piece, or with the battery mounted separately.
 
Trying to figure out all the cabling I see; looks like a cable on the last pic goes to the throttle (which is supposed to be wireless). The lights look great, and the black matte finish seems nice. Overall, it is very discrete looking. Summer is coming, hope the pics will be followed up soon with some more info...found this on IGG comments:
Shareroller LLC Campaigner 9 hours ago

Hi guys, sorry so late in replying here. Still waiting to get firm delivery timing from our battery pack manufacturer – the molds are done this week, but we still need to get through sample approval and then pack production. Once we have more clarity on those timelines, we’ll send out a detailed Update (by next week latest). In the meantime, I’ve put a few ‘teaser’ pics from our recent photoshoot in the Update section here, so you can see how a ‘real’ SR4 looks as opposed to just a render.

Can't say for sure, but I think that cable in the last pic is going to the battery, which appears to be mounted to the upper frame tube. It also looks like there is a pedal assist cadence sensor mounted on the bike with a wire going to that also.
 
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