What Info are you looking for on a display???

[Nxkharra]

My previous ebike monitor was showing the range which was how many miles I can ride in each mode with existing battery level.
I wish my Specialized Vado 5.0 could display that.
I would also like an option to disable turning the battery on by others. Owner could activate or unlock wit password like iPhone.

 

[jGecko]

....Putting more sensors and advanced electronics on an ebike is just going to end up being a reliability issue.....

In general, I would agree with you, however in these ebike cases, the controller's sensors are built-in and integral to the design (required information for the controller to do its job), so the data are already available whether or not a meter/display is going to be used. So, there is no impact on reliability. The display/meter simply interprets and displays data which are already available somewhere in the controller sub-systems.

 

[jGecko]

....I would also like an option to disable turning the battery on by others. Owner could activate or unlock wit password like iPhone.

That's another function that Bluetooth could easily provide via smartphone (or dedicated remote device). It's just another bit of code to add. I would like ebike users to push the manufacturers for universal design to include Bluetooth capability in motor controllers. That would help solve the numerous meter/display-controller incompatibility issues as well.

 

[jGecko]

....Not a fan of Bluetooth or any of the associated tech. I don't own a smart phone, and have no need for one!

I hear you. I'm not a big fan of being dependent on an "app" that can be taken-away at any time. I prefer to "own" my programs like the way we used to "buy" software on various media. Being dependent long-term on an internet-based company staying in business...or dropping support of a given piece of software...is not a good thing, in my opinion. That said, providing Bluetooth in the controllers would open up a huge world of possibilities regarding display compatibility (a huge issue) and use of the ebike data AND security (like secure turning on/off the ebike from inside the controller...even when an ebike has a mechanical key electric lock, it can be often bypassed very easily). Might even get the controller-to-display communications into Open Source coding and really open things up to the ebike community...as has been done in the eskateboard community with GREAT success and vitality (see https://www.electric-skateboard.builders/ )

 

[AHicks]

Spend some time over on Endless Sphere for info on controller open source. It's available now for those that want to immerse themselves at that level. Ex IT guy here so I'm very familiar with open source. I'm just much happier with the KISS logic when it comes to bikes....

 

[jGecko]

Spend some time over on Endless Sphere for info on controller open source.

Thanks AHicks...will check it out.

 

[DouglasB]

Speed / distance traveled / Time of day / Estimated remaining distance / Time traveled.

 

[AlanDB]

I think what is shocking me is the big preference range of information riders want displayed. I really don't even care to have a display but if there is one I want it minimalist (isn't that the idea of biking in the first place). Just speed, battery level, and assist level is enough. Putting more sensors and advanced electronics on an ebike is just going to end up being a reliability issue. Smart phones are essentially compact computers these days so it's pretty obvious that they are better suited to display things like time, distance traveled. average speed, clock, etc.

I was impressed with big LCDs on some ebikes when I first stated looking for one, but after riding about 1000 miles I realized I really don't care about a big goofy display on my bars. The most important information is probably speed, battery level and assist level....everything else is just koolaid for the masses.

I guess I am guilty of being in the masses then as I like lots of information on the display. I have my Nyon set up much the same way as Alaskan shows in his images on the previous page. I think some ebike riders are also "techno nerds" (self included), so tinkering with the technology is part of the fun.​

 

[jGecko]

I treat my expensive ebike like my car, and that's WHY I want info like detailed battery voltage, trip length, max speed, motor temperature, motor power, etc. and the ability to archive it all real-time during rides. Those data can tell me of problems BEFORE they become critical and leave me stranded. So that's why I want as much detailed info as technically possible AND why I'd like to be able to easily save and process it with my PC to look for trending data.

 

[FlatSix911]

I treat my expensive ebike like my car, and that's WHY I want info like detailed battery voltage, trip length, max speed, motor temperature, motor power, etc. and the ability to archive it all real-time during rides. Those data can tell me of problems BEFORE they become critical and leave me stranded. So that's why I want as much detailed info as technically possible AND why I'd like to be able to easily save and process it with my PC to look for trending data.

I suspect as the number of eBikes grows the third party applications will be able to parse the available data.

Tesla is a good example of have a large number of independent apps available for data analytics and reporting.

‎Stats: For Model S/X/3/Y

‎[+] Warm-up battery at specified time [+] Climate scheduling [+] Charge scheduling [+] Learn about your car: Battery Health, Driving Efficiency, Miles Driven, Phantom Drain, Charging History [+] Charge Reminder, Open Door/Trunk Notification [+] Siri Shortcuts...

apps.apple.com

 

[harvstpt]

Speaking of ebike Computer Displays, as a new user, I put 480 miles on my ODO and am saddened winter will soon be upon us in Northern Wisconsin. I always wonder about the info displayed on my Specialized Turbo Camo 3: Sure I understand most like Distance, Duration, Avg Speed, Elevation, Maximum Speed, but how are Kcal calculated? And whats the significance of wh? or Average Support Level? I don’t understand how these things relate to my ride? And what it should mean to me? Help?

 

[steve mercier]

Yeah the only thing I really need is battery level ( ideally in Km or miles remaining). I might ride past the most beautiful sight in the world and miss it all while looking down.

 

[tomjasz]

I’m in trouble. I prefer to ride over niggling over over a display.

 

[Admin]

Great question... I like to see:

• Battery capacity in percentage form and infographic with 10 tics
• Assist level, 0-5 and if it has a throttle, I like the throttle to override all levels with full support but also have a physical on/off switch somewhere
• Current speed, average speed, max speed
• Odometer, trip distance 1, trip distance 2
• Range estimate for each level of assist and average distance per 100 watt hour used on this trip
• Nice to have: lights indicator, current pedal RPM
• Settings: backlight adjustment and invert, ability to remove beeping, ability to switch mph to km/h

 

[tomjasz]

Maximum data. And minimal size first, and then as Court so wisely suggested. I’m really liking the EggRider display and similar. I’m dissapointed in the Nyon displays. CA3 displays are far more useful and one third the cost of those pretty full color flashy displays.

 

[Nxkharra]

How about an icon showing if the light is on. I sometime have to bend forward to see if my front light is on or off.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I'm probably going to buy some sort of auxiliary device, maybe a wireless bike computer, maybe just a cheap clock, mainly for the time of day. I have everything else I want on my RadRover display. Oh, yeah, outdoor temperature would be nice, but I wouldn't much expect that on a bike display.

TT

 

[jGecko]

I would like the battery VOLTAGE provided in addition to the easy to interpret bar-graph most displays provide.
The reason for this, is that different manufacturers interpret the voltage DIFFERENTLY. What is 80% for some is not 80% for others. It also depends on the battery type used. For example, if one's battery pack uses Li-poly cells, the percentage as a function of voltage is quite different than that for Lithium-ion packs comprised of 18650 cells (or similar).
I've even seen the SAME manufacturer use different percentage vs. voltage algorithms for the same battery technology.
Percentage charge, as it applies to your riding, can also be complicated when users apply methods such as under-volt charging to significantly increase the life of their battery pack (e.g. instead of having a life of 500 charge-cycles, one can under-volt and obtain up to (and maybe more than) 1000 charge-cycles from the same model battery pack).
That's why displaying voltage can be critical to proper battery use and to estimated remaining charge and remaining miles.

 

[AlanDB]

After upgrading from the Bosch Intuvia display (which has the 5 bar battery icon) to the Nyon (which has the percent remaining) I am getting pretty confident in knowing my battery situation. Combining the battery percent with the estimated range (which changes a lot depending on the last 5 minutes of assist level, terrain, wind, trail surface, etc.) makes me pretty confident that I won't get stranded without assist by trying to guess how much farther I can go.

 

[AHicks]

KT series controllers/displays have the bar graph, but you can calibrate it to a certain extent in the parameter settings. They also offer the exact battery voltage on a screen available by scrolling through 3 available by pushing the center button.

Ambient temp is also displayed.