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EBikes Take Over Northern Vermont
- Thread starter Yo Momma
- Start date
Thread Starter
TS
After 100 + miles on the ebike this weekend, I'd say LOW!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha Then again, I can barely walk and Wifey and I in desperate need of a yoga session after two long rides yesterday and this morning's ride!
Well I guess we'll pretty quickly figure out the longevity and endurance quotient on these Aventure bikes! So far, have to keep up w/ mild re-tightening a few of the rack and fender screws, and proper fit micro adjustments. Everything dialed in, I had to deal at about 161 miles on Wifey's ebike w/ the Tektro Squeal! Uggh......... Other than that, pretty much problem free. Nice bikes! Holding up surprisingly well to our abuse....... I wasn't happy w/ my experiment using Pedro's Syn Lube on mine vs comparing White Lightening Wet Ride (which I use on all my other bikes). The switch completely calmed down my chain noise. I've found through the years that given the tough conditions here in the back 40 of VT...... Wet ride dominates all the others I've tried but leaves the chain more apt to need frequent cleaning.
Rear only ....Resurface the pads w/ sand paper and mild torching, after an hour in isopropyl alcohol. Then mild sanding of the rotor w/ some wet 400 grit. Retorque, re-center, then bed in the pads again and now working like a charm, nice and quiet. Wifey is Happy!
Well I guess we'll pretty quickly figure out the longevity and endurance quotient on these Aventure bikes! So far, have to keep up w/ mild re-tightening a few of the rack and fender screws, and proper fit micro adjustments. Everything dialed in, I had to deal at about 161 miles on Wifey's ebike w/ the Tektro Squeal! Uggh......... Other than that, pretty much problem free. Nice bikes! Holding up surprisingly well to our abuse....... I wasn't happy w/ my experiment using Pedro's Syn Lube on mine vs comparing White Lightening Wet Ride (which I use on all my other bikes). The switch completely calmed down my chain noise. I've found through the years that given the tough conditions here in the back 40 of VT...... Wet ride dominates all the others I've tried but leaves the chain more apt to need frequent cleaning.
Rear only ....Resurface the pads w/ sand paper and mild torching, after an hour in isopropyl alcohol. Then mild sanding of the rotor w/ some wet 400 grit. Retorque, re-center, then bed in the pads again and now working like a charm, nice and quiet. Wifey is Happy!
If the last word in this sentence was ”bicycle” and not “scooter” I was going to kill myself, seriously…
Thread Starter
TS
Nice memories! Always wanted a Ducati when living over there but Montesa motos were more my speed. Usually ended up riding more Mobilette than anything! The road I live on now is a gravel/dirt/mud historical revolutionary war "Military Road". I watch drooling while Canadian enduro tours fly by. Love the new tech!"OP really wants a Ducati DesertX"?
No plans to lighten up the Raleigh. It's a Beast and will blow through just about anything with stability in any weather so it remains my Go To commuter to get me to work reliably...... through cow manure, horse manure, mud, wash outs, gulleys, and even trash, debris and road kill at times!
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No plans to lighten up the Raleigh. It's a Beast and will blow through just about anything with stability in any weather so it remains my Go To commuter to get me to work reliably...... through cow manure, horse manure, wash outs, gulleys, and even trash, debris and road kill at times!
Sure...notice that both of us are giving it credit for being enough of a beastie to survive next year's Canadian
Thread Starter
TS
Just beware of errant locals in pickup trucks! Rasputitsa anyone?! YIKES!!!!!!!! Gravel, mud, slush, snow... all interchangeable up here especially dependent on the manure content of each! LOL
(Actually ended up being the fault of the rider)
Good tips. A friend of mine bought an E-bike on the cheap from Amazon, and yes, it needed some adjustments/inspections. I took it for a test ride, and clearly the throttle engagement was, um....exciting. He loves it for commuting to work and I see him flying down the road in front of my house in the AM. But he doesn't wear a helmet!Just a heads up for anyone purchasing one, if you get them from anywhere but a highly reputable bike shop, be sure to cinch down ALL the allen head bolts you can see (don't forget the bolts around the battery), top off your brake fluid and/or bleed them, lube and adj your shocks properly for your wgt and preferred ride, loosen then re-tighten pedals w/ grease or never seize on the threads (I use the Permatex Copper), center your brake calipers, lube everything, and most important learn to manage the throttle/pedal routine for high traffic road crossings. That can be tricky as the numerous brands all have varying throttle engagement profiles. Take the time to set it up properly. Check to see if your tires are quick release. If not, carry the appropriate tools to remove front and back tires. I have to carry a combo 19 & 15 mm wrench to remove mine. I always carry an extra inner tube. Given the speeds I've mentioned, I use a more protective helmet and gloves for ebike rides.
I've found that half toe clips (half cages w/o straps) are the most efficient for me riding ebikes. They keep my feet where I want them w/o locking me in so I can easily release. Ergon grips are nice. I use the GP5's.
My seat is a Serfas Rx Men's. Wifey LOVES her Women's version. She says absolutely no pressure in the wrong spots. Serfas specializes in ergonomic seats so they are "Genitalia Safe"!
We are interested in the Trek FX e-bikes, commuter bikes that look pretty spiffy.
At the speeds you mentioned, with those tires, you must sound like a motorized vehicle!
Thread Starter
TS
Having a throttle on a bike wakes you up quick....... especially if there are obstacles to negotiate! Been there, done that!Good tips. A friend of mine bought an E-bike on the cheap from Amazon, and yes, it needed some adjustments/inspections. I took it for a test ride, and clearly the throttle engagement was, um....exciting. He loves it for commuting to work and I see him flying down the road in front of my house in the AM. But he doesn't wear a helmet!
We are interested in the Trek FX e-bikes, commuter bikes that look pretty spiffy.
At the speeds you mentioned, with those tires, you must sound like a motorized vehicle!
No helmet?!?! Is he nuts??? It's essentially a motorcycle w/ pedals. It won't be long before regulations start kicking in as lawyers start battling ebike accident cases. I'm hearing you can build a law practice on ebike cases right now. IMHO the speeds will go down at some point and be more limited even more as these bikes come on the radar and regulators start to get push back on safety. Once someone famous gets killed or injured, it's party over!
Even with our fat tires, the bikes remain surprisingly super quiet. We use Pro Bike Tool bells. I have even surprised deer along our trails.... not looking forward to surprising a bear though!!!! LOL
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I've got a buddy who hauls his guitar and 50 watt amp to gigs on his eBike. He's got baskets on the sides of the back wheel frame.
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Truth. I'm a chain lube nut, so TIFWIW, but if you can bring yourself to lube in the evening, then do all the wiping the next morning after the lighter fractions of the lube "flash off", a wet lube can be squeaky clean.
Best ever for me is Wolftooth WT-1, which gives me 15+ hours of hard riding (and I can "ride through" any wax lube in far less than half that time).
If you have an understanding, a twenty minute baking in the oven at 450 is even better than the torch.
Massive thread drift, but as a youth racing Suzukis, I still remember being very excited to receive a Cycle magazine with a Montessa Capra test...."out of nowhere, the best in a tough, tough class". Out of reach for a kid in northern MN, and every one I raced against that season blew up.
Thread Starter
TS
Interesting.... I just ordered up some WT-1 to try out. Thanks for the tip!
Yes agreed that baking would be more thorough but as much as I had to sand the pads, I ended up managing a "quickie" process. Just rec'd several new sets of different brands of pads to try out and a new rotor just in case needed. For now no squeak on either bike so my process worked by some miracle!
I'll monitor and replace the pads and rotors as needed and if these bikes last, they'll get LX or XT setups for a much safer and time tested overall ride.Yes my Spanish buddies all rode Montesa, at least when they weren't in the shop! About as reliable as Seat cars! LOL But when they were up and running, omg those bikes sounded SWEET and ran great! For late night bar hopping around the streets of Barcelona, nothing beat a Derbi moped! Those things were absolute tanks for cruising around the hidden beaches of Formentera and then for hopping sidewalks and managing city street stairways at 4am back in Barcelona!
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I ended up in the sagebrush when borrowing Philpug's e-bike to do a little mountain biking with Tricia. I'm a terrible mountain biker and hate those hairpin turns, so when I got ready to make the turn and pedal uphill...I didn't make the turn! First pedal stroke shot me straight off the trail.Having a throttle on a bike wakes you up quick....... especially if there are obstacles to negotiate! Been there, done that!
No helmet?!?! Is he nuts??? It's essentially a motorcycle w/ pedals. It won't be long before regulations start kicking in as lawyers start battling ebike accident cases. I'm hearing you can build a law practice on ebike cases right now. IMHO the speeds will go down at some point and be more limited even more as these bikes come on the radar and regulators start to get push back on safety. Once someone famous gets killed or injured, it's party over!
Even with our fat tires, the bikes remain surprisingly super quiet. We use Pro Bike Tool bells. I have even surprised deer along our trails.... not looking forward to surprising a bear though!!!! LOL
I was so spooked that I jogged up the hill with the bike for a workout instead of pedaling. That's just me.And yes, my coworker is a bit nuts. He keeps saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah" when I warn him about the helmet. When he told me he was getting the bike, I implored him to get a GOOD helmet from our local shop, but no, he got one from Amazon on the cheap and hates it, so doesn't wear it. Stupid thing is, he rides right by that local bike shop on his way to work and back.
I'm more of an e-bike-as-commuter kind of gal. There are 2 Trek dealers (among others) near our new house and also, a cool little bike cafe which has amazing food and a big following of local cyclists.
vvvvvvv
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THAT'S what I was talking about!
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They yellow one across from the Ford Dealer? That's great if they are fixing up that old girl instead of letting her fall down.
Thread Starter
TS
Working on the Aventon Aventure I'm learning about the limitations of Ebikes. Primarily, braking. The standard 180mm rotors and Tektro hydraulic braking system seems to be plenty for "Acoustic" bikes (Term from local bike shop LBS), but lacking for ebikes weighing 70+ pounds. I'm thinking ebike weights were not w/in design parameters thus the premature brake failures and glazing in hilly mountain terrain due to heat build up (no contamination that I could find). On the relatively flat railbeds, the brakes work fine. Once we are on the back roads at speed and on inclines, numerous braking issues start popping up. I'm starting to see others online, posting about this.
I checked in at one of the top bike shops in Vermont, where I am a regular customer and I had purchased one of my Acoustic bikes. They seemed surprisingly unwilling to talk about ebike issues. Hmmmm..... Interesting. I switched back to acoustic bike conversation and they all of a sudden wanted to talk again....
Wifey and I did 45 miles on Sunday and her brakes were fine, after switching only her pads to Shimano Resins. My fronts were howling by the time the ride ended (Tektro Rotors 180mm & Pads resin, on mine).
Anyway this is info for anyone considering an ebike. I've ordered Shimano ICE rotors in the standard 180mm that come on the bike and I've ordered the same in 203mm ( + the 180 to 203 adapter). I'm switching out the pads to Shimano Resin, from Tektro Resin. I'll try it out the different Shimano combos and report back. As a last resort, I'll switch the front brakes on both entirely to XT w/ the heat dissipation calipers and pads, like on my 29er except I'll go w/ 203's for rotors.
Important Fire Hazard Info: Our office Mgr is also a Lieutenant in the local fire department and says to tell everyone that there has been a major uptick in Li-Ion fires. She says they ignite and can burn down an entire house in an instant. We just had a local house burn down due to a Li-Ion fire. She was one of the leads on that fire. A total loss. DO NOT leave your batteries unattended while charging. Charge them only when you are present and constantly checking in. If you do get a Li-Ion emergency call for help IMMEDIATELY and use TONS of water as even the Li-Ion rated extinguishers are having a hard time w/ these high intensity fires that can re-ignite in moments. She just told me that some states keep large metal containers filled w/ water so they can dump Li- batteries and even ecars into them after a fire, due to re-ignition hazards. Here is an article she just sent:
www.firehouse.com
I checked in at one of the top bike shops in Vermont, where I am a regular customer and I had purchased one of my Acoustic bikes. They seemed surprisingly unwilling to talk about ebike issues. Hmmmm..... Interesting. I switched back to acoustic bike conversation and they all of a sudden wanted to talk again....
Wifey and I did 45 miles on Sunday and her brakes were fine, after switching only her pads to Shimano Resins. My fronts were howling by the time the ride ended (Tektro Rotors 180mm & Pads resin, on mine).
Anyway this is info for anyone considering an ebike. I've ordered Shimano ICE rotors in the standard 180mm that come on the bike and I've ordered the same in 203mm ( + the 180 to 203 adapter). I'm switching out the pads to Shimano Resin, from Tektro Resin. I'll try it out the different Shimano combos and report back. As a last resort, I'll switch the front brakes on both entirely to XT w/ the heat dissipation calipers and pads, like on my 29er except I'll go w/ 203's for rotors.
Important Fire Hazard Info: Our office Mgr is also a Lieutenant in the local fire department and says to tell everyone that there has been a major uptick in Li-Ion fires. She says they ignite and can burn down an entire house in an instant. We just had a local house burn down due to a Li-Ion fire. She was one of the leads on that fire. A total loss. DO NOT leave your batteries unattended while charging. Charge them only when you are present and constantly checking in. If you do get a Li-Ion emergency call for help IMMEDIATELY and use TONS of water as even the Li-Ion rated extinguishers are having a hard time w/ these high intensity fires that can re-ignite in moments. She just told me that some states keep large metal containers filled w/ water so they can dump Li- batteries and even ecars into them after a fire, due to re-ignition hazards. Here is an article she just sent:
First Due: Operational Considerations for Fires that Involve Lithium-ion Batteries
Frank Leeb spells out the challenges that lithium-ion batteries present to fire departments but also the tactics that greatly safeguard operations and members.
www.firehouse.com
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These are good brakes for your motorcycle... 
Dernys need brakes too.
But, seriously, no one predicted this? Now that 220 rotors are a thing for unmotorized cycles?
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Been a while since I did brake calcs but looking at it, a big person on a bike is 250lbs more or less. Motorcycle is probably 600lbs. Yes motorcycles go faster but you can get to 80-100kmh on a bike. Now look at pad size and rotor size. It's conceivable that brake size is a little in the small size in general.
Thread Starter
TS
If you or your family own ebikes please read that article I linked above. Here at the office we're planning on doing a in house safety class, based on what she told me this morning. She says the most surprisings things to her were; re-ignition potential and the absolutely massive amounts of water she has had to use to put out Li-Ion fires. She literally said, "...insane amounts of water...." She's horrified by the fact that one of the docs here uses some kind of non approved extension cord for her e-car.
Here is the title of the article:
Here is the title of the article: