Alfine 11 Pros and Cons

Alfine 11 Pros and Cons 

The Alfine 11 is probably the best hub gear you can get for under £500. The Alfine 11 Pros and Cons are numerous.  Perhaps when you are reading about Afine 11 Pros and Cons below, you may think of some extras! Well we would love to hear about them, please leave a comment. 

These comments relate to the SG-S700 model (pre-2019) the SG-7000 models may be different. 

Up Front Summary 

In short I have found the Alfine 11 to have more cons than pros. When I first reviewed this Alfine 11 out of the box, and perhaps for the first 1 or 2 years it was beautiful, but after this honeymoon period the skipping problems (in gear 5, 6 , 7) become more prevalent, the oil change process is poorly designed, and the seals are over simple and prone to leaking.

In short I would not recommend an Alfine 11  even though a derailleur system requires more cleaning, and higher frequency of chain / cassette replacement this does not outway the poor reliability, and tricky servicing of the alfine 11. 

For me the worst of all cons is the skipping in gear 5, 6, and 7. I don't mind that the hub requires servicing, or needs oil leaks  fixing. But after you do all of this it should work well. But no matter how much I fiddle around with the indexing the gears still skip, this spoils the ride. And for me the ride is a valuable de-stress mechanism. 

In my experience, the Alfine 11 lasts 2 years before it starts becoming very annoying. And to spend £400 on bike part that only last two years is not a good return on value. 

Alfine 11 Pros

Here are some good points that would perhaps encourage you to get a bike with an alfine 11 hub gear. Please note that this is quite short list!

Mud 

My typical riding involves cycling 10 to 20 miles along country roads that are covered in mud, and animal dung. Even with full mudguards (plus additional mudguard flaps), you end up with a lot of mud going on drive train. The alfine 11 is quite good in that all of the gears are hidden away in a clean oil bath, so mud and grit does not go on them.

Alfine 11 Covered in Mud

Of course the chain, chain rings and sprockets are still exposed, but you could run a full chain guard to prevent mud going on them. Mud on you drive train shortens its life span. 

Noise 

The alfine 11 is very quite. This is a major pro for me. There are no freewheel noises when you coast, and the gear changes are (unless skipping) just a little click. 

Shift at Standstill 

Unlike derailleur gears you can change gear without pedalling. This is quite handy, but of course most derialler uses shift before they stop. 

Alfine 11 Cons 

Moving in to the 3rd, 4th and 5th year of riding, this hub has become more and more troublesome. 

Skipping 

The nail in the coffin for me is the skipping gears in 5, 6, 7. This happens when pedalling hard up a hill, and there is a horrible crunching noise, and the gears slip. If you are "floating" in the saddle at this point, then you drop down on saddle with a bump, and hurt your testicals. It is also a shock, and as you are normally pushing your self to get up the hill, it can be stressful. 

Forums are FULL of people trying to fix this, but in reality the variety of things that people claim to work suggests that the problem is hard to diagnose, and often something one has to live with. From memory things that people have tried include:

• Changing Oil
• Adjusting Bearings 
• Replacing Cables 
• Adjusting Indexing Away from Recommended Yellow Lines 
• Different Oil (Rohloff for Example) 
• Cleaning Hub Shift Arm Assembly (Small Parts Kit)
• Use of Cable Length Tool - TLS700

All of these thing may work. The derailleur alternative I know I could get to work 100% perfect, but with this hub, it relies more on the manufactured system, so harder to fix when it malfunctions. 

TLS700 Cable Tool - One of many "cures" discussed. 

Oil Leaks 

I keep this bike in a shed. But if you put it in a car, or keep it in your flat, then the oil leaks will not please you. For me, I had the bearing cone come loose (???) and this causes seal to move position and all of oil run out on to chain, trousers and shoes. I investigate this in the below video:

Chain Length

It took me about 3 year to figure out the correct chain length. This is my fault really. You can either use sprockets with odd number of teeth, or a half link chain. For example, your eccentric bottom bracket or horizontal dropouts do not have enough travel. 

In short you can only really diagnose chain length with very careful measuring (???) or trial and error. A worst this costs a new chain (half link) or but and extra sprocket (23 tooth) to experiment with. We explore this more in the below video:

Sprocket Life 

If you are not using a full chain cover, then mud and grit will still go on the chain, chainwheel, and sprockets. You are saving wear on a cassette (as the most likely alternative) but not the rest of the running gear. 

Conclusions 

Please see the summary at the top of page. There are many Alfine 11 Pros and Cons. I wouldn't recommend a 700 series Alfine 11. 

Where next:

• Alfine 11 7000 series - how much better is this?
• Box 8 Speed Derailleur Groupset - Neat but non-standard cable pull
• 9 Speed Shimano Derailleur with Sun Race Wide Range Cassette - pretty good option
• 8 Speed Shimano Hub - Less range, better reliability 

Life Cycle Assessment for Amazon Climate Pledge

Mud Guards for Tag Along Bike

Intro

My youngest child (boy) has recently come to the age where he can go on a tag along bike. Living in rural england, there is mud everywhere for 90% of the year, and our first trip out was cut short owing sogginess and mud splattering. 

I am quite practiced at bodging together DIY mudguards (fenders is in USA) for various bikes, but fitting effective mudguards (fenders) on this tag along has proved a laborious affair!

The problem being that as well as the normal rear wheel splatter problem, you also have a unique "front wheel" splatter problem for the tag along rider, as they are low down and in the line of fire from your rear wheel splatter.

So the rear rider will get wet and muddy very quickly if no mud guards are provided. This can be fun in the summer, but in the winter it is a bit much to ask perhaps. 

Tag Along Wheel Splatter

The easiest problem to deal with is the splatter from the wheel of the tag along bike. Which you would treat as any rear wheel, on any bike. You could buy a set of 20" mudguards and discard the front one, and that would do the trick no problem. 

In my case I used my favourite "trick" of installing a rack (£10) and then zip tieing some plastic board to it. Zip ties are cheap, and the plastic is always free. Plus you get a rear rack, and loads of clearance around the wheel. 

Main Bike Rear Wheel Splatter

This is quite difficult to deal with. The best answer would be to fit a flap on the rear mudguard of the main bike. The flap can be made from allsorts of things, I have done a post on DIY mudflaps some years ago. 

Simply Zip Tie Some Type of Plastic on to Under Side of Rack

As the image below shows the splatter not only flies off in the conventional manner, but also is blown backwards by head winds, meaning that is can "bend" around mudguards fitted on the "down tube" of the tag along. This was happening alot even through I have a a full set of mudguards on my main bike. 

Head Wind Blows Vertical Splatter Back on to Passengers

The answer here as hinted above is to add a flap to the rear mudguard of the main bike. The closer you can get to the ground the better. 

Create  Flap on Your Rear Mudguard to Prevent Splatter 

My initial thought was to use a crud catcher type guard on down tube of tag along, but this would have to be very long, and would need some sort of flap to catch low flying splatter. Better to install a flap on the main bikes rear wheel, and deal with the problem at source. 

Close but Not Quite There

So whilst my tag along wheel guard worked fin, I need to manage splatter from main bike's rear wheel a lot better. I will use a flap.

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6 Ways to Get an Upright Riding Position on a Bike

6 Ways to Get an Upright Riding Position on a Bike

There are numerous reason why you might want a more upright riding position on you bike. They range from comfort to fashion, and all are 100% worthy. Upright is where it all started, both for road bikes, and mountain bikes.

The Whippet Safety Bicycle - Very Upright

Early Mountain Bike - Upright (For California)

In this post I will go through a few methods that can be used to obtain a more upright riding position, I have ordered suggestion from lowest cost and ease of implementation, to highest cost and effort.

This post assumes that you have a bikes that you want to adjust, or customise to give an upright riding position.

If you are buying new new bike, then the world is your oyster. I suggest googling for "dutch bikes", however modding a mountain bike with a fork from surly (disc trucker) or Thorn Cycles (Mt Tura) would give all of the robustness of a MTB, lots of gears and a very usable bike. If you pursue comfort and little else then just buy a "dutch" bike, like the "batavus quip" below.

1 - Squash Your Cockpit (1cm)

By moving you saddle forward, and rotating you handle bars to provide maximum rise / minimum reach, you will achieve a slightly more upright ride.

However, you will likely only get a tiny extra bit of uprightness using this method, and adjusting you saddle too far forward may cause other problems.

2 - Stem Extender (5cm to 10cm)

For under £10 you can buy a stem extender. They are very easy to fit, as you do not need to remove your handle bars, or brake levers or anything like that. In the below video a 7 year child fits one, so it is very easy.

Just be sure to get the right size, you will need a 1" or a 1 1/8" inch size.  As well as the above fixed offering you can get adjustable stem risers:

3 - Riser Stem (5cm to 10cm)

There are many many stems that can be used on there own, or in combination with other methods on this page, to give an upright ride. A good brand to pursue is Ergotec (Humpert) who make some very high rise fixed stems. Below is the "charisma" model.

Or why not try the "Humpert Comfi High Rise"  beow which gives about 10cm extra height. 

4 - Riser Bars (5cm to 20cm)

There are many handlebars that will give a "rise" and thus give an upright riding position. But my advise would be to opt for bars that provide an extreme rise, such as BMX handle bars. You may think this ia going a bit too far, but as you will see, uprightness just keeps getting better and better. So don't mess about, with small riser bars, get some with a serious amount of rise.

BMX bars again, used below to make a upright commuter bike. The below image is from Calories per Pence Blog. 

5- New Forks (upto 30cm)

Many forks, when bought new, come with very long steerer tubes. Some can be as long at 400mm with most being around 250mm.

Perhaps the most upright V-Brake fork you can get is the Thorn Mt Tura Fork. Which is huge. Pictured on my bike below.

Now you may think that a 4000m long steerer tube, would be as upright as you would ever want to go, but I have recent added a riser stem to this set up:

6 - Welding 

Now if you were to combine a 400mm steerer tune fork, with a BMX handle bar you would end up with you handle bars around 1.2 meters above ground level. That is pretty high.

But if you want straight bars that are very high, to get an upright riding position, then extending you steel steerer tube, by welding on an extra length would be one of the few options available. If you are thinking this is dangerous, then please don't after all you whole bike is welded together! The below video shows the proper procedure.

A very tall person might have a torso length of 60cm, add on 15cm for their ass. A saddle might extend 20cm above the top tube. So a maximum handle bar height but be around 80cm above the top of the head tube. If you are very tall, and want a very upright ride.

A Word on Saddles

Something quite important to consider is that as you move to a more upright riding position, you will put more weight on your buttocks. Consider getting a wider saddle, to help spread the load!

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Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Review

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Review

I have had trouble with spokes snapping repeatedly on the rear wheel of my bike. It was a persistent problem, as I had completely rebuilt the rear wheel with new spokes, suspecting spoke quality to be the issue. However, even rebuilt with plain gauge stainless J-teck spokes, I had another spoke snap. . . . . it was all the more confusing since I was using a heavy rim (Mavic EX325) which I have 4 of in total on other bikes, and have all been perfect. 

Braking Surface - Welcome Offering

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Overview

When looking at the rim, it is a bit wider than most. This is the specific reason for my purchase. I like wide rims. You can buy this rim in a "30" version, which is narrow.

The rim is unusual in that it has a braking surface for rim brakes. This is a bonus as it improves  adaptability.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this rim is the cross sectional profile, that see the lack of eyelets, and the adoption of a ticker layer on alloy adjacent to spoke holes.

The spoke holes are drilled at an angle, which suite my 3 cross wheel build very well.

The construction is pinned, I would have preferred welded, but  I had a £25 budget and this was the best rim I could find.

Quite a "Tall" Rim when viewed from side. 

 Other things in this picture: Alfine 11 Hub Gear and Super Moto X Tyre

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Building and Use

The wheel built up very nicely and the angled spoke hole were a nice touch, but are they angle for 2 or 3 cross hweel building? I am not sure, a note there would be useful. 

The lack of spoke eyelets means that you are trying to tighten spoke nipples on to a rough surface, and so tensioning spokes can be a bit jerky. Not too much a problem though. 

A minor problem was that the valve hole was in the wrong place, relevent to the angling and offset of the spoke holes. 

Mounting tires is easy, and you can get them one without leavers. A bonus I think. 

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Conclusion

A very good rim for the money.

Update 2024: After 5 years I haven't even had to tighten a spoke. Solid as a rock. 

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Thorpy's Guide to Puncture Prevention

Thorpy's Guide to Puncture Prevention

It is quite annoying to have one's plans muddled by a puncture. Either you plan to ride, but can't because of puncture, or a ride is cut short by a puncture. Either way there is no sure fire way to prevent a puncture that will not impede slightly (or massively) on your riding pleasure. I should state that:

• I am a fan of Shwalbe tyres and most of the below relates to that brand. 
• I have not covered tubeless systems. I know nothing about them.
• My cycling is not sport based it is commuting, utility based cycling with a rural escapade thrown in on a regular basis.  

In conclusion if you are not fussy and just want to reduce puncture risk to minimum then use a sealant inside your inner tube. If you are fussy and want the best options then use a V-Guard tyre with a quality tube.  

Both will require some attention now and again, but it will be very infrequent, and will not spoil the enjoyment of your ride too much.

Puncture Prevention - Tyre Liners - NEVER

Awful (In my experience). 

The idea is that they provide a tough layer between the tyre and the tube. They are normally made from a tough plastic. The problem is that they are fiddly to mount, often cause punctures and often do not stay in place whilst inside the tyre.

Perhaps the worst of the above problems is the ability of the sharp edges of these plastic strip to cut in to the inner tube. So badly in fact that you will have to throw the tube away! I have only tried one brand (Zefal) and these should be avoided.

Puncture Prevention  - Extra Thick Tubes - SOMETIMES

For down hill racers, or very heavy riders riding low pressure tyres over bumpy ground. 

Most inner tubes are made so as to keep air inside of them at pressure. Some tubes such as "thorn resistant" tubes or "down hill" tubes are made thicker than normal so as to give better puncture protection.

This may work against pinch flats (smashing in to a hard object causing a pinch between the rim and hard object) but I have found them to be little good against my main enemy, thorns. I still get plenty of punctures from thorns even with thick tubes.

Puncture Prevention - Puncture Proof Tyres - OFTEN

These are often the perfect choice. A balance between puncture protection and performance. 

Now there are many options here, and I will deal with the best. Schwalbe offer some of their tyres with V-Guard, this is a thin tough layer in the tyre that does not alter the feel of the tyre yet provides excellent puncture protection. These tyre are very expensive, and there is limited choice, in terms of tread patterns etc.

A more common puncture protection choice is smart guard or kevlar guard, in both these case we see a squashy layer of rubber built in to the tyre. A thorn (hawthorn / blackthorn) will go straight through a Kevlar guard tyre. However, I have yet to see a thorn go through a smart guard (or green guard) tyre which use 3mm - 5mm of rubber to protect the tube.

Edit 20/11/2019 - Yep a thorn will go through a green guard tyre: Straight through the thickest part of a brand new schwalbe super moto x.

V Guard or Double Defense (DD) is the Best Option in my Experience

The problem with these green guard and smart guard tyres is that they do affect the feel of the ride. Whilst riding green guard tyres I notice a deadening of the ride which I do not like. The bike is noticeably harder to pedal .

Apart from "V-Guard" the best option for me in terms of choice and also cost is "Race Guard" this will not stop thorns, but is does stop all sorts of other sharps spiky things such as flints and stones. After 3 years my rear tyre (Schwalbe Big Apple) is laced with cuts and "wounds" but examining the inside of tyre shows no cuts reaching the inside of the tyre.

Puncture Prevention - Sealant - OFTEN

A reasonably reliable choice for many, good for kids bikes, inexpensive and quick to implement. 

Sealants such as tyre slime and OKO do work. They do seal holes made by thorns. However, they do not seal well when the thorn remains stuck in the tyre, and can also clog the inner tube valve.

If a thorn remains stuck through the tyre, the sealant will make a poor seal. The tyre may take a few days to deflate, and will hold pressure if pumped up again long enough for most rides. But you will need to remove the thorn to get a good seal again. The easiest way to do this is to examine the outside of the tyre until you find the "stub" of the thorn sticking out, then use pliers to pull it out.

I have ridden a bike for over year without having to remove the tube and tyre. However I have had to extract thorns on 3 or 4 occasions. This can take almost as long as fixing a puncture if they are hard to find.

Puncture Prevention - Solid Tyres & Solid Tubes - RARELY

Unlikely to be acceptable unless you performance requirements are low. 

I tried these many years ago and they were a disaster. They slip on the rim, have a terrible feel, and whilst these they will not get a puncture they will suck 30% of the enjoyment out of a ride. I guess they have there place in a zero maintenance, bike hire situation but if you own your bike, and enjoy riding it they have no real worth.

I slight deviation on these  is a solid inner tube, which is a ring of foam that you squash in to you tyre. I have not used these but one would think they suffer similar characteristics to the solid tyres, with the added complications of mounting them. Most also restrict the width of tyres that you are able to use.

Puncture Prevention - Conclusions

Please find below recommendations:

Small Budget and Moderate Performance Requirements 

A large bottle of tyre sealant can be had for £15 that will treat a whole families worth of bicycle tyres. I would suggest OKO ATV Tyre Sealant , as it comes with a steel valve removal tool (as apposed to flimsy plastic), is much cheaper than bike specific sealants and does the job. 

I use this in all my kid's bikes, and my wife's bike, as they don't even notice it is there, and means when we set out for a ride, even if a tyre is deflated, I can inflate it again and it will stay inflated for any length of ride. 

Higher Budget and Higher Performance Requirements 

"Race Guard" Tyre with quality tube can be set up for around £25 a wheel. A "V-Guard Tyre" with a quality tube can be set up for £40 - £50 a wheel. 

The later is a better choice, but you may not find a tyre to suite, and the price is a little eye-watering.

A Word on Hawthorn and Blackthorn

Perhaps the toughest enemy of any tyre in the UK, it the hawthorn or blackthorn. They are the cause of 100% of my punctures on an annual basis (rural riding).

Harbinger of Death (For Tyres) - Blackthorn (or Hawthorn)

With the exception of V-Guard I have found nothing to stop a hawthorn or blackthorn causing punctures. Sealant slow a leak long enough for you to get home, but the thorn will "win" in the end.

Blackthorn or Hawthorn  - 1 . . . Green Guard - Nil

I have heard similar things about "goat's head" thorns in the USA. So with nature out to beat you, one certainty is that you will have to learn to live with a few punctures, regardless of the system you choose.

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Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets

1 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - Intro

The 1 1/8" headtube has been a constant in my life for the last several years, and I have enjoyed that constancy. Unfortunately, some clever people have decided we all now need a 44m headtube, which is bigger than the "old school" 1 1/8" headtube. The redeeming feature of the 44mm headtube is that it will accept 1 1/8" straight steerer forks, and 1 1/2" taper forks. Provided you choose the correct headset. So:

Good News - You forks will 95% likely fit.

Bad News - Choosing the Headset will be tricky.

Skip the Waffle? Scroll down to Sections 5 and 6. 

2 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - Sheldon Brown

First stop of information is Sheldon Brown's excellent website. But when you consider the variety of 44mm headsets for sale on the internet, the below list of just 2 options seems a little short.

Even Sheldon does not have all the answers. . . . 

3 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - The 44mm Family

The frame I was upgrading to, said is requires a "ZS44 Semi Integrated". A quick search for this term will bring up a selection of suitable headsets, however I was still curious as to what is a "ZS44". I came across a very handy PDF published by problem solvers:

44mm EC or ZS? - What is that?

The above paired letters EC or ZS may precede the "44" in any 44m headset, and this relates to whether the headset will have:

• External Cups (EC) - Like most Older Headsets
• Zero Stack (ZS) - Think trendy.

The important difference from here on in is that the lower headset can be designed for:

• 1 1/8" - For the upper cups.
• 11/8" OR 1 1/2" for the lower cups. To allows for 1.5" taper on modern forks.

4 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - EC or ZS

ZS or Zero Stock will normally be for the upper / top or the lower / bottom of the headset.

Whilst the EC or External cup is generally only used on the bottom.

5 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - For Straight 1 1/8" (1.125") Steerer

Choose the following:

ZS44/28.6 - For the top.

ZS44/30 or EC44/30 for the bottom. (30 relates to the 30mm crown race).

A note: The EC bottom cup set up will add about 10mm in height to the front of the bike. This may result in a "slacker" ride, and can be useful to make up height if swapping from high travel suspension forks to rigid forks. 

6 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - For Tapered 1 1/2" (1.5") Steerer

Choose the following:

ZS44/28.6 - For the top.

EC44/40 for the bottom. (40 relates to the 40mm crown race).

7 - Thorpy's Guide to 44mm Headsets - Conclusions 

The 44mm headset is here to stay, as it allows the use of both straight and tapered steerers. However, you will need to spend a bit more time thinking about what combination of headset parts you need.

Many shops now supply 44mm headset parts on a mix and match basis, so you will need to know more than just the one number. 

The flip side of this added complication is that if you buy a frame with a 44mm headset, you can run pretty much any fork in it. . .  .for the time being. . . . .

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Using a Step Up Transformer to Run Ebike Motor

Using  a Step Up Transformer to Run Ebike Motor

Swaping from a 24 volt system to a 48 volt? Well that means a new battery . . or does it?

Can you use a step up transformer to turn 24v or 36 v in to 48v?

Yes you can but you may run in to trouble with supplying enough amps.

This is the kind of transformer which can be had on ebay. It is rated at 2000w but the this is a maximum wattage under ideal conditions.

If you were to input 46v anf take out 48v not doubt this transformer would provide close to 2000w but with alarger step up it will provide a lot less . . just 500w stepping up from 24v to 48v.

A 2000w Step Up Transformer Fresh from Ebay

Wiring and Adjustment is Easy - You will need a volt meter

The Transformer would not provide enough amps.

The problem lies in that a ebike motor rated at 250w will use perhaps double this when climbing a hill. A 500w motor such as the one I have will then use 1000w.

This transformer might wrok if you were stepping up fron 24v to 26v on a low wattage motor. But a step up of more than 12v and you will likley have trouble on high amp applcations such a electric traction motors.

Here are the specs copied from the sellers listing on Ebay:

 Output Current: 20A(MAX) More than 18A, please enhance heat dissipation,

 Constant current range: 20A(max)

 Output Power = Input voltage * 20A, such as: input 12V * 20A = 240W, input 24V * 20A = 480W, input 48V * 20A = 960W, input 60V * 20A = 1200W

As you can see the 20a max input means that at a given input voltage the watts are resytcited by the performance of the transformer.

(If you need more power, you can use two modules in parallel, such as the output to 30A, two modules can be used in parallel,the current per module can be adjusted to 15A.)

 Working temperature: -40 to + 85 degrees (ambient temperature is too high, please enhance heat dissipation)

 Operating frequency: 150KHz

 Conversion efficiency: up to 95% (efficiency related with input,output voltage, current and voltage difference.)

 Overcurrent protection: Yes (With current limiting adjustment, adjustable output current limit, current exceeds the current limit, the output current is automatically reduced to a minimum 5A, according to the nature of the load current will be different.)

Short circuit protection: Yes (input 30A fuse) double short circuit protection, the use of more security.

Input reverse polarity protection: None (if necessary, please enter the string into the diode)

Output prevent reverse irrigation: Yes, for charging plus blocking diode is not required.

Installation: 4pcs 3mm screws

 Connection: solderless;terminals output

Module dimensions:86*63*68(L*W*H)

 Weight: 350g

Pin define:

CV: Output voltage adjustment

Adjust to CV potentiometer, according to your battery or LED to set the required output voltage value.

CC: Output current adjustment

Adjust to CC potentiometer counterclockwise about 30 laps, the output current is set to the minimum,then connect the LED,adjust to CC potentiometer to the required current. (Please adjust the converter after the battery have already been discharged when charging. )Please do not use the short-circuit way to adjust current.

Package Include: 

1 x 1200W 20A DC Converter Boost Step-up Power Supply Module IN 10-60V OUT 12-80V

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Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Intro

There is only one thing worse than shopping for shoes with your wife or girlfriend, and that is buying an ebike battery. The variety of shops to buy from is large with branded systems (think Bosch) costing a small fortune, and cheaper "brand x" (i.e. unbranded) batteries still costing a painful amount but having no warrantee or support of any kind.

So what to do? I have been looking at batteries for around 2 weeks on and off, and I have found the choice a difficult one to make, mainly because lithium batteries are so expensive, and I am not used to spending that much money on bicycle components.

A good lithium based battery can cost upwards of £250 ($400), even if purchased direct from China, so its worth taking time to consider. Expect to pay a minimum of £300 for a quality battery purchased in the UK.

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Capacity (AH)

Summary: Bigger is Better

The capacity of a battery (think range or size of fuel tank) is normally given in Amp Hours (AH), typically the bigger the capacity of an ebike battery the more you pay. But before you spend a fortune on getting the biggest battery you can find it is worth considering how far you need to go.

Luckily for us somebody have developed an ebike range calculator for using to determine capacity required. Just fill in the boxes, and you will arrive at your required AH capacity. For me that was 15 AH.

This required capacity relates to a 48 volt system. If you did the same journey with a 24volt system you may require double the capacity.

I am not too hot with electronics so just use the calculator and you will soon realize what is going on!

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Voltage (V)

Summary: Must Match Existing if Replacing - Choose 48v if building from New

As mentioned above if you run a lower voltage you will require a higher capacity battery to travel the same distance, this is because a lower voltage ebike motor will use more amps, than a higher voltage motor to do the same amount of work.

A low voltage motor is probably OK in  flat areas where is does not have to work very hard, but if you require lots of power for hill climbing etc. the current flowing through a low voltage hub may damage the motor. The lower the voltage the higher the current needs to be to provide the same energy to the motor.

For example my 24v 500w motor draws 30A when climbing. The wires get warm, the motor is hot to touch. If you consider a vacuum cleaner runs on 13A or less, we can start to see that a high power motor at a low voltage is not very practical.

So if like me you wish to travel 20 miles over hilly terrain you will likely need a 15 AH battery if you are running a 48 volt system, but 30 AH if you are running a 24 volt system.

If you are building bike from scratch you can choose whichever voltage you think suits best (36v is the most widely used), 48v  for heavy going.

If you are replacing a battery you will have to stick to the same voltage, although some good quality motors can be run at higher voltages. But without getting too technical, just replace with a battery of the same voltage.

A final word. It does not do a battery any good to run it down to flat every time you use it. So buy a battery a little bigger then you need. For Sealed Lead Acid Batteries you should only use half of the marked capacity! For most lithium batteries 80% - 90% is OK. Yet another reason why lithium batteries are so much better for ebikes.

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Types of Battery (Chemistry)

Summary: For Reliability Choose LiFePo4

Most ebike use some type of lithium battery. Lithium batteries hold lots of power for their size. Although if you are on a very tight budget you might consider sealed lead acid batteries, but these are very heavy.

For proven track record a "LiFePo4" Lithium Battery will be your best bet, although there is now a growing number of  "NMC" Lithium Batteries coming on the scene. These "NMC" batteries are lighter although they are likely less reliable over longer time periods.

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Manufacturers (Brands)

Summary: For Value Choose Samsung for Reparability Choose Headway

If you are buying an ebike battery choose known manufacturers. To be clear this is not for the battery itself, it is the "cells" within the battery.

As above; a battery is composed of many small cells, and you should choose a known manufacturer. For example you might find the battery described as 48v 10ah Samsung. If the battery does not include a known manufacturer in the description then it is probably made with cheap no name cells that may not last very long (although you might be lucky!). Look for:

• Samsung
• Sony
• Panasonic
• Headway

Most cells are 18650 type this number relates to the shape of the cell. We are used to describing cells as AA or AAA or even (gasp) LR6. 18650 fits in with these names. 

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Output (A)

Summary: Divide the motor wattage by the voltage and multiply by 2.5 for required.

You should check the battery's output is OK for your motor. We are looking for an Amps (e.g. 30A) figure here. A normal 24v 250w motor should draw about 10A, but in reality this could be as high as 15A. For a rule of thumb divide the wattage by the voltage and multiply by 2.5. Then you will never be disappointed. 

It is the continuous or 10min peak amperage you should be looking for. 

The output of a lithium battery is largely determined by the BMS (battery management system), most modern lithium batteries can put out massive currents (amps), so it is the BMS  (the small computer that controls the charging and discharging (output)) from the batteries that is the controlling factor here. 

Sealed lead acid batteries do not require BMS. 

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Where to Buy

Summary: Anywhere you like just make sure cells are branded. 

I have not included non branded cells in my search. If you are going to spend a lot of money on a battery then buy something good, that will last (hopefully).

BMS Battery - Sell some batteries made with branded cells, but others are not branded.

Green Bike Kit - Sell some good quality batteries (Headway - £300 for 48V 10AH plus shipping).

AliExpress - Search for branded cells only.  So this page shows a seller who has some samsung celled batteries for sale (£300 for 48V 20AH). Just be sure to read the description carefully.

Eclipse Bikes - Sell good quality batteries based on headway (£500 48v 15AH) & samsung (£300 for 11AH) cells.  The headway batteries they cells can be repaired and have cells replaced easily. Eclipse bike also offer a repair service.

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - DIY or Bodge Up

Summary: Make Do and Mend for Savings and Satisfaction 

If you do not like spending money and have spare time do some research. You can build your own battery! Or you may be able to repair the one you have. For example a poor quality battery may be filled with 18650 cells which you may be able to replace. You could re-use the case or the BMS at the very least. 

If in my case you are swapping from a 24V to 48V system, can you use a step - up - transformer. To change 24v to 48v. Although you will need a transformer capable of handling high amperages, and a high amperage battery to account for step down in current. I may try this as this costs £18 insted of £300!

Thorpy's Guide to Buying an EBike Battery - Physical Size

Summary: Make sure it fits!

All bikes have limited space where a battery can be placed. For typical bike you are limited to a "bottle" type battery or one that fit on the rack at the rear of the bike.

Just be sure to check the battery you are getting for it size. Measure you bike to make sure it will fit, and that you have the correct mounting points.

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Fix a Cracked Steel Bike Frame

Fix a Cracked Steel Bike Frame - Intro and Disclaimer

This is the first time I have done this. I'm just throwing it out there (USA) offering it up for scrutiny (UK).

It seems to have worked OK but then it may fail and kill me so please consider this before you choose to use any of the below information. That is your choice.

Fix a Cracked Steel Bike Frame - Causes

Having think about the cause is important.

The crack may have been caused by corrosion of the tubing, or a crash or large impact. Perhaps a seat post extended too far out of the seat tube, perhaps an overloaded rack.

A cracked steel frame - Crack is around 8mm in length.

You need to figure out which one an acute trauma will likley mend up OK, if not too serious. But chronic problems such as corrosion may not respond well after fixing.

The crack I have is located under the crimped portion of the chain stay. Apparently this is an inherently weak part of the frame. So I am attempting a repair.

Fix a Cracked Steel Bike Frame - Method

I have a welder, but have heard that heating up chromoly beyond a certain point weakens it. So I am opting for silver solder. This is not a soilder really but a type of low temperatur brazing which can be down with a normal household blow torch running propane or MAP gas.

I have asked the good citizens of google plus for advice on this one and had some good answers. Post is here. Thanks to +Scott Anderson  +Andy Tong , +Derek Haggerty +David Saul +Seb K and +simon russell-roberts for your answers.

So a 55% silver solder is quite expensive costing around £7 / $12 for  two small rods, buy from ebay with the correct flux. The flux has be be the right stuff.

You will need to clean up the crack and the area around it very well, I used a spinning wire brush thing on a drill. Remember the metal on the frame will be thin so don'y go mad.

Apparently you can use acid based cleaners to get the metal really clean, although some say its OK just to brush.

Once the crack and area around it are clean, prepare the flux. Mix it up like toothpaste and then apply it on the area where you want solder (filler) to go. If the flux is messy the filler will be messy.

For a patch I used the link from a bicycle chain. This (I think) is quite good as it allows you to feed the rod in to the center of the patch (through the two holes). And I should imagine that the plate from a chain has a very high tensile strength. Others may know better (please comment).

Holding the patch in place is tricky but once the flux has been melted it should hold it in place fairly well. Heat up the work, until it is glowing a little, then apply the silver braze / solder rod to the hot metal. It should melt and run in to the joint and beneath the patch very quickly.

If the filler is not taking to the areas where you want it too dip the end of the rod in the powdered flux and try again, it may be that you need more flux.

When finished there should be no gaps, and the filler should be ramped up around  the edge of the patch, and the inside of the holes (if you have any).

Results below. Sorry about blurry photos.

Fix a Cracked Steel Bike Frame - Result

Well time will tell . . . Update: 3 Years Later: Yep still going strong. 

I have painted over this with basic metal paint. I think the soldering will hold, I have tested the strength of silver solder on other objects and it is very high. The only questions are whether the patch is big enough, and whether the frame is not internally corroded.

If this crack were in the main triangle or the (gulp) head tube, I would not attempt a mend.


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DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4

DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4 - The Final Chapter

So its been a while since I posted chapter 3. Its one thing to build a long tail cargo bike or long tail cargo e-bike, but whether it works or not . . well that takes a few months to find out.

Below are described the "few" teething problems and remedies that I have stumbled upon over the last few months. Also a few fatal flaws in the concept . . .

DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4 - Drive Train

You will see chapter 3 that that I have a flip flop set up (more of a flop flop set up really) with the electric motor on one side and the pedals on the other. 

Chain Tugs and a Large Rear Sprocket - Essential

I found that the gearing for the motor was too high, and it was not running at a high enough RPM on hills, so I have added a 24 tooth free wheel (ebay), to lower the top speed and increase torque. You might consider going a bit bigger. Head over to TNC Scooter Parts to find all sorts of handy sprockets etc. Just be sure to get the right gauge!

The next niggle was that the ultra strong loctite used on the non-reversed threads was not strong enough. So I have had to opt for epoxy there. 

Last drive drain mod was to add some tug-nuts / chain tensioners on the slot drop outs as the rear wheel kept moving, this is understandable as you are imputing nearly twice the load (you pedaling and the motor). It also helps with tensioning the chain correctly.

Reversing the drive side of the bike i.e. chainset and sprocket (for pedals) on left hand side of bike. Is . . . problematic. Not only is the sprocket thread now the wrong way around, but also the pedals.  

Most of the problems I have had with this bike. In fact 99% of them could have been avoided by using a hub motor. USE A HUB MOTOR!

DIY Long Tail E-Bike - Chapter 4 - Lights

Hah! The headlight is serious overkill. Splashes light all over the place. So I had to add in a smaller side light so I could switch the headlight off when cars were approaching. 

Monster Headlight / Sensible Side Light . . .

Introducing this side light meant using a switch. To toggle between them. Ebay again held the answer. The switch is an engine kill switch for a quad bike of similar.

Switch for Side Light and (more importantly) "Captain Shakry" Squeaky Hooter Thing

DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4 -Seating

Unless you want your kids to fall off on to the road, then they will need some handles. I have arranged this by using some rope threaded through some 15mm water pipe, and then hole drilled in deck to fasten with a big knot. All very technical.  

Some padding is a nice touch too. Find some bubble wrap or foam and wrap in cloth, then use a staple guhn to attach to the wooden deck.

Handles for passengers. Quite . . . handy. Sorry

DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4 - Useability

I am sorry to say this bike will not get used very much. Here is why:

1. Wrong Frame. If you base a cargo bike a on a BMX it will start out not very ride-able. After all BMX bikes are not meant to be ridden long distances. The rear drop spacing are not likley to accept a hub for gears. 
2. Complex Drive System. The choice of drive system. A hub motor would allow you to have some gears, and maintain a normal right hand side drive setup at the rear. Sooooo much easier.
3. Not Powerful enough. In the UK the 250W power limit is too low. What is the point. I get sweaty riding this bike, and it has a limited range probably about 15 miles. My "normal" cargo bike will go all day if I am supplied with pies. 
4. It is heavy. It must weigh 40 kg without a rider or cargo, so you can only really turn it around whilst rolling it (you can pick the front end up and swing around but this requires a large turning circle).
5. It is noisy. Wrrrrrrrrr. I like to be able to talk to my kids as we wizz along the country lanes. This is somewhat spoiled with the noise from the electric motor. 
6. No Luggage to Fit. The wide rear deck, and short distance to foot rests means that panniers will not fit.EDIT: You could add a bicycle side car, for luggage space.

DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4 - Hints for Prospective Tinkerers

1 - For the love of crumb cake. Please use a hub motor on the front wheel.

EDIT: Or move your chain drive motor to the front wheel, it is a lot easier, especially on a BMX!

2 - Even with a BMX Frame, you could still have 3 widely spaced gears by using a 3 ring chainset (with shifter and front mech) up front. Mount a rear derailleur for chain tension only. I was planning to do this and may do in the future. 

3 - Use an MTB Frame

4- Use the online calculator to work out if you can build a bike with useful range. 

5- If you are not using a hub motor. Then really pay attention to the chain and sprocket gauges.

NOT FINISHED - FURTHER "IMPROVEMENTS".

I moved the motor on to the front wheel in the end. - Front wheel chain driven ebike.

I also tried a side car for a time. - Thorpy's guide to bicycle side cars.

DIY Long Tail EBike - Chapter 4 -  Two Years On

It is around 2 years now since I completed this long tail e bike, and I have been improving it over that time so as to make it as good as possible. 

"Nearly Finished"

So what has been attempted.

Cushion on Rear Seat 

This was made with some foam, and black fabric, which I then used a staple gun to attach the wood deck at the rear.

Handy for Long Loads

Lights

This took a while to get right, choosing an e bike headlight is tricky just because there are so many options. For a short time, I fitted a very bright light, but you do not really need this. A 3W LED head lamp is probably sufficient. 

A rear light can be found on ebay for not much money. LED lights are preferable. 

Speed 

I only have one gear on this bike, and that has caused a minor problem in that is is difficult to match you motor speed with your pedal speed. I have successfully used a 3 speed switch , to slow the motor to match pedal speed.

Of course setting you gearing correctly is important. For 15mph speed I have opted for 46 teeth front chain ring, and 14 tooth rear freewheel. 

Tires

The smoother the tire the less energy will be wasted, if on roads, so unless you are going off road a lot then opt for a semi slick tire. These provide a smooth center ridge, and so knobbles on the side, this is important as if you do ride a heavily laden bike on a side slope, if it slips you will have to be very strong to stop it.

On this longtail e bike bike both the rear and front tires are difficult to remove, if you get a puncture. I have installed so tire slime, and it has worked very well, I have not had a puncture since!

Luggage

If the rear seat is taken up with children, then where do you put all of the bags and stuff? Well upfront would be the obvious answer. I managed to fit a front rack. Steco do some good cargo racks, which would do the job well. 

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