E-Bike Wiki - User contributions [en]

Simulator

2023-04-27T23:58:20Z

Black Moons: Initial page

The simulator at https://ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html is a very powerful tool if you know how to use it.

When you run it, you will be given a graph. Here is an annotated version of the graph it produces showing the 3 main sections of the graph:

[[File:SimulatorGraph.png|Grin Simulator Graph]]

'''In the first section,''' Phase Amp Limited, the motors max torque is limited by the controllers max phase amp output. Phase amps are higher then battery amps because a controller steps down voltage, trading volts for amps to get more torque. At low speed, a motors back EMF voltage is very low and it does not take much additional voltage to feed in the desired number of phase amps. Output power in this area is basically max torque * RPM and linearly increases with speed.

'''In the second section,''' Battery Amp Limited, the controllers can output full wattage to the motor at all times and the red output power line only changes due to changes in the motors efficiency at different RPMs. This line is dominated by your battery amp limit of your controller. Ie your max power. With higher max battery amps (ie power), the phase amp limited zone will actually continue to the right further on the graph, and this whole area will end up with higher power output.

'''In the third section,''' Voltage Limited, power falls because the voltage of the battery can no longer feed full power onto the motor, due to the motors back EMF and winding resistance. This area of the graph can be helped by using field weakening, although the simulator does not have the ability to simulate field weakening. Power output falls very linearly in this area as current to the motor falls. You generally want max speed to occur at the very start of this area for ideal overall efficiency if not using field weakening. Increasing your batteries voltage will make this section of the graph occur at higher speeds.

==Tips: ==

If you are looking to simulate the common generic 1KW hub motors, you should select the 9C 2706 or 9C 2705. If you don't know what motor your using, it doesn't change a whole lot except 'overheat in' times. Speeds and ranges for most common controller/battery configurations will be rather similar regardless what motor you pick. (+- 10% typically)

Remember to set 'human power' to 0W if you are not planning on pedaling.

The battery AH * Voltage influences range. Battery voltage influences when the voltage limited area of the graph starts. Motor choice influences 'overheat in' and 'final temp' the most and when the voltage limited area of the graph starts.

File:SimulatorGraph.png

2023-04-27T23:40:18Z

Black Moons:

A graph of the Grin Simulator

Main Page

2023-04-27T23:37:51Z

Black Moons: /* Beginners start here */

E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information.

[[File:Wiki Cover.jpg|center|800px|link=https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes|Support us on Patreon!]]

We hope to answer all the questions you have about electric bikes from where and what parts to buy all the way to riding them for the maximum range. This wiki is maintained by the E-Bikes discord. If you wish to chat in real time with us, come join us on [https://discord.gg/PZ2y4gv Discord] and please support us financially via [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes Patreon] so we can continue to bring you e-bike information!
==Beginners start here==

* [[Safety Tips]], Safety first. Don't skip this section!

*[[Premade or DIY]], what one is right for you?

*[[Volts and Amps]], amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

* [[Hub or Mid drive]], what one is best for you?

*[[Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor]], Methods to control your e-bike

*[[Prebuilt]] Prebuilt bicycles, just order and drive!

*[[Motor Controller]] Learn what your motor controller is and does

*[[Simulator]] Learn how to interpret the Grin E-Bike simulator

==Do It Yourself! ==

*[[Buy a bike]] to convert.

*[[Batteries]], where to buy and what to look for.

*[[Motor]], where to buy and how to pick.

* [[Tools needed]] to convert a bike to an e-bike.

*[[Parallel Batteries]] for more capacity.

*[[Connectors]] to use and ones to avoid.

==Accessories for your e-bike==

*[[LED Lighting]], Information about all the LED lights on the market and how to buy the right ones for you.

*[[Racks and Panniers]], Storage for your e-bike! put it to work getting your groceries.

*[[Tires]] Where the rubber meets the road! Learn to buy tires won't leave you on the side of the road with a flat.

==Other websites of interest==

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html E-bike Simulator] Very accurate and useful e-bike Simulator. Has many motors modeled by actual testing including wind tunnel testing for cooling values. Often accurate within 10% or better to real world for top speed.

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/torque-arms.html Grin Torque Arm info] Super critical to read information about torque arms. Never use a V1 style torque arm they are well known to fail. Always use a V2/V3/V4 style if you are using a hub motor or your hub motor may destroy itself.

*[https://www.mpoweruk.com/ Electropaedia] a website about battery types and energy production.

Volts and Amps

2022-07-29T04:21:43Z

Black Moons:

Volts, Amp, Amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

These are the units of measurements for batteries, controllers and motors. Lets dive into what each means in detail:

==Volts==
Volts is directly related to max RPM for a given motor. For a given battery voltage will slowly decrease as it discharges (See https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/734563841228275763/787404431360000001/unknown.png for chart).

==Current==
Current (measured in amps) is directly related to the torque of your motor. You will often see a controller specify its 'battery amps' and 'phase amps'. Phase amps are your peak torque at lower RPM, where the controller can exchange voltage for amps to give you extra torque at low speed. Battery amps are what will be drawn from the battery. You absolutely must have a battery rated for the same or more amps then your controller is rated to use or you will damage your battery when the controller draws too much.
==Watts==
Voltage * battery Amps = Watts. Watts are your power. In fact it takes 745.7watts to make one horsepower. While voltage determins your absolute max RPM, without more watts you won't go any faster unless you where limited by the motor reaching its max RPM before you ran out of watts.
==Amp Hours==
Amp hours are how many amps your battery can give for one hour. For example if it was 10 amp hours, it could give 10amps for one hour, or 20 amps for 30 minutes, or 5amps for 2 hours. You might be mistaken into thinking that amp hours are equal to range, but that is only true for a given voltage as watt hours are the true unit of energy storage.
==Watt Hours==
Watt hours are Amp hours * Voltage. They tell you the true power capacity of a battery. In fact you will often find electric vehicles energy efficency expressed in watt hours per KM or mile. (wh/km or wh/mi). For a very rough idea, you can assume about 10wh/km for very slow riding at 25kph or below on flat ground, 20wh/km for fast riding up to 45kph or on slightly hilly ground, and up to 40wh/km for very fast riding at up to 60kph or on very hilly ground. Exact figures vary greatly but this gives you a rough idea.
==C Rating==
Cells have what is known as a C rating, this is basically how quickly they can be discharged, with 1C being the current needed to fully discharge the cell in exactly 1 hour. You can calculate the peak discharge current by multiplying the AH rating and C rating hence for a 3.3Ah cell, 1C would be 3.3A and take 1 hour to discharge at that current. For a 2.5Ah cell, 1C would be 2.5A and also take one hour to discharge. a 2.5AH cell at 2C would fully discharge the cell in 30 minutes and at 5A current, 4C is the rate that would fully discharge the cell in 15 minutes at 10A for a 2.5AH cell, and so forth.

Note that the C rating is only the maximum you can safely draw from the cell, if you only draw at a lower current the cell will take as long to discharge as a lower C rated cell of the same Ah value

Main Page

2022-03-01T01:42:07Z

Black Moons:

E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information.

[[File:Wiki Cover.jpg|center|800px|link=https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes|Support us on Patreon!]]

We hope to answer all the questions you have about electric bikes from where and what parts to buy all the way to riding them for the maximum range. This wiki is maintained by the E-Bikes discord. If you wish to chat in real time with us, come join us on [https://discord.gg/PZ2y4gv Discord] and please support us financially via [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes Patreon] so we can continue to bring you e-bike information!
==Beginners start here==

* [[Safety Tips]], Safety first. Don't skip this section!

*[[Premade or DIY]], what one is right for you?

*[[Volts and Amps]], amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

* [[Hub or Mid drive]], what one is best for you?

*[[Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor]], Methods to control your e-bike

*[[Prebuilt]] Prebuilt bicycles, just order and drive!

*[[Motor Controller]] Learn what your motor controller is and does

==Do It Yourself! ==

*[[Buy a bike]] to convert.

*[[Batteries]], where to buy and what to look for.

*[[Motor]], where to buy and how to pick.

* [[Tools needed]] to convert a bike to an e-bike.

*[[Parallel Batteries]] for more capacity.

*[[Connectors]] to use and ones to avoid.

==Accessories for your e-bike==

*[[LED Lighting]], Information about all the LED lights on the market and how to buy the right ones for you.

*[[Racks and Panniers]], Storage for your e-bike! put it to work getting your groceries.

*[[Tires]] Where the rubber meets the road! Learn to buy tires won't leave you on the side of the road with a flat.

==Other websites of interest==

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html E-bike Simulator] Very accurate and useful e-bike Simulator. Has many motors modeled by actual testing including wind tunnel testing for cooling values. Often accurate within 10% or better to real world for top speed.

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/torque-arms.html Grin Torque Arm info] Super critical to read information about torque arms. Never use a V1 style torque arm they are well known to fail. Always use a V2/V3/V4 style if you are using a hub motor or your hub motor may destroy itself.

*[https://www.mpoweruk.com/ Electropaedia] a website about battery types and energy production.

Main Page

2022-03-01T01:40:08Z

Black Moons:

E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information.

[[File:Wiki Cover.jpg|center|800x800px]]

We hope to answer all the questions you have about electric bikes from where and what parts to buy all the way to riding them for the maximum range. This wiki is maintained by the E-Bikes discord. If you wish to chat in real time with us, come join us on [https://discord.gg/PZ2y4gv Discord] and please support us financially via [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes Patreon] so we can continue to bring you e-bike information!
==Beginners start here==

* [[Safety Tips]], Safety first. Don't skip this section!

*[[Premade or DIY]], what one is right for you?

*[[Volts and Amps]], amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

* [[Hub or Mid drive]], what one is best for you?

*[[Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor]], Methods to control your e-bike

*[[Prebuilt]] Prebuilt bicycles, just order and drive!

*[[Motor Controller]] Learn what your motor controller is and does

==Do It Yourself! ==

*[[Buy a bike]] to convert.

*[[Batteries]], where to buy and what to look for.

*[[Motor]], where to buy and how to pick.

* [[Tools needed]] to convert a bike to an e-bike.

*[[Parallel Batteries]] for more capacity.

*[[Connectors]] to use and ones to avoid.

==Accessories for your e-bike==

*[[LED Lighting]], Information about all the LED lights on the market and how to buy the right ones for you.

*[[Racks and Panniers]], Storage for your e-bike! put it to work getting your groceries.

*[[Tires]] Where the rubber meets the road! Learn to buy tires won't leave you on the side of the road with a flat.

==Other websites of interest==

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html E-bike Simulator] Very accurate and useful e-bike Simulator. Has many motors modeled by actual testing including wind tunnel testing for cooling values. Often accurate within 10% or better to real world for top speed.

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/torque-arms.html Grin Torque Arm info] Super critical to read information about torque arms. Never use a V1 style torque arm they are well known to fail. Always use a V2/V3/V4 style if you are using a hub motor or your hub motor may destroy itself.

*[https://www.mpoweruk.com/ Electropaedia] a website about battery types and energy production.

Main Page

2022-03-01T01:35:45Z

Black Moons:

E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information.

We hope to answer all the questions you have about electric bikes from where and what parts to buy all the way to riding them for the maximum range.

This wiki is maintained by the E-Bikes discord. If you wish to chat in real time with us, come join us on [https://discord.gg/PZ2y4gv Discord] and support us via [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes Patreon]

[[File:Wiki_Cover.jpg|link=https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes|Support us on Patreon|frame]]

==Beginners start here==

*[[Safety Tips]], Safety first. Don't skip this section!

*[[Premade or DIY]], what one is right for you?

*[[Volts and Amps]], amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

*[[Hub or Mid drive]], what one is best for you?

*[[Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor]], Methods to control your e-bike

*[[Prebuilt]] Prebuilt bicycles, just order and drive!

*[[Motor Controller]] Learn what your motor controller is and does

==Do It Yourself!==

*[[Buy a bike]] to convert.

*[[Batteries]], where to buy and what to look for.

*[[Motor]], where to buy and how to pick.

*[[Tools needed]] to convert a bike to an e-bike.

*[[Parallel Batteries]] for more capacity.

*[[Connectors]] to use and ones to avoid.

== Accessories for your e-bike ==

*[[LED Lighting]], Information about all the LED lights on the market and how to buy the right ones for you.

*[[Racks and Panniers]], Storage for your e-bike! put it to work getting your groceries.

*[[Tires]] Where the rubber meets the road! Learn to buy tires won't leave you on the side of the road with a flat.

== Other websites of interest ==

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html E-bike Simulator] Very accurate and useful e-bike Simulator. Has many motors modeled by actual testing including wind tunnel testing for cooling values. Often accurate within 10% or better to real world for top speed.

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/torque-arms.html Grin Torque Arm info] Super critical to read information about torque arms. Never use a V1 style torque arm they are well known to fail. Always use a V2/V3/V4 style if you are using a hub motor or your hub motor may destroy itself.

*[https://www.mpoweruk.com/ Electropaedia] a website about battery types and energy production.

File:Wiki Cover.jpg

2022-03-01T01:26:04Z

Black Moons: Cover Page image

== Summary ==
Cover Page image

MediaWiki:Copyright

2022-03-01T00:16:18Z

Black Moons:

If you have found this information useful, please consider $1

MediaWiki:Copyright

2022-03-01T00:13:48Z

Black Moons: Created page with "If you have found this information useful, please consider [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes supporting this Wiki on Patreon!] Content is available under $1 unless otherwise noted."

If you have found this information useful, please consider [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes supporting this Wiki on Patreon!]

Content is available under $1 unless otherwise noted.

Tires

2022-01-15T08:27:16Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Tires are an absolutely essential part of your e-bike. They determine your handling, braking and even acceleration limits depending on terrain. A good road tire may not be a good offroad tire and visa versa. So with thousands of choices of tires, how do you determine what one is best? Simple, you look for tires that are designed to do what you want without too many trade offs else where. For a e-bike commuter, that is generally go a long distance on road, with some m..."

Tires are an absolutely essential part of your e-bike. They determine your handling, braking and even acceleration limits depending on terrain. A good road tire may not be a good offroad tire and visa versa.

So with thousands of choices of tires, how do you determine what one is best? Simple, you look for tires that are designed to do what you want without too many trade offs else where.

For a e-bike commuter, that is generally go a long distance on road, with some minor off roading. What we have found out for such conditions is the most important thing is durability and puncture resistance, followed by low rolling resistance and moderate traction on roads, roads with debris and trails.

The best tires we have found for that are the Schwalbe MTB plus line of tires. These tires come with 5mm of extra hard rubber armor inside them to protect from punctures and are made of some of the hardest tire compound found on bikes. 'But I can't afford fancy armored tires' you might think. They start at $44.49cad or $31.99usd, hardly twice the price of the cheapest tire on the market but will last easily 10x longer, Some users have reported over 7000 miles on a single tire in e-bike usage. You can't afford not to buy armored tires, especially when a puncture can leave you stranded.

Marathon Plus MTB on Chain Reaction Cycles [https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-mtb-tyre-smartguard/rp-prod143787 Canada] [https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-mtb-tyre-smartguard/rp-prod143787 USA] one of the better tires for mountain bikes, comes in 26", 27.5" and 29" in widths 2" and 2.25".

Marathon Plus Tour on Chain Reaction Cycles [https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-tour-tyre-smartguard/rp-prod52621 Canada] [https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-tour-tyre-smartguard/rp-prod52621 USA] Slightly more road designed tire for mountain bikes, comes in 26" with a width of 1.75" or 2.0"

Marathon Plus Road on Chain Reaction Cycles [https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ca/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-road-tyre-smart-guard/rp-prod24544 Canada] [https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-road-tyre-smart-guard/rp-prod24544 USA] Have a road bike? Schwalbe has you covered with armored road bike tires too! Comes in 650A and 700C in widths 25C through 45C

Note Chain reaction Cycles ships world wide, just change the drop down at the top right to get your countries prices. they also offer free shipping above a set amount, generally around the cost of 2 tires.

Do note that Marathon plus tires are all made of an exceptionally hard compound that wears much slower then most bicycle tires, but trades off some grip to do so. They are rated for e-bikes and speeds up to 50kph while most bicycle tires are not designed for such high speeds and few other manufactures will actually rate a bicycle tire for speed.

Racks and Panniers

2022-01-15T08:27:02Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Panniers are storage bags for your e-bike. Rear racks and pannier bags are by far the best way to transport things on your e-bike. While backpacks can work the extra weight they put on the rider can be uncomfortable and makes it slightly more difficult to ride. Rear racks come in 2 basic styles. One that mounts off the seat post alone and is generally good for up to 20lbs max and the style that bolts to the frame below the seat and just above the rear dropouts that can..."

Panniers are storage bags for your e-bike. Rear racks and pannier bags are by far the best way to transport things on your e-bike. While backpacks can work the extra weight they put on the rider can be uncomfortable and makes it slightly more difficult to ride.

Rear racks come in 2 basic styles. One that mounts off the seat post alone and is generally good for up to 20lbs max and the style that bolts to the frame below the seat and just above the rear dropouts that can handle much more weight.

==Mounting your rack==

Mounting a rack to your bike is a very simple process that requires very few hand tools outside of an Allen key set and maybe a wrench. Racks mount to 2 threaded holes in the frame just behind and below the seat, as well as two threaded holes just above the rear axle.

If you lack the hole on the upper part of your frame near the seat often your seat post clamp can be replaced with one that has the required mounting holes. Do note that you will have to measure your frame as seat post clamps come in different sizes.

Example seat post clamp with rack mounting holes on [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001V537I0 Amazon.ca] [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001V537I0 Amazon.com]

If you lack the lower mounting points, P clamps or a rear rack with clamp on support tubes can be used. Please note that if you have rear suspension that you are pretty much limited to the kind of rack that clamps on to the seat post and has no side supports. Seatpost only racks generally bad to mount side panniers on as nothing stops the pannier from hitting the rear tire.

==What rack is right for you?==

Your rack has to physically fit your bike. This means your bike must have matching mounts and at the right width apart. The rack must also clear the rear tire. Most racks are designed to be adjustable from 26" to 29" tires, but some may not. Do check the description before buying. It is also important to get the width of the rack correct. Fat bikes will require fat racks, and some bikes put the rear disk brake in a place that obstructs some racks.

Here are some examples of rear racks:

Rear rack for most mountain bikes, rated 55lbs on [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00DWKUAZK Amazon.ca] [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DWKUAZK Amazon.com] Note: might not fit all bikes with disk brakes. Won't fit fat bikes.

Rear rack with extra clearance for disk brakes that would be in the way of other racks. On [https://www.amazon.ca/Ibera-Bike-Rack-Frame-Mounted-Adjustable/dp/B00AA8GFSI Amazon.ca] [https://www.amazon.com/Ibera-Bike-Rack-Frame-Mounted-Adjustable/dp/B00AA8GFSI Amazon.com]

Rear rack designed for bikes that don't have any of the mounting points to install a rear rack: [https://www.amazon.ca/YaeTact-Capacity-Aluminum-Bicycle-Adjustable/dp/B0784W1WC3 Amazon.ca] [https://www.amazon.com/Dirza-Bicycle-Release-Adjustable-Capacity/dp/B075WS4KX3 Amazon.com] (Different product on .ca vs .com but visually seems to be same product). Note that you can not adjust the angle of the rack to the seat post on this style of rack.

==What pannier bag to pick?==

Consider your shopping requirements when buying panniers. Make sure it is big enough for everything you plan to buy, some items like frozen pizzas won't fit in smaller panniers. Also consider you can wear a backpack as well for even bigger grocery trips for storing very fragile items like bread, or bulky items like 4L jugs of milk in the backpack while the rest goes in the panniers.

Here are some examples of pannier bags:

Large high quality waterproof pannier bags [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07T1W96N6 Amazon.ca] [https://www.amazon.com/Rhinowalk-Pannier-Shoulder-Professional-Accessories/dp/B07VX7NC7D Amazon.com] (Note different manufactures but visually seems to be same product from .ca and .com)

Simple medium quality pannier bags [https://www.amazon.ca/BV-Panniers-Adjustable-Carrying-Reflective/dp/B00ESLVDIU Amazon.ca] [https://www.amazon.com/BV-Panniers-Adjustable-Carrying-Reflective/dp/B00ESLVDIU Amazon.com]

==Notes==

Note there are many other seat post clamps, racks and pannier bags available online. If you don't live in Canada/USA, consider ebay and other online cycling specific stores and your local bike shop. The local bike shop can be great as you can often test fit the rear rack by holding it up to your bike and make sure it will mount properly before buying it.

Connectors

2022-01-15T08:26:49Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Connectors are everywhere on an e-bike and are super important to being able to maintain and expand your e-bike. A brief list of common recommended connectors is as follows: *XT90-S: 2 pin, 90A rated. Soldered. Very good connector with anti-spark functionality that reduces/eliminates sparking and erosion of the contacts upon repeated connections. *XT60: 2 pin, 60A rated, Soldered. Very good connector but no anti-spark functionality and hence best only for occasional..."

Connectors are everywhere on an e-bike and are super important to being able to maintain and expand your e-bike.

A brief list of common recommended connectors is as follows:

*XT90-S: 2 pin, 90A rated. Soldered. Very good connector with anti-spark functionality that reduces/eliminates sparking and erosion of the contacts upon repeated connections.

*XT60: 2 pin, 60A rated, Soldered. Very good connector but no anti-spark functionality and hence best only for occasional disconnections.

*MT60: 3 pin, 60A rated, Soldered. Good connector for phase wires.

*Anderson Powerpole: 40A rated, Crimped. Very good connector that has a sacrificial tip designed to take the wear of sparking without eroding the main contact area.

*JST-SM: Low current rated, Crimped. Good for signal lines like throttle and very low power like LED turn signals and such. Good connector for hall sensor wires.

*Higo: An over-molded type of connector that can't be easily used in DIY as you have to splice to a pigtail to use one. Water proof and very good, comes in many formats and current ratings including combined hall/phase wires for motors. Highly recommended to get if you can find a controller and accessories already using them.

Connectors we don't recommend:

*Bullet connectors: These are generally only good for around 15A, often have poor tolerances and can come loose with vibration and melt even when used at rated current levels.

*Spade connectors and terminal blocks: Often found on the phase wires of cheaper motor kits, these connectors often are of poor quality and melt under the currents.

Parallel Batteries

2022-01-15T08:26:31Z

Black Moons: Created page with "There are two methods you can use to safely parallel batteries. ==Direct connection== To safely parallel batteries directly for more capacity, you must first ensure they are the same chemistry (lipo, li-ion, lifepo4, lead acid, etc) and the same voltage. Never attempt to directly connect batteries in parallel of different chemistries. It is also best if they have a 2 wire BMS (Charge and discharge through the same wires), since otherwise directly cross connecting th..."

There are two methods you can use to safely parallel batteries.

==Direct connection==

To safely parallel batteries directly for more capacity, you must first ensure they are the same chemistry (lipo, li-ion, lifepo4, lead acid, etc) and the same voltage.

Never attempt to directly connect batteries in parallel of different chemistries.

It is also best if they have a 2 wire BMS (Charge and discharge through the same wires), since otherwise directly cross connecting them may defeat the overcharge protection.

By directly connecting the positive wires to each other and the negative wires of a 2 wire BMS, you can charge both batteries and discharge them through the same wires at the same time.

You must first however charge both batteries to the exact same voltage (fully charged is recommended as its easiest to reach) as directly connecting batteries of different charge states can cause huge currents to flow. Its best to verify with a DMM that they are the same voltage before connecting.

It is recommended to have an individual fuse or breaker for each battery, but not strictly required as the BMS should be able to disconnect the battery in event of over-current.

This means you can not directly connect a second battery in parallel as a backup unless its going to stay attached or only be attached when both batteries are fully charged. Use an A or B battery switch instead if you need to switch to a backup battery.

==Diode connection==

By using high power diodes, you can ensure your one battery won't discharge into the other and can even connect different chemistries of battery or even different voltages, although they won't share the load if you do mix voltage/chemistries and you will need separate chargers.

The diodes need to be rated for higher then your max battery voltage and the full current you expect to draw, ideally much higher. This will make them rather large and likely require heat sinks. The diodes only need to be on the positive wires, directly connect the negatives.

You also need to use additional diode or separate connectors for charging. If you use diodes they will need to be rated for the full current of your charger and batteries.

Note that if you use diodes, your controller will no longer be able to recharge your battery and regen braking must be disabled.

Tools needed

2022-01-15T08:26:15Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Converting an e-bike is a simple task that only requires a few basic tools. Here is a quick list of what you should expect to need to convert a bike to e-bike. ==Metric Allen keys== Many bike parts are held together by SHCS (Socket head cap screws) that require Allen keys to undo. Metric Allen keys are used on bikes, but you might encounter some e-bike kit that uses imperial somewhere. ==Metric Wrenches== While there are not many bolts on bikes these days, e-bike kit..."

Converting an e-bike is a simple task that only requires a few basic tools. Here is a quick list of what you should expect to need to convert a bike to e-bike.

==Metric Allen keys==
Many bike parts are held together by SHCS (Socket head cap screws) that require Allen keys to undo. Metric Allen keys are used on bikes, but you might encounter some e-bike kit that uses imperial somewhere.

==Metric Wrenches==
While there are not many bolts on bikes these days, e-bike kits may require you tighten bolts. A crescent wrench can do in a pinch but is much more likely to strip bolts. Make sure to fully tighten a crescent wrench on the bolt before applying force. Bikes are generally metric bolts.

==Crank puller and Bottom bracket removal tool==
if installing a mid drive, generally the crank and bottom bracket must be removed and replaced. Many crank pullers and bottom bracket removal tools also require a large wrench to use. Not needed for hub motors.

==Soldering iron==
Good for connecting wires. potentially also a soldering gun style for any extra thick wires that need to be soldered. You may be able to do without one by using certain crimp connectors and joins but its good to have.

==Digital Multi meter==
Required to diagnose any potential issues with the bike/battery.

==Crimping tools==
Its best to get proper crimping tools as an improper crimp could leave you stranded on the side of the road or worse, cause damage to the wiring/bike when it overheats. I highly recommend a JST crimping tool for e-bikes as many of the connectors used on e-bikes are JST. If you wish to go with Anderson Powerpole connectors, an Anderson crimper would be highly recommended as well. If you use XT60 connectors you can solder them and don't need a crimper for them.

==Wire cutter==
Often you will need to cut wires to length or apply different connectors. Scissors can do in a pinch but you are likely to damage them. Pliers with wire cutter sections are much better or wire strippers that include a cutter.

==Wire stripper==
Often you will have to strip wires after cutting them to length or when replacing a connector. Wire strippers will help strip the wire properly without damaging it. don't use a knife or wire cutter for a stripper. Many strippers also include wire cutting functionality and may double as one.

==Heat shrink or Electrical tape==
You will need to insulate wires after soldering them together. it is also good to use heat shrink or electrical tape to strain relieve wires that go to connectors.

==Zip ties==
Zip ties are great to secure wiring to the frame of your bike. Electrical tape could also be used but zip ties tend to be cleaner looking. Velcro straps can also be used.

Motor

2022-01-15T08:25:35Z

Black Moons: Created page with "==Brushless Motors== Brushless motors for e-bikes are a very mature technology and you can shop just about anywhere and expect to get a very usable motor. Wattage and amperage ratings however can be very strange to say the least and many advertisements bare little resemblance to reality. Many sellers will sell 250W/500W/750W rated motors that greatly exceed those specs, underrated so they can advertise to people looking for a legal motor in their country. Others will..."

==Brushless Motors==

Brushless motors for e-bikes are a very mature technology and you can shop just about anywhere and expect to get a very usable motor. Wattage and amperage ratings however can be very strange to say the least and many advertisements bare little resemblance to reality. Many sellers will sell 250W/500W/750W rated motors that greatly exceed those specs, underrated so they can advertise to people looking for a legal motor in their country.

Others will over rate their motors to make it more attractive to people who wish to get maximum performance.

A better indicator is to ignore watts and look at amps, they tend to lie less about the amperage rating. Multiply your battery voltage by amps to get your true wattage rating. For example a 10A controller on a 52V battery will give you 520W.

==Mid Drives==

Below is a list of the most common Mid drive motors:
*BSS02 (25A at 52V, 1300W)
*BSSHD (30A at 52V, 1560W)
*BSSUltra (30A at 52V, 1560W, built in torque sensor, requires custom frame to mount)
*Cyclone (40A at 48v to 72v, 2KW to 3KW)
*Cyclone Mini (40A at 48v to 72v, 2KW to 3KW)
*TSDZ2 (14A at 52v, 750W, built in torque sensor)

Good places to buy mid drives include
*[http://sickbikeparts.com/electric-shifter-kit-programmable-3000w/ Sick Bike Parts] has the best cyclone package in town with upgraded waterproof motor connector and bluetooth programmable controller.
*[https://lunacycle.com/mid-drive-kits/ LunaCycle] Has the BSS02, BSSHD, Cyclone and Cyclone Mini.

==Hub Motors==

Unlike mid drives, there are far too many hub motors to list here, but here are some of the more unique ones:

*Grin All Axle Hub: 500W continuous, 1000W peak, Hub with innovative torque arm solution and support for quick release, though axle and more via axle adapters.
*GMAC: 600W continuous, 1200W peak, 138mm dropouts, Clutchless geared hub, unique among geared hubs in that it allows regen braking.
*QS205: 3000W continuous, 6000W peak, 150mm dropouts. Super high power hub motor.

Good places to buy hub motors include:
*[https://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/motors.html Grintech]

==Notes==

Both hub motors and mid drives can also be bought from various run your own e-store services like
*[https://Amazon.com Amazon.com]
*[https://Ebay.com Ebay.com]
*And other large online drop ship retailers like aliexpress

Look for people with high feedback (95%+) if you do buy from those services as not all sellers are equal in customer service.

It is generally recommend to [[Batteries | buy your battery]] separate from a reputable vendor

Batteries

2022-01-15T08:21:05Z

Black Moons: Created page with "It is very important to only buy high quality lithium ion batteries. Improperly build battery packs can lead to catastrophic fires resulting in loss of property and life. Lithium ion batteries can combust when improperly charged or discharged and can't be extinguished by water. as such there are only a few retailers we are willing to endorse. Its highly recommended to go with these resellers or at least do serious research on who you plan to buy packs from. Do not buy..."

It is very important to only buy high quality lithium ion batteries. Improperly build battery packs can lead to catastrophic fires resulting in loss of property and life.

Lithium ion batteries can combust when improperly charged or discharged and can't be extinguished by water. as such there are only a few retailers we are willing to endorse. Its highly recommended to go with these resellers or at least do serious research on who you plan to buy packs from. Do not buy battery packs off random ebay/amazon/aliexpress pages, their quality often leaves much to be desired.

==Where to buy:==
We currently recommend the following dealers.

[https://em3ev.com/ EM3ev] - High quality hand-made batteries shipped from China. Comes equipped with a bluetooth compatible BMS so you can monitor your batteries health and performance with a cellphone app. Highly recommended.

[https://lunacycle.com/18650-ebike-battery-pack/ Luna Cycle] - high quality batteries shipped from USA

Unit Pack Power used to be on our list, but due to several recently raised safety concerns and a couple of known fires, we no longer recommend this seller

==Reputable Cell Providers==

Here, we are listing battery cell suppliers known by members to sell legit cells. Cells are purchased only when someone wishes to make a DIY battery pack.

[https://www.nkon.nl/ nkon.nl]

[https://www.imrbatteries.com/ IMRBatteries]

Buy a bike

2022-01-15T08:20:50Z

Black Moons: Created page with "We highly recommend that you get a high quality bike to convert. Don't put a thousand dollars in e-bike hardware on a $200 low quality bike. It may also be unsafe to ride lower quality bikes at the speed that e-bikes very frequently travel at. As such we recommend you check out your local bike shops for a high quality bike. Ideally one with front suspension and disk brakes. Rim brakes if they are the linear-pull/V brake style are ok in fair weather, but if you ever bi..."

We highly recommend that you get a high quality bike to convert. Don't put a thousand dollars in e-bike hardware on a $200 low quality bike. It may also be unsafe to ride lower quality bikes at the speed that e-bikes very frequently travel at.

As such we recommend you check out your local bike shops for a high quality bike. Ideally one with front suspension and disk brakes.

Rim brakes if they are the linear-pull/V brake style are ok in fair weather, but if you ever bike in the rain they will massively lose stopping power. Disk brakes are highly recommended overall. Hydraulic are nice but mechanical disk brakes are still far superior to linear-pull brakes and are much less costly to maintain then hydraulics. mechanical disk brakes also allow you to easily attach e-brake levers and cheaply change the length of shiftier housing if desired.

Rear suspension can take up valuable space inside the triangle often used to mount the battery and unless you spend a great deal of money is generally of poor quality and durability. As such rear suspension is not recommended unless you plan to do a lot of off roading and plan to pay good money for it.

Mountain bikes are generally ideal and have the widest range of available components and are the easiest to convert, but road bikes and fat bikes can be converted as well if you pay attention to what components you are buying.

Do not shop at Walmart, Canadian tire or other department stores that offer extremely cheap bikes. They are often put together by inexperienced people being paid by the bike and made of the cheapest components on the market. Parts will fail, rims will warp and overall durability is very poor.

Others things to look for:

Look for rack mounting points (small threaded holes on both sides of the bike) near the seat and near the rear axle if you plan to carry cargo. e-bikes are great for daily shopping trips and it is highly recommended you consider a rear rack and panniers (bags) for it. Top rack mount points can be replaced with a replacement seat clamp but bottom clamp points require P clamps or similar that may not be as strong as built in mount points.

Separate brake and shifter controls. Combined brake/shifter levers can often make it difficult to mount additional controls to your bike that are needed when converting it to an e-bike, mirrors and turn signal controls may not fit well with combined brake/shifters and make it more expensive to change as you need to buy replacements for both.

Kick stand mount plate near the crank to mount a double kickstand. It may be difficult to mount a kickstand without a sturdy kickstand mounting plate on your bike. E-bikes are often too heavy for single kick stands mounted near the rear wheel.

Motor Controller

2022-01-15T08:20:37Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Motor controllers are what convert the DC of your battery into 3 phase AC for your motor. They determine the maximum current and hence wattage that goes to your motor and automatically adjust the amount of current sent depending on the throttle settings. Some motor controllers are programmable and have adjustable current limits and other settings while others are fixed. Most e-bike controllers can be used with most motors, however pairing a high power controller with a..."

Motor controllers are what convert the DC of your battery into 3 phase AC for your motor.

They determine the maximum current and hence wattage that goes to your motor and automatically adjust the amount of current sent depending on the throttle settings.

Some motor controllers are programmable and have adjustable current limits and other settings while others are fixed. Most e-bike controllers can be used with most motors, however pairing a high power controller with a low power motor will likely overheat the motor.

As its your motor controller that sets the maximum battery current, you must select a battery that can supply as many amps as your controller is rated for or more.

Controllers also act as switch mode power supplies and can trade off voltage for amps. This is why controllers will have a 'phase amp' and 'battery amp' setting. Battery amps determines your maximum battery current and hence max wattage (equivalent to horsepower) while phase amps is the maximum output current at slow speed and determines your maximum torque. Do note that its phase amps that cause heating in a motor (Watts dissipated as heat = Current ^ 2 * winding resistance), so while a high phase amp controller gives you more torque at slow speeds it will also cause much more heating when you use that extra torque.

Controllers come with a few different features that should be looked for:

Current or Speed throttle mode: Current mode is much preferred as it allows you to adjust the output torque of the motor for a smooth comfortable and efficient ride. Speed mode is much like the throttle on a tractor, it uses full power to reach a desired speed and then maintains that speed, causing sudden jolts of power whenever you adjust the throttle. Sadly speed throttle mode is much more common then current throttle mode for budget controllers.

Programmability: Some controllers can be programmed via bluetooth or via a cable to a PC or laptop, while others are just fixed. Programmable controllers are much more flexible offering a range of settings like battery amp limit, phase amp limit, soft start, adjustable speed limits, adjustable soft start, etc.

Sine wave or square/trapezoidal: Sine wave drives are slightly more efficient and cause the motor to produce much less noise then square wave.

Prebuilt

2022-01-15T08:20:22Z

Black Moons: Created page with "List provides a general comparison of some popular and interesting models but is not comprehensive. All models shipped from the USA unless otherwise noted. Please note that range has been recalculated from a flat 10WH/KM figure, valid for riding at about 25kph (15mph) in an upright position. Expect range to be half that at 40kph (25mph) and one quarter at 60kph (37mph) due to wind resistance increasing at the square of speed. ==Budget list (<$2000)== {|class="wikit..."

List provides a general comparison of some popular and interesting models but is not comprehensive.

All models shipped from the USA unless otherwise noted.

Please note that range has been recalculated from a flat 10WH/KM figure, valid for riding at about 25kph (15mph) in an upright position. Expect range to be half that at 40kph (25mph) and one quarter at 60kph (37mph) due to wind resistance increasing at the square of speed.

==Budget list (<$2000)==

{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name!!data-sort-type="currency"|Price!!data-sort-type="number"|Speed!!data-sort-type="number"|Range!!data-sort-type="number"|Battery!!data-sort-type="number"|Motor Power!!Motor type!! Bike type!!Throttle?!!Drive!!Brakes!!Tires!!Suspension!!Notes
|-
|[https://shop.sondors.com/products/sondors-original-us-canada-shipping-oct18 Sondors Original ebike] ||$1199 || 32KPH 20MPH || 31KM 19MI || 313WH (36V*8.7AH) || 350W || Rear geared hub || Fat bike || Yes || Chain || Mech Disc || Fat Dirt || None ||
|-
|[http://www.propellabikes.com/ Propella electric bike v3.2] ||$1299 || 29KPH 18MPH || 25KM 15MI|| 252WH (36V*7AH) || 250W || Rear geared hub || Road bike || No || Chain || Mech Disc || Road || None|| Price includes S/H and is a preorder price not retail. They have single speed or geared available.
|-
|[https://www.costco.com/Jetson-Adventure-Electric-Bike-.product.100370011.html Costco jetson adventure] ||$1299 || 32KPH 20MPH || 28KM 17MI || 280WH (36V*7.8AH) || 250W || Rear geared hub || MTB || No || Chain || Mech Disc || Road || Front ||
|-
|[https://voltonbicycles.com/shop/alation-500/ Volton Bicycles Alation 500] || $1400 || 45KPH 28MPH || 53KM 33MI || 528WH (48V*11AH) || 500W || Rear geared hub || Commuter || Yes || Chain || Mech Disc|| Road || Front ||
|-
|[https://shop.sondors.com/pages/sondors-x-may-shipping Sondors X] || $1499 || 32KPH 20MPH || 84KM 52MI || 840WH (48V*17.5AH) || 500W || Rear geared hub || Beach || Yes || Chain || Mech Disc||Fat || None ||
|-
|[https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radrover-electric-fat-bike?variant=5032654929951 RadRover] || $1499 || 32KPH 20MPH || 67KM 42MI || 672WH (48V*14AH) || 750W || Rear geared hub || Fat bike || Yes || Chain || Mech Disc||Fat || Front ||
|-
|[https://prodecotech.com/electric-bikes/islander-series/ ProdecoTech Islander 3.6] || $1599 || 32KPH 20MPH || 53KM 33MI || 528WH (48V*11AH) || 400W || Rear DD hub || Beach cruiser || Yes || Chain || Hydraulic Disc || Dirt || None ||
|-
|[https://www.voltbike.com/voltbike-outback.html Voltbike Outback] ||$1699 || 32KPH 20MPH || 56KM 35MI || 556WH (48V*11.6AH) || 1000W || Rear DD hub || MTB || Yes|| Chain ||Hydraulic Disc ||Off-Road ||Full || Canadian
|-
|[https://lunacycle.com/luna-folding-ebike/ Luna Folding Ebike] ||$1699 || 48KPH 30MPH || 31KM 19MI || 312WH (52V*6AH) || 750W || Mid drive || Folding Commuter || Yes || Chain || Mech Disc || Road || None||
|-
|[https://www.juicedbikes.com/products/crosscurrent-s2 Juiced Riders Cross Current S2] || $1799 || 45KPH 28MPH || 68KM 42MI || 676WH (52V*13AH) || 350W || Rear geared hub || Road Bike || No || Chain || Mech Disc || Road || Front ||
|-
|[https://lunacycle.com/luna-sixfifty-lone-wolf-hard-tail/ Luna SixFifty Lone Wolf] ||$1999 || 64KPH 40MPH || 62KM 39MI || 624WH (52V*12AH) || 1500W || Mid drive (BBSHD) || MTB || Yes|| Chain ||Mech Disc||Dirt||Front|| 2500W available for +$250
|-
|[https://www.biktrix.com/collections/bikes/products/stunner-x Biktrix Stunner X] ||$1999 || 45KPH? 28MPH? || 58KM 36MI || 576WH (48V*12AH) || 750W || Mid drive || Beach cruiser|| Yes|| Chain ||Mech Disc||Fat Dirt||Front|| ships from Canada. Hydraulic brakes +$299, upgraded battery +$

|}

==Mid-range ($2000-3500)==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name!!data-sort-type="currency"|Price!!data-sort-type="number"|Speed!!data-sort-type="number"|Range!!data-sort-type="number"|Battery!!data-sort-type="number"|Motor Power!!Motor type!! Bike type!!Throttle?!!Drive!!Brakes!!Tires!!Suspension!!Notes
|-
|[http://www.daymak.com/calgary.html Daymak Calgary] ||$2399 || 32KPH 20MPH || 40KM 25MI || 396WH (36V*11AH) || 350W || Rear unknown hub || MTB? || Yes|| Chain ||Hydraulic Disc||Dirt||Front||
|-
|[https://www.biktrix.com/collections/bikes/products/juggernaut-ultra-1000 Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra 1000] || $2600 || 56KPH 35MPH || 67KM 42MI || 672WH (48V*14AH) || 1000w || Mid drive (Bafang) || Fat bike || Yes|| Chain ||Hydraulic* Disc||Fat Dirt||Front|| Ships from Canada *Some specials due to preorder
|-
|[https://www.haibikeusa.com/sduro-trekking-2-0-hi-step-h-24.html 2019 Haibike Sduro Trekking 2.0] ||$2799 || 32KPH 20MPH || ?KM ?MI || ?WH (36V*?AH) || 250W || Mid drive (Yamaha) || MTB || No || Chain ||Hydraulic Disc||Road||Front||
|-
|[https://www.karmicbikes.com/shop/karmic-koben-m-e7xaw Karmic Koben] ||$3200 || 32KPH 20MPH || 51KM 32MI || 510WH (44V*11.6AH)|| 350W || Mid drive (Bafang Max) || Road bike || No|| Belt ||Hydraulic Disc||Road||None|| Only 500 charge cycles on battery. Multiple sizes.
|-
|[https://lunacycle.com/sur-ron-mx-electric/ Sur-Ron] ||$3495 || 72KPH 45MPH || 198KM 123MI || 1980WH (60V*33AH) || 5000W || Mid drive || E-dirtbike || Yes|| Chain || Mech Disc|| Dirt ||Full|| Super-Moto Conversion +$350 (street tires)
|}

==Premium (>$3500)==

{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name!!data-sort-type="currency"|Price!!data-sort-type="number"|Speed!!data-sort-type="number"|Range!!data-sort-type="number"|Battery!!data-sort-type="number"|Motor Power!!Motor type!! Bike type!!Throttle?!!Drive!!Brakes!!Tires!!Suspension!!Notes
|-
|[https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/electric-hybrid-bikes/allant/allant-8s/p/30265/?colorCode=grey 2020 Trek Allant+ 8S]||$4299 || 45KPH 28MPH || 63KM 39MI || 626WH (36V*17.4AH) || 350W || Mid drive (Bosch) || Commuter || ? || Chain ||Hydraulic Disc||Road||None||
|-
|[https://lunacycle.com/luna-cycle-apollo/ Luna Cycle Apollo]||$5550 || 64KPH 40MPH || 101KM 62MI || 1092WH (52V*21AH) || 2000W || Mid drive (Peak Mag Ultra) || MTB || Yes || Chain ||Mech Disc||Dirt||Full||
|-
|[https://wattwagons.com/products/ultimate_commuter_pro Ultimate Commuter Pro]||$6499 || 64KPH 40MPH || 72KM 45MI || 880WH (52V*17.5AH) || 750W || Mid drive (Peak Mag Ultra) || Commuter || Yes || Belt ||Hydraulic Disc (Magura)||Road||None|| Rohloff, Brooks Saddle, Kinect Active Suspension Seatpost, Titanium Frame, custom Miranda Cranks, up to 300lb rider
|}

==Other Resources==
Probably the most comprehensive site for US factory-built models is Electric Bike Review. http://electricbikereview.com/

Revision guidelines: Rather than being comprehensive, listings in each category should be only the highest quality for the price, bikes that do not meet this standard should be removed if the list gets too big. Maintain style on the page. If revising older content, please leave a note in 'reason for revision' box after saving for easy reference, just a summary of what was edited and why. Entries need actual price, not introductory price, demo price, or "Crowd Funder" price. The voltage listed should be the nominal voltage, not max.

This list taken from https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/wiki/factory_built courtesy of https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes

Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor

2022-01-15T08:20:03Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Which type of pedal assistance should you implement? If you want to ride your e-bike like a bicycle, pedaling but with help, torque sensing is vastly superior. Simple cadence-sensing PAS, as on the BBSHD, simply detects whether or not the pedals are moving, and applies a set amount of power based on which PAS level you've set it to. It's like a cruise control, but in predefined steps, and that only works when you're pedaling or pretending to pedal. Torque-sensing PAS d..."

Which type of pedal assistance should you implement?

If you want to ride your e-bike like a bicycle, pedaling but with help, torque sensing is vastly superior.
Simple cadence-sensing PAS, as on the BBSHD, simply detects whether or not the pedals are moving, and applies a set amount of power based on which PAS level you've set it to. It's like a cruise control, but in predefined steps, and that only works when you're pedaling or pretending to pedal.

Torque-sensing PAS detects not only whether or not you're pedaling, but also how much effort you're putting in, and it applies power proportional to how much effort you're putting in.

If you enjoy pedaling and/or saving battery then you may be interested in some assistance.
In certain locations pedal assistance is also the law.
The two most common types are a magnetic cadence PAS sensor and a bottom bracket torque sensor.

==Cadence / Magnetic Ring Pedal Assist System (PAS)==
pros:
*Inexpensive
*Generally included with hub motor kits
cons:
*Limited by the controllers algorithm, whether that be good or bad is left up to your controllers software
*Measures crank movement instead of force, therefore not as accurate or efficient

==Torque sensors (bottom bracket type)==
pros:
*More accuracy and efficiency
*Measures the force you apply to it and can distribute proportional force (or more, depending on your software)
*More flexibility, feels more like a bike than a typical PAS system.
cons:
*More expensive
*Requires drilling a hole in the bottom bracket shell for the wire

LED Lighting

2022-01-15T08:19:45Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Led lighting. a complex subject where the leds range from really good to absolute crap with seemingly little rhyme or reason. I hope to try and answer some of these questions ==Led Size== First off, you might see leds called '5050' or '5630' or '2835' but what do those model numbers mean? Well they are SMD codes for the size of the led in 0.1mm. so a 5630 is 5.6mm x 3.0mm and a 5050 is 5mm x 5mm. 5050 is going to be generally the biggest LED you find commonly and is a..."

Led lighting. a complex subject where the leds range from really good to absolute crap with seemingly little rhyme or reason. I hope to try and answer some of these questions

==Led Size==
First off, you might see leds called '5050' or '5630' or '2835' but what do those model numbers mean? Well they are SMD codes for the size of the led in 0.1mm. so a 5630 is 5.6mm x 3.0mm and a 5050 is 5mm x 5mm.

5050 is going to be generally the biggest LED you find commonly and is a nice square led so tends to fill light strips nicely. Bigger numbers are not always better, as for example the 5630 has less surface area then the 5050 since its rectangular, you have to compare the first two digits and last two separately.

Bigger does not always mean brighter however. Large leds can be made with very low current ratings, so high quality small leds will beat very cheap large leds. The best indicator of led performance is the rated current as most sellers lie about the rated wattage.

==About LED Strips==
When dealing with light strips, they generally will tell you an 'led/meter' figure that tells you how many leds you'll find per meter. The most common sizes are 30, 60, 120, 144 led/m.
100, 180, 204, 280 and 300 led/m also exist but are rare
The highest density you will find for 5050 leds is generally going to be 120 or 144led/m. I believe 120/144 is the highest fill (leds to dark area ratio) you'll find for leds as higher led/m just use much smaller leds.
Individually addressable LED strips require a controller to turn on or do anything. You can tell if its individually addressable because they will call it such and often describe it using a control IC like WS2812B. You must match your controller with the control IC.
Individually addressable LED strips come in 30, 60 and 144 led/m, while dumb led strips that just require power be applied come in 30, 60, 120, 180, 204, 280 and 300 led/m.
Basic and intelligent LED strips often come in 1M/2M/3M/4M/5M lengths, but only the 1M lengths seem to be commonly sold in 120/144 led density, likely due to the high current draw required.

They also make dumb 'RBG' strips where every led of the same color is connected to its own power wire, I believe these you could configure to any color by using a PWM controller or just large resistors in series with individual color inputs. I have noticed these in 30, 60 and 120 led/m, with some 'dual row' RGB+white strips being 120led/m but since its two rows its only as dense as 60led/m.

Led strips are commonly available in bare (PCB only), silicone coated or silicone tube waterproof. They are generally not sealed very well and would need additional sealant on the ends of the tube to become truly water proof.

==COB leds==
Next we have COB leds. Or 'chip on board' where the led dies are welded/soldered directly to the PCB and then some goop is put on top of the LED. While these often look like a continuous light panel they are still individual leds, and nobody seems to offer any indication of LED density. Some do still show individual led dots, often due to resistors and other circuity under the goop blocking light.
COB are available in all kinds of square/rectangular sizes. up to about 20cm long. They are generally a single fixed color and I have not seen any RGB cob lights or intelligent ones.
Note that not all cob leds are designed to run without a heat sink but many are. They seem more suited to stuffing into incandescent fixtures like turn signals.
Most are bare boards with solder terminals or wires, but a small number of COB boards prepackaged into a water proof case do exist, most commonly very cheap 14 and 17cm white led strips

==Led Brightness==

Led brightness is a difficult issue. It will be affected by many things such as the viewing angle as if the viewing angle is 2x as wide, the light will be 1/4 as bright because it has to cover 4x as much area with the same amount of light.

Also the wattage of most leds is often extremely exaggerated and is best ignored. What you should do is find out the current draw and multiply it by the rated voltage. so a 0.5A led * 12v = 6W led. You can expect an led watt to be about 7 times as bright as an incandescent bulb, so a 6W led becomes the equivalent of a 42W incandescent bulb.
As for efficiency of an led, In general most multiple led products are designed to run multiple leds in series to make it more efficient at 12v, getting about 70% of the power to the leds, or may even have some kind of SMPS that makes running the leds 80 to 90% efficient. But it is possible for them to just run one led in series and you would only get 30% efficiency. This would be rather rare however, so its generally safe to assume that most of the power given to an LED will actually be used to produce light, but that higher quality led products may be 20%+ more efficient then cheap led products, before even taking into account the lens and optics.

==Powering lights from E-bikes==
As for how to power you lights from your e-bike, while you will find a small range of lighting products designed for 36/48/52/60 and sometimes even 72v batteries, we have had much better success buying a 36~72v to 12v converter off ebay/amazon and just buying 12v automotive/motorcycle lighting and controls as there is a much better section in 12v then 36v+. Most decent lighting designed for e-bike voltages is also rather expensive. You can also get 12v blinkers and brake light flashers very cheaply on ebay.

==How many watts do I need?==
Incandescent car turn signals are around 27W for turning and another 8W for running light. this translates to about 3.8W for each LED turn signal and 1.1W for each LED running light. While you don't need to be as bright as a car I would highly suggest it is something to aim for and even consider exceeding. Car headlights are typically 50W each or about 7W in LED equivalent watts. LED strip lights come in wattages from 5 to 43W per meter. While led strips make poor headlights, they can be used for rather nice turn signals and running lights. Consider for on road headlights that the optics are of extreme importance to put the light where you need it and not into the eyes of other drivers. Many e-bikers have bought high power LED flood/spot lights expecting them to be good headlights only to find out they don't let you see very well and tend to blind all on coming traffic. Consider DOT or similar rated motorcycle headlights just because they tend to have optics that put the light in the correct direction.

Hub or Mid drive

2022-01-15T08:19:30Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Question: Hub or Mid drive? Both hub motors and mid drives have pros and cons. In general mid drives are better for steep hills while hub motors are better for flat terrain. There is actually two types of hub motor as well, direct drive and geared. Here is a more detailed pro and con list to help you decide. ==Direct drive hub motor pros:== *Ultra Low maintenance *Easy to install *Regen braking, Gain about 10% more range and reduce brake pad wear significantly. ==Dir..."

Question: Hub or Mid drive?
Both hub motors and mid drives have pros and cons. In general mid drives are better for steep hills while hub motors are better for flat terrain. There is actually two types of hub motor as well, direct drive and geared. Here is a more detailed pro and con list to help you decide.

==Direct drive hub motor pros:==
*Ultra Low maintenance
*Easy to install
*Regen braking, Gain about 10% more range and reduce brake pad wear significantly.
==Direct drive hub motor cons:==
*Overheats on steep hills that slow the motor down.
*Requires torque arms: Sold separately.
*Cogs (drags) when pedaled without power.
*Large and heavy for the power level.
==Geared hub motor pros:==
*Low maintenance
*Easy to install
==Geared hub motor cons:==
*Overheats on steep hills that slow the motor down.
*Poor heat dissipation due to gearing system.
*Requires torque arms: Sold separately.
==Mid drive pros:==
*Crazy torque in lower gears for climbing any hill, uses your bikes drive train and gears for much faster acceleration without sacrificing top speed.
*Can climb any hill efficiency without overheating the motor
*More efficient over a wide range of speeds
*Some come with built in torque sensors
==Mid drive cons:==
*High maintenance. Will cause chains and sprockets to wear down much faster and can cause damage to the chain/frame if the chain falls off your front sprocket while throttle is applied.
*Slightly more difficult install.
*Often limits you to 1 front sprocket gear. While some mid drives like cyclone support 2 front sprocket gears it causes the chain to get trapped much easier if it falls off.
*Generally can not support a torque sensor if the torque sensor is not built into the mid drive
*Some may not fit all bikes due to protruding metal around bottom bracket*
==External Links:==
[https://www.ebikes.ca/learn/why-hub-motors-are-awesome.html Why Hub Motors? By Grin Technologies]

Volts and Amps

2022-01-15T08:19:06Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Volts, Amp, Amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike? These are the units of measurements for batteries, controllers and motors. Lets dive into what each means in detail: ==Volts== Volts is directly related to max RPM for a given motor. For a given battery voltage will slowly decrease as it discharges (See https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/593205534862082075/620503053178503181/1545991790982-png.png for chart). ==Current== Current (measure..."

Volts, Amp, Amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

These are the units of measurements for batteries, controllers and motors. Lets dive into what each means in detail:

==Volts==
Volts is directly related to max RPM for a given motor. For a given battery voltage will slowly decrease as it discharges (See https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/593205534862082075/620503053178503181/1545991790982-png.png for chart).

==Current==
Current (measured in amps) is directly related to the torque of your motor. You will often see a controller specify its 'battery amps' and 'phase amps'. Phase amps are your peak torque at lower RPM, where the controller can exchange voltage for amps to give you extra torque at low speed. Battery amps are what will be drawn from the battery. You absolutely must have a battery rated for the same or more amps then your controller is rated to use or you will damage your battery when the controller draws too much.
==Watts==
Voltage * battery Amps = Watts. Watts are your power. In fact it takes 745.7watts to make one horsepower. While voltage determins your absolute max RPM, without more watts you won't go any faster unless you where limited by the motor reaching its max RPM before you ran out of watts.
==Amp Hours==
Amp hours are how many amps your battery can give for one hour. For example if it was 10 amp hours, it could give 10amps for one hour, or 20 amps for 30 minutes, or 5amps for 2 hours. You might be mistaken into thinking that amp hours are equal to range, but that is only true for a given voltage as watt hours are the true unit of energy storage.
==Watt Hours==
Watt hours are Amp hours * Voltage. They tell you the true power capacity of a battery. In fact you will often find electric vehicles energy efficency expressed in watt hours per KM or mile. (wh/km or wh/mi). For a very rough idea, you can assume about 10wh/km for very slow riding at 25kph or below on flat ground, 20wh/km for fast riding up to 45kph or on slightly hilly ground, and up to 40wh/km for very fast riding at up to 60kph or on very hilly ground. Exact figures vary greatly but this gives you a rough idea.
==C Rating==
Cells have what is known as a C rating, this is basically how quickly they can be discharged, with 1C being the current needed to fully discharge the cell in exactly 1 hour. You can calculate the peak discharge current by multiplying the AH rating and C rating hence for a 3.3Ah cell, 1C would be 3.3A and take 1 hour to discharge at that current. For a 2.5Ah cell, 1C would be 2.5A and also take one hour to discharge. a 2.5AH cell at 2C would fully discharge the cell in 30 minutes and at 5A current, 4C is the rate that would fully discharge the cell in 15 minutes at 10A for a 2.5AH cell, and so forth.

Note that the C rating is only the maximum you can safely draw from the cell, if you only draw at a lower current the cell will take as long to discharge as a lower C rated cell of the same Ah value

Premade or DIY

2022-01-15T08:18:38Z

Black Moons: Created page with "Premade or DIY, the decision can be tough. Most people don't have any experience in assembling mechanical devices or electrical work. Overall, DIY seems to be the way to go if you can. Many premade bikes use proprietary batteries controllers/shapes and some even use controllers that won't work without the exact same brand battery. a DIY bike can be repaired with off the shelf bike parts and the battery/controller/motor can be replaced with pretty much any other batter..."

Premade or DIY, the decision can be tough. Most people don't have any experience in assembling mechanical devices or electrical work.

Overall, DIY seems to be the way to go if you can. Many premade bikes use proprietary batteries controllers/shapes and some even use controllers that won't work without the exact same brand battery.

a DIY bike can be repaired with off the shelf bike parts and the battery/controller/motor can be replaced with pretty much any other battery/controller/motor of similar spec. In the event of damage/failure of the frame the entire electrical kit can be swapped to a new bike. This gives you incredible flexibility to repair your vehicle should any particular company shut down in the future or have excessively high prices for some parts.

You can also make sure your batteries are from a name brand battery manufacture with DIY. Most prebuilds give little to no indication on who makes their batteries or who makes their cells.

That said, it is a lot easier to just buy a product and ride it. Due to the high currents involved in e-bikes it can be dangerous to DIY if the electrical work is incorrectly done. Same with the mechnical work. We highly recommend you not convert 'department store' bikes such as Walmart, Canadian tire, etc due to their low part and assembly quality and instead stick to bicycles sold by bike shops or 2nd hand bikes.

Safety Tips

2022-01-15T08:18:15Z

Black Moons: Created page with "E-bikes like all activities have risks and as such it is recommended you take steps to minimize these risks by following these safety tips: ==Always wear a helmet== This can not be stressed enough, many people on bikes suffer head injury due to not wearing a helmet. Consider a full face helmet due to the higher speeds e-bikes often travel at. ==Wear proper clothing== Its best to wear long sleeves that cover the elbows, pants that cover the knees and securely laced up..."

E-bikes like all activities have risks and as such it is recommended you take steps to minimize these risks by following these safety tips:

==Always wear a helmet==
This can not be stressed enough, many people on bikes suffer head injury due to not wearing a helmet. Consider a full face helmet due to the higher speeds e-bikes often travel at.

==Wear proper clothing==
Its best to wear long sleeves that cover the elbows, pants that cover the knees and securely laced up shoes to protect yourself during a crash. A thick jacket and glove are also highly recommended. Consider tucking your shoe lace ends into your shoe on the right leg to avoid them getting caught in the chain. elastics or Velcro strips can be used to keep baggy pants from being caught in the chain. It is especially important to keep your pants and shoe laces from being caught in the chain if you own a mid drive e-bike.

==Make sure your brakes are in working order==
You need both back and front brakes in case one fails. This can happen and they tend to fail at the worst time when you need maximum braking. Test that both brakes work and get used to using both of them. The rear brake is good if you have to brake while turning or on slippery surfaces while the front brake is generally much more effective when you are braking in a straight line and have decent traction.

==Look out for dangerous road conditions==
Ice, wet roads, wet leaves, pine needles, sand, gravel and other road debris can cause loss of traction on a bike, especially bikes with smoother tires. Consider testing the traction you have available with your rear brake when the roads are wet or frosty and ride cautiously enough to ensure you don't need more braking force then that.

==Be visible==
Wear bright clothing and/or install bright lighting on your bike. Even during the day time bright clothing and lights on your e-bike greatly help visibility. One popular option is installing daytime running lights powered off the e-bike's main battery with a battery voltage to 12v converter. Consider a wearing a high visibility vest if you want to ride at dusk or night time to greatly improve you visibility, especially if you intend to wear dark clothing.

==Learn to ride at lower speeds==
You can expect to crash a few times while learning to ride a bike. if you don't have a lot of experience riding a bike its highly recommended you stick to lower speeds to avoid serious injuries when you crash. Consider each crash a learning experience on what not to do.

Main Page

2022-01-15T08:17:48Z

Black Moons: Removed nonfunctional SEO

E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information.

We hope to answer all the questions you have about electric bikes from where and what parts to buy all the way to riding them for the maximum range.

This wiki is maintained by the E-Bikes discord. If you wish to chat in real time with us, come join us on [https://discord.gg/PZ2y4gv Discord] and support us via [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes Patreon]

==Beginners start here==

*[[Safety Tips]], Safety first. Don't skip this section!

*[[Premade or DIY]], what one is right for you?

*[[Volts and Amps]], amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

*[[Hub or Mid drive]], what one is best for you?

*[[Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor]], Methods to control your e-bike

*[[Prebuilt]] Prebuilt bicycles, just order and drive!

*[[Motor Controller]] Learn what your motor controller is and does

==Do It Yourself!==

*[[Buy a bike]] to convert.

*[[Batteries]], where to buy and what to look for.

*[[Motor]], where to buy and how to pick.

*[[Tools needed]] to convert a bike to an e-bike.

*[[Parallel Batteries]] for more capacity.

*[[Connectors]] to use and ones to avoid.

== Accessories for your e-bike ==

*[[LED Lighting]], Information about all the LED lights on the market and how to buy the right ones for you.

*[[Racks and Panniers]], Storage for your e-bike! put it to work getting your groceries.

*[[Tires]] Where the rubber meets the road! Learn to buy tires won't leave you on the side of the road with a flat.

== Other websites of interest ==

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html E-bike Simulator] Very accurate and useful e-bike Simulator. Has many motors modeled by actual testing including wind tunnel testing for cooling values. Often accurate within 10% or better to real world for top speed.

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/torque-arms.html Grin Torque Arm info] Super critical to read information about torque arms. Never use a V1 style torque arm they are well known to fail. Always use a V2/V3/V4 style if you are using a hub motor or your hub motor may destroy itself.

*[https://www.mpoweruk.com/ Electropaedia] a website about battery types and energy production.

Main Page

2022-01-15T08:16:49Z

Black Moons:

<seo title="E-bike Wiki - Encyclopedia of how-to guides and help" metakeywords="ebike, diy, build, help, prebuilt, manual, how-to" metadescription="E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information." />


E-bike Wiki is an online collaborative encyclopedia focused on selecting or building an E-bike, repair and related information.

We hope to answer all the questions you have about electric bikes from where and what parts to buy all the way to riding them for the maximum range.

This wiki is maintained by the E-Bikes discord. If you wish to chat in real time with us, come join us on [https://discord.gg/PZ2y4gv Discord] and support us via [https://www.patreon.com/Ebikes Patreon]

==Beginners start here==

*[[Safety Tips]], Safety first. Don't skip this section!

*[[Premade or DIY]], what one is right for you?

*[[Volts and Amps]], amp hours, watts and watt hours, what do they mean for an e-bike?

*[[Hub or Mid drive]], what one is best for you?

*[[Pedal Assist (PAS) or torque sensor]], Methods to control your e-bike

*[[Prebuilt]] Prebuilt bicycles, just order and drive!

*[[Motor Controller]] Learn what your motor controller is and does

==Do It Yourself!==

*[[Buy a bike]] to convert.

*[[Batteries]], where to buy and what to look for.

*[[Motor]], where to buy and how to pick.

*[[Tools needed]] to convert a bike to an e-bike.

*[[Parallel Batteries]] for more capacity.

*[[Connectors]] to use and ones to avoid.

== Accessories for your e-bike ==

*[[LED Lighting]], Information about all the LED lights on the market and how to buy the right ones for you.

*[[Racks and Panniers]], Storage for your e-bike! put it to work getting your groceries.

*[[Tires]] Where the rubber meets the road! Learn to buy tires won't leave you on the side of the road with a flat.

== Other websites of interest ==

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html E-bike Simulator] Very accurate and useful e-bike Simulator. Has many motors modeled by actual testing including wind tunnel testing for cooling values. Often accurate within 10% or better to real world for top speed.

*[https://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/torque-arms.html Grin Torque Arm info] Super critical to read information about torque arms. Never use a V1 style torque arm they are well known to fail. Always use a V2/V3/V4 style if you are using a hub motor or your hub motor may destroy itself.

*[https://www.mpoweruk.com/ Electropaedia] a website about battery types and energy production.