Blog

This year has been a solid one for us and we want to thank all the great customers from all over the world who have made that happen. Below is a world map showing the destination of every outgoing shipment that we sent in 2012. Can you find yourself? Surprised at how many others in your city are fellow Grinners too? (The longitudinal resolution is cropped a bit to preserve anonymity).

Things have clearly come a long way from our manual pin map of 2007, and it's fascinating to see what a global phenomenon the DIY electric bike scene has grown into.

Let's keep that trend alive and healthy, as the world slowly comes to realize that ebikes are the answer to so many of our future troubles.

Open Sat Dec 22nd, 12-5pm, then Closed Dec 24th - Jan 3rd

We hope everyone gets to enjoy a great holiday too. We will be open this Saturday, Dec 22nd, from 12:00-5pm for anyone wanting to get parts for their winter build projects or get in on the Christmas specials. That will also be the last day to pick up one of the new Xtracycle Edgerunner ebikes this year. After that the shop will be closed until Jan 3rd 2013.

Did we say Christmas Specials?

In additional to the cosmetic defect rear LED lights mentioned last week, we've got a whole new stash of miscellaneous motors, batteries, controllers, lights, and Cycle Analysts which are priced to sell. Adam has compiled all of these on the endless-sphere For Sale forum where they are available first come first serve.

One thing that helps in the service and repair business is having the right tools. After going through a multitude of different crimping tools for the JST-SM connector used in all the signal wires of an ebike system, we finally found one with a precise wire-EDM cut die that does perfect crimps every time. This has been such a joy to use in our own repair work that we purchased a few case loads of them to offer to our DIY inclined customers as well, on our Misc. Parts page. It’s one item you’ll be glad to have in the tool box.

We are now offering a torque assist bundle with all of our conversion kits based on the Version3 Cycle Analyst and THUN torque sensing bottom brackets. This allows any ebike kit to have proportional torque pedal assistance, with all the assist settings fully customizable. And unlike any other PAS system it also gives you a readout of your human power output in watts, something previously only available in expensive training power meters that start at $1000. Although the Version3 Cycle Analyst firmware is still in final beta state, we are making the unit generally available now as the hardware and B19 and B20 firmware have been totally solid.

In addition we've made available a number of upgrade and repair parts for advanced users of the Cycle Analyst, such as spare shunts, cable harnesses, mounting brackets etc. all listed on the the recently updated CA store site.

It's been a year since CleverCycles discontinued the Stokemonkey drive for longtail bikes due to sourcing complications. We've been working behind the scenes with them to bring about a next generation Stokemonkey and are glad to announce a new mid-drive motor that is smoother, 1kg lighter, and better waterproofed than the original.

While there are still some details to sort with the brackets and hardware before the full kit is available again, we do have some motors with cosmetic defects suitable for those doing custom DIY mid-drives. These hubs are already listed on our simulator in two different windings (StokeM08, 09) and fit a single speed freewheel with a bare minimum of axle protrusion. Here is a side view showing key dimensions. Please contact us for details if interested.

Some people love the rain, some people don't mind suiting up head to toe in gortex in order to brave the rain. But for most people, riding in the rain sucks. While recumbent bike riders have had fairings and protection for some time, Veltop from France is the best full cover bike canopy for upright bikes that we have seen.

It's not perfect but it's a step in the right direction, and for those who want to stay mostly dry without suiting up, and who don't mind turning heads everywhere, this can be a fun way to go. Your electric hub negates any extra wind drag of the windscreen. We've got a few extras on hand and have listed them on a new 'cargo/rain' section of the store site.

In our last Crystalyte shipment we brought it some of the very large 5400 series Crystalyte motors at the request of several customers. These motors are tanks, designed for 150mm rear dropouts, and their 13.5kg (27lb) mass means they can handle significant power levels for long periods of time before overheating.

The hubs are on our simulator, and have been modeled in CAD as well. We only have a handful left from this order available both independently or as part of a kit with a 40A 72V controller.

We've also dyno tested and modeled some lightweight (< 2.5kg) geared motors which are now on the simulator, including the Cute Q100 and a couple windings of Tongxin motor. It’s been on our mind for many years to have something in the small and light category for those who are only after 200-300 watts of assist. Whether one of these fits the bill is too early to say, but those who want to be on the on the early testing front can contact us for samples.

More Powerful eZee Motors

We've worked with eZee to help make a higher torque version of their geared hub motor, by upgrading to a wider 17mm stator core inside without any change to the external dimensions. This has increased the power and torque capability by almost 30% with only minimal increase in weight. We have the V2 eZee motors now in stock in all 20", 26" and 700c kit sizes and have modeled them on our motor simulator as well.

Change in the Accessories

There are several other changes we have made to the eZee kits as well. The eZee kits now come standard with a 25A rather than a 20A controller to take advantage of the extra torque capability of the motor. As well, previous items like the PAS sensor and ebrake cutoffs are now going to be handled via a Cycle Analyst, rather than directly to the controller.

LED Battery Indicator

The 3-LED indicator has also been eliminated. We will soon have a more comprehensive 5-LED option for those who want a basic indicator but don't require the full features of the Cycle Analyst.

And last but not least, the new disk brake compatible Kris Holm unicycles are in stock at our little uni shop too. The KH spirit cranks include a standard 6-bolt disk attachment that puts the rotor on the outside of your unicycle frame, and with a retrofit bearing clamp you can easily take advantage of disk brakes on any older unicycle as well.

Finally, the Cycle Analyst V3 Beta program is ready to ramp up to the next level for wider spread testing, as we have a fresh production run in stock. Please see the special V3 purchase page for details. We also have a good supply of Thun torque sensing bottom brackets with a custom cable harness that lets you install it and plug into a CA without any connector crimping, and are keen to see more riders experiment with a CA V3 pedalec mode.