New ebike, cheater :) heeeere's greeny

[Mr Moofo]

How does the carbon protect better?

[crust]

How does the carbon protect better?

The carbon one wraps around the motor more whereas the ally one is just a strip that mimics the standard one.

To an extent I wouldn't mind if the carbon one gets destroyed as it shows its prevented the motor from taking the hit.

[Mr Moofo]

Just tried to fit a DyedBros frame protection kit to the Rail.
I did my Privateer in matt Dyed Bros - and the results were really good. It has also held up well so far. Hence I thought it would be a sensible idea

Revisited the DyedBro YouTube , cleaned everything, heat gun out - and off we go.
I plumped for a gloss film - and the result looks really crap. Air bubbles everywhere than refused to squeegee out, they did on the matt film - and then loads of tiny bubbles everywhere.
In threat you are meant to be able to peel off and chase the air bubbles out - but the film distorts and is difficult to get into position.
Suffice to say the rest of the kit will be going in the bin - and the top tube section will be being peeled off after tomorrows ride.

It's absolutely rubbish - I will go forward with the patina of scratches

[crust]

One of my pet peeves with MTB designers is the design of the swinging arm pivot area

Almost designed to collect mud so that the bearings can ingest it.

There are 3D printed 'shelves' on ebay but I some sheet rubber so a few minutes with some scissors and a couple of cable ties later, it's the mk1 version - proof of concept.

Was out last weekend with Weeksy and a couple of the lads, only wet grass not proper deep mud but did well.

20230708_163139 by crust, on Flickr

[crust]

Been struggling to get a bottle holder and bottle that fits, thried a couple of side loaders and a bottle relocating bracket

A tip of the @couch - specialised jobbie, even has a multitool on the bottom, job jobbed

20230708_163316 by crust, on Flickr

[Couchy]

One thing to check the bottom pivot are apparently dry from factory, mine cleaned up and greased, had started being noisy, bearings were fine though

[Mr Moofo]

One thing to check the bottom pivot are apparently dry from factory, mine cleaned up and greased, had started being noisy, bearings were fine though

Thanks for the heads up on that - will go and have a look at mine. Is it easy to remove and grease?

I bought a 3D pivot shelf - so I will let you know how that works
Just cogitating over the carbon engine guard - as I have already ground it in the four rides I managed before damaging myself

[weeksy]

Thanks for the heads up on that - will go and have a look at mine. Is it easy to remove and grease?

knowing designers, probably not... it'll be a pain in the arse job... but likely worth doing

[weeksy]

I have this in the garage for the weekend at Cwmcarn as a road-uplift vehicle

Anyway, when collecting it i noticed the lever on the front brake comes back to the bars. I mentioned it and @crust said it was OK... well that's a loose interpretation of OK in my book

So before work this morning i got it up in the stand and removed the pads... well, sorta pads... they're shall we say 'well used' maybe he needs to brake less.

Fitting new pads in and pushing the pistons back, nah wasn't enough clearance. So removed a little fluid, but still no.
It turns out one of the pistons wasn't moving at all. So out with the blood block and pushed it out, it was, somewhat tough to move. But once it moved and i gave it a little bit of a clean up, it was golden and moves in and out smoothly.
Then a quick re-bleed and it's once again a nice front brake

[MingtheMerciless]

Yesterday I had a short ride on an AMFLOW with the DJI motor/800whr battery. Only a few hundred meters but it was bloody powerful and weighed less than my Epocalypse with the battery out (ok I maybe exaggerating but you get the idea). It made every motor I've ridden so far feel pants (EP8, Brose Gen 2, latest Bosch). Smooth, light and the punch from boost mode (30secs at 1000W) would be hilarious on challenging climbs. It hit the 16mph limiter too quickly and is crying out for 20mph (which you can apparently do using a VPN and registering it in a suitable location).

[Mr Moofo]

I have this in the garage for the weekend at Cwmcarn as a road-uplift vehicle

Anyway, when collecting it i noticed the lever on the front brake comes back to the bars. I mentioned it and @crust said it was OK... well that's a loose interpretation of OK in my book

So before work this morning i got it up in the stand and removed the pads... well, sorta pads... they're shall we say 'well used' maybe he needs to brake less.

Fitting new pads in and pushing the pistons back, nah wasn't enough clearance. So removed a little fluid, but still no.
It turns out one of the pistons wasn't moving at all. So out with the blood block and pushed it out, it was, somewhat tough to move. But once it moved and i gave it a little bit of a clean up, it was golden and moves in and out smoothly.
Then a quick re-bleed and it's once again a nice front brake

I canged my pads after 1500km - they were shot. And the pistons were also really hard to shift

[Nordboy]

Yesterday I had a short ride on an AMFLOW with the DJI motor/800whr battery. Only a few hundred meters but it was bloody powerful and weighed less than my Epocalypse with the battery out (ok I maybe exaggerating but you get the idea). It made every motor I've ridden so far feel pants (EP8, Brose Gen 2, latest Bosch). Smooth, light and the punch from boost mode (30secs at 1000W) would be hilarious on challenging climbs. It hit the 16mph limiter too quickly and is crying out for 20mph (which you can apparently do using a VPN and registering it in a suitable location).

It's certainly an eyeopener that new DJI motor, would like to try one. I guess the only reservation at the moment is the reliability and back up of DJI? Bosch are very good at both so get most of the sales. If they prove that the DJI has both then they really have upped the game and could be on to a winner.

[weeksy]

Yesterday I had a short ride on an AMFLOW with the DJI motor/800whr battery. Only a few hundred meters but it was bloody powerful and weighed less than my Epocalypse with the battery out (ok I maybe exaggerating but you get the idea). It made every motor I've ridden so far feel pants (EP8, Brose Gen 2, latest Bosch). Smooth, light and the punch from boost mode (30secs at 1000W) would be hilarious on challenging climbs. It hit the 16mph limiter too quickly and is crying out for 20mph (which you can apparently do using a VPN and registering it in a suitable location).

It's certainly an eyeopener that new DJI motor, would like to try one. I guess the only reservation at the moment is the reliability and back up of DJI? Bosch are very good at both so get most of the sales. If they prove that the DJI has both then they really have upped the game and could be on to a winner.

Apart from as a tow-up bike for him or uplift bus for myself, i can't say the DJI interests me at all, especially in the Amflow frame which is fair basic/generic anyway. But massive power just holds no interest to me really. Of course you can turn it down, but we're boys, we do what we do

[weeksy]

Was interesting riding this a bit at the weekend and a few things stand out on it.

the power was great, with the cut-off not being nearly as harsh as on the Shimano EP6RS, nice... The difference in modes was quite significant with Emtb being a chunk more than Tour, more than you'd expect i guess and the kick for turbo was pretty powerful, but on the down bits i wasn't really having it on as the track suits less power not more.
The weight though, that's also way more noticable than on the Rise. Not in a good way as you simply cannot pop things in the same way and it gives the old steam-roller effect we all know with Eebs.

The boy slowed down the rebound by 4 clicks (sorry @crust but i think you'll prefer it) on the shock after bouncing around on it. The handling was nice and the bike overall was sweet. I need to un-bleed a little fluid from the front as they're not even and the front is a bit firm, although i think Crust will prefer the front firmer so i may leave it for him.

It's got a few little creaks and rattles that ebikes seem to have, but not a lot i can do about it and it's not my bike lol. Our mate had a Rail as well and that was WAY more whiny than Crusts one which again was somewhat interesting, why would they be different.. this other one has about 40 miles on the clocks from new, but it was proper noisy.

All in all there was nothing in the Rail that really stood out as a reason to buy one for me... apart of course from having a motor and making it easy... but then again, there was nothing that stood out for a reason NOT to buy one either.

[weeksy]

I was lucky enough to borrow this for a few days as it was needed as pit-crew for the weekends race. Due to a few reasons it didn't really move at the weekend but i took it to the farm shop yesterday.

@crust knows well the routes up there, it's got a decent hill in it no matter what route you take. This thing though honestly takes the piss and i can see why i lost power/fitness when i had the Rise. It just flies up and over everything and whilst i'm sure you CAN work on an eeb, i'm not convinced many do or will. I certainly didn't yesterday, i just turned it on and cruised up everything with 0 effort.

It kinda highlights why i do and don't want and Ebike all in one little ride. They're just EPIC at getting to places, but there's just no fitness coming from it.
I'm amazed Crust comes out riding with me, he must be so bloody bored lol.

They're very much a conundrum to me.... I think if you buy an Eeb, you're an Eeb for the duration as going back to manual is really really tough.
It's a whole different sport.

It had insane brake rub from a warped rotor which i've now sorted lol. The gears, honestly they're bloody horrific... I fitted a new inner, but it's going to Rotec today for a full outer as the inner was next to impossible to thread through due to crap in there. I struggled with it but the clicks are just not nice... So i couldn't be arsed doing the inner routing myself so will give it to Rotec to do

[mboy]

It kinda highlights why i do and don't want and Ebike all in one little ride. They're just EPIC at getting to places, but there's just no fitness coming from it.

I'll reiterate my point... You're either hardwired to put effort in and just go further/faster, or you're not... I know I am, you obviously aren't!

My fitness is coming on leaps and bounds with an eBike, but now I have 2 of them (full power and SL) I'm getting different workouts too. Keeping up with full power boys on my SL for 3hrs on Sunday morning was interesting, but I just about managed for 15 miles and 1000m of ascent before my battery died...

I've lost over 2 inches off my waist in the last 3 months, my average power output on a ride is up from under 150w to 185-190 (managed 209W avg on Sunday morning but was goosed!)... I've done a couple of almost 50km rides with 2km climbing now and my heart rate is typically zone 3/4 for most of the ride on an eBike where I'm much more zone 1/2 with occasional zone 5 spikes on a regular bike. I've even started to build my quads back again, which I didn't expect!

5yrs ago I was a 30yr veteran of MTBing and still particularly eBike sceptical... Now I'm a 35yr veteran of MTBing who isn't bothered if I don't own another unassisted MTB ever again, I'm that much of a convert to them!

[weeksy]

I'll reiterate my point... You're either hardwired to put effort in and just go further/faster, or you're not... I know I am, you obviously aren't!

LOL yeah sure.... couldn't be further from the truth if you tried... I'm very much hardwired for that hence how i've done long days, 100+ mile days, pushed myself to the limit time and time again.

But IMO Ebikes are a totally different sport.

[MingtheMerciless]

Agree that it's a different sport but if I'm in the mood I spank myself harder on the eeb in terms of av HR per ride than I do the MTB or road bike. I love the eeb for its ability to get me out when I'm not feeling it or have done a lot of analogue in the days before but still want to go out (weirdly I bump into Grayson Perry occasionally on the Downs and he is of the same opinion). I like its ability to cover ground quickly on my time constrained morning off road commutes and big off road adventures.

At the moment, for me, both have their place. Solo off road its my Curtis, with my younger mates it'll usually be the eeb (but then they tend to favour them).

[weeksy]

Agree that it's a different sport but if I'm in the mood I spank myself harder on the eeb in terms of av HR per ride than I do the MTB or road bike. I love the eeb for its ability to get me out when I'm not feeling it or have done a lot of analogue in the days before but still want to go out (weirdly I bump into Grayson Perry occasionally on the Downs and he is of the same opinion). I like its ability to cover ground quickly on my time constrained morning off road commutes and big off road adventures.

At the moment, for me, both have their place. Solo off road its my Curtis, with my younger mates it'll usually be the eeb (but then they tend to favour them).

The 'tiredness' was why i chose the Eeb yesterday as i'd been up and about all weekend at the Nationals and it was too sunny to drive, but i couldn't be bothered using the manual as it was getting late and my legs were tired... There is the downside that having the 'lazy' option available does mean you are more prepared to use it.

[mboy]

I'll reiterate my point... You're either hardwired to put effort in and just go further/faster, or you're not... I know I am, you obviously aren't!

LOL yeah sure.... couldn't be further from the truth if you tried... I'm very much hardwired for that hence how i've done long days, 100+ mile days, pushed myself to the limit time and time again.

But IMO Ebikes are a totally different sport.

You've taken that the wrong way... I meant that you're either hardwired, given the option to use assistance, to use it to just go further/faster or simply to reduce the effort... Not that you're not hardwired not to put effort in in the first place.

And that's why eBikes work so well for some people (myself included, and several friends who had basically given up on riding altogether), and don't work for others... For me, using Turbo/Boost is an absolute last resort, and I'll ride as much as I can in Eco/Tour+ before using eMTB mode too... The higher assist modes are only there as a get out of jail free card as and when I can't keep up or I'm spent. Some people just go straight for the higher assist modes and ride the bike like that, then the battery is done in 2hrs and they haven't had much of a workout compared to what they might have done otherwise...