My full sus diy fully repairable ebike
Posted by dlbogdan@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 36 comments
Cube AMS Pro 130, Magura brakes, SRAM AXS Wireless Dropper Post, 27.5" wheels.
CYC Photon Gen 2, powered by Gouach Infinite Battery, powering Enviolo HD Hub.
Needs cable management, and a headlight (already prepared a Supernova M99 Pro)
I'm lost for words. Legit, I don't know what to say. It's just beyond flawless.
Ask me anything.
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Update. Love the bike overall. Kind of hate the enviolo and love it too. Too heavy, can’t really shift it until your pedals are dead stopped. On the plus side, smooth and amazing control over the ratio. Probably will replace it though.
MrM3ow@reddit
What was the total cost of the battery kit, with the shell and cells? Is it 52V or 48? How's it treating you?
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
48V 13s3p with sony vtc6 cells. It’s good, 25A limited. The best thing about it is that you can replace the cells in 15 minutes. It’s also presumably very safe, with its aluminum body.
whoopdedoo0@reddit
On a bike with 2 batteries, the first bike is 36v 10.4ah and the second battery is 36v 14ah, which battery balancer would you choose?
A 30A, 40A or 60A battery balancer? Or potentially higher?
Because it’s a bit confusing.
MrM3ow@reddit
Cool, thanks! I've been eyeing a kit like this because I have some spare 18650s and I like repairable tech. Safe rides to you!
bubbadumptruck@reddit
hey, dumb question from a noob: why is there a derailleur when there is only one gear in the back?
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
It’s just a chain tensioner, the one and only Shimano CT-S500. And you need that on a full suspension (chain would not permit the movement to take place otherwise)
bubbadumptruck@reddit
oic, makes complete sense. thanks for the explanation!
gatorsurf87@reddit
What roughly u think the weight is at
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
I’ll measure it and come back here but roughly I’d say it’s below 30kgs and with no battery is quite light. Can lift it up comfortably with two fingers.
kcattattam@reddit
Why in the world would you build an eMTB around an aluminum frame? The weight of the battery jostling on rough trails will destroy the bosses in the first month (if not the first week), and you'll be adding ugly straps to keep that shit in place. Not to mention holy rock strikes on the motor, Batman!
Should have chosen a beefy cheomoly steel hardtail frame (think Kona Honzo) where you could drill holes in the downtube and really lock the battery in place. Not to mention keep the bottom of the motor above the bottom of the bashguard.
At least it's "repairable" in that you can ditch that frame and start over by moving over to a real frame!
aero_sock@reddit
i recently got a really beefy 6kg hailong type battery for my bike with an aluminum frame as well. it's not an mtb and i mostly ride in the city, but with cobbles and tram tracks and potholes, i've also been really worried about the frame giving out
for now im just securing it with big metal hose clamps and hope it lasts lol
kcattattam@reddit
Yeah I thought the bottle bosses on my chromoly steel frame would be sufficient to hold my battery for commuting on pavement, and they were for a while, but eventually one of them broke loose from riding over train tracks, dropping off curbs, etc. So drilled through the underside of the downtube in that spot and got some stainless steel hardware (machine screw, washers, and an acorn nut) so I could apply some torque across the downtube and really lock the battery down. That was several thousand miles ago and I haven't had any issues since.
aero_sock@reddit
how big of a battery do you run?
kcattattam@reddit
I have a couple of 48V batteries. Both are in Reention DP-6 Polly cases. First is 10.4Ah (lower cost and gets me to work and back, so no regrets) and second is 17.5Ah (purchased from FTH, I use it on days I know I'll be cruising around town after work).
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Not my first diy ebike. I’m building a cover in Fusion for the motor and all the other bikes I built with aluminum frames were in fact fine, no problems. But thanks for your worries and thoughts.
kcattattam@reddit
May your trails be smooth and your luck be uninterrupted, cheers!
P.S. Here's a photo of the e-Honzo I saw on here a while back (not mine):
Bermnerfs@reddit
I went steel myself. I built one around a NS Surge Evo, 4130 chromoly steel frame. I am considering upgrading from the BBS02 to a CYC proton at some point. I am really happy with how it performs, but torque sensing would be a big improvement on the trails.
kcattattam@reddit
Hell yeah bro. I don't have any experience with CYC, but agree a gen 2 Photon would prob be a lot better on trails. I still ride only muscle bikes on trails. Love my BBSHD for commuting and grocery-getting tho
w0lfgangpuck@reddit
Looks quite sus indeed.
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Quite a dream to ride.
HattoriHanzo9999@reddit
Ooh, an actual person who’s used a Gouach Infinite Battery!
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Super nice battery kit. Also have one on my cargo bike pulled by a BBSHD which asks for 30A continuously and the battery remains cool to the touch.
HattoriHanzo9999@reddit
Does it provide enough amperage for the CYC Photon Gen 2 to run full blast?
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
the Gouache Infinite battery BMS is rated for 25A, but I'm pulling 30A continuously from it (with a BBSHD on my cargo bike) all day every day no problems up the hills here fully loaded with groceries, 25-30kph.
On this bike however, with the Photon Gen2 I'm prioritizing legs somewhat so I've set the max to 800W (on level 3) so it's also well within the BMS range.
I did an unrestricted test however, about 1700W on 13s config, and it did work fine but the battery being only 3P configuration, the voltage sag was a bit worrying (from 54V dips to 48.5V). no overheating though, no errors on the BMS.
Worried_Document8668@reddit
man, mid drive 130mm trailbike sounded really good until you put an enviolo on it. What was the thinking in getting a transmission that's known to be slow on the climb?
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Love the smooth CVT feeling. And it goes like a stabbed rat on the climbs with the 21T sprocket and 40T chainring. It’s also a cheap component. It is indeed the most questionable part of this build, not sure how reliable it will be.
twnznz@reddit
Which type of Enviolo is it? The EXtreme version?
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Heavy Duty version.
twnznz@reddit
OK. My advice, be careful - the torque you're reaching there might be around 100Nm at the wheel if you're pedalling. Don't stand on the pedals.
A 3x3 Nine would be safer but I recognise it's vastly more expensive. Interested to see how you get on.
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Yeah, it’s also sort of a test. If it breaks in a summer, it’s clear I need something else like you mentioned 3x3 Nine or Rohloff (though that is not a CVT). If however it breaks in 3 years, i’m better off just replacing it with another Enviolo. Quite cheap.
Brave-Designer-2080@reddit
This is a good test for enviolo on the photon
Worried_Document8668@reddit
it's not about speed. Enviolos are imo too slow in their shifting to cope with the quick inclination changes you encounter in something like trailriding.
when i borrowed a friends enviolo trekking bike a always felt like i was one or two gears off from where i should be ,when terrain got more technical
dlbogdan@reddit (OP)
Mine is not the automatic kind. I have the manual one.
Bermnerfs@reddit
Nice, looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!
I recently built my own hardtail E-MTB with a BBS02 mid drive. I am really happy with it. Now that it's finished, I have been eyeballing the CYC Proton as an option to convert my more "modern" trail hardtail which has boost spacing and wide chainstays that flare out, which causes interference with the secondary housing on the Bafang. I originally planned to convert that bike until I encountered the clearance issue, so went with plan B which was my non-boost NS Surge Evo build.
From what I have read, the Proton seems to be the better option for bikes with clearance/chainline issues that come with Bafang and Tongsheng mid-drives.
What is your bottom bracket width and did you encounter any fitment challenges? I'd like to see a top down photo of the motor entering the bottom bracket on the drive side. I would love to convert the newer bike and get the benefit of torque sensing on the trails, but want to be sure it will work before spending that kind of $.
SaccharineTits@reddit
Definitely sus.