Any question answered...

I'm after a media playing device for audio books and podcasts. Something that doesn't require a computer so probably WiFi and with Bluetooth.

Is there such a thing?

A cheap Android phone would be your best bet I think

An old phone paired with a portable speaker?

I had considered an old android phone, but was hoping for something small and specific. Thanks for the recommendation though!

Last time I looked into this a few Cowon devices came up but ultimately a phone was cheaper and more functional.

I'm in Rome for a few days with work. Is there anything I must do? Outside of the usual tourist stuff? Any bike shops that sell great frames in giant size for bargainzz? I also need to watch the second England friendly. Any bar recommendations?

I have this bolt, which has 8.8 CW stamped on the end. I want to extend the thread. Which tap and die thing do I need?

1 Attachment

@moocher
8.8 refers to the tensile strength of the bolt - it doesn't relate to size.

Depending on what your planned use is I would suggest against cutting more threads. The existing ones will be rolled threads and stronger than what you can cut. Almost certainly cheaper to buy a new bolt.

OK cheers

Ok hivemind, what was the consensus again on:

Axle (surly new ultra disc rear, Allen key domes)
Doesn't fit track ends of:
Octane one kode.

File axle or frame?

Cheers

File axle or frame?

Have you already scraped all the paint off? Start with that, and if it still doesn't fit then file the areas marked up in red

1 Attachment

A friend is involved with this company: http://cyclingwithoutage.org/ He is in Neuchatel, a town that is mostly on a hill, thus he is looking at some powered assistance. He tells me that the location of an electric motor (front hub, rear hub, BB) makes a difference in the available power. I thought watts was watts when it came to such things, no? So three motors with exactly the same amount of torque and power will produce differently depending on location on the bike/trike?

I thought watts was watts when it came to such things, no?

For simplicity, restricted e-bikes will be electronically limited, as it's easier to measure voltage and current at the motor input than torque and angular velocity at the final drive. For that reason, drivetrain losses will make a BB powered e-bike slightly less powerful measured at the tyres than a hub powered one, but only by a few percent. They will all be velocity limited by reference to wheel speed so the slightly reduced power will only actually mean slower speed in conditions where more than 250W total power is needed, which means up hill. At worst, when speed has dropped so low that aero and rolling almost drop out of the equation and nearly all the power goes to lifting the weight against gravity, the speed drop will be directly proportional to the power drop.

I was planning on stripping the frame anyway, so yeah, that'll be done then.
Cheers

So which location would you recommend for a motor on the kind of load carrying trike like a Christiania Taxi-2? That is, if you could place it at any of the three potential spots?
And thanks, by the way.

Back wheel I'd say, fewer moving parts between the motor and the road to sap the output.

I'd think so too, and like tester says the losses will be slightly greater on a BB motor. That said, most ebike blogs seem to prefer that location, saying that hub motors get "bogged down" on long, steep climbs. They claim that the mid mount location utilizes the gears better, somehow is better integrated.

They claim that the mid mount location utilizes the gears better

That's the trade off, a hub motor has to work over the full range of wheel speeds, a BB motor only has to deal with the narrower range of crank speeds. Also, BB mount is better balanced if you have to pick the bike up, but that's not likely to be an issue for old people on cargo trikes.

which location would you recommend

I'd recommend looking at the totality of the vehicle and not being too obsessed with a detail which can be made to work fine in either position

Which would effectively mean it either being shit at low speeds (when you probably need it most) or inefficient at higher speeds (where it'll be used most of the time)?

...ish, but electric motors (DC ones at least) are actually well suited to replacing human power, where you want maximum torque at low speed failing off as speed rises to deliver more or less constant power.

The main issue with hub motors is that they turn too slowly, being locked to wheel speed, to be optimum size and weight for the power required. BB motors can be optimised, but then the reduction gear takes up space and weight as well as cost, so it's far from a free lunch. As I said, good designs can be constructed around either option.

Cheers tester.

Does anyone know of a home insurance policy which allows you to leave the property unoccupied for a decent amount of time in a row - say like 3-4 months?

Cheers

Some time ago someone asked about photo books and I recommended somewhere.
Can anyone help my memory, was it photo book. I think it was on this thread....

It was chatbook