[n18]

You could wear this filter($11), which is like HEPA filter, having 99.97% particulate efficiency. I have tried it, and it’s no more difficult to breath than cheap filters, but I didn’t use it while cycling.

[n18]

I prefer that it says this about speed limits on sidewalks: “Speed on sidewalks should be limited to 10?15? MPH, unless within 3 Feet from any pedestrian, then the speed limit would be 6 MPH.”

I doubt that this would be enforced, but laws job is to assign liability on the law breaker in case of crashes.

[n18]

The link in the middle of the article gives a link to a PDF file of the draft. Here are somethings I noted, but I am not an expert:

1 – In page 26 of 149: § 14.2-64.1 part D, students under 16 will not be allowed to bike to school using either the protected bike lanes, or the sidewalks adjacent to them, because riding on sidewalks would be prohibited when protected bike lanes are present. My guess is that the age required to use the road(and bike lanes) is 16, and so they can’t use either.
2 – Same page, part A: Speed limit for sidewalk riding(including regular bicycles) is not decided, they say 6 or 15 MPH. 6 MPH is too slow for bicycles, fine I think for scooters. 7 or 8 MPH is better.

The city of Fairfax has passed long time ago a similar ordinance, prohibiting sidewalk riding except in designated paths, so basically students are not allowed to bike to school; however, they didn’t post any signs that I could see, and so thanks to state law, that part of the ordinance is null and void.

[n18]

The Town of Vienna is holding a public hearing this upcoming Tuesday at 8 PM to discuss plans for a one-year pilot program allowing up to 150 E-Scooters/Bikes/E-Bikes per company(all links are to PDF files):

https://www.viennava.gov/index.aspx?NID=453

[n18]

Also, if a battery dies, you can just buy individual batteries and solder them yourself. E-Bike batteries are composed of these cells, and it’s not just one big battery. Here is the cheapest battery source that I could find, which is US based and genuine:

https://vruzend.com/product-category/18650-cells/

They cost $4 to $5 each, so for a 36V battery, you need 36V/3.6V(per cell voltage) = 10 cells. So this costs $40 for 2500 mAh. If you need 10 Ah, you need to buy 4x that, or $160, and connect them in a 4×10 grid. However, they are hard to solder, but not impossible(search YouTube for “soldering 18650” for examples). The proper way to solder them is by using a spot welder, which costs $90+.

[n18]

The first thing I would check when buying a new commuter is whether I can bring it into the office or secure garage or not. Leaving expensive bike/E-bike in the street in not an option for me, although with E-Bike weight is not an issue, so I could use more than one U-Lock, and GPS too. Folding bikes take less space, and are less objectionable, but that depends on the space available to store it.

I think the biggest issue with E-Bike and their kits, and the weakest link is the connectors and cables. It’s hard to waterproof these, so they are generally considered water-resistant. Controller boards are usually manufactured with high reliability, because virtually all of them are outsourced to companies specialized in PCB(Printed Circuit Boards) that use automated equipment. The enclosure around the controller is usually made of aluminum to cool it down. Cables on the other hand are almost always done in-house, although they can be outsourced, and that’s where the problem lies. Doing connectors and cables in-house has two issues:

1 – Soldering issues: Some of those who do it don’t have formal training, so they make mistakes. Weak joints overheat under heavy electrical load. Mechanical vibrations could get things loose afterward. This could take a while, so initial tests might show that it passed the test, but it would fail after a while. This explains why a product has both good and bad reviews, depending on who put the cables together. One common mistake is that when they solder a wire to a connector, they don’t heat the connector, so as soon as the solder touches it; it shrinks and don’t adhere to the connector properly, resulting in cold joint. The proper way to do it is to heat both the connector and the wire, so the solder adheres to both(it only adheres to hot parts). See this tutorial series if you want to know how to solder properly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s&list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837

2 – The other issue is water proofing. Most use shrink tubing, but it’s not fully sealed. Luckily you can use the following product($13) to waterproof the seams on the controller, and around the connectors to seal them from water getting in. Some use clear nail polish, but it dries up after few weeks and becomes flaky and chips away.

https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Silicone-Modified-Conformal/dp/B008O9YIV6/

[n18]

That’s a difficult one. What if the traffic to my left is stopped, while I can freely move on the right. I can leave one foot clearance, which technically forces every driver to break the rules when they start to move. I would report it to Tesla, but the driver or Tesla are responsible, depending on what aggreement the driver has with Tesla as to who is responsible in the event of a crash.

[n18]

Don’t worry. They got away now with few/one witness, but criminal like that wouldn’t be happy with one time hit. They repeat the same performance until they get caught, and this won’t take very long.

[n18]

I think the solution to scooters being vandalized is driverless technology; so they don’t clutter the sidewalks. Once ridden they can scoot and go drink some power somewhere else.

[n18]

The city of Fairfax, which is a tiny portion of Fairfax county has just gotten scooters in the last 2 to 3 weeks. I think I saw SPIN and Bird. I look forward to seeing them in the county as well, which is too big to cover with docked bikes.

[n18]

Also, if you don’t already know about Chainline, here is a link that explains it:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainline.html

[n18]

It looks like there are different types. SRAM and Raceface. REI carries Raceface chainrings, but you could find cheaper ones on Amazon.

How to Choose a Direct Mount Chainring:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNm8Dau3F8Q

[n18]

@Judd 192654 wrote:

When you do a conversion kit, do you also have to change out your tires to e-bike rated tires?

Not that I know of.

Also, I found this web page which has a simulator that tells you how fast would you go up a hill giving motor watts and hill grade.

[n18]

Thank you all for your help. I might go with the 36V/500W version. I also learned that front assist with a powerful motor is a bad idea, because the fork is not designed to be pulled in manual bikes. The motor twists it if high torque was applied. There have been reports of mostly aluminum forks breaking, and causing broken bones, but I have steel front suspension, and the kit comes with this part to reduce stress on the fork, so I might go with the front after all. I don’t need a full time EBike, just for some trips.

[n18]

I might start commuting from Oakton(West of Vienna) to Reston Bike room, but need to arrive wearing work clothes. I usually take this path, which is going to the W&OD first, then to Reston(8.4 Miles one way, or if I use Hunter Mill RD, 6.3 Miles). I already have 2 bikes(Both use 700c wheels), and plan to add an E-Bike conversion kit to one of them. The question is which kit is suitable? I am seeing kits from 250 to 1200 Watts. I think the limit in Virginia is 1000 Watts, and the 1200 Watts ones come with wiring option to reduce the power for compliance. One kit I am eyeing is this one, but I don’t know the minimum wattage needed. It’s $300 and the battery is nearly $400 extra. A complete Ebike(starting at $650) seems more attractive.

I am also inspired by those who lost weight. I used to do 25 Miles/Day on a manual bike, and lost some weight, but didn’t do that consistently, so I gained it back when real life interferes. Now I only do a measly 10 Miles/Day. When I use it a lot, I lose one pound for each 50 Miles. I still have 30 to 50 LBS to lose. I probably would do more mileage if I used an Ebike, since hilly places I am avoiding now are open to me. However, I want to easily take the conversion kit out on the weekend when I leave my bike outside and go shopping, etc., and so that means front wheel change and removable battery, or get one of those kits that attaches to the front gears(assuming they are easily removable).

Oh, and I plan to limit my speed to 15 MPH when around other cyclists/peds, even slower in hills, and 20 or so if nobody around.

Thank you.

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