In search of a near perfect e

NEWS
February 14, 2014
AZTV
In search of a
near perfect
e-trike
By Emma Wheatland (twinkle)
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I have always had a love of trikes
and apart from a Messerschmitt
bubble car when I was a lot younger
(which should not be counted) a trike
of my own always eluded me. But, as I
got older the goalposts moved. I
retired 18 months ago and previously
The E-trike on Shoreham Beach with the English Channel
suffered from high blood pressure and in the background.
diverticulitis. But, post-retirement I
was diagnosed as diabetic, so sensible eating and exercise would help, I was told. Last April, I bought my
first recumbent Trex trike and honestly I was not very
happy with it. I bought AtomicZombie plans a couple
of weeks earlier and built a StreetFox Suspension
Tadpole Trike.
I fitted an e-bike kit with 7ah sealed lead acid
batteries to the Trex trike and used it for several
months as a local runabout. With a penny a mile
running cost, it was a lot cheaper than running my car
for local trips; however, its limitation was the range of
seven miles with such small batteries and sometimes
unpredictable and frightening handling characteristics
on less than perfect road surfaces.
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My Trex electrified trike and the StreetFox in
the background.
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February 14, 2014
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I was still unhappy with the
handling of both the Trex and
StreetFox at higher speeds (above
20 mph) mainly due to the direct
steering and the caliper brakes.
Rather than modify the StreetFox
or the Trex, I built another trike
with under seat steering and was
half way through it when I had an
impulse build of a Voyageur Long
Wheel Base Recumbent. After the
gravel rash healed and I had
mastered the beast, I decided that it was not for me. With the turning circle of an ocean liner and
awkwardness of an extended ladder to move around the workshop, still unpainted, it was a case of what
shall I do with it? Rather than scrap or sell it, it would become my new e-trike.
It already had under seat steering (USS) as standard but it was a lot higher than the e-trike I was
running. Firstly, I wrote out the list of additions and secondly, the modifications needed to make the
Voyager (we dropped the “u”). Front discs brakes were at the top of the list alongside stability. A low
centre of gravity was important as the sealed lead acid batteries I was going to use are not the lightest
batteries available (between them the four batteries weigh a little over 16 kilograms or 35.27lbs), but they
were the cheapest. I needed: lots of gears just in case we needed to pedal the heavyweight trike home; a
rack fitted with panniers for carrying shopping; tow hook for the trailer and mudguards and lights for the
winter.
Lowering was the most important of all the modifications as the trike with its heavy batteries would
weigh in at around 120lbs and a low as possible centre of gravity is a must for stability. This was achieved
by making a drop arm front beam with a different axle mounting together with re-positioning the rear
spring. Replacing the damper with a shorter unit and lowering the rake angle of the voyager seat tube
from 60 degrees to 50 degrees brought the overall ride height down almost two and a half inches. The
batteries would be mounted level with the bottom of the main boom for simplicity and ease of mounting.
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February 14, 2014
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The next modification was to the USS steering arm of the trike to eliminate the differential throw of
the standard Voyager set up now it had become a trike. All of this was done in the front half of a 16 x 8
foot garage with some of the welding taking place outside. Already living in this space was the unfinished
MKII sitting uncomfortably and precariously half on the end of the bench and a workmate, so we were
quite cozy.
The up-rated batteries fitted to the Voyager of 4 , 12 volt 12 ah units in theory this would give me
almost 600 watt-hours of power, but realistically only 350 watt-hours as the SLA batteries are rated at 20
amp-hour rate and that falls considerably at the one hour rate. Still, that gives me at least a 12 mile range
without pedaling at speeds which keep up with local traffic. With its 35 inch track and 42 inch wheelbase
the trike would be lively but stable.
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That was the main design criteria behind the e-trike. Now came the interesting part - building it and
sorting out the little problems on the way. I am not going to kid you that it was all plain sailing and it just
fitted together like Meccano or Lego, but there were no problems that could not be eliminated with a little
thought. As the Voyager was already built, it did not take long to modify the rear end to get it to sit 3
inches lower.
The new front cross beam was assembled and built off the trike and the
angles set and jigged up on the bench before welding. Rather than cut and file,
we used rotary hole saws in the mill drill with a squirt of cutting fluid after
applying a bit of math calculations (tangent equals opposite over adjacent)
and marking and drilling the holes. No messing about filing and looking;
accurate measuring and drilling
with the mill drill. Then, we
trimmed the excess using the
grinder with a thin cutting disc.
The modified front wheel mounts of the
Voyager and the forward mounted disc
brakes to allow for mudguards.
The front wheel/brake arm
mounts were made of 1” square
tubing drilled to take 3mm thick
walled 20mm tube to support the
axles. Using a couple of pieces of
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February 14, 2014
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flat bar as a guide, we ground the angles directly onto the shortened fork tubes and welded it all up. The
complete front beam was then welded onto the bike’s frame. Using the 1 inch square tube for the brake/
steering arms made the forward mounted disc calipers easier to mount using 20mm square tube and to
get everything square. Having the brakes in front allowed me to make the mounting point behind the head
tubes for the mudguards and headlamps. In true “AtomicZombie” tradition, we cut and shut a pair of steel
north road handlebars to give a comfortable position under the seat and at the same time adjusting the
angle of the link to the front wheel.
But (and when I am around, there is always a “but”) the trike being three inches lower there was now a
realistic chance of heel strike. We raised the nose of the front boom about four inches to stop heel strike
and fitted a German Thun quad chain set to give a good range of gears. We had already replaced the noisy
and clunky six speed block supplied with the e-wheel kit with a new seven speed Shimano unit and the
chain was only a few weeks and less than 10 ten miles old . The gear ratios were between 26-28 rear to 46
-14 giving about 23 inches up to 85 inches a set of gears chosen to suit this area using a standard 14-28
block and allows a top speed when pedaling furiously of 30 miles an hour and enough power to give over
75% power assist on the steepest hills around here. The chain line was checked and new pulley mounts
were welded in place. The gear operations were checked and double checked with all of its available 28
gears. There must be one suitable for all occasions.
The rest of the build was relatively simple with some of the parts like the seat and frame being
lightened where possible to try and keep the overall weight below the UK maximum weight of 60 kilogram
(132.27lbs)for an electric trike. This was successful as the trike weighs under 55 kilograms (121.25lbs).
This is not a build log and the build details have been deliberately omitted. Common sense and the
comprehensive detail in the AZ plans would allow anyone to build an e-trike from scratch, but I will add a
few lines about the electric conversion.
Twist gear lever could not be used with a twist throttle, so I eventually settled on a thumb throttle and
a quad chain set. I could not use standard bar end levers so I adapted a set of standard handlebar
changers mounted at the end of the bars. Another little opportunity was the front brake lever - a twin pull
lever with a brake cut-out switch. This we remanufactured using a DIY brake conversion kit mounted onto
the standard cut-out brake lever. The front cable operated disc brakes give an easy smooth pull even with
two discs connected in parallel.
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The dropped cross beam making the trike sit much lower than the
StreetFox that is was partly based on and the lowered steering arms
to give clearance to the steering rods under the main boom, one of the
mudguard mounting holes can be seen behind the steering arm.
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UK E-bike Law states an etrike should be braked on all
three of its wheels with both
front brakes operating
together. We fitted a vee
brake that operates happily
on the rear, the extra weight
on the rear stops the brake
from locking up and makes it
useful for slowing on long
descents. The area under the
seat became very cluttered
and care must be taken to
ensure that the electrical
cables cannot be trapped or
chewed by the chain. An on/
off key switch was fitted
under the seat as a secure
and discrete method of
turning the power on or off.
Bicycle Autopsy
The e-bike conversion kit I used was not an expensive one but it was a brushless non-geared unit
which is more efficient than its brushed
counterparts. The efficiency of the brushless
motor at lower throttle opening is more
noticeable when cruising around 14 miles an
hour and the battery charge lasts over 20%
longer.
The build took about six or seven weeks and
that included a week waiting for the paint to
harden (cure). The trike has become my every
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February 14, 2014
Bottom brackets
AtomicZombie bottom brackets are "welder
friendly", meaning they have a slightly thicker wall so
that distortions will be kept to a minimum as you weld
your frame tubing to the parts.
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Our bottom bracket shells are also weld ready and
will fit standard 3-piece bottom bracket hardware. There
are also no side holes that need to be filled, so you can
complete your bike or trike with minimal cleanup work.
These parts sell quickly, so if you need to get a few for
your project, please visit our store and order your parts
as soon as possible. Sorry, but we cannot do custom orders at this time.
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We still have some freewheel adapters, hub flanges and bottom brackets in stock. Supply is limited.
Due to time constraints, we will not be selling parts once the current inventory of hub flanges, freewheel
axle adapters (FDAX34) and bottom brackets has been sold out. My new career leaves me with minimal
time these days, so I intend to focus it on more DIY plans, tutorials, and other website improvements.
Thanks again to all those who support our efforts and contribute to this great community!
Parts orders shipping date
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Please note that the next round of parts orders will be shipped March 1, 2014. Why? (see
video below). We expect that backordered parts will be in before this date. However, if for
some reason there is a delay, those customers who have backordered parts will receive an
email confirming when their order will be shipped.
Be sure to place your parts order no later than 6 pm Eastern Time on Friday,
February 28, 2014 if you want your order to ship on March 1.
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When your order is ready to be shipped, you will receive an email from United States Postal
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February 14, 2014
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day local transport for shopping and general running about. I am very pleased with it and my little
modifications that have made it a pleasure to ride and the lower centre of gravity has made it more stable
at speed and cornering. Leaning into a corner makes cornering a fast and safe experience. I have received
many comments about it and it has become a conversation piece where ever it goes. Now, with over 250
miles under its wheels, it does exactly what I want from an e-trike. Would I modify it anymore? We will
have to see, although it is a project that will always be an ongoing challenge. Apart from a little tinkering, I
think the basic answer is, “No, It works.” I can see that one day I might replace all the inner tubes with
slime tubes to reduce the chances of a puncture even more, but that is a common sense precaution.
The next replacement of the batteries for li-ion or life cells will reduce the weight of the trike by 12
kilograms (26.46lbs) which will increase the range and make the trike more nimble. As for my health
problems, my blood pressure and diabetes are now under control without medication, and if I am careful
the diverticulitis does not flare up very often. If it does the electric power will get me home.
Now ready for the winter it has the mudguards and lights with a multi-function bike trip computer
which gives me speed and distance functions along with lots of other features I will never use.
Read more about Emma’s e-trike project on the AtomicZombie bike builders forum:
Wheel Lacing
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/entry.php/236-Lean-mean-and-GREEN-The-streetfox-E-trike
Thanks for this very informative article, Emma,
and cheers to your health!
Bicycle Autopsy
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February 14, 2014
Freewheel adapters for trike
& quad projects
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Our Delta Trike Axle Freewheel Adapter fits any
Shimano style thread-on freewheel and a standard six bolt
bicycle disc brake rotor. Drilled for a 3/4 inch axle and
includes a 1/4 inch mounting bolt. Disc brake mounting
holes are tapped for standard M5 bolts. This part will fit the
Freewheel Adapter
following plans directly: StreetFighter Racing Quad,
KyotoCruiser Tandem Trike, LodeRunner Cargo Trike, and Aurora Delta Racing
Trike.
This fits onto any 3/4 inch axle and allows the installation of a standard Shimano style threadon freewheel and bicycle disc brake rotor. With this part, you can add a pedal transmission to any
trike or quadcycle using only standard bicycle components. The included locking bolt secures the
part to the axle and allows for easy removal at a later time. The six disc rotor mounting holes are
also tapped so you can mount your bicycle disc brake rotor using the standard M5 bolts that were
supplied with it. The FDAX34 Delta Trike Axle FreeWheel Adapter is a high quality machined
part made of aluminum and anodized black.
This part can fit the following plans with modifications: TimberWolf Suspension Trike,
DeltaWolf Racing Trike, DeltaRunner Delta Trike, Gladiator Chopper Trike.
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Note: Before purchasing this part for use on these plans, read through them first so you can
understand what will need to be changed in order to make them fit properly. It helps to own one
or more of the above plans in order to see how the part should fit before you attempt any
modifications. If you are unsure about modifying our plans to use this part, or would like to know
if our parts will fit your own custom design, then visit our forum and we will answer your
questions.
See the Plans section on our web site for more information on these and other projects.
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February 14, 2014
Hub flange discs for your bike projects
Our laser cut Hub Flange Discs will make it
easier for you to build your own delta trike
wheels and save you time on your project.
This Hub Flange Disc is made with 24 spoke
holes so that you can build wheels directly
onto any 3/4" axle using rims with 48 spokes.
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The Hub Flange Discs are made of steel and
are approximately 1/8 inch thick as required
by the plans. Spoke holes are 7/64" in
diameter so that standard bicycles spokes can
be used.
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All hub flange discs are sold as a set of
four identical discs.
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AtomicZombie Hub Flange Discs come in
several varieties with various spoke hole
counts and axle hole diameters. Each of our
DIY plans offer a recommended axle size and spoke count, but you can certainly change this to
suit your design needs or parts availability. For instance, the Aurora Trike can be built using
rims with 36 spokes rather than 48 spokes, or the DeltaWolf can be made using a 3/4 inch axle
rather than a 5/8 inch axle. Please make sure that you order the correct Hub Flange Disc size
for your project.
To keep costs to a minimum, our Hub Flange Discs are laser cut from flat sheet metal. Each
disc will have a small imperfection on the outer edge and inner edge where the laser started
cutting out the disc. There is also a mill scale on the surface of the metal that will need to be
removed using sandpaper or a sanding disc. Neither of these imperfections will compromise
the strength of the disc, and once they are built onto your hubs and painted, the imperfections
will be unnoticeable.
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There and back again…an
AtomicZombie’s tale
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February 14, 2014
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The surfaces of the Hub Flange Discs are coated with a mill scale at the factory to help protect
the metal from oxidation. This coating easily be removed using a sanding disc to prepare the
part for painting. The laser cut edges are also somewhat sharp, so they need to be smoothed off
using the sanding disc by running it lightly around the edge once.
Once the mill scale has been removed from the Hub Flange Discs, the spoke holes will need
to be beveled slightly to remove the sharp edges around the holes. This is done so that the
spoke exiting the flange is not cut by the sharp edges of the hole. To bevel the spoke holes, use a
3/16 inch drill bit and push lightly into the hole until a small bevel is made. The beveled spoke
holes are shown here after running pressing lightly with the 3/16 inch drill bit to remove the
sharp edges. The Hub Flange Disc is now ready to be welded to your delta trike axle.
Remember, our Hub Flange Discs are sold as a set of four matching discs, and there are
several versions available, so please choose the correct number of spoke holes and axle
diameter for your project. These discs are manufactured to keep costs to a minimum, so you
will need to bevel the spoke holes and prep the surface for painting, an operation that will only
take a few minutes per disc.
All of our DIY Delta Trike Plans make use of these Hub Flange Discs, which allow you to lace
a rim directly to the rear axle. By integrating the flanges directly onto the axles, you’ll save
some money instead of needing to have complex and expensive machined hub parts made. Our
trike plans also include instructions on how to make these parts from scratch, as well as a
drawing that can be sent to a machine shop in case you want to make your own hub flanges.
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For more details and to order, visit the AtomicZombie store.
We want to see pictures of your workshop!
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Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, big or small — show us where you build your bike projects.
Go to the AZ forum and join us.
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February 14, 2014
From the Builders Gallery
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Submit pictures of your own
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homebuilt bike projects to the
Builders Gallery.
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