30c3 30lb e-bike goes 30 mph with 30 mile range
30c3 30lb ebike goes 30 mph with 30 mile range
DescriptionWorld most efficient transportation system
It started out as my 3rd ebike build. My first ebike was 50lb and does 34 mph. The second one came in at 44lb and 30 mph. So the third build I wanted to reduce weight and increase speed.
The third build had a design goal of 30 lb weight, 30 mph speed and 30 mi range. This is what I refer to as 30 cubed or 30C3.
The 30C3 has 4 operating modes
1. All compliant: Unpowered road bike max speed rider dependent
2. EU compliant: Motor assisted bicycle mode 20 mph max speed
3. California compliant: Moped mode 28 mph max speed
4. Non compliant: Motorcycle mode 33 mph speed (Turbo Porsche mode)
Design elements.
The design includes many minor items to make easy transportation.
1. Light weight still a road bike.
2. 60T front chain ring.
3. 1000 watt 3 kg motor.
4. 52v10 520 watt hour battery.
The bike is designed to be easy to take on buses and trains. It is also easy to take up and down stairs keep in apartments.
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Its extraordinary speed and range beats buses in urban traffic and can do the same trip as cars in the same time roughly. I wanted an ebike that can carry me at good speed but also an ebike that I can carry if needed. Means carry it up and down stairs. On subway and buses etc.
30C3 is pound for pound the most efficient transportation system in the world. If you scale to a car it would mean a 2500 lb car goes 2500 mph with a range of 2500 miles while carrying a load of 3 times its weight.
San Francisco: 30c3 ebike run up powell street towards nob hill ~20% grade
At SF we had a 250w chase ebike. But it wouldnt make it up powell.
Be30c3 ebike zipping thru traffic
ebike ride on I105E freeway
Night riding
It has a 2000 lumen headlight. 1000 watt motor and 52V 10Ah battery, 2a charger and built in cell phone charger. Night ride in eco mode.
The 30 lb ebike that goes 30 mph and has 30 mile range is optimized in 3 dimensions of weight speed and range. This optimization consists of several techniques none of which does the trick but it is the combination of all tuning that gives the final result. For example the bull pursuit handlebars are designed to give a slim outline and minimize wind resistance. The 60T front gear combined with a 11t rear allows hybrid power. The 5.5:1 ratio allows rider to be challenged even at 30 mph+.
Cockpit layout
The gear shift brake and throttle are all with in fingertip range without requiring either movement of hands or moving eyes down.
In comparison the specialized ebike weighs 42 lbs and goes 28 mph max and that is one of the lighter ones. The average car weighs 3000 lbs goes 100 mph and has 400 mi range while carrying a load of 200lb person. The Tesla model S weighs around 5000 lbs goes 120 mph and has range of 300 miles.Most People Hated it
When I showed this bike I was surprised to get mostly hate.
It was hated by my fellow drivers because its a bike with a motor on it.
It was hated by my fellow ebikers because it has a tiny 1000W motor
It was hated by my fellow road bikers because its a road bike with a 1000w motor in it.
It was hated by my fellow immigrants because its a bike (immigrants think bikes are for poor people)
No one liked it. I was so very disappointed.
Reason for hate
Then I started thinking about it made sense why people wouldnt like it.
1. No licence
2. No registration
3. No tax
4. No gas
5. No oil change
The dollars behind the hate
Thinking rationally I started adding up the dollars involved and it made sense.
- GM, Ford Toyota (~ $400 billion) busy building 3000 lb fume spewing monsters outflanked
- Tesla, Uber Lyft (~ $150 billion) ignored
- Exxon Mobil and the oildoms (~$300 billion) omitted
- Politicians who would regulate your life bypassed
Almost a trillion dollars worth of hate.
A Hateful product for a year of Hate
Finally I understood in the year of hate I had in my hands the most hateful product. For this reason I also have an FHQ (Frequently Hated Questions). Dont buy this ebike because you think people will be impressed. This is a product that generates universal hate. Buy it so you too can have one of the most hated products ever built.
FHQ (Frequently Hated Questions)
Q: For $1200 I can build my own ebike
A: Yes and you should.
Q: I want a 3000w motor
A: Go somewhere else. Try your local Harley dealership.
Q: Its a roadbike with a motor?
A: Yes. We considered eLance as an alternative name
Q: What is your motor size
A: 1000 watts
Q: What is battery size
A: 52v 10AH
Q. Why do you have a 60T front chain ring
A: Its a hybrid combines human and Motor power
Q: What is lowest rear gear
A: Lowest rear is 11T (60/11 means 5.5 gear ratio) Allows for pedaling at max speeds
Q: What size controller
A: 1000 watt controller with peak power of 1500W
Q: What is voltage of front and rear lights
A: Front and rear are both run off main battery (52v)
Q: What kind of tires in front and rear
A: Continental gatorskins flat resistant
Q: What kind of Tubes
A: Extra heavy duty flat resistant
Q: What kind of brakes
A: V brakes Same stopping power as disk brakes but lighter.
Q: What kind of periodic service needed
A: Check and adjust brakes every 2000 miles. Change brake pads every 4000 miles Change tires every 6000 miles.
Q: Is it legal to have an ebike that goes 33 mph?
A: Just as legal as to have a Porsche that goes 150 mph. Follow the law follow road rules and use good sense.
Q: What happens if battery runs out?
A: Its a 30 lb road bike so pedal
Q: What kind of warranty
A: 90 day parts and labor excluding shipping
Q: For this money I could buy a car?
A: Go ahead (and pay the insurance, registration, tax, repairs and gas)
Q: You are cheating with a motor?
A: Yes. And you can cheat too.
Q: What is double cheating?
A: Taking the 30C3 ebike on metro. Ebike gives you same as car speeds on local routes 5 to 10 miles. Taking metro or suburban trains multiplies your range almost 10x while still doing car speeds end to end
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Q: What is triple cheating?
A: Taking ebike on Amtrak to go visit your friends in other cities. Get a large backpack put a few days clothes and ebike to visit friends and relatives.
Q: What is range with double cheating?
A: Taking the 30C3 ebike on metro is called double cheating. It extends your range with range of the metro. You basicalley ebike to one metro station them ebike out at another metro and ebike to your destination. Below are maps of Los Angeles area and Bay area with all the metro stations with 10 mi circle on each station. As you can see with double cheating you can go all over LA and bay area with ebike and transit.
LA area range with double cheating
Bay area range with double cheating
Q: How much noise is there
A: Wind noise is primary. A low muffled whine is secondary. If you take video wind noise dominates.
Q: Is it a geared motor or direct drive?
A: Geared motor is more efficient and lighter (3.5KG)
Q: Can you charge the battery while pedalling?
A: No. Motor disengages when power is off to allow road bike like operation
Q: Can you go 30 mph and 30 miles.
A: No. If you go 30 mph your range reduces to around 15 miles. If you go 20 mph then range is 30 miles.
Q: It seems too fast
A: Go slow.
Q: Is it safe?
A: It is not as safe as Moms basement.
Q: Do you get any exercise?
A: Actually this is probably the most hated question. IF you look carefully you will see an enormous 60T front chain ring. This coupled with an 11t rear gear gives you 5.5:1 gear ratio. So even at full speed you cant air pedal. In videos you will see the pedaling cadence is slow. But it is quite strenuous. The strangest thing is that since you are moving at 25 to 30 mph you never build up any sweat. You can exercise and your legs will hurt for hours but no sweat. This simply has to be experienced as nobody believes it.
Q: Why doesn’t it have shocks absorbers?
A: Just as a road bike doesn’t have shocks. Once the bike is light enough it is nimble like road bikes and shock absorbers are not needed.
Q: How much faster is 30C3 vs car.
A: It depends on location. In urban area with heavy traffic 30c3 is faster in most cases. Below is ride which Google maps says 15 min while strava shows a time of 12 min even though 30c3 went thru a longer bike route (3.7 mi vs 2.7 w car).
The strava log of eride is 12 min. https://www.strava.com/activities/749563037
And thats not including the 5 mins to walk to your car and 5 mins to park your car at destination. If you take Google Average Speed as GAS then 30C3 speed ranges from.9 GAS to 1.5 GAS.
Q: How much does it cost per mile?
A. Its almost free transit. According to measured on the road power use the bike needs 20 to 25 watt hours per mile. So to go 20 miles it takes 400 watt hours which at Edison’s rate of $0.11 cents per kilo watt hour you are looking at a cost of 4.4 cents for 20 miles.
Q: How efficient is motor and did you measure it?
A: Yes. it takes 600W to run bike at 30 mph non-accelerating mode. See chart below or go thru ref links
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