Electrical Recumbent Journey Continues – BionicOldGuy

I’ve lastly gotten my recumbent again on the highway in electric-assist mode. This turned out to be fairly an odyssey. I pursued two parallel approaches. First I attempted to repair the wheel with damaged spokes It seems you may get customized spoke lengths on-line so I obtained replacements in 228 mm. Then I swapped out the 5 damaged spokes with new ones, and tried to tighten them by really feel in order that they matched their neighbors.The wheel appeared fairly true so I took it for a experience to strive it out. It was badly out of spherical, that means there was a really noticeable up and down movement of the entrance wheel. So I took the wheel into my native bike store. They had been unable to repair it as a result of they discovered there was a everlasting bend to the rim inflicting a flat spot. Do not forget that I had first found 5 damaged spokes directly. No matter I did, like hit a extremely dangerous pothole, that popped the 5 spokes should have additionally bent the rim.

In order that wheel have to be rebuilt. This isn’t one thing they do at my native store so I’m nosing round for a customized wheel builder. Alternatively I may simply get a cheap truing stand and a brand new rim, and rebuild the wheel myself. This doesn’t look too troublesome for the usual “two-cross” methodology based mostly on what I’ve learn and seen in movies.

Luckily, there was the parallel path. Final November, the makers of my ebike package, Swytchbike had a terrific sale on their kits. I wished to get some spare batteries, and it turned out that with the sale a alternative package was no costlier than simply getting the batteries, so I ordered one. When it arrived a number of months later I put its batteries into service however set the package apart. I lastly obtained round to making an attempt becoming it on my recumbent once I had the damaged spoke drawback. Sadly the wheel didn’t fairly match within the dropout slots on the bike. I contacted customer support, and so they advised me I used to be outdoors there return window (that’s what occurs once you wait two months earlier than truly making an attempt a product). However luckily I may simply file the wheel so it suits within the dropouts (for which that they had a quick video). This turned out to be fairly a exercise. I feel my proper arm is greater than my left after the submitting. It was very satisfying when it lastly match.

The brand new wheel labored like a champ plugged into my current controller. The one adjustment was setting the wheel dimension on the controller to twenty″ as an alternative of 26″. I took the bike for a take a look at experience and it was pleasant.

This matches the configuration of my earlier recumbent, the 26-20 Bacchetta Giro. I had forgotten how comfy that was. So that is my experience for the foreseeable future, although I’ll contemplate to pursue getting the 26″ motor wheel rebuilt.