Bugger my GreenEWheels Electric bike has just this morning been stolen from outside IGS school on Kelly Street in Ultimo Sydney. My wife left it for but a moment unlocked (got distracted by something) and it was gone.
I had just got it working well with lots of new parts, deraillers respoked the rear wheel etc. It is highly modified and distinctive. It still looks similar to the pics in previous blogs but with a basket on the front not back. And it is not even that easy to find the on switch so I can only hope the lazy thief abandons it at the first hill.
Send me a message if you live in inner sydney and think you have seen it, and remember lock those bikes!
My Yuba Mundo Build 
June 22, 2012 at 6:00 am |
Sorry to hear about that Mark!
I know how much that would hurt, due to the time and effort you would have invested acquiring parts and installing them, major bummer. I have dreaded that happening to mine as well. It’s not something you can easily just go out and buy another one of.
I will keep an eye out for it in the Chatswood and Inner west areas around drummoyne. There’s not too many of them kicking around as far as I can tell, Have only seen one other and it was not a Greenewheels one, but something similar. Should stand out like dog’s proverbials if the poor excuse for a human decides to ride it in your area.
As you say it might be lying around somewhere nearby if you go for a look. Keep an eye out on e-bay, maybe put a search on there for black e-bike or similar to notify you of new items for sale.
Mine is still going strong at 9000kms on the clock, still commuting to work almost every day on it, still in love with my e-bike!
Good luck with tracking it down and thanks for the warning.
July 17, 2012 at 4:09 am |
Thanks Mark, no sign of it so it’s gone for good I guess. It was right under a security camera at the time but the police showed little interest. Yeah I do miss all the upgraded parts especially my nice ping battery. No matter at least it give me and excuse to do another build for my wife!
July 17, 2012 at 5:54 am |
Who was the owner of the security camera? That’s pretty rough that there may be footage of the neanderthal who stole it and you can’t view it.
Do you have a picture of the stolen bike? Would be good if you could post one up or add a link to a section of your blog with a photo. Also worth doing this on http://www.endlessphere forums, as the readers will be looking at e-bikes on their travels.
Regarding the battery, that is a bummer that the Ping is gone with it, I suspect it would have gone on for many thousands of charges.
I’m running these batteries at the moment:
http://www.conhismotor.com/ProductShow.asp?id=42
Not that I think this supplier is great for customer service in particular, stuff can take a while to get here from them, as with many of the chinese direct suppliers, and shipping is not cheap. But these batteries are light and so far have shown no performance degradation. I have two, the first has had at least 600 charge cycles and going strong. Paid about $220 for the first and $250 for the second, shipping about $50 from memory.
Ended up hearing quite a few bad things about those original greenewheels batteries, they were claimed by Joe to be rated at hundreds of charge cycles, but looks like from my experience and others, that they were VERY bad quality, as well as being heavy.
These ones I’m using now, vary in weight and probably technology. Bought about a year apart, they look the same but the one bought later is 4kg, the earlier one 3kg. Both claim to be 12Ah 36V. I think the weight difference is likely because the chemistry is different between the two models. Conhismotor labelled both Lithium Phosphate on the website, but neither are this, as the native voltage is not right for this chemistry. I suspect they are Lithium NiCoMn, which is relatively safe, but not as stable as your Ping Lithium Phosphate and also not likely to last as long. They are rated at about 1000 cycles, and looking good for that so far. They are only 1C so really only good 12A or about 200W at 36v. Looks like the ones they have now are rated at twice that, 24Amps.
The reason I went with these was to fit the battery into the battery location on the greenewheels frame, which is does quite well, leaving the rack at the back for luggage and a child seat when required.
July 20, 2012 at 7:14 am |
Yeah the security camera was at my kids school and they have privacy policies etc..but the police said they would look at it..nothing so far. not sure what i could do even if i did id the perpertrator. Anyway on to the new build.
That Conhismotor site is so tempting and seem to have masses or cheap ebike stuff! Other than being a copy of Golden Motor I can’t find too many bad reports about them. I think I will give one of their batteries a go if my first choices don’t come good. I’m looking at a “cellman” (via endlesssphere forum) a123 10ah 36volt pack as first preference or maybee another ping battery in a rear bag.
I think it is all about the battery as the hub motors seem cheap and abundent.
Some of the bikes at glowworm cycles seem pretty good value although an 8Ah battery looks a bit of a worry on the lower cost models.
I think earlier versions of those greenewheels batts where ok as i saw one blog of them running for 2 yrs plus but yeah ours were clearly not up to spec. Looks like greenewheels “joe” has reinvented himself here http://envirowheels.com.au/index.php on sale at cellbikes in Sydney.