BBSHD on an Electra Cruiser

[Eric Luna]

Hey sound awesome....but remember the 52 volt battery is not accurate with display if you are using graphical battery gauge in black and white display.

If you are using color display it is fine since it have volt reading....battery will die around 40v....

[Christian Livingstone]

Very nice!

That motor inside the triangle looks extra-stealthy somehow. And the Slimline battery too.


Otherwise, I'd take off the stickers to make it even more stealthy, maybe even move the Slimline forward a little. Seat looks a little tall, too (doesn't that hunch you over a bit?).

But I think this will probably be a de facto inside-the-triangle-cruiser-style prototype configuration that many will duplicate, and for good reason.

[spinningmagnets]

Well done, sir! The Electra Townie is one of my primary recommendations for a street commuter, but...I really like the looks of the Electra Lux stretch cruiser here. I paid extra to get the Lux with the fatter tires, but I had to do that because that was the only way to get dual disc brakes from Electra without needing to pay anyone to weld-on the caliper mounts.

One option to consider is Sturmey-Archer drum brakes. The larger 90mm front brake is well-regarded in the pedicab industry. If you want forks that have the disc brake caliper mount, many factory non-suspension forks are upgraded to suspension forks, and the old forks are sold on Ebay for $50-ish. I am considering upgrading the front disc to 200mm, with a hydraulic caliper. The stock rear 160mm cable-operated disc seems adequate.

[calfee20]

Hold on there you have the bike I want. Good for you. How about some pictures of your bike. What is the diameter of your tires and how is your gearing because I feel the need for a slightly taller gear. The closest that bike was to me is New Jersey. No one around RI and Boston has seen that bike. Now I understand why you have a 100 mm BB.

I am thinking of starting a thread on cruiser and comfort bike builds. Yes townie's will do an inside the frame install

I wonder how the Front forks from this site are.

[calfee20]

Very nice!

That motor inside the triangle looks extra-stealthy somehow. And the Slimline battery too. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n8543[/ATTACH]


Otherwise, I'd take off the stickers to make it even more stealthy, maybe even move the Slimline forward a little. Seat looks a little tall, too (doesn't that hunch you over a bit?).

But I think this will probably be a de facto inside-the-triangle-cruiser-style prototype configuration that many will duplicate, and for good reason.

I have long legs and arms but short body. I have a good upright posture on the bike.

[spinningmagnets]

I'm an older commuter, and once I rode an Electra with a mid drive, the comfort level was off the charts awesome. The tires on a fat Lux are 3.5 inches with a smooth street tread. When they wear out I might even go down to a 3,0 inch tire. Just a personal preference.

Electra frames have tons of room in the triangle for any battery you could ever want. If I ever need to spend a weekend trying out a rear hub motor, the rear dropouts are broad and flat, so torque plates are easy to make and attach.

If I go to a 3-inch rear tire in a frame that can take a 4-inch wide tire, then I can do some experiments with a left-side drive. Of course, I don't know where I'm going to get any time for experiments, I'm pretty swamped right now (which is a good problem to have!)

[spinningmagnets]

calfee20, I am very impressed with the method you used to put a dimple in the downtube. Much better than cutting some material out (which is what I did). Here's a pic of mine. I put the triangle bag in upside down, so the zipper is on the bottom. Of course this means if I want to fiddle with anything inside the bag, I have to lay the bike on its side. As you can see, this is a full-sized frame, and there is plenty of room for any battery you could possibly want. Here, I used scissors to trim off the excess velcro strap

[calfee20]

I just lost a few sentences that I wrote. Then in trying to get it back I found the Advanced Editor. Win some lose some.

I like the look of those of those fat tires but would I really need them? I will have to wait until I see one and can test drive it. The worst thing about an Electra Cruiser is the 1" head tube. If it were 1 1/8 like the Townie you would have more options for suspension. I see you have the stock front sprocket. I should have gone with that instead of a 42 tooth. I would like a taller gear. How do you like your seat post? Nice bike.............calfee

[spinningmagnets]

I've had a Thudbuster before, And I was happy with it. This time I got the Suntour NCX, simply to be able to compare them. Either one is fine, and a suspension seatpost Is at the top of my accessory wish list. At least for a hardtail.

I plan to trim an inch and a half off of the top of the seat-tube, so the NCX will sit a little lower.

I don't think the fat tires are vital, but...I can full-on bash right into a curb, going from the street to a sidewalk with no discomfort or fear of a bent rim, or a pinch-flat. I'm curious about how small I can go while still having the benefits, so the 3.0-inch is what I'll likely try next...

[calfee20]

I don't think the fat tires are vital, but...I can full-on bash right into a curb, going from the street to a sidewalk with no discomfort or fear of a bent rim, or a pinch-flat. I'm curious about how small I can go while still having the benefits, so the 3.0-inch is what I'll likely try next...

​Well you just convinced me. 3.5 inch tires, quick release hubs, and disc brakes will make me go for it. I will have to wait a bit for some cash or sell something.

[paxtana]

I plan to trim an inch and a half off of the top of the seat-tube, so the NCX will sit a little lower.

That's also my only complaint with the NCX, it makes me sit a little higher than I would prefer. Probably better than the thudbuster in this regard but man do I wish they could just put the entire mechanism into the seattube somehow.

[CraigAustin]

NCX made a big improvement to my no-suspension bike. I underestimated the jarring and vibration from sustained higher speeds.

[brucemetras]

I like the NCX also.. have it on both my Montague Paratrooper as well as a Titanium 2 speed road bike .. nice that you can adjust spring tension easily with an allen wrench..

[spinningmagnets]

I just cut off one inch from my Electra Lux seat-tube top. I figured out where I wanted the cut to be, and put an automotive "hose-clamp" on the part I wanted to save. hacksaws and sawzalls have a tendency to wander instead of cut in a straight line. With the hose-clamp in place, I angled the blade to try to cut downwards a little, and the hose clamp edge kept the cut very straight. I could easily cut off another half-inch or so, but when cutting something shorter, its MUCH better to take it in steps, and ride the bike around a little before making a second cut. Piece of cake.

[spinningmagnets]

Just to be clear, I added the "quick disconnect" front lugnuts, they are not stock (the Electra Lux doesn't come with them). I also added stainless steel split lockwashers inbetween the outer and inner portions of the QDs. This seems to work well. The reason is because I have to work nights and week-ends, and the water plant is 80% self-regulating, so I have some time on my hands to kill. This means I take my bike to work with me so I can fiddle with it at work on nights and weekends.

I built a custom bike-rack on the back of my 4-cylinder truck, so I can take the bike back-and-forth to work easily, and I disconnect the front wheel to do that. I love having a front disc brake, and also the QD axle-nuts. As a result, the front wheel pops off and on fast and easily. If you switch to front-wheel QD's, and then you crash and die a horrible death, I will feel bad, but...I do it. (full disclosure, I have a lot of scars, and I will likely acquire more)

[spinningmagnets]

I just have to post this...I took the bike back to the bike shop where I bought it (one hour drive away to the closest Electra dealer), and I let the owner ride it down a "no traffic" side-street. He literally pulled back into the parking lot LAUGHING! He then proceeded to ORDER his bike mechanic to ride it, and that guy came back with a smile so big I thought it would break his face...he couldn't stop smiling. A customer who had come in to have their derailleur and seat adjusted rode it., and wanted to know where they could buy one!

3.5-inch "mid fat" tires plus an MCX seat-post? rides like a dream, floating on a cloud...

[Fred]

I've had a Thudbuster before, And I was happy with it. This time I got the Suntour NCX, simply to be able to compare them. Either one is fine, and a suspension seatpost Is at the top of my accessory wish list. At least for a hardtail.

I plan to trim an inch and a half off of the top of the seat-tube, so the NCX will sit a little lower.

I don't think the fat tires are vital, but...I can full-on bash right into a curb, going from the street to a sidewalk with no discomfort or fear of a bent rim, or a pinch-flat. I'm curious about how small I can go while still having the benefits, so the 3.0-inch is what I'll likely try next...

I have a Thudbuster on my Fat Bike and it just sits a touch high in the lowest possible position. Never thought of cutting the seat-tube. Did you use a standard manual hacksaw or some power tool? I have an angle grinder but am wondering if that is too "crude". It's an aluminum seat post.