Blackburn Pete

After several attempts, I have finally managed to mount my battery pack on my E-Evox electric-assist semi-recumbent bicycle. I had several requirements that I had to incorporate. The first requirement was to get a rack that would hold the weight of my new 48 Volt 20 Amp/Hour Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack that weighs in at 14 kilograms (30 lbs). The original Evox rack that came stock on my bike was aluminum and it finally cracked, and it was repaired (Thanks Serge B!) and unfortunately it broke in a different spot. I got a nice steel rack with a wooden top. That rack needed to have some slight bending to make it fit on the unique recumbent frame. I also had to make some custom supports to attach it to the seat tube so that there is absolutely no wobble in the rack. The next requirement was to keep the battery pack safe so I put it a Rubbermaid tote. First I had to cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to fit in the bottom of the tub. Then I covered the plywood with foam before I placed the battery in the tub. Next I lined all the sides and ends with foam to keep the battery from moving around in the tote. Unfortunately, the Battery Management System (BMS) would not fit inside the tote so I mounted it on top of the lid. I drilled a few holes around the lid of the tote so I could zip tie the lid on securely. Packing the battery snugly also keeps the tote quiet, which was another one of my requirements.

Now I had to get the battery to stay on the rack securely. I went to my local building supply and picked up some flush mount shelf brackets. They are about an inch and a half plates that have a center part raised so that when they are installed, one raised center part slides perfectly into the inverted center of the matching plate.I put three of these plates on the wooden rack deck and I put three more on the bottom of the battery tote. Now I could place the battery on the rack and slide it back until the battery is perfectly secured on the rack. Finally, I used a little steel window bolt to slide down into a keeper on the rack top to prevent the battery box from shifting forward out of the sliding mounts.

The pictures below show the bike with an empty rack that is still capable of carrying my rack bag battery packs (NiMH 36V 18Ah) or any other rack mount accessories. In this picture you may also be able to see where I had to bend the rack legs to meet the frame mounts. In the second picture, you can see the flush mount plates and the keeper for the window lock. The third picture shows the hardware even better. The fourth picture shows the battery box with the BMS mounted on top. In the fifth picture you can see the same hardware mounted on the bottom of the battery box. The next picture shows the battery box installed on the rack with the window bolt pushed down into the keeper. There is a picture from the back of the rack that shows the tail lights and if you look very closely, you can see that the plates fit very closely together between the rack and the battery tote. The final picture shows the battery pack installed with a pannier cover stretched over it to protect it from the elements.

Click the pictures for a larger view.

This is a 48V 20Ah LiFePo4 battery pack for my E-Evox. One of the challenges of this pack was finding a secure way to attach this pack to my bike. I modified the rack (below) by installing a steel rack that will hold up to 70 lbs. Next I searched for a sturdy container for this battery. I looked at toolboxes and portable filing boxes and finally settled on this Rubbermaid tote. Unfortunately, the tote is just a tiny bit too small and the Battery Management System circuit board won’t fit inside the tote with the battery. Undaunted by this setback, I cut a hole in the top of the lid and brought the wires up through the hole and mounted the circuit board to the lid with some mounting screws. After I test drive this set up, I will put a couple of tiny padlocks through each end of the tote to keep the curious folks out of the battery and I may even screw the bottom of the tote to the rack. Click the links to see the battery tote pictures.

Battery Tote 1

Battery Tote 2

Battery Tote 3

Battery Tote 4

Battery Tote 5

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Save this document, print it off, cut out the license plate and use clear packing tape to laminate it. For a stiffer plate, use cardboard behind it and wrap the whole thing in clear packing tape. There are a few print shops around town who can laminate this for a couple of bucks.

HPVOoO license plate

I recently acquired another Sun EZ-3 recumbent trike. These trikes are well-built, solid delta trikes. The seat is well padded and soft and the backrest provides full support. The pedals are well positioned to maintain a powerful cadence while cruising along in comfort.

Today, I met with a couple who are selling their Evox bikes. They are both Evox SE models. His Evox has upgraded handlebars, upgraded rear wheel and a fully recumbent seat installed. Hers is stock except for the cargo box on the back. The bikes do not include the nice locks seen in the pictures, but I do recommend the Kryptonite New York locks to anyone who is serious about keeping their bike safe. Email me if you are interested in these bikes. I will forward your inquiries to the owners for you. (blackburn.pete@rogers.com)

Evox For Sale 1

Evox For Sale 2

Francis Chow has created a great cargo bike from a couple of mountain bikes. The deck is an old snowboard. The rear dropouts of the front bike support the bottom bracket axle of the rear bike. Several other contact points have been welded to create a very strong frame. The chain had to be lengthened and the old front derailleur from the rear bike was left in place to support the chain. Later, Francis removed the derailleur because it makes too much noise. While we were checking out the cargo bike, Carl just happened to be riding past with his Do-It-Yourself wooden frame cargo trailer. Carl claims he can haul about a hundred pounds of cargo behind his bike. We did a quick stress test on Francis’ cargo bike by loading Sean onto the snow board deck and pedalling him around.

Check out the video at the link below.

The Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO) hosted an EV Expo on Saturday. There were several electric cars and lots of electric powered bicycles. One of the electric cars was a Solectra Force. They were a production model conversion of a small GM car in the late 90s. There was also another small GM car that had been converted. Sparky the electric pickup truck was also on display. The electric bikes ranged from a pedal-assisted scooter to a homemade ebike powered by a hand held grinder. There were longtail ebikes, recumbent ebikes, production ebikes and lots of ebike conversions. One display even had a model train powered by hydrogen cells.

Another blurry screenshot. This one is from Brian’s wipe out on the icy bike path between Hurdman and the old rail bridge. Click the picture to see the Youtube video.

I just saw the movie on TV today. I can be seen standing beside my old pickup truck just as the little girl (Dakota Fanning) escapes from her captor. Just as she runs up the hill screaming for her mom. I was an extra on the set during filming. The chase scene was filmed on the new Inland Island Hwy on Vancouver Island near Courtenay. Coincidently, I also made that stretch of highway when I operated heavy equipment. It was just a hillside full of stumps when I first showed up for work.