Utility Cycling - Are you going to Stokemonkey your Xtracycle?

Pre-empting things a bit here maybe, but it looks like the new Stokemonkeys aren't too far off? Are you going to get one for yours.

I am really very tempted because in my case I can see it cutting my cord to car dependancy (not that I have one, 27 years old and I can't drive) but it could also cut my dependancy on public transport and offer an alternative way to get to work (the distance by road is 48km each way). The cost of the Stokemonkey kit (at 2007 prices) is roughly equal to the cost of my annual train ticket.

Anyone else have any similar thoughts?

There's many ways to skin the cat. Here's what I did with my xtracycle in this thread. It rides just like a regular bike but heavier. Range is 40 miles plus.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=458526

96 km is a long way for batteries.

96 km is a long way for batteries.

Well the idea would be to charge it in work during the day.

I'd like to Stokemonkey the Goat...someday.

96 km is a long way for batteries.

I'm no e-bike expert, but chatting with a BF-member [AbbneyCat] who likes 'em plenty left me with the impression his system [rear hub motor] could go 100kms on two battery packs. I don't have the specs on this, but perhaps he'll read this thread and comment.

I was intending to. The more time goes by, the lower my motivation.

I think I'd like to know more. A complete feature/benefit list. Pricing for the whole system + cost for additional batteries, weight of the components, etc.

I think I'd like to know more. A complete feature/benefit list. Pricing for the whole system + cost for additional batteries, weight of the components, etc.

http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/batteries/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/design/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/faq/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/compatibility/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/warnings/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/support/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/support/installation/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/support/getting_started/

For myself, I intend to get Stoked as soon as they become available. There are parts of town which are inaccessible to me right now. (I had to go up to the YMCA the other day, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Two of my closest friends here live up on Viewmont by the water tower, and while it is not impossible for me to ride up to their house, I end up pushing the bike most of the way. We are called "the Mountain State" for good reason.)

http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/batteries/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/design/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/faq/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/compatibility/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/warnings/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/support/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/support/installation/
http://cleverchimp.com/products/stokemonkey/support/getting_started/

For myself, I intend to get Stoked as soon as they become available. There are parts of town which are inaccessible to me right now. (I had to go up to the YMCA the other day, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Two of my closest friends here live up on Viewmont by the water tower, and while it is not impossible for me to ride up to their house, I end up pushing the bike most of the way. We are called "the Mountain State" for good reason.)

These links all related to the old version though. It's my understanding that the stokemonkey has been given a major overhaul this time around.

These links all related to the old version though. It's my understanding that the stokemonkey has been given a major overhaul this time around.

From what I have gotten from TF, it was only a minor overhaul, and that most of what was on the old site is still applicable.

Not a Stokemonkey, but from the perspective of someone who rides an electric Xtracycle it will increase the size of the load you are willing to carry dramatically.

Not a Stokemonkey, but from the perspective of someone who rides an electric Xtracycle it will increase the size of the load you are willing to carry dramatically.

Increasing the load is important, but it is secondary for my situation to the fact that it will make parts of the city accessible to me that were not before.

The Xtracycle pairs beautifully with electric assist.

As for Stokemonkey, I quite appreciate some of its traits, like how its capable of utilizing the drivetrain of the bicycle itself, but the weight was a deterrent to me. Its sometimes important to be able to lift and move the bicycle about easily without removing things from it, and the SM (relative to some others) is a pig.

The biggest benefit is in how it has high torque, speed output, and good efficiency from being able to change gear ratios with the rider. That can be quite nice. There are other options out there with different tradeoffs, stokemonkey's tradeoff is in its high weight, whereas a geared variants tradeoff is some operating noise, and so on.

penexpers, 96km is a considerably demanding design for an electric bicycle, but completely possible with charging once you are at your work. You will need a fairly high capacity battery though, which will incur a higher initial cost. As a (very) basic guideline, try to get 10 watt hours per kilometer you need to go, and then 20% more so you're not running the battery dead when you arrive, as that will slaughter its lifespan. Different motors and ride styles will require different capacities, you may need to research your own needs, but thats the rough idea.

One potential problem with the Stokemonkey battery is that the NiMH chemistry does not pair well with faster charging, and the 13ah unit is likely on the edge of being sufficient for your needs. A LiFePO4 (lithium phosphate) pack would pair well with that sort of situation, for the long service life and quick charge potential. Stokemonkey doesn't seem to use any proprietary battery tech, so it shouldn't be a problem to get yourself such a pack and pair it up if you wanted to.

When it becomes available again, eventually :)

I'd like to stoke my dummy this coming spring. Must see if the funds are there when the time comes. I've ridden one a short distance and came away very stoked.