steve_sordy
Wedding Crasher
I broke my mech last ride out and today, while I had the mech and chain off, I spun the pedals and they moved very easily - taking a short while to slow down and stop. I decided to measure the motor resistance to pedalling and to measure it as precisely as I could without being silly about it.
Data: Motor Shimano EP8, age 3 years 8 months, 3436 miles covered, crank length 165mm Shimano Hollowtech, Vault pedals.
With the motor off and the crank and pedals horizontal, I loaded up the pedal with Allen keys until the crank moved. I recorded the weight and then tried different combinations of Allen keys to get the lightest weight that would overcome the static friction of the motor. Then I reversed the procedure to get the heaviest weight that would not move the crank. Take into account that it always takes more force to get something moving than to keep it moving. That is basic physics, not just my opinion. In other words, once pedalling, the motor resistance as measured at the crank will be less.
It took 43gm of weight to move the crank, but 40gm would not move it. What the actual lowest weight is that will move the crank is irrelevant. It's somewhere between 40 and 43 gms! That is pretty much non-existent. That is applied to one crank only, it would be half that if applied to both cranks, ie less than 23gms, there is more mud in your cleats than that!
For reference, three £1 coins weigh 26.3gm and one US dollar coin weighs 26.7gm.
For the record here are the pictures: 43gm = a 6, 4 & 3mm Allen key. 40gm = a 6, 4 & 2mm Allen key.
Data: Motor Shimano EP8, age 3 years 8 months, 3436 miles covered, crank length 165mm Shimano Hollowtech, Vault pedals.
With the motor off and the crank and pedals horizontal, I loaded up the pedal with Allen keys until the crank moved. I recorded the weight and then tried different combinations of Allen keys to get the lightest weight that would overcome the static friction of the motor. Then I reversed the procedure to get the heaviest weight that would not move the crank. Take into account that it always takes more force to get something moving than to keep it moving. That is basic physics, not just my opinion. In other words, once pedalling, the motor resistance as measured at the crank will be less.
It took 43gm of weight to move the crank, but 40gm would not move it. What the actual lowest weight is that will move the crank is irrelevant. It's somewhere between 40 and 43 gms! That is pretty much non-existent. That is applied to one crank only, it would be half that if applied to both cranks, ie less than 23gms, there is more mud in your cleats than that!
For reference, three £1 coins weigh 26.3gm and one US dollar coin weighs 26.7gm.
For the record here are the pictures: 43gm = a 6, 4 & 3mm Allen key. 40gm = a 6, 4 & 2mm Allen key.
