Author Topic: PedalCell  (Read 21049 times)

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Offline Valin6210

Re: PedalCell
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2023, 03:12:28 pm »
I went with PedalCell for my hybrid bike.  This summer I rode both CTEC and Gap/C&O so about 850 miles of planned touring.  The first generator (the part that touches the wheel and sends power to the control block) lasted about 700 miles but stopped working on day 5 of CTEC.  The replacement generator only lasted 70 miles and stopped working with the same symptom, loss of resistance and not generating any power.  Both trails are mixed compact gravel and paved, no big bumps, and I never took it on rough terrain.  I would not recommend PedalCell.

Offline misterflask

Re: PedalCell
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2023, 04:50:31 pm »
The generator hub of the SON appears to be a straightforward electromechanical device with magnets, coils, and no electronic regulation.  It makes it very robust, but it is subject to the laws of physics, which here dictate that it generates lots of electricity at speed and very little when going slow.  There is a threshold below which the SON hub will not generate enough power to charge a phone.  This is about 8mph for my standard SON and surely a little lower for the SON28. 

8mph? no sweat you say?  I took the setup on a short tour into the N. Ga. mountains.  In the rolling piedmont, everything was fine.  But in the mountains with the ratcheting up and down, there was no charging while grinding out 4mph climbs and the few minutes spent in the 25mph descents couldn't make up for the lost time.

Don't know if the Pedalcell engineers did this, but there's room in the generator space for a field-regulated generator that can generate adequate power at very low speeds.

Those of us of a certain age will remember owning one of these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7kgzgcqe5s

About my standard SON hub.  It's built into a 700c wheel.  When purchasing it, I was preoccupied with it's slightly lower drag figure compared to the SON28 and missed that the '28 is designed for the lower spinning speed of 28"/700c wheels.  I needn't have worried about drag.  When not touring, the wheel lives on the daily commuter to power lighting.  The setup is so non-draggy that I never bother to turn the lights off; you really can't tell the difference.

Offline j1of1

Re: PedalCell
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2023, 04:38:29 pm »

Offline rwinot25

Re: PedalCell
« Reply #18 on: October 31, 2023, 01:08:39 pm »
Pedalcell has announced they are closing up shop. All product is discounted for quick sale.

Offline j1of1

Re: PedalCell UPDATE - OUT OF BUSINESS
« Reply #19 on: December 05, 2023, 08:47:53 pm »
Heads Up!  Pedal Cell will cease business operations on 1 Jan 2024.  https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2023/10/27/pedalcell-will-close-operations-jan-1