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Cake day: August 7th, 2023

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  • Yes and no. Induction motors have been around since the early-mid 1800s. More recently some folks noticed that if you took the style of field winding that induction motors use and some hall effect sensors and stick some permanent magnets in the center you’ve got yourself a very nice little brushless DC motor. Turns out that if you then replace the permanent magnets with more windings, this time like those on the rotor of the induction motor, you’re back at an induction motor, but this time you have a very precise idea of where the rotor is in its’ rotation form the hall effect sensors, allowing you to very precisely control which coils are energized. More precise control of the coils allows for greater efficiency, power output and thermal regulation.

    It’s old tech with less-old tech stuck to it with some high-er tech glue.






  • Fat people are pretty common, they’re not a rare body shape or disability that should require a custom bike.

    Bikes are, in general, designed to be as light as they can be for their price point. The reason behind this is that a lighter bike is less weight to move, meaning for the same effort one can potentially go farther or faster than they would be able on a heavier bike. So when a company is designing a bike, they think about the person they believe will buy it and design a bike that will support that rider.

    Heavier people weigh more, obviously. Larger loads require more structural strength. Making a bike that can carry a 300lb+ person without breaking involves a redesign if you initially designed for lighter loads. Similarly, building it requires change to your manufacturing processes.

    People who have health problems due to their weight, in general, do not buy as many bikes as people whose weight does not negatively impact their health. A company isn’t going to go an make a big production run of an expensive product if they don’t think there’s a market for it, which means it becomes a custom job to get one done.

    Want cheaper bikes that can handle 300lb+ riders? Do a kickstarter and see how many customers will put down dollars.