Giant lafree e-trans pedals 'stuck'?

[reef]

Hi,

My Giant e-trans (SLA powered) pedals seem to be stuck when i ride the bike. This was a slow proces, at first it seems there was more 'friction' when i rode, but overtime it got worse, and now the pedals won't even go round anymore. I tried putting lubricant everywhere but that doesn't help. Strangely, when i let the bike rest for a couple of days, the amount of stuck-ness (pardon my english) seems less! Then after 15 minutes or so of riding, it's stuck again.

Battery is ok, it's a few months old. Also i bought this bike secondhand, so i have no manual whatsoever.

Anyone have some advice for me?

 

[tim]

Are you sure it's not the bottom bracket that's causing the binding? When it's locked up can you grab the crank arms and rotate them around (even if the pedals wont rotate on their own axles)? When bearings are binding, often they heat up which makes the problem worse. This may explain why giving it 15 minutes cool down time, frees things up again. I'm unfamiliar with that model of Giant Electric bike, mine's a 2006 Twist Comfort with NiMH batteries but if your bike has a conventional cup bottom bracket, it may just be the locking ring has come loose and allowing things to tighten with the normal rotation of the bearings.

If on the other hand the cranks rotate freely and it's just a pedal thats binding on its axle, then if you dont want to mess about adjusting pedal bearings, new pedals shouldn't cost much and many bike shops will fit them for free if they sold them - just ask.

 

[reef]

Yeah, i said that wrong, the pedals are not stuck, the crank arms are indeed the ones that are stuck. The can be rotated for about 5 centimeters and then they're stuck.

So you say it's possibly a loose locking ring? I might have to open things up, that could be a problem, i have no experience with that whatsoever, and more importantly - not the right tools.

This gives me some hope though, it could be a problem an 'ordinary' bike repairshop could handle right? I was afraid it would be electromotor related.

 

[tim]

From the above (ie that it can be rotated a small amount and then it locks up, I'm inclined to think there's something else going on there. Can you see a conventional looking bottom bracket where the crank arms attach or is the motor assembly in there? If it's the latter then a bike shop thats unfamiliar with this bike may be struggling! I'd certainly suggest a Giant dealer/workshop that is familiar with the lead acid battery powered LaFree look at it if its a motor issue. If not, any bike shop should be able to help.

Perhaps some owners with SLA LaFree's may read this and be able to comment. I'm not aware of any forum members at with this model (although there's loads with the newer, very different, NiMH battery LaFree's or Twists), there's no harm in asking there though.