Convert Ridgeback Supernova - possible?

[Essgeebee]

As a newbie to the forum and being technically hopeless, I hope someone can give me some advice. I have a Ridgeback Supernova hybrid bike that has been idle many years. A chronic illness means I no longer have the puff for a manual bike. I wonder if it’s possible to convert it cost effectively to an E-bike. I’d appreciate some info on possible options, likely costs and how technically challenging it would be.
I already have a touring-style E-bike but it’s a shame having the lovely Ridgeback sitting in the garage when (hopefully) I can use it again as a more sporty alternative on my better days.

 

[Nealh]

A good UK kit is about £600 form Woosh if they have it stocked, though the price may be more then other kits it isn't when a good battery is supplied and no issues with spares/repairs via their excellent CS.

If fatigue or stamina is the issue then a cadence PAS hub system might be best, Woosh is about the only place where I have seen a very high torque kit available which is ideal if you have hills to deal with. The lowest non oem high torque kits or hubs available tends to be 201rpm but Woosh have even higher torque models at about 160rpm winding, so very good for hill climbing at slower speeds.

The Mid drive is probably easier to fit though does rely on low gearing and good cadence other wise the controllers fail quite easily. Again you need to decide either torque sensing or cadence sensing.

 

[Essgeebee]

A good UK kit is about £600 form Woosh if they have it stocked, though the price may be more then other kits it isn't when a good battery is supplied and no issues with spares/repairs via their excellent CS.

If fatigue or stamina is the issue then a cadence PAS hub system might be best, Woosh is about the only place where I have seen a very high torque kit available which is ideal if you have hills to deal with. The lowest non oem high torque kits or hubs available tends to be 201rpm but Woosh have even higher torque models at about 160rpm winding, so very good for hill climbing at slower speeds.

The Mid drive is probably easier to fit though does rely on low gearing and good cadence other wise the controllers fail quite easily. Again you need to decide either torque sensing or cadence sensing.

Thanks Nealh. I'll have a look at Woosh's website and see what I can find. I'm a bit unclear about the the difference between torque and cadence sensing. My health problem means that although I'm generally fit and able, I quickly get breathless with hard effort. I can pedal reasonably fast as long as it's not against too much resistance. There are quite a lot of hills, some really steep, around where I live. I can cope with many but some are just a bit much. If I can get a decent system installed that enables me to climb most, I'd be delighted.

 

[Warwick]

What condition is the Ridgeback in? You say it's been idle for many years. If so recommissioning it might not be worthwhile. If it is so long, it might need an entire new transmission; i.e. chain, cassette/freewheel, derailleur(s). At the very least, it'll need a full service.

Cadence sensing is where the motor gives assistance depending on how fast you're pedalling. Torque sensing - generally more sophisticated - is where the motor gives assistance depending on how hard you're pedalling. The latter, I find, is much better suited to when I start off, as the feed-in of power is more-or-less instant on my Bosch-equipped Cube.

For us, ahem, more mature riders, higher cadence is usually better for the knees.

 

[sjpt]

Usually cadence sensing only detects and gives assistance depending on whether your are pedalling or not, and (despite its name) doesn't actually use the cadence. One big advantage is that you can ghost pedal, just turn the pedals with no effort, and the motor will still do its stuff. Very helpful if you are tired on an uphill near the end of a ride. Of course, hill climbing will then be totally limited by motor capability.

Usually mid-mount motors use torque sensing and hub motors use cadence sensing, but that is not always the case.

 

[Essgeebee]

What condition is the Ridgeback in? You say it's been idle for many years. If so recommissioning it might not be worthwhile. If it is so long, it might need an entire new transmission; i.e. chain, cassette/freewheel, derailleur(s). At the very least, it'll need a full service.

Cadence sensing is where the motor gives assistance depending on how fast you're pedalling. Torque sensing - generally more sophisticated - is where the motor gives assistance depending on how hard you're pedalling. The latter, I find, is much better suited to when I start off, as the feed-in of power is more-or-less instant on my Bosch-equipped Cube.

For us, ahem, more mature riders, higher cadence is usually better for the knees.

Thanks Warwick. The Ridgeback is in excellent condition, I’m glad to say, although I agree it would need a service to ensure gearing, brakes and lubrications were up to par. In fact the reason I’m considering a conversion is it is a lovely bike in such good condition but I can’t use it as a manual bike.
Thank you for the explanation of cadence vs torque sensing. Makes more sense to me now. I’d need a bike mechanic to do the conversion but Woosh seem to have some good kit.

 

[Warwick]

sjpt has described cadence sensing bette than I did. The amount of assistance given will depend on what power settings you have via the display and controller with cadence sensing. I've had both set ups and prefer torque sensing by a long stretch.

Does your bike have hydraulic disk brakes? That would add another, surmountable hurdle.

 

[Woosh]

the Ridgeback Supernova is a nice bike to convert.
You said you can pedal fairly fast - but have problem with hills.
I would suggest the Tongsheng TSDZ2T with throttle.
It has good torque (100NM max) , torque sensor, rides very much like German bikes but also a throttle as a backup for hills.
The battery is 48V 12AH, range is about 50 miles on a full charge.

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/cart/#/product/uid-208-tsdz2t-12ah/tsdz2-cd-kit-48v-12ah-with-throttle

Here is my Giant fitted with it:

 

[Essgeebee]

Thank you to all who've replied. I think it seems perfectly possible to convert my Ridgeback and have a decent ebike for a fraction of the price of buying a new one. I will speak to my local bike repair guy and see if he'd fit it for me. So glad I found this forum.