Kit or complete new bike? Not pedal assist?

[iain85]

Hi all,

I am keen to get involved with the electric bike world but don't really want to go down the pedal assisted route. I know the good old eu have ruled that road going bikes must be pedal assisted but how about for off road use only?

So does anyone any kits suitable for a throttle assist or complete bikes for that matter?

Many thanks in advance,

Iain

 

[RobF]

The legality of a throttle is a grey area, but most people accept they are within UK law - at the moment.

What is clear - and more important - is the bike cannot go more than about 15mph on electric power alone, however that power is applied.

There are dozens of electric bikes on sale with combinations of throttles/pedal assist.

You say you want throttle only, the simplest route will be to buy a bike with both a throttle and pedal assist, and just ignore the pedal assist function.

Lots to choose from, have a look at Kudos or Woosh, both of whom support this site, or Wisper which are a bit dearer.

 

[iain85]

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I have a Kona Lavadome bike which I really like and if possible would like to keep this so was considering a kit to make it powered. Is this a good idea or should I just opt for a whole new bike designed around the electric power? I am quite practical so don't mind tinkering to make things work to some extent, however that said I don't want to spend ages designing brackets to make things fit!

Thanks,

Iain

 

[RobF]

Others on here know far more about kits than I do, but I think almost any bike can be electrified fairly easily.

The 'Electric Bicycles - general discussion' section of the forum is busier than this one, so post the name of your bike and the question on there and I'm sure you'll get some recommendations for a suitable kit.

 

[iain85]

Many thanks

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Ian,

Welcome to the forum.

If it is a kit you are looking for, an eZee front or rear wheel conversion might be just what you are looking for.
Cyclezee are the UK supplier and range of kits to suit the majority of applications.

You can find them on our website electric bikes and conversion kits - Home

Regards,

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you specially like your bike, then you could consider a kit, or, if you want more power than what's strictly legal, then a kit would also be worth exploring. fitting a kit is straight-forward and requires spanner-work. Sometimes a bit of wiring as well - soldering connectors etc depending how much you pay and how much DIY you want to do.

If you want to ride round without pedalling, then you probably need more power than what's legal depending on how fast and far you want to go.

You need to be a bit more specific about the speed and distance you want, your weight and the hilliness of your routes, and your budget for us to to be able to advise.

 

[morphix]

If you want to ride round without pedalling, then you probably need more power than what's legal depending on how fast and far you want to go.

You need to be a bit more specific about the speed and distance you want, your weight and the hilliness of your routes, and your budget for us to to be able to advise.

That's a good point.. there's a huge difference in power usage in my experience between riding throttle-only and riding pedal assist when you're helping the motor by pedalling.. as I said, 6 miles v 30-40 miles (at full power)! at 10Ah, and it could be even less if you're heavier or have a heavy bike. So if you plan to ride without pedalling the bigger the battery the better, depending on how far you need to go between charges.. If you can charge on route/work, you may get away with 10Ah as a minimum, but might find 15Ah a safer size if you can't pedal.