I have Multiple Sclerosis but I also love cycling. This causes me a bit of a problem as when exhaustion hits, it hits hard. I decided to convert my Saracen Ariel 3 to electric.
After considering various hub motors and the BBS01/02 range, I eventually settled on the BBSHD as having sufficient power for climbing hills when towing my son on his tag-along.
After doing lots of reading, I discovered that the BBSHD has a very large secondary recution gear casing that can cause some issues with fitment on bikes with wide chainstays. My bike is by no means a fat-bike but after taking advice I figured it was best to measure it. The secondary reduction gear is 68mm in radius. This picture is from another poster illustrating the issue.
Hmm, it's not going to fit. It would be fouling the chainstay.
That's about how far I would need to offset the BBSHD to clear the chainstay.
My BB is 68mm so I would need a BBSHD capable of fitting a 72mm BB as a bare minimum. Probably more like 75mm to give some clearance. This means getting the next size of BBSHD up.
After taking some advice from the guys on the ever useful Pedelecs forum, I decided that a change of frame would be a better idea. So, armed with a shortlist of frames that I knew people had had success with I scoured eBay. Enter a 2009 Felt Compulsion 2 with knackered Equilink bearings.
Loads of clearance here.
The first job was to sort out the bike's knackered bearings. I ordered a full set as well as a service kit for the shock and for my Rockshox Revelation forks. I didn't order the stupidly expensive Felt installation kit for the bearings, figuring I could MacGyver something up.
Some threaded rod and various sockets and nuts work well as bearing pullers and presses. This is the Equilink bar.
Chainstays removed.
More sockets, spanners, bolts, and nuts to remove the old bearings.
In reverse to install the new ones. I used the old bearings as the washers for the makeshift press.
Another franken-puller. I knew there was a use for all of those imperial sockets I never use!
More bearings being installed.
I didn't photograph the fork and shock rebuilds as my hands were covered in suspension oil and float fluid. It was pretty easy TBH. The only issue I had was the initial seal kit I'd ordered for the Revelations was the wrong one.
The first Issue I had with the new frame was that the triangle was too small to fit any of the off-the-shelf dolphin or shark packs easily. I decided to build my own pack because I'd never done it before and I like making things hard for myself.
First I laid the frame on some cardboard and drew the triangle. Sorry for the crappy picture.
I cut out the cardboard and laid it on some MDF board.
And made a jig for my battery box.
I used acrylic sheet to make the edges of the triangle box. I wanted to do it this was so I could make some nice curves for the corners. Sharp edges are going to be dangerous. I used some 2.5" waste pipe for the radius jig and my toaster to heat the acrylic.
There we go. Corners all made. Just need to cut the excess off and glue it.
After considering various hub motors and the BBS01/02 range, I eventually settled on the BBSHD as having sufficient power for climbing hills when towing my son on his tag-along.
After doing lots of reading, I discovered that the BBSHD has a very large secondary recution gear casing that can cause some issues with fitment on bikes with wide chainstays. My bike is by no means a fat-bike but after taking advice I figured it was best to measure it. The secondary reduction gear is 68mm in radius. This picture is from another poster illustrating the issue.
Hmm, it's not going to fit. It would be fouling the chainstay.
That's about how far I would need to offset the BBSHD to clear the chainstay.
My BB is 68mm so I would need a BBSHD capable of fitting a 72mm BB as a bare minimum. Probably more like 75mm to give some clearance. This means getting the next size of BBSHD up.
After taking some advice from the guys on the ever useful Pedelecs forum, I decided that a change of frame would be a better idea. So, armed with a shortlist of frames that I knew people had had success with I scoured eBay. Enter a 2009 Felt Compulsion 2 with knackered Equilink bearings.
Loads of clearance here.
The first job was to sort out the bike's knackered bearings. I ordered a full set as well as a service kit for the shock and for my Rockshox Revelation forks. I didn't order the stupidly expensive Felt installation kit for the bearings, figuring I could MacGyver something up.
Some threaded rod and various sockets and nuts work well as bearing pullers and presses. This is the Equilink bar.
Chainstays removed.
More sockets, spanners, bolts, and nuts to remove the old bearings.
In reverse to install the new ones. I used the old bearings as the washers for the makeshift press.
Another franken-puller. I knew there was a use for all of those imperial sockets I never use!
More bearings being installed.
I didn't photograph the fork and shock rebuilds as my hands were covered in suspension oil and float fluid. It was pretty easy TBH. The only issue I had was the initial seal kit I'd ordered for the Revelations was the wrong one.
The first Issue I had with the new frame was that the triangle was too small to fit any of the off-the-shelf dolphin or shark packs easily. I decided to build my own pack because I'd never done it before and I like making things hard for myself.
First I laid the frame on some cardboard and drew the triangle. Sorry for the crappy picture.
I cut out the cardboard and laid it on some MDF board.
And made a jig for my battery box.
I used acrylic sheet to make the edges of the triangle box. I wanted to do it this was so I could make some nice curves for the corners. Sharp edges are going to be dangerous. I used some 2.5" waste pipe for the radius jig and my toaster to heat the acrylic.
There we go. Corners all made. Just need to cut the excess off and glue it.