Self building of ebikes.

[bassace2006]

Hi everyone, I am interested in building my own ebike from scratch sometime in the future, but know very little about it. I have seen various books about Electric bicycles on Amazon.co.uk but I would rather get one that is recommended to me by someone who knows what they are talking about, that is where you Pedelec forum members come in, . Any suggestions anyone?
I used to be an electronics service engineer, (TVs, Videos, Electron microscopes etc), so it can be a bit of a techy book if you like.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks in anticipation,
Derek.

 

[aaannndddyyy]

I am interested in building my own ebike from scratch. I have seen various books about Electric bicycles on Amazon.co.uk but I would rather get one that is recommended to me by someone who knows what they are talking about.
Thanks in anticipation,
Derek.

The internet is my interactive book of choice.
I have been building electric bikes for over 4 years, every one is different depending on how I intend using them, from 15mph dahon folders to 50 mph full Sus DH offroaders and every thing in between.
You need to decide what sort of electric bike you what, there are 1000s of option and decisions to make, like what do you intend using it for, how far do you what to go, how fast do you what to get there, is there a weight limit what style bike, what sort of motor, what terrain, how much money to spend, etc etc.

 

[fishingpaul]

Hi everyone, I am interested in building my own ebike from scratch sometime in the future, but know very little about it. I have seen various books about Electric bicycles on Amazon.co.uk but I would rather get one that is recommended to me by someone who knows what they are talking about, that is where you Pedelec forum members come in, . Any suggestions anyone?
I used to be an electronics service engineer, (TVs, Videos, Electron microscopes etc), so it can be a bit of a techy book if you like.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks in anticipation,
Derek.

I would take a look at the endless sphere website,there are lots of pics and details of self built bikes,and also reviews of various motors etc,there is also a lot of stuff on youtube, all of the information on building electric bikes can be found on the net,personally i would not waste money on a book,if you need specific help with any build problem you will usually find the answer here or on endless sphere.

 

[bassace2006]

The internet is my interactive book of choice.
I have been building electric bikes for over 4 years, every one is different depending on how I intend using them, from 15mph dahon folders to 50 mph full Sus DH offroaders and every thing in between.
You need to decide what sort of electric bike you what, there are 1000s of option and decisions to make, like what do you intend using it for, how far do you what to go, how fast do you what to get there, is there a weight limit what style bike, what sort of motor, what terrain, how much money to spend, etc etc.

Hi aaannndddyyy, thank you you prompt reply. I am actually looking to build a commuter bike really, in the 15mph bracket you mentioned, I know that is the legal limit here. Everything else you mentioned I was hoping to get some guidance about from a good book, hence the plea for advice.
The thing is I am in my 50s and have a bad back, that stops me from walking very far, let alone cycling, so the bike would have to do most of the work. I have asked some one else on this forum about an ebike his father bought, (Cyclematic, from Amazon), and he was very pleased with it and it sounds like the sort of thing that would do for me. But, I will do a lot more research before commiting any money to the project.
Thank you for your advice and, seeing as you have so much experience in this field, I may call upon your expertise again, if that is OK. Regards and best wishes. Derek.

 

[bassace2006]

I would take a look at the endless sphere website,there are lots of pics and details of self built bikes,and also reviews of various motors etc,there is also a lot of stuff on youtube, all of the information on building electric bikes can be found on the net,personally i would not waste money on a book,if you need specific help with any build problem you will usually find the answer here or on endless sphere.

Hey Paul, thank you for a prompt reply. I have been researching on youtube and will take a look at the endless sphere website as per your suggestion.
Regards and best wishes, DereK

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I have been researching on youtube and will take a look at the endless sphere website as per your suggestion.
Regards and best wishes, DereK

By all means have a look at Endless Sphere, but most of the bikes are American, where they're allowed to go a lot faster. Most of the stuff there isn't relevant to what you want, Most of what you need to know is right here. Just look through the older threads. There's a lot of new stuff coming out all the time. There's a big electric bike show coming up called "The Tour de Presteign" in mid Wales on the weekend of 8th May. If you can, you should go.

 

[NRG]

More advertising Frank eh!?

Yep agree with d8veh. ES is good for technology leads and ideas, they push the boundaries far more in the US but a lot is not really applicable or feasible within the bounds of UK law.

BTW I've tried the Cyclematic and really would not recommend it....

 

[bassace2006]

By all means have a look at Endless Sphere, but most of the bikes are American, where they're allowed to go a lot faster. Most of the stuff there isn't relevant to what you want, Most of what you need to know is right here. Just look through the older threads. There's a lot of new stuff coming out all the time. There's a big electric bike show coming up called "The Tour de Presteign" in mid Wales on the weekend of 8th May. If you can, you should go.

Yeah, I had noticed there is a lot of american stuff on ES, but the technical info is quite good. The same can be said about youtube, but there is also quite a lot of German stuff on there too.
Unfortunately I am unemployed and living on Jobseekers allowance, so travelling places in not an option, especially when my youngest (of 3) Grandchild is having his first birthday on the 6th, (he was born on the day of the general election last year). But I shall keep researching, knowledge is never wasted, or so they say.
Thank you for your reply. DereK

 

[bassace2006]

More advertising Frank eh!?

Yep agree with d8veh. ES is good for technology leads and ideas, they push the boundaries far more in the US but a lot is not really applicable or feasible within the bounds of UK law.

BTW I've tried the Cyclematic and really would not recommend it....

Thank you for your reply but could you please expand on your reasons for not recommending the Cyclematic, your comment has got me intrigued.
Regards and best wishes DereK

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Derek,
Do you have budget in mind for either an off the shelf electric bike, or for a conversion kit?
If you already have bike for conversion, what make and model is it?
This information will enable people to give more helpful suggestions

 

[NRG]

Thank you for your reply but could you please expand on your reasons for not recommending the Cyclematic, your comment has got me intrigued.
Regards and best wishes DereK

Hill climbing. A friend of mine bought one after I suggested he get one after the positive reports on the forum. It just about copes with 12% hills but only with a lot of rider input, anything steeper and you get off and push....as a comparison he also has one of the old Powerbye 40KG SLA powered bikes and that climbs better with far less rider input, although it's a pig to ride without power On less demanding terrain the Cyclematic is fine and rides well enough given the cost.

 

[Willin']

Hill climbing. A friend of mine bought one after I suggested he get one after the positive reports on the forum. It just about copes with 12% hills but only with a lot of rider input, anything steeper and you get off and push....as a comparison he also has one of the old Powerbye 40KG SLA powered bikes and that climbs better with far less rider input, although it's a pig to ride without power On less demanding terrain the Cyclematic is fine and rides well enough given the cost.

I fully agree as I have a Cyclamatic and while I appreciate the help it gives I know I have to put in a lot of effort to get up hills. However for the price band it is in and depending on the type of journey being tackled it could be a very good buy. I've certainly enjoyed owning it and and I know I wouldn't have considered buying a Wisper or a Kalkhoff as a first bike.

I know that experiencing ebiking on my Cyclamatic has inspired me to have a go at converting my Specialized Hardrock and quite possibly my wife's Trek 7.2 to ebike capability.

 

[bassace2006]

I fully agree as I have a Cyclamatic and while I appreciate the help it gives I know I have to put in a lot of effort to get up hills. However for the price band it is in and depending on the type of journey being tackled it could be a very good buy. I've certainly enjoyed owning it and and I know I wouldn't have considered buying a Wisper or a Kalkhoff as a first bike.

I know that experiencing ebiking on my Cyclamatic has inspired me to have a go at converting my Specialized Hardrock and quite possibly my wife's Trek 7.2 to ebike capability.

Cheers willin', I appreciate your input.

 

[bassace2006]

Hill climbing. A friend of mine bought one after I suggested he get one after the positive reports on the forum. It just about copes with 12% hills but only with a lot of rider input, anything steeper and you get off and push....as a comparison he also has one of the old Powerbye 40KG SLA powered bikes and that climbs better with far less rider input, although it's a pig to ride without power On less demanding terrain the Cyclematic is fine and rides well enough given the cost.

Hey again NRG, thank you for clearing that up for me. Where I live is fairly flat with the odd road ducking under an old railway bridge.
Unfortunately I am unemployed at the moment so I will not even be thinking about getting an ebike before getting a job, which is a shame because the bus service around here, (we're fairly rural), limits my ability to go to certain areas to look for work, so an ebike would be ideal right now. It's all a bit 'catch 22'. Thank you for your advice on this matter. Talk soon.

 

[bassace2006]

Hi Derek,
Do you have budget in mind for either an off the shelf electric bike, or for a conversion kit?
If you already have bike for conversion, what make and model is it?
This information will enable people to give more helpful suggestions

I do have a bike at the moment but is a racing/dropped handle bar type. It's an old MBK, Super Mistral model, not really suitable for a 'Hub' style motor, and I'm not sure how the 'thumb' accelerator would work on dropped handle bars. .