Advice - New To E-Bikes

[Scottyf]

Right all - got my 2nd hand bike.
A Marin Kentfield FS - Managed to get it with mudguards, lights front and rear perfect condition from bike enthusiast that had recently brought new pads and tires. All in all a decent buy at £150. I was chuffed with the bike - ok some parts on it are cheap but lets face it for what I'm going to use it for it should be more than capable.

Anyway once home i got the E-bike kit out and with a basic set of sockets / screw drivers and insulation tape came up with the below. Not bad considering my real tools are at my house and not the apartment i live at now - so when i say basic I mean really basic.

Now its not the final build and took me 2 hours to fit. It does work and ok i know its not neat - but its also not the final build.

All in all really straight forward - I have yet to fit the pedelec sensor which i will do tomorrow and I'll finish with tie wraps rather than tape but to get a test run and have a go on its been perfect.

Now to get the sensor fitted and some panniers...

Marin Bike - £150
Sunlova Kit - £280
Total build - £430

 

[eddieo]

looks a decent enough bike and under £500!

 

[Abs_N]

Self Build

Wow, that looks good!!

Was it easy to do?

 

[Scottyf]

I started the build on the night after dinner about 9:00 wrapped up about half 11 then spent another hour trying to take a pic and test it on the road.

I think the point being i looked at the kit first then brought a bike round the kit to ensure all the parts would fit.
So this probably has helped alot where as alot of other people would have had to retro fit parts to get it all to fit.

I'm just happy I managed to get an ebike with a bike I like attached to it with no real hassle. I was worried as living in the city center and away from my roots would mean i am not sure where i could get parts from etc...

Pretty straight forward - although instructions where pretty ropey.

 

[donnoirf]

Great to see that you managaged to get the kit fitted ok & without too much hassle

As I said my only problem with the kit was the Christmas craker pedal sensor that came with the kit. did you manage to get this fitted ok?

you will have to get out & try it pretty quick, i hear we are gonna get some snow over the next week or so

 

[Scottyf]

Took it for a good spin round the city and down through some canels down through birmingham. Have to get used to riding on the roads again without having a big engine underneath me. Only grip really is that it would be nice if the speed was higher before it stops assisting really.

Only reason being is i pedal much quicker than the 15mph so would be ncie if when i got to a hill it would help me sustain a faster speed.

Other than that I've added a motorbike tank bag over the battery - which works well as the tank bag has magnets on it that attach to the rack. Also expandable - can't wait to use it on the run to work as all the test rides so far have been brilliant.

 

[Tex]

Took it for a good spin round the city and down through some canels down through birmingham. Have to get used to riding on the roads again without having a big engine underneath me. Only grip really is that it would be nice if the speed was higher before it stops assisting really.

Only reason being is i pedal much quicker than the 15mph so would be ncie if when i got to a hill it would help me sustain a faster speed.

Other than that I've added a motorbike tank bag over the battery - which works well as the tank bag has magnets on it that attach to the rack. Also expandable - can't wait to use it on the run to work as all the test rides so far have been brilliant.

Well done. A neat build!

 

[jbond]

Nice. I'd recommend putting effort into getting the battery and rack as low and as far forward as possible. Even 1/2" each way helps the feel of the bike.

Those are Shimano quickshift brake/gear levers aren't they? Did you have any trouble with the thumb shifter hitting the throttle casing?

 

[Scottyf]

Yes on the first run out i couldn't change the rear gear set. Not really an issue though just moved the entire shifter to the left along the bar untill it would shift. Also rotated the throttle so the bulk of the plastic wouldn't be in the way.

To be honest i don't need half the gears i have. I'm constantly on the the largest front chain ring and in between 3 and 7 and the rear. If anything i need a larger front chain ring or a less teeth on the rear to give me higher top speeds. This is my first 700c wheeled bike after spending from ages 8 to 19 on mountain bikes. An life is just so much nicer on getting around with a much better rolling radius.

Inspires me to do some decent distance i never thought possible on a push bike. I'd still like to have less torque at low speed but gain more higher up the speed range.

At the moment i'm not using much in the way of assistance of the throttle. Only start and maybe some hills. Battery should last a good while this way. Hopefully loose some timber too.

Just got to sell the car now!

Also do you know any decent, well priced cycle clothing places online. I currently keep using my motorbike gear which really is to bulky. Ie like gloves. I have a bike helmet though but the rest of the clobber would be good.

 

[jbond]

My non-electric bike is a Ridgeback 700c hybrid with Shimano Tourney gear. The front is a 48t (38t-28t) and a 14t-34t megarange rear. It's very very rare to run out of cadence downhill and in top. It's also very rare to ever need the smaller front rings. I think I need to change the freewheel to a non-megarange 14t-28t as even the 34t hardly ever gets used.

I think you're hitting the same thing I've been struggling with mentally on a possible E-Kit for this bike. I would want the assist to keep adding power above 20mph even though it may not be able to maintain it without pedalling hard as well. However, most kits and bikes are designed to be EU legal so stop assist at about 18mph. There's two options here.

1) Get a motor designed for a 26" (or 24 or even 20") wheel and lace it into a 700c rim. You'll gain speed before the assist runs out but lose on low speed torque.

2) Run the 36v motor at 48v with a controller that can handle 20A or so. The extra voltage will get you more speed at the expense of more battery weight. 48v-20A is getting a bit marginal on the motor but people on ES claim it's ok. If you scale the amps back to keep motor heat under control and protect the gears, you'll lose low speed torque and be back in the same compromise as 1)

In the mean time, get out there and ride! You've got a relatively cheap bike to learn all about what you want for the next one. And there's various upgrades available separately such as a new controller, swapping the motor, a new higher voltage or higher capacity battery. I warn you though, it's never ending.

BTW. I'd recommend fitting the PAS but with a switch. The throttle is nice in town, the PAS is like having a cruise control, out in the country.
BTW2. Make sure you've got some torque washers on that front axle. Either the one's that are like a ring with a tab that slots into a hole on the fork, or make one that has a screw hole to the mudguard support hole. A bit of scrap steel, a drill and a file is all you need. It's a baby motor and doesn't have huge torque, but having the axle spin in the drop outs on a front wheel could be very painful.

 

[Scottyf]

It has though steel washers in at the moment that stop the axcel from spinning in the drop outs currently and i've done the axel nuts up quite tight. It hasn't moved so far but I guess the advice is sound really.

I would fashion something myself but I don't really have the tools here in the apartment so maybe something that could fit / buy off the shelf to help it. I understand what you are saying about the mudguard holes though. More worried about it moving inside and chopping the wiring off as the wheel spins round.

The washers look ok but having something fixed to the frame / Fork and axel would put my mind more as rest.

Also I've read about changing the motor for a smaller designed wheel as that way you'd get a higher rph at the cost of torque. maybe its something i'll look at in the future. Again the over volting sounds good untill you realise the cost of a new battery and controller to do the job.

Would it not be cheaper to say upgrade to the BPM hill climber motor and change the controller and keep the same battery to get that higher speed?

I've always been good at tinkering, whether it be motorbikes / cars or generally anything i can improve and learn fast.
There are lots of options to get that higher speed its just i wish it didn't stop supporting at the higer end of the spectrum.

Its ok though just means i will loose more weight. Time to shed those 13 stones back down to my correct 11!

 

[morphix]

I would like your advice really - I am looking at selling my car (it’s the 2nd car in the household) and getting an Ebike to commute to work.
Now I am 13 stone, 25 years of age and of average fitness. I would use the bike to commute to work (Each way 9mile - round trip 18mile) of which I can charge the bike each end of the journey.
I'd have roughly £1000 to spend on a bike or Kit.

I live in Birmingham City centre and would be travelling out. Its relatively flat but what I'd like it a e-bike that is over my needs as such if I feel fatigued etc and also need a bike that can cope with the commuter distance of 20 miles. I'd prefere it to be a hard trail or road push bike.
I'd also like it to have a throttle grip as it would be more familier to me with riding motorbikes.

I also own both a full car and bike licence so maybe something that is marginally over the over rated power won't be to much of an issue (Providing I either get it registered / insured / Mot'd)

My main concern with this kit is the range on the bike. Can you please advise me if it would cope with that commute and if there is anything we can bespoke to get the kit on a longer range (I.e. adding an extra battery pack as the weight wouldn't be much of an issue).

I'm technically minded and good with a spanner (Having rebuilt cars in my spare time) however electrical motor's are a new concept I can't see it being that difficult to sus out.

I also don't mind building a bespoke kits if a) I can get a better kit b) Slightly cheaper.

I love the site and have read many new starter articles but its all a bit of a mind field and giving you guys a heads up to my needs I am hoping you can point me in the right direction.

Thanks for your help.

Regards
Scott Farnham

Hi Scott, welcome to the forum. I was in your very position 2-3 months ago with the exact same budget to spend. I looked at all the usual bikes, Wisper, Eeeze, Powabyke etc but they mostly all over budget for me.

I ended up buying a bike off eBay, a Chinese import Wisper look-a-like for a grand..(14Ah 36v) which was a mistake and I returned it. I would advise against buying one of the many cheap Chinese import bikes, unless you're not fussy about how it looks. The one I had was ok but it was big and heavy, and didn't look like a normal bike.

I decided to have ago building my own folding electric bike to save money and also to get something more to my personal requirements. I'm really glad I did as I've saved a lot of money and got a much better bike.

I only needed a bike to get around on and not for commuting or going more than 10 miles so your requirements may be different as far as battery power is concerned for the range you need..

All I would say is, consider some bikes (non-electric) which you like and see if they can be converted and compare the cost to buying a brand bike. If you do decide to go the kit route, you can always get extra batteries on eBay and on the Web from trusted sellers fairly cheaply compared to the cost of buying batteries from bike dealers.

 

[Scottyf]

Way ahead of you. Already completed my build.

I don't mess about ;-)

 

[morphix]

Way ahead of you. Already completed my build.

I don't mess about ;-)

Wow excellent! Are you going to do a post showing what you did and the finished bike? I'd be interested to see it

 

[Scottyf]

I havent really done anything out the ordinary kit wise but i.ve started to understand the various parts and upgrades and tweaks you can do with these little electric kits.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow of the finished bike.

So if i wanted a bit more speed with this kit i could just get say the 350watt bpm hill climber motor with the a faster rpm wind. Then lace it into a 700c wheel i currently have with a new higher amp controller and hey presto more speed not so much torque but more usable for my need's.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

To use the BPM motor, you'll need a new bigger battery and controller because of the higher current requirements. So, that's a new motor, controller and battery - doesn't leave a lot! Also, you'll have more weight, which can spoil the fun a bit. As, you're not that heavy, a 250w motor should be enough. You could try just a 48v battery for more speed if your controller can take it. You'll need to look inside to see the rating of the components. I just fitted a bigger chainwheel to mine. I can't remember how many teeth, but up I think from 44 to 50 or 52, and it's made a big improvement, but I get my speed from pedalling - not from the motor.

 

[Scottyf]

To be honest i've not really noticed the weight. Still feels quite light but that maybe because i'm used to 180kg bikes. Once moving weight is ok and gives you more momentum so long as you maintain it.

Would you need a new battery though?
Technically wouldn't the range just suffer using the same 36v 9amp battery?

All this is a long way off anyway as i'd just like to use this for now but like to know what options are there. Battery is obviously the most expensive one to change but i guess gives the best overall performance once combined with the right controller.

Facincting bit of kit though. An very relevant for the future. Esp the way petrol is going up! 127p a litre. Will be 150p in 4 months i bet.

Still enjoying it. But now really need some kind of mirror, a decent jacket, gloves and some trousers. As i can't really just cycle to work with out them. Just feels dangerous and not protected. So thats the next investment.

 

[NRG]

To get the best out of the BPM you would need a higher rated controller and possibly bigger battery but you could run the BPM with your existing controller.

However there's no point as it wouldn't give you more speed or climbing power, just use more volts on your existing motor / controller to go fasted. As d8veh points out though you will need to check what the max voltage your controller is rated for.

 

[Scottyf]

Ok i'll take a look inside the controller to see. But in order to get more volts through the system it would require a larger battery anyway wouldn't it.

 

[NRG]

Yes, either way you would need to replace the one you have or add to it if its a DIY jobbie.....