Boardman Pro team hybrid for Bafang bbs01b conversion

[SteveRuss]

I was wondering whether someone could look over the following bike specs to ascertain the suitability of this bike for a Bafang bbs01b 250w conversion. I’m a bit confused about the bottom bracket and overall suitability. It’s used but in good condition

Name	Hybrid team (11)
Brand	Boardman

Description	Continental Ultra Sport 700 x 28
Rear Derailleur	SRAM Apex
Top Tube (cm)	58
Standover Height (cm)	77
Seat Tube (cm)	45
Chainstays (cm)	42.5
Bottom Bracket Height (cm)	27
Weight (lb)	20.7
Weight (kg)	9.39
Stem	Boardman forged alu oversized steerer and bar, 10cm
Shifters	SRAM Apex 2 x 10
Seatpost	Boardman alu twin bolt micro, 31.6mm x 350mm
Seat Angle	73.5
Saddle	Boardman padded vinyl, chromoly rails
Rear Wheel Weight	1988
Headset Type	Fully integrated sealed cartridge aheadset, 1 1/8 x 1 1/2in
Available Sizes	L M M L S S M L S M L S M L S M S M L M L M L S S
Head Angle	72
Handlebar	Boardman alu oversized flat bar, 600mm
Front Wheel Weight	1514
Front Derailleur	Micro Shift 34.9mm clamp-on
Frame Weight	1800
Frame Material	Smooth TIG-welded aluminium, forged dropouts, replaceable hanger.
Fork Weight	560
Fork	Carbon blades, crown and differential steerer, forged alloy dropouts
Cranks	FSA Gossamer forged alu two-piece compact, steel spindle, 175mm arms, 50/34 alloy rings
Chain	KMC 10spd chain
Cassette	Shimano 105 HG 11-28 9spd steel cogs
Brakes	Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic, 160mm rotors
Bottom Bracket	FSA external alloy cups, sealed cartridge
Wheelbase (cm)	104

 

[egroover]

I reckon that would make a great bafang bbs01 conversion, the chainset is 50t so no chainstay issues and the bottom bracket sounds standard.
I have a boardman mx comp hybrid conversion with a bbs01, all fitted well. I would recommend an additional rivnut if using a downtube battery as the frame thickness of the boardman bikes is quite thin, i also have battery straps to be doubly sure its very secure

 

[SteveRuss]

Great. That’s the response I was hoping for. I used to love my old one and it’s very light. I’ll sleep on it and may pull the trigger. I’ve got some riv nuts floating around somewhere. Many thanks.

 

[SteveRuss]

Just out of interest egroover, what front cog did you go for and what battery capacity? I feel drawn to the 44 tooth as it's hilly around my way though I don't want to loose too much top speed and I was thinking of at least a 17ah battery though I don't know what mileage to expect real world with mostly peddling and some throttle. I know the latter is an almost impossible question to ask...

 

[egroover]

Hi SteveRuss,

I specced the 44t kit, but subsequently bought a 42t bling ring copy from AliExpress
US $35.78 20%OFF | Bafang BBS01B BBS02B Mid Motor 42T Integral Chain Wheel Chainring Electric Bicycle Conversions 8FUN Parts

30.4￡ 21% OFF|Electric Bicycle Cranks | Bicycle Conversions | Bafang Chainring | Integral Chain - Bbs01b - Aliexpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

I pair this with a Sunrace 11-40t 9 speed cassette, helps with some of the steep Dorset hills I ride
I went with Hailong 1 17.5ah batteries (the smallest Hailong case) again from Aliexpress gives me up to 60 mile range on flatter rides

Good luck

 

[SteveRuss]

Hi SteveRuss,

I specced the 44t kit, but subsequently bought a 42t bling ring copy from AliExpress
US $35.78 20%OFF | Bafang BBS01B BBS02B Mid Motor 42T Integral Chain Wheel Chainring Electric Bicycle Conversions 8FUN Parts

30.4￡ 21% OFF|Electric Bicycle Cranks | Bicycle Conversions | Bafang Chainring | Integral Chain - Bbs01b - Aliexpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

I pair this with a Sunrace 11-40t 9 speed cassette, helps with some of the steep Dorset hills I ride
I went with Hailong 1 17.5ah batteries (the smallest Hailong case) again from Aliexpress gives me up to 60 mile range on flatter rides

Good luck

Again. Many thanks..

 

[Nicholas Hammond]

I converted my Boardman some years ago with BBS02 no problems at all with fitting, I’m now using a 52t bling ring up front and a wide ratio 11-46 to easily conquer the 20% hills round here in the black mountains, the big 52t ring enables a relaxed ride at higher speeds using more of the middle sprockets. I have used Shimano cranks from new. Go for it.
nick

 

[SteveRuss]

52t ring.. That's pretty big but I suppose you have a lot of range in the cassette. Ideally I want to ride at normal road speeds (20mph to keep up with the traffic at least) but the hills are the thing that put me off riding at all and although I still love my Kalkhoff Pro connect, it is heavy and sometimes I just don't have the energy to get the most out of the torque sensor motor and sometimes i'm just plain lazy..!

 

[Nicholas Hammond]

Steve I started with a 42 tooth bling ring and a biggest rear sprocket of 36t, this was fine on the big hills but I was spending a lot of time on the 11t when on the flat or going down. The 52 to 42 gives almost the same low ratio as above so I’m certainly not lugging the motor which never gets hot. As a point of interest the offset of the bling ring gives as perfect a chain line as you could hope for on this frame, in the middle of the cassette it’s pretty well straight.
I should add my BBS02 is the 750w version and I am 16 stone and 75 with heart problems so definitely not an athlete any more! I have not felt the need to reprogram, I ride in level 2 most of the time and sometimes 1. You may notice I have upgraded the brakes, I have to come back down those steep hills!

 

[SteveRuss]

I was looking at the bling ring offset but as I don't really know how the chain line thing is going to go, I thought I would go with the 44T and see what happens. Rather than guessing the chain line compatibility I thought I would just go ahead and buy and fit it then see if it's an issue. I like the idea of the 750 but i'm kind of fit (well...) and think the 250w will work out for me. I'll let everyone know how it goes when I get everything finished. Hopefully during September if all goes well!

 

[Downward]

How much is the kit ?
Assume you just take out the front derraliur and gear changer off the handlebars.
Those calipers look nice are they aftermarket ? I don’t think the brakes are that good on the Boardman so have you guys upgraded them ?

 

[Nicholas Hammond]

Kit price varies dependant on the spec you chose, the motor size, the battery size and the display, best to have a Google to research current prices.
My brakes are now 200mm front 180mm rear both 2 piece rotors with Hope e4 calipers and Sram Guide levers, probably overkill for most but I live the Brecon Beacons so a very hilly area. It’s not necessarily so much about outright power but control (modulation) and heat management descending long twisty narrow single track lanes where speed is not possible so the brakes might be dragging for minutes at a time. I have absolute faith in this set up.
The original basic Sram Elixir 1 brakes Boardman fitted whilst perfectly adequate for most terrain would overheat and discolour on these hills and as a result the rotors would warp, they also made a dreadful noise hot or cold however I should say they never failed. Whilst the Boardman is a fairly light bike when you add on the weight of the kit and in my case 16+ stone the brakes should probably be upgraded but just an increase in rotor size might be more than enough for you.

 

[SteveRuss]

How much is the kit ?
Assume you just take out the front derraliur and gear changer off the handlebars.
Those calipers look nice are they aftermarket ? I don’t think the brakes are that good on the Boardman so have you guys upgraded them ?

I paid just over £750 but with a 21ah 36v LG battery which I am happy with. This was from a Uk bike builder so slightly over the odds compared to importing but I got a much better service from them than expected and had a good discussion with them about my expectations and requirements. Reprogramming thrown in and some Mobil greasing as well (their motors come in to their stock with a 20% 'Keep Current' setting so...). I'm collecting directly from them so I know who they are and where they are.

I've previously had a 2010 white Boardman Hybrid Pro and never had an issue with the brakes at all. If anything, I nearly flew over the handlebars the first time I did a brake test. The thing that drove me towards this one is the 9.4kg basic weight. My Kalkhoff Pro Connect is pretty heavy and I never really felt I needed the shocks on the front for my mostly road use. I'll weigh the whole thing when i'm done and post some piccies if it's worth anything to anyone. I don't think the callipers are aftermarket but i'm not sure...

 

[SteveRuss]

Okay so i've sort of finished it. Although it took me a few hours to do I took my time and managed it without any real issues. The only downside was that the battery charger that came with it was faulty though it did charge but only with about a 10th the current. The seller (Uk based) sent me another to test straight away and has been super supportive.

Although the donor bike was in pretty good condition the torque of the motor showed up some worn parts so I took a dive and went for a new cassette, Lekkie 42t and a new chain which I have just fitted. The motor is street legal 250w Bafang BBS01B but slightly tuned to my tastes. The battery is a 21ah 36v with LG cells.

All in all, i'm well chuffed with it. I've just got back from a 35mile ride and have mostly ran the motor at about 50% current the whole way and on hills with some throttle (which is set to 100%) it was hitting down as low as 34volts which is pretty damn good I think. It settled back to 35.5 when I got home so a number more miles in that with the 31 volt cut off. I did use the top level from time to time but largely didn't need it as the assist at 50% was pretty awesome. I still have some cable tidying to do and have a handlebar raiser on the way as it is a little low for me ideally.

 

[Nicholas Hammond]

Okay so i've sort of finished it. Although it took me a few hours to do I took my time and managed it without any real issues. The only downside was that the battery charger that came with it was faulty though it did charge but only with about a 10th the current. The seller (Uk based) sent me another to test straight away and has been super supportive.

Although the donor bike was in pretty good condition the torque of the motor showed up some worn parts so I took a dive and went for a new cassette, Lekkie 42t and a new chain which I have just fitted. The motor is street legal 250w Bafang BBS01B but slightly tuned to my tastes. The battery is a 21ah 36v with LG cells.

All in all, i'm well chuffed with it. I've just got back from a 35mile ride and have mostly ran the motor at about 50% current the whole way and on hills with some throttle (which is set to 100%) it was hitting down as low as 34volts which is pretty damn good I think. It settled back to 35.5 when I got home so a number more miles in that with the 31 volt cut off. I did use the top level from time to time but largely didn't need it as the assist at 50% was pretty awesome. I still have some cable tidying to do and have a handlebar raiser on the way as it is a little low for me ideally.

Well done Steve, that’s a big battery I’m sure you will get a good range with that. I sometimes wish I had gone for a bigger battery, it’s a trade off of course, weight to range. I’m not as strong as I was and I still have to lift the thing periodically!
what cassette did you go for?
nick

 

[SteveRuss]

Shimano 5700 11-28t. The bike is weighing in at around 17.5kg at the moment but I think I’ll put a rack on the back and I have a pannier or two so.

 

[guerney]

The battery is a 21ah 36v with LG cells.

All in all, i'm well chuffed with it. I've just got back from a 35mile ride and have mostly ran the motor at about 50% current the whole way and on hills with some throttle (which is set to 100%) it was hitting down as low as 34volts which is pretty damn good I think. It settled back to 35.5 when I got home so a number more miles in that with the 31 volt cut off. I did use the top level from time to time but largely didn't need it as the assist at 50% was pretty awesome. I still have some cable tidying to do and have a handlebar raiser on the way as it is a little low for me ideally.

What's the current limit on the controller? When new, I used to get 43 miles at 100% keep current @15A, 45 miles with slightly less current drawn. I'm glad I chose the 19.2ah LG MH1 celled battery - less voltage sag on hills, enables me to haul quite heavy trailers up steep hills. It's still charging to 41.9v after two years. After 80% or so capacity loss in a couple more years, that would still leave a useful range.

 

[SteveRuss]

18amp with 80% keep current. Throttle at 100% at any time though I only really use it on hills or when I need a breather for a 100meters or so. Throttle set to Current which feels more natural as a Pedelec to me. Well, as someone coming from a torque sensor off the shelf bike.

Descent batteries are kind of the only way forward. I have a campervan and a decent amount of experience with battery technology and solar charging et cetera and both decent and crap batteries. They are the only way forward in my opinion, funds permitting

I’m still adjusting to the cadence sensor versus the torque sensor. I personally I prefer within our dictated 250watt restriction, but it’s taking some getting used to. .