If you were going to buy a bike to convert....

[Bonzo Banana]

UPDATE:


I know you're all dying to know.
In the end I got a Giant Escape "City Disc 2".
700c wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, and comes from the factory with a stand, rack, and mudguards.

The tyres it came with were skinny, so I put on the biggest semi knobbly (and puncture proof) tyres it can take, the mudgaurds needed modded.

I got a Bafang rear wheel hub motor kit, 48v 500w, and a 48v 20ah battery. On the display it takes it up to about 900w.


I've got it hooked up with front and back lights, all 48v and running off the main battery.
The display is colour and backlit, and even better the backlight actually dims when you have the lights on. It has a light senor so the lights can come on automatically, or manually.

I've also got a 2nd 48v front light that is very bright and pointing straight out, it's used as a full beam when there's nothing oncoming, it came with it's own little switch for the handlebars, and even has an electronic horn.

Cheap set of panners from aliexpress


I got the bike all put together and on the road towards the end of august, and have done about 850 miles, all going well so far!

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Nice scenery but need more close ups of the bike itself. Cockpit and drivetrain etc.

 

[scbk]

Poor thing needs a wash.....

As per usual, tight squeeze to get everything on the handlebars and in a place you can easily reach. I've got the little handlebar extender thing in the middle, which is also cable tied to the stem to stop it moving about.
The throttle is on the left, and upside down, as it's the only place it would fit, you get used to it very quickly though.
The 2 buttons on the r/h side are for the "full beam" light on the handlebars, with it's little electronic bull horn.
The dutch "tring-a-ling" bell is for normal use!

Bit of a faff to get the hydraulic brake sensors mounted on the shimano tektro levers, had to use epoxy glue. The way the lever pivots, there's not much movement.

The yose power bag is just somewhere to stuff all the cable connections, the controller is in the plastic box behind.

 

[Bikes4two]

• That's a great job @scbk and thanks for posting the pics.
• my own requirements for a donor bike were less exacting than yours, and having to retire my steel framed (Dawes Super Galaxy) TSDZ2 conversion recently, I found a hardly used Ridgeback Supernova hybrid in my local 'emporium'.
• The bike was £130 and in perfect running order but I did transfered the Brookes saddle, fave tyres, pannier rack and mudguards from the Dawes.
•