My New Build

[Waspy]

I put the battery over the front wheel, as I thought it would be good to have some weight over the motor wheel

Help! - Converting folder bike to cassette

nice bike. yeah - seems ok for £200 - quite funky BMXy looking. My mother in law will look very cool cycling round Didsbury :)

www.pedelecs.co.uk

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I used the Yosepower battery on one (I managed to put a crack in the battery cradle - see photo on my first attempt so I bought a second replacement cradle from Ali for peanuts.)

They are designed to attach these to the seat tube

View attachment 63988

The other one I attached an L shaped bracket (from B & Q !) and fitted a TBK Bag battery (and controller) around

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I quite like the idea of the battery and controller in one bag.

What battery is in the bag?

Do you have a link to the bracket you bought from B&Q please?

 

[Peter.Bridge]

I quite like the idea of the battery and controller in one bag.

What battery is in the bag?

Do you have a link to the bracket you bought from B&Q please?

It was this one 36V 15Ah but the shipping was expensive - Woosh do one too

36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag For Folding Bike [36V15AH Samsung 21700+Bag] - $197.60 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Zen Cart! 36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag For Folding Bike [36V15AH Samsung 21700+Bag] - ★★★★★ SPECIFICATION: 36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag 1-Capacity:36V15AH SamsungINR27100-50E 2-Cells in series:10S3P, total cells:30 pcs 3-BMS:20-40A 4.Bag...

topbikekit.com

I just wandered round B&Q and bought one ! - think I had to drill hole

 

[Waspy]

So, today's episode is about the brakes.

This is what I bought from Ali Express, cable operated hydraulic calipers, all the hydraulic fluid is contained in the calipers themselves.

These have been discussed on this forum many times before and the general opinion is that they are a massive improvement over mechanical disc brakes and I have to say I'd agree with that.

Someone pointed out that because of the very small amount of hydraulic fluid involved there is a danger that if you were going downhill at 45MPH and braking hard, the heat could cause the fluid to boil, leading to brake failure. Now, as I have no intention of entering the Tour de France on a 20" folder, I think I'll be alright.

So then this small box of Chinese goodness arrived:

Tip No. 1: Have this picture on your phone when assembling the brakes, so you don't get in a muddle about which way the caliper adaptors go on:

Front brake fitted:

Rear brake fitted:

Tip No. 2: The front brake was a doddle to fit, but the rear one gave me slight problems. The caliper would not line-up with the disc. This was solved by fitting two 2mm washers on each of the bolts between the frame and the caliper adaptor, thereby moving the whole caliper and adaptor 4mm inboard.

Both brakes in situ:

So the bike is now just about finished (just waiting for the magnetic latch to arrive) and ready for the fitting of the electric conversion stuff, which should be arriving today. And then will come the big decision about which battery and where to fit it.

Here's a before and after picture for your viewing pleasure:

 

[Waspy]

It was this one 36V 15Ah but the shipping was expensive - Woosh do one too

36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag For Folding Bike [36V15AH Samsung 21700+Bag] - $197.60 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Zen Cart! 36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag For Folding Bike [36V15AH Samsung 21700+Bag] - ★★★★★ SPECIFICATION: 36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag 1-Capacity:36V15AH SamsungINR27100-50E 2-Cells in series:10S3P, total cells:30 pcs 3-BMS:20-40A 4.Bag...

topbikekit.com

I just wandered round B&Q and bought one ! - think I had to drill hole

I like that battery and the bag, 15AH as well, nice.

I'm not sure if Woosh sell batteries (or other conversion parts) separately. Their bag battery looks very tidy on the bike, I'm not sure if you could squeeze a controller in there as well.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

I like that battery and the bag, 15AH as well, nice.

I'm not sure if Woosh sell batteries (or other conversion parts) separately. Their bag battery looks very tidy on the bike, I'm not sure if you could squeeze a controller in there as well.

I was thinking just buy the battery without bag from Woosh and the bag from tbk - depends how expensive. Woosh do sell batteries separately

 

[Waspy]

It was this one 36V 15Ah but the shipping was expensive - Woosh do one too

36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag For Folding Bike [36V15AH Samsung 21700+Bag] - $197.60 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Zen Cart! 36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag For Folding Bike [36V15AH Samsung 21700+Bag] - ★★★★★ SPECIFICATION: 36V15AH Samsung INR21700-50E Li-ion Battery+Bag 1-Capacity:36V15AH SamsungINR27100-50E 2-Cells in series:10S3P, total cells:30 pcs 3-BMS:20-40A 4.Bag...

topbikekit.com

I just wandered round B&Q and bought one ! - think I had to drill hole

So may I ask which shipping method you chose please?

 

[Peter.Bridge]

So may I ask which shipping method you chose please?

I chose DHL one time but I think they said I should have chosen battery special - anyway it got delivered without any problems or surcharges

 

[saneagle]

So may I ask which shipping method you chose please?

I always select China Post because it the cheapest. It comes pretty quick anyway. If you're buying from Topbikekit, don't forget the KT controller and stuff to go with it.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

I always select China Post because it the cheapest. It comes pretty quick anyway.

Even with batteries ?

 

[saneagle]

Even with batteries ?

I don't buy batteries from China. It's more convenient to get them from Greenlance, Yose and PSWpower, who have European warehouses.

If I wanted to fit a battery on the steerer tube, I'd use the Aliexpress bag, which is a lot nicer and has a ready-made bracket for £2. At most, you have to elongate a hole in a metal plate.

 

[Waspy]

I always select China Post because it the cheapest. It comes pretty quick anyway. If you're buying from Topbikekit, don't forget the KT controller and stuff to go with it.

Err.... I've already ordered the Yosepower 20" front conversion kit (minus battery) which comes with a Lishui controller. £134 shipped. It should be arriving today.

I know you and other knowledgeable people here always recommend KT controllers, but I have a Lishui controller on my Trek and I'm very happy with it.

I'm a simple man who like simple things, with the Lishui controller you just go in the LCD menu once, set the wheel size and max speed and you're done, never have to touch it again.

From what I've read on this forum KT controllers come with about a billion different permutations of settings written in some secret code that Alan Turing would struggle with.

Anyway, it's done now but I always appreciate your advice mate. It's just that compared to you, I'm a bit thick

 

[Waspy]

I don't buy batteries from China. It's more convenient to get them from Greenlance, Yose and PSWpower, who have European warehouses.

If I wanted to fit a battery on the steerer tube, I'd use the Aliexpress bag, which is a lot nicer and has a ready-made bracket for £2. At most, you have to elongate a hole in a metal plate.

I've just had a look at Greenlance, Yose and PSWpower and none of them seem to have batteries of the right shape that would fit in a headtube bag.

Would you happen to have a link to the Aliexpress bag please?

 

[saneagle]

Err.... I've already ordered the Yosepower 20" front conversion kit (minus battery) which comes with a Lishui controller. £134 shipped. It should be arriving today.

I know you and other knowledgeable people here always recommend KT controllers, but I have a Lishui controller on my Trek and I'm very happy with it.

I'm a simple man who like simple things, with the Lishui controller you just go in the LCD menu once, set the wheel size and max speed and you're done, never have to touch it again.

From what I've read on this forum KT controllers come with about a billion different permutations of settings written in some secret code that Alan Turing would struggle with.

Anyway, it's done now but I always appreciate your advice mate. It's just that compared to you, I'm a bit thick

That's a shame. The Lishui ones are crap, especially on a bike with small wheels. You can't control the power, and it becomes like a moped. I get that every time I visit my sister and borrow her Woosh Rambletta. Whatever level you select, the bike goes straight up to that speed with full power. The small wheels multiply the torque, so it's power on or off. You can't choose how hard to pedal. That effect is not so bad on bikes with big wheels because of the lower torque.

As the postage from TBK is already covered on the battery, the KT controller stuff would be very cheap. I'd be tempted to get it anyway, maybe for a future project, or use it on this one and put the Lishui on the future project (big wheels).

 

[saneagle]

Would you happen to have a link to the Aliexpress bag please?

Post #4.
Check the sizes to be sure. You should be able to fit battery controller and everything in there. You would need to make sure that the battery is held stationary in it with straps, brackets or packing - same as any bag battery.

 

[Waspy]

That's a shame. The Lishui ones are crap, especially on a bike with small wheels. You can't control the power, and it becomes like a moped. I get that every time I visit my sister and borrow her Woosh Rambletta. Whatever level you select, the bike goes straight up to that speed with full power. The small wheels multiply the torque, so it's power on or off. You can't choose how hard to pedal. That effect is not so bad on bikes with big wheels because of the lower torque.

As the postage from TBK is already covered on the battery, the KT controller stuff would be very cheap. I'd be tempted to get it anyway, maybe for a future project, or use it on this one and put the Lishui on the future project (big wheels).

OK, so say I did buy a KT controller and LCD, would I also have to buy a KT PAS sensor? Or is this part universal?

 

[saneagle]

OK, so say I did buy a KT controller and LCD, would I also have to buy a KT PAS sensor? Or is this part universal?

The wiring is sometimes different, so always best to buy everything together unless you don't mind rewiring connectors.

 

[Sparksandbangs]

TBK sell them for less than a fiver. Might as well get one to save having to resolder if the pins are in a different order.

As for KT settings when they are done, they are done. Very few that you'd bother to mess with when it is set up. I don't think I've changed the ones on my folder since I built it.

 

[matthewslack]

I wouldn't worry about the hot brake fluid thing. There is no circulation of the fluid in the hose of a full hydraulic brake, so no difference.

Enhanced cooling on bike brakes is usually done using fins on the pads.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

I wouldn't worry about the hot brake fluid thing. There is no circulation of the fluid in the hose of a full hydraulic brake, so no difference.
Enhanced cooling on bike brakes is usually done using fins on the pads.

Now, as I have no intention of entering the Tour de France on a 20" folder, I think I'll be alright.

Get that Tour de France application in

 

[Waspy]

OK so I've ordered a battery and bag, a KT controller, LCD and PAS.

I HOPE YOU'RE ALL VERY HAPPY NOW!