Newbie - Advice appreciated

johneb

Pedelecer
Aug 3, 2013
88
3
Hi everyone,

I've been a keen trail rider for many years and have built several bikes for myself and my family. I am rapidly approaching 60 and have recently been diagnosed with a rare muscle-wasting disease, which is severely impacting my ability to cycle more than a few miles, even on the flat. I'm determined to keep enjoying riding as long as I can, though, and so have begun investigating the world of pedelecs and e-bikes, which I'm finding both fascinating and (a little) confusing.

I can't at present justify the cost of a new higher-end bike, as I have no idea how rapidly my condition will progress. I prefer a mountain bike style, as I still hope to take the odd excursion along slightly more exciting trails (for those of you familiar with Coed-y-Brenin, the MinorTaur is about my standard), but so far I haven't identified a model that fits the bill. The lower end MTB look-alikes all seem to weigh in alongside road rollers, are equipped with entry-level-tat groupsets, and have a maximum range of 20 miles. The upper-end models which fit the bill are too expensive new and I'm wary of buying second-hand due to the potential cost of battery replacement and other parts.

I have therefore decided I'll build my own e-bike. Build criteria is as follows:
  • Road Legal
  • Pedal assist for the flat, with adequate torque and throttle override for hills
  • Top speed unimportant (i.e., 15 mph legal limit is fine)
  • Decent range - I typically do 30-mile round trips, and cannot afford to find myself with a flat battery at the end of a journey, as when I'm tired I can struggle to walk and even push a bike on the level. I'm thinking a decent 15Ah battery should do the trick?
  • Probably a hub motor - no strong preference for front or rear, but if rear would prefer option to use a cassette rather than screw-on freewheel
  • Motor preferably disc brake compatible
  • Light as possible, given the inherent limitations of kit meeting the above criteria
I have a variety of potentially suitable frames and running gear to build the bike, but would be extremely grateful for advice/recommendation on makes of motors, controllers and batteries, and where they may be sourced at the best price. I have no problem with purchasing over t'Interweb and am happy to buy from any recommended Chinese (or other overseas) supplier.

I'm comfortable with the mechanical aspects of the build and have reasonable electrical knowledge. Electronics are a bit of a Black Art for me, though, so I'd need kit with comprehensive instructions for any fine tuning that may be possible.

All Words of Wisdom gratefully received

Cheers, John
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
Sorry to read your story.
There is little to chose between kits with your specs.
But hills and rough ground will eat into the battery power.
So one of the built up power packs that can be added too would be my recommendation ( the RC ones)
Perhaps start with 15 amps and add when you struggle. PDarnnet I thing is knowledgeable about this just avoid his KW motors ;-)
 
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D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
If you want legal, low cost and good climbing, you're pretty well limited to two motors: The Bafang BBS01 250W crank drive, and the Bafang BPM kit. Anything lighter will struggle up the hills. Woosh sell both in kit form. The BPM kit is front-wheel drive, for which you'll need a strong pair of forks - ideally steel. One phone call should sort you out. If you want to spend a bit more, there's the Ezee kit from CycleZee at about £900 depending on options.
http://www.wooshbikes.co.uk/?cdkit
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/new-woosh-conversion-kits.17401/
 
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johneb

Pedelecer
Aug 3, 2013
88
3
Sorry to read your story.
There is little to chose between kits with your specs.
But hills and rough ground will eat into the battery power.
So one of the built up power packs that can be added too would be my recommendation ( the RC ones)
Perhaps start with 15 amps and add when you struggle. PDarnnet I thing is knowledgeable about this just avoid his KW motors ;-)
Many thanks for the information - I wasn't aware of built-up power packs and will now investigate further. The reason for mentioning my condition was primarily to emphasise the importance of range, but your sympathy is much appreciated.
 

johneb

Pedelecer
Aug 3, 2013
88
3
If you want legal, low cost and good climbing, you're pretty well limited to two motors: The Bafang BBS01 250W crank drive, and the Bafang BPM kit. Anything lighter will struggle up the hills. Woosh sell both in kit form. The BPM kit is front-wheel drive, for which you'll need a strong pair of forks - ideally steel. One phone call should sort you out. If you want to spend a bit more, there's the Ezee kit from CycleZee at about £900 depending on options.
http://www.wooshbikes.co.uk/?cdkit
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/new-woosh-conversion-kits.17401/
Many thanks for the information - I've had a look at the two options and the BBS01 looks favourite. Next decision is whether to build from scratch or add to my retro Parkpre Pro 825. Nice steel frame, but very light and I may be safer using a more robust Merlin or Claud Butler ally job
 

Geebee

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2010
1,256
227
Australia
The BBS01 does not need a stronger frame with the exception of maybe a not having a carbon fibre BB, as it is no different to pedalling,
A triangle battery bag would spread the weight over the frame as well.
 
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Helen C

Pedelecer
Jan 15, 2014
44
21
66
. If you want to spend a bit more, there's the Ezee kit from CycleZee at about £900 depending on options
Having ridden my son's bike with Ezee kit (http://www.cyclezee.com) & then a couple of ready-built bikes I'd like to put in a reccomendation for the kit. It's excellent. He is heavy and it copes very well with the Welsh hills around him & range is good.
Good luck!
H
 
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johneb

Pedelecer
Aug 3, 2013
88
3
The BBS01 does not need a stronger frame with the exception of maybe a not having a carbon fibre BB, as it is no different to pedalling,
A triangle battery bag would spread the weight over the frame as well.
Thanks - Good point re pedalling. I like the triangle battery bag idea, or possibly the type that utilise the water bottle lugs, as I suspect the size of battery I need mounted on a rear carrier could make the bike a little tail happy!
 

johneb

Pedelecer
Aug 3, 2013
88
3
Having ridden my son's bike with Ezee kit (http://www.cyclezee.com) & then a couple of ready-built bikes I'd like to put in a reccomendation for the kit. It's excellent. He is heavy and it copes very well with the Welsh hills around him & range is good.
Good luck!
H
Thanks Helen - that certainly sound like the sort of kit I need