Suitable for conversion?

[Woodbutcher]

I have a Dawes Discovery 601 ATB that i bought about 12 years ago. It hasn't had a massive amount of use and i was wondering if it would be ripe for conversion?

It wasn't cheap and has Shimano Deore parts throughout including 27 gears, most of which i never use. It has V brakes and is a very nippy and light machine.

I notice some people are converting very cheap, bog standard Halford bikes and was wondering if there is a reason for this, or is it just a cost issue?

If my bike is suitable, where should i be looking and what parts would people recommend?

Thanks in advance.

Steve.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You can convert any bike. When you have an electric motor, the efficiency of the bike itself becomes much less significant, so cheap heavy bikes are just as good for conversions. If you have a powerful motor, the steel frames on the cheap bikes are stronger. so better, and if you want to fit a front motor, steel forks are better. As a general rule, I always advise people to get a donor bike with disc brakes, because the higher speed and weight chews are rim brake pads and the rims more quickly.

What parts to use to convert depends on your weight, how fast and far you want to go, how hilly your rides are, how fit you are and how much you want to spend.

 

[Alan Quay]

First decision is front or rear, or possibly crank drive.

If you want to keep the 9 speed cassette, and want rear hub motor you will need a cassette motor. Bafang CST for example, but not the BPM.

If your forks are rigid, then they are probably steel. If they are chunky, then you can put a front drive motor on, up to about 350w.

Or you could go crank drive.

As D8veh says, give us a clue about terrain, weight, speed etc.

I'm happy with v brakes, but then I don't ride in the wet much.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Thanks chaps. I'm not light at 100kg+ and I'm not as fit as I once was but have cycled most of my life. Not a speed merchant and 15 mph limit is fine by me. Terrain is more difficult to pin down as i get around the country a lot in my motor home and could be in any type of terrain. Want some assistance with hills because my arthritis is making them increasingly difficult.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Can we see a photo of your bike? Is it a steel frame? If you don't know, test it with a magnet.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Not at home this weekend but will post a photo when I get back. Well, my other half will. Too techy for me.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Here is a photo of my bike. Frame is not magnetic but forks are, so steel I presume with ally frame.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The forks would only be suitable for a low-torque motor like a Bafang SWX or A Q100 or equivalent, which might be a bit weak considering your weight. You could fit any rear motor or any middle motor. If you wanted to stick with a legal 250w, A Bafang BBS01 would probably be the best solution, but if you want more power, a 500w Bafang CST kit would be my favourite, or a 500w Bafang BPM if you want to keep the price down.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Thanks d8veh, i'll have a look at those.