hygroovy

Thanks for all the replies, I'll suggest both options!

So, keeping things as simple as possible, my grandfather would like to get an e-bike. We live in a very steep area so I've recommended a mid-drive. What's the lowest priced mid drive you can get from an (at least semi) reputable make? He doesn't care about the style, or having a spectacular range, but he would like some warranty (hence why I haven't suggested a kit). I've seen the Cube Town Hybrid One 400 for around £1700, but are there any more reasonably priced options? For some context, I put together my own mid-drive (BBSHD) on an Orange hardtail a few years ago, and I absolutely love it, so I'm not completely ignorant about e-bikes. But I spend a lot more time riding than I do reading about it, so I have no idea what's going on in the e-bike market these days, and some advice from people with their finger a bit more on the pulse would be really helpful. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

Thanks for this Fordulike, much appreciated. I know they're low volume, but my god these things are pricey! I only want it to improve the chain line on the new bike I've put the kit on.

If you've bought the kit, and the battery already, do you mean buy the PAS/brake cutouts etc.? If so, I would say to get them all from the same place if you can to give yourself the best chance of it all working together.

Yeah, I noticed these but I haven't seen much mention of the PreciAlps chainrings so I don't really know if they're any good, and the Austrian bling ring seller is basically the same price as EM3EV. If there aren't any in the UK I'll probably just get it from EM3EV. Thanks though!

Well, that's an answer I suppose... cheers!

1) If the battery is the right voltage, and can handle the drain from your particular motor (this is important!), then probably. You might need to make up your own connectors. I've tried to get batteries and motors from the same place to avoid the possibility of motor/battery suppliers blaming each other when things go wrong though... 2) Can't help with this as I know nothing about your kit I'm afraid. 3) I like PAS and it's what I use 90% of the time, only using the throttle over rough ground when I want to just stand on the pedals. 4) Not sure quite what you mean here.... 5) Brake cutoffs are definitely worth it, for me. I didn't think I'd need them, but with the BBS kits I have I occasionally knock the pedals (going through gates for example) and the PAS kicks in, so being able to cut the motor instantly is useful. Also I use it as a "clutch" to cut the power while changing gear (mine is a mid-drive kit). The cutoff probably won't be as useful for a front hub kit though.

In many ways, hub motor vs mid drive, is simplicity vs flexibility. A front mounted hub motor is as simple a conversion as you can get really, cheap and low maintenance. If I lived somewhere really flat I'd get a hub motor no problem. But for hilly areas, and a range of gearing to keep the motor spinning properly, I'd go for mid-drive. It can be a fiddle to get it set up as you want (with different brake/drop out options this can be the case even with hub motors), but that's true of all conversions. And there's increased wear on the drivetrain (chains, cassettes etc.) But it has the added advantage of keeping all the weight centralised too. For most applications, I think mid-drive has the edge for me. But you pays your money as they say...

Hi Guys, does anyone know of a UK supplier for the Lekkie Bling Ring (for a BBS02)? Brightonebikes seem to be out of stock, and EM3EV seem to charge a lot for postage from China. Any suggestions gratefully recieved!

Got it from Eclipse (beautifully packaged btw), got 750w 48v version with the 11.6 AH battery, and you do need a lock ring tool for the inner lock ring, but I already had one that came with a new rear shock for my motorbike. Fitted perfectly. The only real issue I had with fitting was that the bottom bracket inner diameter on the bike's frame was not constant, and had a noticable "step" of about 0.5mm for 1/2 the circumference, right in the middle. This prevented me sliding the BBS into position. I expected better of Kona to be honest (its a 2005 Lana'i). But an hour of careful grinding with the dremel smoothed it out and everything else was plain sailing really.

Just an update to say I've bought and fitted the kit now, and so far its bloody brilliant! Thanks for all your help guys.

I used the lockring tool I got with a rear shock for my motorbike to do the inner one. I realise thats not a lot of help. Looks basically like this one though. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Super-B-TB-HB50-LOCKRING-SPANNER/dp/B00NU1U7E0/ref=sr_1_5?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1430218662&sr=1-5&keywords=lockring+spanner For the outer one , i just did it up as tight as possible by hand, but I've only had the kit a week so I should probably check its still tight...

Well that's about as extensive a reply as I could hope for. Thanks!

Hi Spottydog, yeah, thats the kind of thing I'm worried about. Even with the best will in the world, things can get damaged in transit, or you may need to make warranty claims etc. Clearly people do have good experiences with em3ev and rate them highly, but I can see it just being a nightmare if things go wrong. How do you find the difference between the BBS01 (250w/350w?) and the BBS02 750w? Is it a world away in terms of climbing ability?

You mean get shot as one of them "terry-wrists"? Think I'll be ok in deepest darkest Wales. But I'll have a look into getting a suitable lead. Thanks again guys, I'll try to put up a build thread when I get the kit!

Thanks again for all your replies guys, they're really helpful. One thing I have thought about, is rather than just being able to mount the battery on the frame, being able to put it in a backpack and connecting it to the motor with a lead. I have a really good weight-spreading backpack (a Kreiger R25), and it would reduce the unsprung weight of the bike (which is a hardtail). Can you guys see any issues with that? Does anywhere sell a suitable extension lead for this kind of application, or would I need to make one up?

My only issue is I have some really serious hills around here. I haven't tried either so I cant comment really, but I'm just worried about overheating the motor if its not powerful enough. The 500/750w seems to be the same motor, so I'm curious how much more powerful it will be with the higher wattage, or if it wont make much difference in the real world.

Shemozzle, have you had any experience with pedalese? Of their customer service and so on? trex, they do have a 750w listed - http://pedalease.co.uk/index.php?rt=product/product&path=67_71&product_id=13172292 Fordulike, yeah, thats exactly what I'm looking for, but they're showing out of stock. Cheers for all the help though gents. I'm just surprised there are so few suppliers. I've seen some people mention these guys - http://em3ev.com/store/ But they're in Hong Kong, and its a lot of money! Don't suppose you've had any experience with them have you?

Informed folks of pedelecs, your wisdom please! I know what I want, a BBS02 750w. I have a suitable donor bike. But the usual suppliers I see recommended for the UK (Eclipse and Woosh generally it seems), only have the 500w BBS02 available, and they also only offer one battery size (10AH). Could you recommend a supplier of the 750w version, and ideally one that offers a 15AH battery? Any assistance very much appreciated.