Ravi Junior

@d8veh thanks for the insightful reply. You just reminded me of an old MTB that I have that might be a better donor. The fork seems to be steel (I tested it with a magnet and it stuck) and the dropouts look just like the one above (see attached photos). Would this be a better option for conversion?

Hah, no problem, that was actually a very interesting discussion although, as @DynatechFan observed, I live in Argentina and there are very few restrictions on e-bikes around here.

The road bike has a steel fork, I'm not sure about the drop outs... They seem strong enough though (it's a decathlon triban bike). I brought the bike to the local kit seller and he didn't seem worried about the drop outs. Should I? Would it be dangerous to run the motor at 48v on the front wheel? I'd rather install on the rear wheel but when I asked the local seller for a rear hub mount, he said he only installs front hubs and I don't think I'm technical enough to install a rear hub on my own. This is one of the reasons I've been looking into the TSDZ2 mid drive; it seems easier to install myself and mid drives seem generally safer than hub motors.

Thanks for the great advice, Nealh! As I suspected, 48v seems the way to go. I am leaning towards converting the MTB mainly because my road bike has drop bars and this makes it impossible to install a throttle and brake sensors. What do you think?

Hello all! I've been thinking about electrifying one of my two bikes that I use every day for commuting. After a few months of research (btw, this forum is awesome), I would like some advice regarding what to buy. The options: 1) There's a local shop that sells 36v front hub geared kits (MXUS). They have 2 motor options, 350w and 500w and only install front wheel setups (I attached a picture of both motors side by side). 2) Buy the above kit without the battery and buy a 48v battery from ebay. 3) Order a TSDZ2 mid drive directly from China and buy the battery from ebay. My commute is short, ~15km total + 4km to and from the gym 3x a week, entirely flat but with strong headwinds most of the time. The problem that I'm trying to solve is that my work place doesn't have showers and I sweat more than most people, even on light walks. I love to pedal and an electric motor appeals to me for two reasons: 1) I won't get all sweaty when I get to work; 2) I can get to work faster. The plan is to go to work pedal-assisted and come back on leg power alone (I really enjoy the workout a bike ride provides). About me: I use my bike as my main mode of transportation. Male, 85kg, very fit. I have no problem with a front hub. Never tried a mid-drive. So here are my questions: 1) I use my 700c road bike 90% of the time, since it's newer and much more efficient than the 26 MTB (it's more of a backup bike). Should I convert the MTB and leave the road bike for days when I don't want any assistance or just convert the bike that I use more often (road bike)? 2) Should I go for 48v or 36v? Is the 36v kit enough to cruise at ~35km/h with pedaling? I don't see the point of spending a lot of money for a kit that is slower than my legs (I usually cruise between 28km/h and 32km/h). 3) Should I buy the local front kit or the China mid drive kit? The local kit comes with a 1 year warranty. The thing is I really enjoy the workout my bikes and what I'm looking for is just a bicycle that goes faster and is easier to pedal with strong headwinds, not a motorbike. Thanks and sorry for the long post!