MountainEgg

THanks, I managed to get a Focus Whistler local as a donor

Thanks for the input & links. I have looked on Ebay & selling groups on facebook, etc. - so I think the Olympic is the only donor bike possible without spending more. Pickings are slim locally! A kit with the linked Olympic would come in just under £800 Cheapest C2W Halfords Mountain bike would work out at £770 after salary sacrifice (30%ish off £1100) So it kinda means a no brainer to self build.... I have found a bundled kit on aliexpress for around £600 (+/- £30 depending on LCD Controller) with a choice of brake Lever or Sensor - I am guessing leaver is best choice for that bike? I assume personal choice for controller? 860c SW102, 500c 750c - £50 difference between the 500c & 750c kit. Would I need anything else? kit seems to come with tools, but only thing I think that is missing is a brake sensor? Thanks again for the help

Thanks - I prefer blunt. Initially, I thought I would just get a hybrid bike, as I will be doing cycle paths to start. Then I thought about the park & it's trails, which will give me something else if I get bored of cycling tarmac & its only 5 or 6 miles away... but I need to get to a level to get there first without breathing out of my arse I need to get in shape! It is not about justifying power or speed. Just something that is 'one bike to do it all'. I had considered waiting for the Carrera Subway to come back in stock if I was sticking to tarmac. So no problem with less oomph if that is best course & I am really not bothered about speed. Ideally, I would like to spend as little as possible - but the C2W voucher out of salary is an option if needed, simply because I want something that should fit without much faffing around. Bikes local to me are £150+ 2nd hand (I can't travel due to lockdown) & I still would not know what would be a suitable bike & what wouldn't. I have tried searching for bike model + bafang to see if that particular model has been modded with ease previously & there is an instructables step by step guide for the rockrider... which as you can guess, uses the 750w!

Hi, I have tried searching, but struggling to piece together the right information I am looking for a DIY option for an all purpose bike. I live a few miles to 5* rated mountain trails, which I would like to take advantage off. With lockdown, I have become less fit than my unfit body was before.. I was quite active before lockdown - but now I'm a couch potato! Also, the idea of building my own, will give me something to do, rather than off the shelf bike. As I live in quite a hilly area, I need all the help I can get from a power perspective (I also suffer from knee pain if things are to strenuous!) I think a 48v 750w Bafang motor fits my needs for short term use. Maybe I can/should go smaller so I am at least putting some effort in? However, I am struggling to work out a bike that would need the least amount of modding to work. I also have Cycle2work vouchers (Halfords) which I can use - either for donor or kit - budget for bike would be about £500 cycle to work or £350 if elsewhere (I was looking at the Decathlon riverside as an option) I was looking at the carrera range , but think I could build a better bike for the same money, or at least something equal for less. anyone able to help with some pointers?