27.5+ Conversion

[Forge Custom]

Hi all

I've recently bought Marin's new 27.5+ bike with a view at some point to convert it.

http://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/description/2016-pine-mountain-1

Being a newbie, I'm just trying to unravel what is and what isn't feasible.

I'll be riding it on and off road so will need to be able to switch modes. Because of the unusual wheel size, I'm guessing it's going to be stripping out a front or rear motor and re-lacing it back into the existing wheel.

The bit I'm struggling to get my head round is the gear situation if I went with a rear kit. It has a 1x10 set up at the mo which apparently won't work. Would a geared hub work like a Nexus! It's the gear changing bit I can't quite get a grip on.

Am not too keen on a mid motor like the Bafang 8fun as I'm not sure it'd look quite right.

Budget is around £500 inc battery but excluding whatever new gears I'll need to get.

Hope that makes some sense. Any thoughts and advice very gratefully received!

Cheers all

Matt

 

[trex]

I would suggest the £599 Oxygen CST HT kit, SWX02C rear wheel motor, 13AH battery and LCD.

http://www.oxydrive.co.uk/

Woosh only has MXUS XF07C rear wheel with cassette, Their kit with XF07C, 13AH HL battery and 18A HL1260 controller costs £500 but the SWX02C has much better torque than the XF07C.

 

[D8ve]

Subtle hint trex is a Woosh man. He's recommending oxygen.
So oxygen is very good for this.
Trex,s advice is unbiased

 

[Forge Custom]

Thanks guys. Mid-way through the 30+ pages of an Oxydrive post on here! Hopefully by the end I'll have the full heads up on possible pitfalls. The 10 speed cassette seems ok for the CST HT kit - hopefully my BB will be ok for the PAS. Handlebars are quite wide at 740mm so hoping cables will be long enough too. Right - back to the Oxydrive thread. Thanks again.

 

[snowboarder]

I will be upgrading my bike this summer with the oxydrive, seems like the best kit around at moment. Just never can understand why it is so hard to get 27.5 kits for use with hydraulic brakes though. technology needs to catch up on e bikes

 

[anotherkiwi]

These kits come from China where they ride bikes with cable brakes and with SLA batteries and 4kW in the wheel you need cut off switches... The Chinese need to catch up on bike technology. When they do boy will we be in heaven!

 

[snowboarder]

http://ebike-sales.co.uk/product/big-green-button-bbs-kill-switch

would this work with oxydrive and hydraulic brakes??

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

guys... its a 27.5+ bike, so it'll have the new Boost hub standard... so I don't think a hub conversion will work.

 

[Artstu]

guys... its a 27.5+ bike, so it'll have the new Boost hub standard... so I don't think a hub conversion will work.

I had to google that. so 6 mm wider than a standard MTB at 148 wide.
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/velozone/portfolio/boost-148-explained/

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I had to google that. so 6 mm wider than a standard MTB at 148 wide.
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/velozone/portfolio/boost-148-explained/

that's sort of correct... there isn't really an MTB standard though. There are lots of options for rear hubs on mountain bikes.

qr, 135x10, 135x12, 142x12 and the new wider 148x12

 

[Nealh]

There is one rear hub you can fit which usually requires a wider drop out, the 2 speed Xiongda from Panda. In this case the drop outs are already spread so should be a good fit, the only draw back is it won't take a cassette as a freewheel is needed.

 

[RobF]

Presumably the OP would have to build the motor into the existing wheel to continue to use the 27.5+ tyre.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

its a 148x12 bolt though axle, so a normal style wheel won't work, it'll take a lot of modification.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I disagree with the OP I think a Bafang BBS would be ideal on this bike.

 

[Forge Custom]

Hi guys

Thanks for your input again - especially KTM - had not clocked that new Boost hub size at all.

So regards, the Bafang BBS - are there any likely pitfalls anyone can see on this particular bike - spec on link in my original post.? Bottom bracket size is the issue presumably? And are all Bafang UK suppliers created equal?

Thanks again - a few headaches already averted.

Cheers

Matt

 

[trex]

before you give up on the idea of a rear hub conversion, measure the width of the rear drop out or post the model of your bike. Members may suggest a suitable hub kit.

 

[Forge Custom]

Hi Trex

Yes - I posted the model of the bike in the original post - it's this one.

http://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/description/2016-pine-mountain-1

The difficulties for a hub is wheel size - the new 27.5+. As KTM pointed out, it has the new Boost hub standard so a hub conversion probably won't work without a load of fettling an head scratching.

 

[trex]

the marin website lists the rear hub as

Formula, 135mm, Quad Cartridge Sealed Bearings, Centerlock Disc, 32h - See more at: http://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/description/2016-pine-mountain-1#image-1[/

so it shouldn't be a problem. Most rear hub kits with cassette fit 135mm dropout.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

You're right... bit shocked by that... Marin are a decent brand of bike, looks like they've cut some corners putting a standard narrow back end on a bike that needs a lot more clearance at the bb end of the chainstays. Strange, but yes good news for the conversion.

 

[Forge Custom]

Thanks Trex

So assuming it is that hub (it may be the 2017 version they've just announced that has the new Boost 148 one then????) - can I buy a hub that I can lace into the existing Marin wheel that will be compatible with the the crankset and cassette? Obviously the wheels still need to match and I'm not aware of anything that exists in 27.5+ size.

Crankset: Forged Alloy 1x10, Hollow Spindle, Narrow-Wide 32T
Cassette: Sunrise 10-Speed, 11-42T

Similarly is rear the best way to go? If I went front - I negate all the hassle of the gears etc.

And of course - the Bafang BBS is still an option I guess.

Apologies for the lack of tech knowledge. Nice to have some experts on tap though! Just don't want to commit to the wrong bit of kit.

Cheers

Matt