Advice for Newbie EBike Conversion for Eliptical bike

[agilehumor]

Hello,

I'm looking for an eBike for my Elliptigo 8S standup bike that I've had for 6 years.
http://shop.elliptigo.com/ElliptiGO-8C_3

My goals are for weight loss. Since moving from the California coast to inland and having a 2 year old...I've put on a 20 lbs these last 3 years from when our family lived on the coast in Solana Beach I was able to go near flat rides for 10 miles a few times a week. My home is in the middle of a half a mile, 20% grade hill. I have good riding 1/4 mile down or up...but that initial (or final hill) 1/4 "super hill" has kept me demotivated to get out and ride.

I'm new to ebikes and have learned a lot this weekend.

I've ordered as an Impulse buy:

* Leed (New) 500w Front Motor Kit (minus the battery)

and

* ElectricRider 36V, 20AH Battery (8.65 x 6.44 x 3.17 inches)


The space I have for the battery is ideally 13" x 6.5" x 3" and shown in this video:

My concerns are:
1) Will the battery work? I've contacted Leed and they said they can't recommend anything but their batteries...and their batteries don't fit where I need them. Obviously if the battery is not compatible, this whole project is a bust.
2) Did I rightsize my 40lb rig (soon to be +10lb) and my 250lb body for ASSISTED use to get up hills with minimal to moderate effort.
3) The LEED kit comes with an (optional) PAS. Do you think that is helpful?
4) Since Leed won't warranty another battery manufacturer, should I just make a kit myself?
5) The Leed kit does NOT come with brake cutoffs, but the controller does support adding them. Are they worth it? I can buy them online for ~$20.

Thanks in advance for getting me on the right path...

Cheers!

 

[hygroovy]

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.

 

[agilehumor]

Thanks sooo much!

Re #4, It's more should I buy everything myself...or use Leed for the main components. Since they don't want anything to do with a custom battery, I'm questioning if I should pay the premium for the Leeds integration.

 

[hygroovy]

Thanks sooo much!

Re #4, It's more should I buy everything myself...or use Leed for the main components. Since they don't want anything to do with a custom battery, I'm questioning if I should pay the premium for the Leeds integration.

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.

 

[agilehumor]

Thank you so much everyone! I can now cruise up the 18 and 20% grade hills without too much effort (no puking).

This electric bike gave me the confidence to go anywhere since I have the confidence a "backup plan" if over exert.

I appreciate your help.