Another Newbie (South Essex)

[Darranna]

I'm in the process of considering entering the world of the eBike or to be more accurate the Pedelec.

I recently purchased an ordinary road bike, a Carrera Crossfire 2 and I really like the bike. The problem I have is I don't get a lot of time to get out on the bike and where I live it really flat and to venture any further there are some fairly steep hills to get past.

Therefore I have concluded to build my Pedelec, I'm not sure whether to just buy a kit from the likes of Dillinger or put together my own kit. I'm a keen auto mechanic but this is different world altogether so I'm keen to hear your thoughts.

Regards
Darren

 

[Woosh]

We are in Southend. Not far.

 

[Darranna]

Hi yes I am aware of your location, thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[brightonebikes]

Think mid drive. Think Bafang BBSxx. Think no more!
(The only looking back you'll do is to see the folk you pass on the hills struggling to keep up!)

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[Darranna]

Think mid drive. Think Bafang BBSxx. Think no more!
(The only looking back you'll do is to see the folk you pass on the hills struggling to keep up!)

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

I thanks for the reply but I think the mid drive might be a little overkill for my needs.

Where I live, I'm actually below sea level and as a concequence anywhere I want to go is up, It's not that I can't do it on my standard bike but I would be knackered afterwards and this is acting as a deterrent.

I'm thinking along the lines of a 250w front hub kit, with a 13ah battery, I'm looking more for range than power.

I have considered just buying an off the peg eBike but the cost is difficult to justify.

 

[brightonebikes]

I thanks for the reply but I think the mid drive might be a little overkill for my needs.

Where I live, I'm actually below sea level and as a concequence anywhere I want to go is up, It's not that I can't do it on my standard bike but I would be knackered afterwards and this is acting as a deterrent.

I'm thinking along the lines of a 250w front hub kit, with a 13ah battery, I'm looking more for range than power.

I have considered just buying an off the peg eBike but the cost is difficult to justify.

Fair dos. Defo try some test rides before you buy to avoid disappointment and ensure what you want is what you get.
From what you do, I'd say the conversion is well within your abilities, work with measure twice cut once principle

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[Benjahmin]

Hi Darrana,
Her's a link to my thread on converting my Crossfire 3. It was done with an Ezee kit, not the cheapest but it's proved robust and a prodigious hill climber (4000 west Wales miles so far).
Cheaper 250w front hub is the Bafang bpm available from Woosh. You will need a torque bracket in those forks and that detail is covered in the thread.
Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

For riding on the road, i prefer a hub-motor. I can only se disadvantages with a mid-drive, though it's not a big deal one way or the other.

A rear motor is better than a front one. The steering and general balance is better, and they're a lot quieter. the whine of a front motor can become a bit annoying after a while. There's a real chance of a front motor breaking your forks, even if you fit torque-arms. Some forks are more dodgy that others. 700C forks are normally the worst, though your don't look as bad as some.

Your bike has a cassette (free-hub) at the back, so you need a cassette motor.

Tell us how heavy you are and how fast you want to go, so that we can point you at a suitable system.

My advice when choosing a kit:

• Get one with a LCD and 5 levels of assist
• Get one that uses current control, like a Kungteng (not sure whether Li Shui do current control)
• Waterproof connectors are brilliant for keeping the water out, but it's very tricky to test if anything goes wrong.
• Get a battery that mounts on your down-tube.
• Don't worry too much about brake switches if you buy a decent (modern) controller.
• Never buy a hub-motor kit unless you know the max speed (RPM or kV) of the motor.
• It's better to pay a little more to get exactly the kit you want.

Fitting a kit to a bike doesn't work out any cheaper than buying a ready-made one, but it does allow you to get all the features and characteristics that you need.

 

[Darranna]

For riding on the road, i prefer a hub-motor. I can only se disadvantages with a mid-drive, though it's not a big deal one way or the other.

A rear motor is better than a front one. The steering and general balance is better, and they're a lot quieter. the whine of a front motor can become a bit annoying after a while. There's a real chance of a front motor breaking your forks, even if you fit torque-arms. Some forks are more dodgy that others. 700C forks are normally the worst.

Your bike has a cassette (free-hub) at the back, so you need a cassette motor.

Tell us how heavy you are and how fast you want to go, so that we can point you at a suitable system.

My advice when choosing a kit:

• Get one with a LCD and 5 levels of assist
• Get one that uses current control, like a Kungteng (not sure whether Li Shui do current control)
• Waterproof connectors are brilliant for keeping the water out, but it's very tricky to test if anything goes wrong.
• Get a battery that mounts on your down-tube.
• Don't worry too much about brake switches if you buy a decent (modern) controller.
• Never buy a hub-motor kit unless you know the max speed (RPM or kV) of the motor.
• It's better to pay a little more to get exactly the kit you want.

Fitting a kit to a bike doesn't work out any cheaper than buying a ready-made one, but it does allow you to get all the features and characteristics that you need.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for that, I'm 90 KG's (but I'm working on that lol) and I'm more interested in distance than speed, say around 60 miles, having said that I would want it to at least be able to attain the UK maximum for a Pedelec. Sounds as though a rear hub is the way to go.

 

[Darranna]

Hi Darrana,
Her's a link to my thread on converting my Crossfire 3. It was done with an Ezee kit, not the cheapest but it's proved robust and a prodigious hill climber (4000 west Wales miles so far).
Cheaper 250w front hub is the Bafang bpm available from Woosh. You will need a torque bracket in those forks and that detail is covered in the thread.
Good luck and enjoy.

Hi thanks for this but it seems to be missing the link

 

[Woosh]

Fitting a kit to a bike doesn't work out any cheaper than buying a ready-made one, but it does allow you to get all the features and characteristics that you need.

I am not saying that you are wrong but where can you find a ready made bike with a BPM or a BBS01/BBS02 (or with equivalent pulling power) for the price of a kit?

 

[brightonebikes]

I am not saying that you are wrong but where can you find a ready made bike with a BPM or a BBS01/BBS02 (or with equivalent pulling power) for the price of a kit?

Second hand perhaps? That's all I can think..
The main reason I suggested mid drive option was because of the sea level up to fairly steep hills part of the op.
I've never found front hubs particularly great for that. Depending on rider weight a rear hub might cut it?
I'd worry a cheap front hub might disappoint and not deliver.

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[Darranna]

Second hand perhaps? That's all I can think..
The main reason I suggested mid drive option was because of the sea level up to fairly steep hills part of the op.
I've never found front hubs particularly great for that. Depending on rider weight a rear hub might cut it?
I'd worry a cheap front hub might disappoint and not deliver.

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When I say steep hill, I mean there are two roads off the Island I live on. One is a 2 mile gradual gradient which is a 50 MPH single carriageway, the other is a steeper but shorter single carriageway that has a bend in the middle and is 60 MPH. The last thing you want to be doing on either route is snaking all over the road due to being knackered. The longer road doesn't even have a footpath.

 

[brightonebikes]

When I say steep hill, I mean there are two roads off the Island I live on. One is a 2 mile gradual gradient which is a 50 MPH single carriageway, the other is a steeper but shorter single carriageway that has a bend in the middle and is 60 MPH. The last thing you want to be doing on either route is snaking all over the road due to being knackered. The longer road doesn't even have a footpath.

Keep the bike as it is and buy a rowing boat that it'll fit in?


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[Benjahmin]

Oops!
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/converting-a-carrera-crossfire3.21965/

 

[Darranna]

Keep the bike as it is and buy a rowing boat that it'll fit in?


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Funny, but not helpful

 

[Darranna]

Oops!
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/converting-a-carrera-crossfire3.21965/

Thanks I'll have a read

 

[brightonebikes]

Funny, but not helpful

lol! Cheers. Questionable sense of humor!?!
From the needs you describe, it sounds like a half decent hub might just whizz you along nicely.

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[Woosh]

The main reason I suggested mid drive option was because of the sea level up to fairly steep hills part of the op.
I've never found front hubs particularly great for that. Depending on rider weight a rear hub might cut it?

these front hubs pull very well (I have tried them):

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbear

http://cyclezee.com/ezee-sprint-8.html

 

[brightonebikes]

these front hubs pull very well (I have tried them):

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbear

http://cyclezee.com/ezee-sprint-8.html

Not aaarf. Do they pull as well as a Burt Reynolds style moustache on a Welshman? If so, it sounds good to me!

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