Cheapest conversion available?

[anon4]

I find myself wanting to convert a mountain bike. It's a cheap bike and arguably not worth the investment, but it's a bike I've come to love. I think I've looked at all possible ways to make it cheaper but am a bit stuck tbh. Have even considered lead acid batteries for cheapness (these would be upgraded to something else when money allows) but wouldn't know how to set it up for those. Have also looked at the china route but shipping predictably is expensive so hardly worth the saving. I'm looking to get it going at minimal cost and slowly upgrade from there

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[KirstinS]

I find myself wanting to convert a mountain bike. It's a cheap bike and arguably not worth the investment, but it's a bike I've come to love. I think I've looked at all possible ways to make it cheaper but am a bit stuck tbh. Have even considered lead acid batteries for cheapness (these would be upgraded to something else when money allows) but wouldn't know how to set it up for those. Have also looked at the china route but shipping predictably is expensive so hardly worth the saving. I'm looking to get it going at minimal cost and slowly upgrade from there

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Hmm, it's tricky one. Without knowing anything about your bike, terrain, distance , your weight /height, your budget etc it's very difficult

For new with warranty you'll struggle to beat the Woosh bikes GSM mid drive kit for value (imho). If it fits your bike . It was 250 quid when I bought mine but must have gone up a bit now.

Otherwise it's ebay etc for 2nd hand hub gear.

Batteries just ain't cheap and they affect your ride so so much. A poor battery is like sticking watery petrol in your sports car

Lead acid. Seriously wouldn't bother unless you have loads of free ones, only ride on the flat and don't care about speed, handling or looks.

 

[anon4]

Hmm, it's tricky one. Without knowing anything about your bike, terrain, distance , your weight /height, your budget etc it's very difficult

For new with warranty you'll struggle to beat the Woosh bikes GSM mid drive kit for value (imho). If it fits your bike . It was 250 quid when I bought mine but must have gone up a bit now.

Otherwise it's ebay etc for 2nd hand hub gear.

Batteries just ain't cheap and they affect your ride so so much. A poor battery is like sticking watery petrol in your sports car

Lead acid. Seriously wouldn't bother unless you have loads of free ones, only ride on the flat and don't care about speed, handling or looks.

Not after anything fancy really, budget would be 300 quid. It's a hardtail mtb. Seen a 300 quid kit from china on ebay, just need a 2nd setup until we can afford another bike, we would like to get something a little better but for now I'm struggling to enjoy regular biking while she chugs along on the e bike lol. Anything I should look out for in such a kit? I know there are mid drives and stuff like that but the bike aint worth spending much on really

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[anotherkiwi]

Been in the low budget situation. Bought the cheapest kit I could find and went over budget on battery because I read quite a bit before hand. It (the battery) has lasted 2 years but needs replacing for my normal use, still OK to go to the shops with but not much more. The battery is the key to any pedelec, the bigger and better the better you will be...

That said a good battery can be used with any cheap motor kit and the motor is where you will have the least of your worries...

 

[anon4]

Been in the low budget situation. Bought the cheapest kit I could find and went over budget on battery because I read quite a bit before hand. It (the battery) has lasted 2 years but needs replacing for my normal use, still OK to go to the shops with but not much more. The battery is the key to any pedelec, the bigger and better the better you will be...

That said a good battery can be used with any cheap motor kit and the motor is where you will have the least of your worries...

Was it used hard? What battery was it?

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[Woosh]

anon4,

I believe the cheapest quality kit is currently the Woosh XF08CST kit with 13AH HL battery (Samsung cells). £499 with free left side pedal sensor, including delivery.
You have a good controller (Lishui Sinewave 17AH), a good King Meter LCD, 5 assist levels, thumb throttle and a rear motor wheel with cassette adapter.
It's easy to fit and well tried and tested.

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

 

[anotherkiwi]

Was it used hard? What battery was it?

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Yes I live on the blunt end of the Pyrenees, it is a Samsung 26F celled 10.4 Ah bottle battery, it would have probably lasted someone in a flatter area another year or two.

Always buy a larger battery more powerful than you think you need, even when you are on a shoestring budget.

 

[anon4]

Yes I live on the blunt end of the Pyrenees, it is a Samsung 26F celled 10.4 Ah bottle battery, it would have probably lasted someone in a flatter area another year or two.

Always buy a larger battery more powerful than you think you need, even when you are on a shoestring budget.

What we have now is a 10ah 36v and that seems perfect tbh

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[Woosh]

What we have now is a 10ah 36v and that seems perfect tbh

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if you choose a more performant kit, you will need a fair bit more than 10ah for your battery. Depending on the cells used inside, it is prudent to keep the maximum continuous current to less than 1.5C. With high discharge cells, you may go to 2C. If your controller pulls more than 1.5C, the internal resistance of the battery rises rapidly, causing a large voltage sag, you turn more energy into heat and reduce the life of your battery.
The kit I suggested above has 17A maximum continuous draw. It is prudent to match it with a 13AH battery built with Samsung cells (20A-25A continuous maximum draw).