Help! Convert new bike vs build my own (Short person issues) // Pls post if You converted a small bike 14" 15"/16"

[ms.hyde]

Hi guys, I'm new here

I was hoping I can sort of brain storm with people to find the best solutio n
I need a hybrid/ mtb bike for commuting & my budget is £1100.
That is - £350 for Bafang 250W drive - £260 GreenCell 36V 15Ah Down Tube Battery .
Which leaves me with ~£600 for a bike, and because I'll have Bafang drive I won't need:
⋅ cranks
⋅ bottom bracket
⋅ brake levers
I can get a rigid fork for now to save the money and buy some nice suspension fork in the future.
(I also have a front disc brake and grips from my partners old builds)

I know I can get decent pre built bike for that price, but I'm reaaaly worried that the frame might not fit the battery in the down tube - I looked at Trek Marlin 5 in XS and similar bikes I would love to get but I have no idea if they will fit the battery.
I found an issue as most bikes come with 27.5 wheels and 14''/15' frame that might not fit the battery on the down tube, they all seem to have too little space in the 'triangle' .
That's why I'm thinking about getting a frame separately and building from scratch, maybe on 26 wheels with 16" frame.
Please correct me if I'm wrong!

The problem & why I won't go for a pre built ebike:
⋅ my commute is 35 miles a day 4 times a week, 30% of the road through gravel roads -> I need larger battery, then the one that comes in cheap pre built

⋅ I'm 5'2 (inside leg 74.5 cm) -> Most of the pre built are not suited for a short person and are built on 29 or 27.5 wheels.
I'm cool with 27.5 but it would mean getting a smaller frame(14'' or 15'' that might not fit the battery)

⋅ Most pre built in this price range have cheap components, seems like a waste of money when I can easily built me own bike [/list]

So basically I have 2 options:
⋅ Getting a new bike ready for conversion
⋅ Building a bike from parts
Any of those will mean I need to figure out which frame will fit the battery on the down tube (

I'm pretty open for suggestions, I'm here to brainstorm the ideas Please keep in mind I'm short

Sorry for a long post, thanks for taking the time to read all that mess!


Also if anyone has a small frame with battery installed on the down tube, please let me know, I'm looking for idea what bike/frame to get !
Imagine someone going to local bike shops with battery to see if it fits...And having to listening to 'You will loose warranty' sort of stuff '
I really don't want to be that person !

 

[peter.c]

This is a 13 inch frame the triangle is far to small for a in frame fit so its in the bag on a rear rack
Will take a standard down tube battery [this kept the cost down ] even 19.2 battery will fit

 

[ms.hyde]

Thanks for the idea, but pannier rack option is not good for me - I'm going to have a full rack of stuff there anyway, so I need a frame that would fit on the downtube. I have looked at all the swytch bikes, frog batteries etc, and down tube mounting would be the only solution for me.

 

[peter.c]

The newer bikes now seem to come with a very small triangle, suggest make a card board template of the battery but allow extra gap to fit and remove the battery from its base and visit the local bike shops

 

[ms.hyde]

The newer bikes now seem to come with a very small triangle, suggest make a card board template of the battery but allow extra gap to fit and remove the battery from its base and visit the local bike shops

That's what I'm trying to avoid. I'll search the web for few more days, and probably will end up doing that.
Not sure why every frame looks like a dirt jump bike now

 

[Jodel]

I recently converted a cheap n' cheerful Halfords Apollo Belmont to an e-bike using a Woosh DWG22C kit. The frame is 18" in size, but happily accommodates an HL battery case.


According to the Halfords web-site, this size frame is suitable for someone from 5' 3" upwards - maybe still too large for you but perhaps worth a quick look at a local Halfords branch?

For the avoidance of doubt, the bike in the picture above has had lots of components swapped out for better quality items. I tend to have a lot of bits in the spares box from other bikes. The bike only retails at £240 new, so the supplied components on it reflect that price point!

 

[Scruffydroid]

I converted my Mongoose Tyax Small frame. Rear hub motor though. Battery and controller fit in the triangle.