EBike curious; but am i too ambitious!?

[Jondubya]

Hi everyone, I've lurked a bit here but have some real interest in the potential for an ebike to commute, though I think I might be a bit too ambitious in the ground i can cover!?

I'm primarily looking for a conversion kit, and I'm looking to build a road ebike from my existing disc braked gravel bike. (Sonder Camino) I am a keen cyclist, about 90kg with kit and on the road I can hold a functional threhold power above 250w. What has my interest is a conversion that will give me assistance on a 25 mile commute- so 50 miles a day, riding 3-4 days a week. I want something that is torque driven, no throttle, preferably not needing brake cut offs, to keep the conversion pretty minimal, but means I can get assistance up hills.

I need the power assist for climbing, though I am sure I will easily outstrip the 15mph restriction on the flat, so a kit which is light and freewheels well with no resistance above the limit would be ideal. I really like the look of the Orbea Gain/ Ribble CGR AL-E kind of bikes, but can't afford, so a conversion would be better.

Would a rear wheel conversion, such as the 350w Yosepower kits work well?

I was also interested in the 500w Tongsheng TSDZ2 kits- any good?

Due to my weight, and a rolling route, I was thinking the slightly more powerful motors, alongside a 48v battery- I'd also plan to charge each end of the commute, so would the more powerful/ higher rated battery be necessary?

Lots of questions for a first post, but thought i'd dive in- Thanks!

 

[Kwozzymodo]

If I was converting a Camino, I would go for a Q100CST rear hub motor with 201 rpm (for the torque). A 36v battery, with 10ah or so should see you to 25 miles, especially with your ftp. You can recharge the battery at work?

I am going to convert a Giant Toughroad for the spring, using the same kit, if I can get one with a frame without through axles.

Overall cost for a kit and battery should be around £300-350. If you like the bike you are riding at the moment, a kit is the way to go.

 

[Benjahmin]

I would agree that a small rear wheel hub would be the way to go. Reliable and light with minimal visual impact, though you will struggle to get torque sense. Pas is cheaper and kit will still cut out at speed limit.
Without a throttle, brake sensors are not strictly necessary, although I would advise a rear one for gear changes approaching junctions. You could fit one of these in line brake switches:

Yose Power

Electric bike battery available online at YOSEPOWER. Spare and replacement electric bike batteries and chargers for top brands at affordable prices.

www.yosepower.com

If you were to go for a 36v motor but run it on a 48v controller and battery you will get approx. 30% more speed and torque if wanted.

 

[Woosh]

if you stay legal, you wouldn't need to charge at work.

I would suggest an XF08C kit with 17.5AH battery:

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/cart/#/product/uid-177-xf08c-17ah/xf08c-rear-hub-kit-with-17ah-battery

 

[Deus]

A moped would be much better 25 miles is a long way on a bike

 

[Kwozzymodo]

He’s got an FTP - he likes cycling.....!

 

[KirstinS]

A moped would be much better 25 miles is a long way on a bike

It really is and I've posted many times on this as a year round commuter every day without fail

It takes determination and resilience and good clothing.

If you can't shower at work then doubly so

But as you are an experienced cycle commuter already then you know this stuff already

The xf07 or xf08 is good lightweight choice. I have on my hybrid, run it at 48v and the thing will do 22mph easily. I am 70kg but carry 15kg of stuff. If you run a36v system at 48v you run some risk of wrecking controllers and void your warranty for sure.... But if you pedal a d have some power on steep hills to assist the motor it will be fine

 

[RobF]

The OP needs to be careful he doesn't end up being slower.

Dragging six kilos of motor and battery along at 20mph+ will not be easy.

A more realistic aim, if staying legal, would be to make the journey easier than at present, not faster.

 

[Jondubya]

Thanks for the suggestions, and yes, I am keen to ride and boost my fitness- at the moment i want to make it easier and just marginally faster; I want to build my base stamina and general bike fitness to begin with.

At the moment I realistically only have time, and sufficient recovery, to do this once a week, so with some added power to 'spin' my way in, I'd like to do it more frequently. I can charge at work, so the suggestion of the 'Q100CST rear hub motor with 201 rpm' should be ideal. Does anyone have a suggested source to buy? I can lace it onto a rim myself if needed.

 

[Nealh]

Q100/AKM hub motor can be bought from BMS Battery or Topbikekit both China based.

 

[Jondubya]

Thanks for the info Nealh.

Out of interest, is there much difference in how well you can 'spin' pedal these kits? I'd like to pedal around the 80rpm range and above, as one might on a road bike, do some kits work better or worse this way?

Edit: I had settled on this, as I understand it runs with torque sensing, and climbs well/ not to heavy- any comments?

http://www.pswpower.com/ven.php?cargo.2018-4c-gj4p

 

[Nealh]

Only at 500w it will be marked as so and say's it is illegal should any one look.
Woosh sell the legal 250 custom version from the manufacturer also PSWPower though good value aren't exactly forward coming with CS and repairs. If you still have to factor in buying a battery then pay the extra for piece of mind and buy from Woosh.

 

[Jondubya]

Thanks Nealh.

This might be a really obvious query, but I'd not thought the higher wattage values were illegal, unless the software on the controller had been disabled?

I thought a higher powered unit might be useful for hills and distance...?

 

[Nealh]

They are illegal in UK and most of the EU, the fact they will be marked as so is all that matters and not what can or can't be done by software.
The 250w 48v model will still output nearly 600w through the drive in highest assist mode.

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi welcome and good luck with your quest

 

[Jondubya]

Really interesting about the different wattage ratings for the motor units; im assuming people tend to buy the higher wattages for using with throttles? Or is it just buyers mission creep/seduced by bigger numbers!?

 

[Woosh]

Or is it just buyers mission creep/seduced by bigger numbers!?

I believe so.
And they are cheaper to buy than geared hubs.
In an average hub kit, about 60% of the cost goes to the battery, 20% goes to the motorwheel and 20% goes to the rest.
The internal gearbox accounts for about £25 but save you about one third of the motorweight. Well worth the money.