Ebike kit advice please?

[Helen skuodas]

I live in Scotland. Have just tried an ebike while visiting the outer Hebrides and am disappointed with it. It has a hugely heavy steel frame. Bought on ebay. On gentle up and down hills with no wind and no load the max distance I could get was just 14 miles and then 6 hrs to charge! Battery ran out while visiting Eriskay and I had to cycle home unassisted. The bike was so heavy I had to get off and push up anything that was not flat. No good at all for my purposes!

I have a perfectly good specialised Ariel bicycle with an enhanced, butted aluminium frame, disc brakes and 700 cm wheels. I would like to get an ebike kit for it and am overwhelmed with all the information on the internet.

I would like on one battery charge to have a range of at least 30 miles with recharging time preferably of two hours. And no more than four.

I don't want a battery that weighs much more than about 8 kg and would preferably like it to fit on or under a bike rack.

Willing to make some compromises. Any advice gratefully received please?

 

[KirstinS]

Hi there, can I ask what your budget is first off - that kinda informs everything ! Thanks

 

[Sacko]

All depends on how much ££ you want to spend.

I have bought one of these, and rate it very highly.

http://www.custom-ebikes.com/bafang-bbs02-750w-mid-drive-motor/

 

[Helen skuodas]

I have had a look, it sounds fantastic. Thanks for the tip.

Do you know if it works with disc brakes?

 

[jackhandy]

Your range requirement of "at least 30 miles" would depend on terrain & how much effort you contribute:
The short charge time may be a problem - Fast charging's not kind to batteries.

An Ezee mk2 kit should meet your needs, but won't charge that quickly, having a 4 amp charger - Mine's on a Trek Mamba 29er & I get between 27 & over 40 miles from a 14ah battery on a journey with just over 4,000 ft. of total ascent.

 

[Helen skuodas]

Hi there, can I ask what your budget is first off - that kinda informs everything ! Thanks

My budget is between £500 and 1k.

 

[trex]

cdkit: http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?cdkit
you could buy a Woosh Big Bear with this sort of budget.

 

[Cyclezee]

My budget is between £500 and 1k.

Hi Helen,

We have the eZee Mk2 kits with 14Ah battery and 4amp charger.

They are £895 including delivery, more info here http://cyclezee.com/ezee-conversion-kits.html

Oh and talking about the Hebrides this is Harris, my idea of paradise​

 

[Kudoscycles]

Helen,the problem with kits is really economic,the cost of a kit can often be close to that of a complete bike....this is not surprising when you consider that so much of the cost is the battery and motor.
With a complete bike you get to keep your existing bike and also you get a warranty on the whole bike.
Also if you sell an established brand that will have some value but a bike plus kit has no real market,sort of like selling a home built car as opposed to a production car.
The current breed of BPM motored bikes are excellent hill climbers,there are many such examples and reviews on this site....the KTM Panasonic hub drive is probably the best.our own Kudos Tornado is a little over your budget at £1095.00.... Helen C on this forum has just taken delivery of a Tornado and Jimod (he lives near Edinburgh,very hilly)has recently reviewed his Typhoon(the Tornado big brother)
Hope that helps
KudosDave

 

[Alan Quay]

Agree with KudosDave on the economy of kit building, but that's not always the only criteria.

If you have a bike you like, that suits you well and you have basic mechanical/electrical skills/tools, then DIY can be a good choice.

If you build it, you can fix. You can also tinker with it to get it just right for you.

Some people (err, me for example) get a kick out of building stuff and using it.

I find it rewarding riding along on a machine built by my own hand, paying no taxes, creating minimal pollution, the gentle summer breeze in my flowing locks, free as a stray pube on bath night. Yep, I'm really sticking it to the 'man'!......

........Sorry, got carried away there, back to the subject.

You should be able to get a good kit for £500-£650. It makes little financial sense.

 

[Cyclezee]

Cyclezee sell both complete bikes and kits so individuals with different tastes have a choice of which route to take when they decide to go electric.

No our bikes and kits are not the cheapest and I make no apology for that, what we do provide is value for money, a good warranty, after sales service and I hope customer satisfaction.

What we don't do is to pontificate from on high that our way is the only way and take cheap shots at other brands or traders.