Help! First time conversion - Manchester

[Baaaddad]

Hi Pedelecs!
I am looking to do my first conversion for commuting between North Manchester and Stockport.
Aim to get fitter and lower my blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
I have two candidate donor bikes:
(i) Montague Paratrooper/Swissbike folding frame which was built up in 2012 with some recycled cheap components. [I see that Johnny Nerdout on Youtube has done a Bafang conversion on one of these]
(ii)Saracen Mantra1.

Priorities - must be:
-250W legal
-Able to climb hills. Not bothered about top speed.
-Reliable. Must commute 12miles each way on a combination of on and off road.
-Low gearing.
-Waterproof

The TSDZ8 Tongsheng middrive kit from Whoosh has caught my eye.

Any drawbacks with this?

Thanks!

 

[saneagle]

You need to think about where you're going to fit the battery. The best place is low and central. The Paratrooper can't really do that. Yes it can be done, but wouldn't it be better to have it nicer if you can. Donor bikes are really cheap considering the cost of the kit. It's worth getting the right one, which needs a triangle frame big enough to get the battery in, disc breaks and a standard bottom bracket.

Crank-drives are OK, but a rear hub-motor is what I'd choose for commuting, and is what I used for several years before I retired. They're totally reliable, have lower running costs, are slightly more complicated to install, but most important of all, they give you a much better ride than a crank-drive. If you run with 48v, you'll have all the power you need for hills. It's so much easier especially when you have frozen hands in the winter and don't want to do any gear shifting.

 

[lenny]

(i) Montague Paratrooper/Swissbike folding frame which was built up in 2012 with some recycled cheap components. [I see that Johnny Nerdout on Youtube has done a Bafang conversion on one of these]

 

[Peter.Bridge]

Woosh are great for your first conversion and will advise.
I would choose a different donor bike eg https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1229949491704787/
Either buy a bike with hydraulic disc brakes or one with mechanical disc brakes and upgrade to hydraulic
I have both a mid drive and a hub drive. The advantage and disadvantage of the mid drive is the electric motor power goes through the drivetrain, so the motor power uses the gears but also more wear on the chain and cassette. I personally find a hub drive more relaxing to ride and they require less maintenance.
How heavy are you ? What is the steepest hill on your commute or leisure riding that you are likely to go up ?
I have an xf08c on one of my bikes (actually my niece has "borrowed" it for university) but can recommend it. I think the TSDZ8 would also be a very good choice

Woosh hub kits | Electric Bike Conversion Kits from Woosh

Woosh range of hub kits with choice of front or rear hub motors. Convert your bike into an electric bike.

wooshbikes.co.uk

 

[Baaaddad]

Thanks for the replies. I will contact Whoosh directly. Rear hub is now the favoured choice as I want to keep the original gearing and have a simple installation.

 

[soundwave]

 

[Az.]

I really love my TSDZ8, but for commuting only, a 250W rear hub with 48V 500W KT controller would be my preferred choice. As a donor I would choose full size hybrid bike.

TSDZ8 is better for leisure and off road tracks. Having said all that I use TSDZ8 for commuting as well and it works just fine.