Hi from Ledbury:0) Help please need advice

[newebiker56]

Hi everybody I'm glad to be here
I'm new here so please bear with me if I mess up and appologies to you now if i do.
I'm 56 and i've cycled since i was a small child, but in the last few years i've had to give it up due to ill health, bad knees that can't push the pedals.
I do miss riding my bike, which i still have, it's a full suspension diamond back.
I have been thinking lately of converting it to an ebike with a kit. I was looking at something that would do about 25-35 mph off road with a 25 mile distance battery life with definately no pedal assist from me ever, if i run out i'd have to phone a friend.
I've spent a bit of time searching online and so far found Golden Motors Magic Pie 3,
Cyclone, BMS, and the one i am thinking of getting the GNG mid drive Gen2, and a Li ion battery but don't know which one to get.
I have basic to moderate mechincal skills and very basic electric skills which is more a lack of confidence and a fear of blowing parts and motors, I do enjoy tinkering and badly need a new project and hobby to get into.
I have a £1000-£1200 budget.
If anyone can offer me any advice on these or other edrive kits that are out there I'd be very grateful.
Thanks
Kind regards to all

 

[averhamdave]

You are asking for a lot. Probably the only uk supplier who can help you would be Xipi - and they post on here regularly so am sure Frank will be along soon.

I assume you realise the bike will be illegal for public highway use?

From my experience, 35 mph isn't difficult. 25 miles range isn't. 25 miles at 35 mph with no assist whatsoever isn't so easy. You are going to need in excess of 1000wh of battery capacity, maybe 1500 to be comfortable.

A 60v 20ah lithium Ion pack is pretty heavy - too heavy for a full suspension bike.

Be careful with some of the manufacturers you have quoted. Think whether you want a geared or non geared motor. Direct drive motors don't pull to well but can be fast. TBF they can pull well if you put enough power through them - big battery for 25 miles.

Just my initial thoughts, but others will be along soon.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi newebiker56,

I have to agree with Dave above, 25 miles at an average speed of 35 mph with no pedalling is really small motorcycle territory and in my opinion not practical.
The battery power required would make the bike so heavy that it would be impractical and standard bike brakes would be barely adequate.

No doubt one of our other esteemed trade members will be along to tell you different.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It doesn't make sense to make a bike like that. You'll have too many problems to overcome. It's possible to do it with the right bike to start with, but not with your Diamondback, and the cost of the battery alone will swallow your entire budget. If you really want to go 30 mph without pedalling, you'd be much better off with a 50cc scooter, which will cost a third as much, and, even with electric bike running costs, will work out a lot cheaper over say 10 years.

If you want to go 24 mph with pedalling for 25 miles, that's a much more realistic proposition for an electric bike.

 

[OldBob1]

Hi and welcome, I totally agree with what the others have said, even 24 mph with climbing power seems fast to me.
Have you tried any e-bikes to see what type you like (front, rear or crank drive?)

 

[newebiker56]

Thank you all for replying The 25 miles was the absolute max distance and was the round trip. I might be able to recharge after 10 miles and the speed would definately not be a constant 35mph I would says a journey says of 12 miles before charge at an average speed of 28-30 for 60% of the journey on flatish roads

 

[newebiker56]

No not yet, i'm still at the internet stage watching lots of youtube videos. I have seen some ebikes but they seemed very expensive for what you get.
I saw Adam Mercier on youtube his bike was very impressive.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Why do you want an electric bike instead of a petrol one? Ar you unable to drive a motor vehicle?

 

[newebiker56]

No, there are several reasons one being you can take a bike just about anywhere certainly more places than a motor bike. Then there's the car, the ques, the jams, the pot holes and i've got to pay out every week for this, you don't want to know. For short journeys on "B" roads across fields and bridleways i thought an ebike would be perfect and it would get me out and about in the fresh air.
It's kind of a new winter project of converting my old, loved diamondback (which is sat in the shed wasting) into a fast modern reincarnated ebike which my old knees wouldn't have to power.
I saw a video of Adam Mercier (think that's how you spell his name) on youtube and thought it looked so much fun like it was before my knees packed up.
Do you know who i mean. I think its a GNG mid drive but may be wrong

 

[Clockwise]

I have to be honest that unless your old bike has been well maintained and ticks all the boxes I would build onto a new bike(or build a new bike as part of the project).

I dunno how agressive you had been cycling before but some of the powerful ebike kit will stress your bike, the wrong type of forks is a common issue and front hub motors yanking at them can do wonderful things, also the extra weight can make some suspension forks with for example 60mm travel no longer able to reduce shock well as the bottom out. Another thing is the extra stresses on the spokes of a huge battery and motors will break spokes, if the wheel is built by someone on the cheap expect that to happen more often as they cheaped out on spokes/rims. It's sort of like you need to over spec the bike to take a rider who weighs 5 stone more and rides 3 times as hard. It isn't as simple as just strapping some kit onto any bike and it will be amazing and faultless(tho ebay and other places will tell you different).

I'm also going to take a guess you had seen something like this VVV link under VVV. They retail at around £10,000 and as soon as you take it out on the road a copper will pull you assuming it's a 125 motorbike with no plates then seeing it's an illegal spec ebike I'm not sure what they will do next but I can't see it being fun. In the event you don't get pulled but the battery dies far from home then you can't use a car with a normal bike rack as it weighs as much as a motorbike and will just rip it off the car so the plan B might need a rethink.

Stealth Electric Bikes UK - Electric Bike | Electric Dirt Bike | Electric Motorbike

So you know to be legal in the uk it will need to be 15.5mph top speed, 250w motor, 25kg weight. As you might have guessed/noticed the above breaks all of them(hence the cop remark).

Good luck if you do it but I wouldn't personally unless I had a huge budget to play with so I could kill all the possible issues before they become issues.

 

[jackhandy]

Ahh - back already!

Judging by your rant in another thread, I assumed you despised the lot of us but no, you want advice on a totally illegal, high-power, setup which you, of course, are only going to ride off-road, but which is illegal there too unless you have some Private land with No Public Access.

Hmm...

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Our standard silent wing kit will do 15 miles no pedaling at 30 miles per hour continuos 48 volts 15AH

This is true milage with a 20 stone rider hills no pedaling Hydrawlic bisc brakes

2500 watt motor we can supply it fited to a diamondback peak HD

BUT £1995
Electric bike Xipi Peak HD 2,500 watt 15AH Battery 48 volts 30mph+ | eBay

or if you are NUTS 15ah 70 volt battery 50 a controller yes 40 mph + no pedaling twist and GO

High power Electric bike Xipi Stealth Kube 3,500 watt Motor 40 MPH + | eBay

you are welcom to come to banbury and have a test ride we are open 7 days a week for demos


Frank

 

[Cyclezee]

This is true milage with a 20 stone rider hills no pedaling Hydrawlic bisc brakes

Frank

Please excuse my ignorance Frank, but can you tell me more about these breaks, I have not herd of them before
Maybe you shouldn't type with your mouth full

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Dam spell cheker stoped working on the Fourm

Frank

 

[shemozzle999]

I prefer biscuit breaks

 

[newebiker56]

Hi there
Can i just ask you, is my personal choice of wanting to go a bit faster than 18mph the same "illegal" as the cycling on the pavement "illegal", or is that a totally different "illegal"?
Also, can you please contact every major car manufacturers in the world and point out to them that they're products are illegal because they can all go faster then the "legal" speed limit.
Please! spare me your righteousness.
I don't despise cyclists I've been one myself for 50 years, but I'm also a car driver and a pedestrian. The pavement should be a place of safety where every pedestrian young and old can relax and walk without fear of being hit by a wheeled vehicle.
Don't you think?
Hmmm.........

 

[peerjay56]

Hi there
Can i just ask you, is my personal choice of wanting to go a bit faster than 18mph the same "illegal" as the cycling on the pavement "illegal", or is that a totally different "illegal"?
Also, can you please contact every major car manufacturers in the world and point out to them that they're products are illegal because they can all go faster then the "legal" speed limit.
Please! spare me your righteousness.
I don't despise cyclists I've been one myself for 50 years, but I'm also a car driver and a pedestrian. The pavement should be a place of safety where every pedestrian young and old can relax and walk without fear of being hit by a wheeled vehicle.
Don't you think?
Hmmm.........

It is exactly the same kind of "illegal". EAPC regulations specify a maximum assisted speed for electrically assisted bicycles of 25kph (approx 15.5.mph). Regulations for the construction of motor vehicles do not specify a maximum speed, so car manufacturers are not breaking any laws by making them.

The only righteousness being displayed is your own. References by other posters to the illegality of the setup you propose is irony, in view of your post in another thread.

 

[RobF]

newebiker,

I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but your proposed spec is just not doable for the reasons already stated.

There is a wide and varied spectrum of knowledge on here, the fact that all replies say the same thing ought to tell you something.

You have displayed a very poor attitude to people who are only trying to assist you.

 

[D C]

Please! spare me your righteousness.

I will be sparing you everything

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I will be sparing you everything

While you're in the mood, can you spare me a couple of quid for the bus home?