Kit for Whyte Portabello

[Shawnobi]

Hi,
Beginning of this year I got back into commuting by bike and am really enjoying it. However it's an 18 mile round trip with hills and some days especially when I am in the Gym at lunch or have to race back for the kids, it can get a bit of a grind and I can often bottle it and take the car esp' if I'm a bit exhausted by the end of the week. I think a kit would be a great solution, something I can adjust the power of for lazy days and days when I want to push myself. And also help when there's a headwind and I need to be home in a hurry...

I'd like to modify my Whyte Portabello V3, I reckon with a rear hub kit for cost. Think I'd also prefer to have a battery on my rear rack. I'm pretty mechanically minded and good electrically so not afraid to build something up or even assemble a custom battery option. I think I only need 20 miles range as I can charge at work or home. Also, as I can hit 25mph in stages on the old iron horse it would be good to not feel like I've hot a brick wall at 15.5mph. Things I don't want, a throttle lever or cables to my brakes.

Hope that all makes reasonable sense!

Bike Specs: https://99spokes.com/en-GB/bikes/whyte/2022/portobello

 

[Benjahmin]

A geared rear hub would look to be a good fit.
I would buy motor, controller and display all from one source. Battery can be any so long as it's the same voltage.
Brake switches are not strictly necessary, however I do find them useful when approaching a junction/lights and I want to go down through the gears but not have power applied. Also useful for low speed manouvering or pedestrian areas.
Battery assembly is a whole skill set of it's own and requires a steady hand and a keen attention to detail. For reliability buy one from a known quality source. 10Ah should be plenty for your use.
When riding an assisted bike the sensitivity to the removal of assist, at speed cut off, is inevitable. When assisted it's a bit like having Bradley Wiggins as stoker on a tandem - then he suddenly jumps off. Some control systems are better than others at ramping this cutoff down rather than cutting it suddenly.
Have a look at the offerings on Woosh, well known here with good C.S.

 

[matthewslack]

Rear hub kit with rack battery will be nice and simple, and really easy to uninstall or swap for a mid-drive kit if your experience points you in another direction.

There is not much weight or cost penalty in going for a slightly bigger battery than rock bottom, and there are times that the extra capacity is very welcome. The last steep hill, the time you forget to recharge at work etc..