Long time rider. Newbie pedalec.

[SkyMonkey]

Hi guys.

55yrs old and in the UK.
Been riding literally since I can remember.
One of my first memories is struggling across the lawn on a tiny bike (no stabilisers) and grabbing the washing line post at the other end.
Went through road bikes for an age, until returning from a trip to NZ, and then delved into MTB.
Have built 3 Mountain Bikes now, and have amassed a fair few tools.

But riding went off about 6 yrs ago. Just wasn't feeling it. Riding mates all bugg'd off to NZ. Had no time?

Now I am planning to convert a Kona Sutra tourer with the 48v 250W kit I've bought from Varstrom.
In the UK, so that's as high powered I can go (for now).
Maybe get a 500W for my Cove Stiffee to use off-road if all goes well.

I will post some before and afters when the Sutra is done and tell the highs and lows of the experience.

Cheers.

 

[Az.]

Welcome.

Keep in mind 250W rating doesn't mean motor is restricted to 250W output.

 

[thelarkbox]

Hi and welcome..
+1 to what @az says..

I would fit and experience the kit you have before making any firm decisions on the next build tho
List any deficiencies in the kit you have and im pretty sure the guys in the know can advise on kit and systems within the regs to meet any criteria required.
You will need to ride it to test it tho

 

[Az.]

500W motor for your MTB would be an error of judgement IMO. You can have legal powerful motors, so why buy illegal?

 

[Saracen]

It is illegal users that have and are still giving us all a bad name and could get them and us banned

 

[Nealh]

It is illegal users that have and are still giving us all a bad name and could get them and us banned

Banning won't happen , the law states what is legal and it is a policing matter as it is with other motor vehicles.
I saw a guy on a disbaled buggy yesterday and he was zipping along at a good 15mph on the road , somehow it won't lead to them being banned .

 

[sjpt]

>250w rated isn't necessarily illegal, just so limited when used legally as to be almost useless for most people.
It can be used on private land with owner's consent and where there is no public access.
BUT that rules out bridleways, canal paths, cycle paths, etc.
It can be used on the road, with certification, registration, insurance, etc etc.

 

[SkyMonkey]

Didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest on my first post!

Really? Stomp on the new guy!

To quote myself: "In the UK, so that's as high powered I can go (for now)."

Just hoping the UK Ebike Consultation might allow a step up in the future.
I'm not planning to become a Deliveroo twat or anything.
It's illegal riders that are the problem where I live.
So ease off please.

 

[saneagle]

Didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest on my first post!

Really? Stomp on the new guy!

To quote myself: "In the UK, so that's as high powered I can go (for now)."

Just hoping the UK Ebike Consultation might allow a step up in the future.
I'm not planning to become a Deliveroo twat or anything.
It's illegal riders that are the problem where I live.
So ease off please.

Don't worry about them. They can't help themselves; however there were some good points made that you should read again. You can have as much power as you need and still have a legal 250w bike. Learn from what you do and from others that have already done. Once you have your first one done, think about what improvements you need for the next and how to get them legally. Riding a bike that isn't compliant with the pedelec law is illegal everywhere except on private land, so you still can't use it off-road - in case you didn't know. I don't judge. I just give information. If you need any more, just ask.

 

[Benjahmin]

Now I am planning to convert a Kona Sutra tourer with the 48v 250W kit I've bought from Varstrom.
In the UK, so that's as high powered I can go (for now).
Maybe get a 500W for my Cove Stiffee to use off-road if all goes well.

You have inadvertantly stumbled into the nettle patch of power ratings.
The label on the motor is little more than that. It is the manufacturer saying that the motor can take this wattage continuously (30 minutes) without overheating. Other than that it is meaningless and has buggerall to do with power consumed.
A perfectly legal 250w labelled motor fed from a 15A controller at 36v will consume 540w. If fed 15A at 48v it will be 720W. This is absolutely legal as the restriction is on 'maximum rated power', which is what the the manufacturer says it is and labels the motor accordingly. There are those who will tell you that a bike thus powered is illegal. They are misinformed and /or in error on their interpretation of the law.

So a nice AKM 250w motor fed by a 17A KT controller at 48v will be an absolutely great legal bike.

 

[Bikes4two]

......... This is absolutely legal as the restriction is on 'maximum rated power', .........

A pedantic point I know but an important one - the wording is 'maximum CONTINUOUS rated power.' Peak power isn't mentioned and as has lready been mentioned, peak power can quite legally be much more than this.

EN 15194 para 4.2.14 for a read that works better than Mogadon.......

 

[saneagle]

A pedantic point I know but an important one - the wording is 'maximum CONTINUOUS rated power.' Peak power isn't mentioned and as has lready been mentioned, peak power can quite legally be much more than this.

EN 15194 para 4.2.14 for a read that works better than Mogadon.......
View attachment 59170

And to be more pedantic, "continuous" has no meaning. The rated power cannot change, so it is always continuous. It's like putting in a specification for a citizen, "the continuous place of birth must be ..... "

Do not get "continuous rated power" confused with continuous power. You could have "rated continuous power", but not "continuous rated power".

 

[Saracen]

You have inadvertantly stumbled into the nettle patch of power ratings.
The label on the motor is little more than that. It is the manufacturer saying that the motor can take this wattage continuously (30 minutes) without overheating. Other than that it is meaningless and has buggerall to do with power consumed.
A perfectly legal 250w labelled motor fed from a 15A controller at 36v will consume 540w. If fed 15A at 48v it will be 720W. This is absolutely legal as the restriction is on 'maximum rated power', which is what the the manufacturer says it is and labels the motor accordingly. There are those who will tell you that a bike thus powered is illegal. They are misinformed and /or in error on their interpretation of the law.

So a nice AKM 250w motor fed by a 17A KT controller at 48v will be an absolutely great legal bike.

Summit Cycles Aberystwyth who I have stopped using refused to even replace the chain on my bike because they said the "serial number" on the motor had "500" in it and they said that made it a 500w motor ROFLOL

 

[Az.]

Summit Cycles Aberystwyth who I have stopped using refused to even replace the chain on my bike because they said the "serial number" on the motor had "500" in it and they said that made it a 500w motor ROFLOL

Where did they see 500?

 

[Saracen]

They say it was part of the serial number of the motor I have TWO bikes and it isn't that one

 

[SkyMonkey]

All good points guys, and taken onboard.

I'm about halfway through the build now.
The (250W) motor is on.
The (48v 20Ah) battery plate is on, with a Grin Double Bob.
The gear and speed sensors are installed.

But I hit a (face palm) snag.
I broke the derailleur!

In my haste, threaded it wrong and went out to set the gears up with the new cable.
First pedal stroke and I snapped the inner plate.

The problem is that this is a 15yr+ bike, with a mix of 9-speed Tiagra shifters and an XT RD-M761 derailleur.
You can't just buy them from Halfords anymore.
I did find a fairly decent condition M761 unit on Ebay though.
I can finish the in-line brake sensors, and install the wiring and handlebar unit.
But I'm so peed off at myself that I had to pack up and walk away for a bit.
So completion is on hold until the derailleur arrives in about a week.

Also, I'm thinking the bike needs a new drivetrain too.
Working with the dirty old one today made me think it's had it, even after I spent half an hour cleaning it.
Has anyone tried the Shimano 9-speed CN-E6070 E-bike chain?
I think one of those and a new SRAM cassette and XT pulley wheels are in order to give it that 'New Bike' feeling.

One last thing.
Is buying Lekkie afterparts a thing worth doing.
I have my eye on a 42T or 46T Bling Ring, 170mm Buzz Bar crank arms, and a One Nut.