Oxydrive kits

I know very little about kits, but the Oxygen MTB rides a treat, so as d8 says, this is a very cheap way into one.

http://www.oxydrive.co.uk/sale/sale-oxydrive-cst-ht-13ah.html

Bargain of the year if you have any money left after Xmas. I just checked the Oxydrive website for another thread and saw massive price reductions. £479 for a Bafang CST kit with 13ah Samsung battery. That's the same stuff that's on the Oxygen MTB that costs £1700! Stick it on a Carera Kraken or something like that and you have one hell of an electric bike for about £700.

Is it recommended to install this on a mountain bike or will a road or hybrid bike do too?

Any bike, although I can never see the point of wrecking the handling of lightweight road bike with a heavy kit such as this one.

Most conversions are done on mountain bikes or flat bar hybrids.

I keep on about getting a winter bike and am now tempted of having this kit to put on my Gary Fisher, the one I came off last winter on the black ice and not seen since. I limped to a friends and it's been there ever since as my Delite arrived and therefore it's been out of my mind.

I am not into doing things these days, quite capable, just lazy. I prefer to let someone else do it but it must be the new year as I have the urge to have a go.

I keep on about getting a winter bike and am now tempted of having this kit to put on my Gary Fisher, the one I came off last winter on the black ice and not seen since. I limped to a friends and it's been there ever since as my Delite arrived and therefore it's been out of my mind.

 

I am not into doing things these days, quite capable, just lazy. I prefer to let someone else do it but it must be the new year as I have the urge to have a go.

Slap some studded tyres on the Gary Fisher and the winter world's your lobster.

Slap some studded tyres on the Gary Fisher and the winter world's your lobster.

With or without the motor? I wouldn't ride the circuit I do these days unassisted.

With or without the motor? I wouldn't ride the circuit I do these days unassisted.

Don't blame you, that long climb through the forest we did would be ruddy hard work in soft conditions.

So I was thinking with the motor, although I'm told studded tyres roll well

The leader of the group I ride with deployed his for the first time this season.

He swears by them, calls them his Rice Crispies tyres - there is a snap, crackle, pop, as they go over hard surfaces.

Bargain of the year if you have any money left after Xmas. I just checked the Oxydrive website for another thread and saw massive price reductions. £479 for a Bafang CST kit with 13ah Samsung battery. That's the same stuff that's on the Oxygen MTB that costs £1700! Stick it on a Carera Kraken or something like that and you have one hell of an electric bike for about £700.

dear all, ive taken the plunge and ordered the £479 CST HT kit - for me its a significant sum, but it seems very hard (impossible) to beat at the price - do any of you have one already? I hope to put it (as a 700c) in a B'twin Triban (cheap decathlon aluminium racer) - I have four questions: what kind of real world hill climbing can one expect? without getting into any debate about what should be, would one get in trouble with plod if one had an accident (350W), would the aluminium rear quick release dropouts survive the torque? and finally is it possible to install the movement sensor without undoing the crank arms? as always many thanks for your advice

• Can't answer the hill climb question fully enough but 270rpm suggests it is middle of the road winding for climbing may be better if it was a 230/250 winding.
  
• If it is marked 250w you will be ok.
  
• Re dropouts fit at least one if not two torque arms cyclezee sell them.
  
• You might be able to fit the sensor ring without removal but the actual sensored plate will require crank removal to clamp it.
  

Edited January 1, 201511 yr by Nealh

• Can't answer the hill climb question fully enough but 270rpm suggests it is middle of the road winding for climbing may be better if it was a 230/250 winding.
  
• If it is marked 250w you will be ok.
  
• Re dropouts fit at least one if not two torque arms cyclezee sell them.
  
• You might be able to fit the sensor ring without removal but the actual sensored plate will require crank removal to clamp it.
  

many thanks for useful advice, will give feedback about real world performance once I have it (270rpm would be good for speed so tricky trade-off I think)

dear all, ive taken the plunge and ordered the £479 CST HT kit - for me its a significant sum, but it seems very hard (impossible) to beat at the price - do any of you have one already? I hope to put it (as a 700c) in a B'twin Triban (cheap decathlon aluminium racer) - I have four questions: what kind of real world hill climbing can one expect? without getting into any debate about what should be, would one get in trouble with plod if one had an accident (350W), would the aluminium rear quick release dropouts survive the torque? and finally is it possible to install the movement sensor without undoing the crank arms? as always many thanks for your advice

I'm on the same boat as you are.

Would love to hear how you get along with your conversion!

As the Kit is the same as the Oxygen MTB (same controller, motor and battery), its performance is pretty well documented. It won the World Championships in Bristol with a rank amateur rider against semi-pros on the the other bikes, and that was when it was restricted. I had one on loan for a bit and tested it unrestricted to see what it could do. In a 700C wheel, it maxes out at about 27 mph, but it gives strong power up to about 24 mph. Torque is proportionally less than when in a 26" wheel, but it's still pretty good.

Be aware that as well as the six speed levels in the LCD, there's three power levels, which gives 18 levels altogether. The three power levels are something like eco, normal and sport, so for maximum, you have to have both settings on maximum. The six levels also limit the speed from the throttle, so don't worry when you open the throttle and it doesn't go very fast.

As the Kit is the same as the Oxygen MTB (same controller, motor and battery), its performance is pretty well documented. It won the World Championships in Bristol with a rank amateur rider against semi-pros on the the other bikes, and that was when it was restricted. I had one on loan for a bit and tested it unrestricted to see what it could do. In a 700C wheel, it maxes out at about 27 mph, but it gives strong power up to about 24 mph. Torque is proportionally less than when in a 26" wheel, but it's still pretty good.

 

Be aware that as well as the six speed levels in the LCD, there's three power levels, which gives 18 levels altogether. The three power levels are something like eco, normal and sport, so for maximum, you have to have both settings on maximum. The six levels also limit the speed from the throttle, so don't worry when you open the throttle and it doesn't go very fast.

many thanks, should have twigged its a oxygen mtb..

I must have been reading wrong.I was sure it said 350w.

but the controller is listed as: 36V 15A integrated intelligent controller

http://www.oxydrive.co.uk/sale/sale-oxydrive-cst-ht-13ah.html

Look for the 250 watt sticker. As long as you don't pass a policeman at 30 with your feet on the bars you should slip under the radar.

Two accident scenarios spring to mind.

1 worse case a fatality. Then the bike is tested.

Result is bad with no insurance and etc.

2 injury. Unless the bike is held/ tested no proof of illegality is available. Run out the insurance and pray you are not caught.

Personal experience was 17 mph on a slight down hill.

Bike was legal.

Driver since prosecuted, still working out damages ££?

Two months on sick and bust bike and arm.

Could have been pricy.

Look for the 250 watt sticker. As long as you don't pass a policeman at 30 with your feet on the bars you should slip under the radar.

Two accident scenarios spring to mind.

1 worse case a fatality. Then the bike is tested.

Result is bad with no insurance and etc.

2 injury. Unless the bike is held/ tested no proof of illegality is available. Run out the insurance and pray you are not caught.

 

Personal experience was 17 mph on a slight down hill.

Bike was legal.

Driver since prosecuted, still working out damages ££?

Two months on sick and bust bike and arm.

Could have been pricy.

thanks for the real world feedback - on a separate note - how insane would it be to fit a kit like this without the brake cut outs? the b'twin has integrated shifters/brake levers (one yanks it inwards and outwards to shift gears, i think its shimano 2300 STI's), alternatively does anyone know of a simple way to fit cut out switches to original, different brake levers than those supplied? somehow oxygen must have teh kit to do it because their mountain bike with this kit has hydraulic brakes. Again many thanks for the advice

This looks to be a great piece of kit for the money. I was looking at the BB01 which looked quite simple. Is swapping the rear gear system difficult? I am a complete novice with mechanics but hoping for a Spring project and have time to tinker. Thanks in advance.

I'm a complete noob with bicycles, but swapping a casette is absolute simplicity - i find its easier to just buy a new one (for less than a tenner) than to engage in the major muscle work of trying to unscrew an old one

I would have cut outs as when you need to stop,, well you do.

For cut outs reed switches and magnets are a simple addition.

I would have cut outs as when you need to stop,, well you do.

For cut outs reed switches and magnets are a simple addition.

thanks - do you mean something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10pcs-Reed-Switch-MagSwitch-2-14mm-Normally-Open-Magnetic-Induction-Switch-/301271869065?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item462533e689#ht_5521wt_1002

How does one fit it? i imagine i'd cut the wires from the new break grip i get from oxygen and attach this reed switch to it - but which wires does one attach where and what part of teh reed switch goes where? many thanks

thanks for the real world feedback - on a separate note - how insane would it be to fit a kit like this without the brake cut outs?

It's always safer to fit brake cut-out switches. I can't remember if the new Oxydrive are two or three wire. What ever they are, you can cut off a connector and make your own switch. You only need one on the back brake. If you're very lucky, you might be able to remove the sensor from the Oxydrive brake and fix it to your one.