Pedelec Nirvana

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,812
3,150
Telford
In the past, you were more enthusiastic, budget rarely came to it. Nowadays, you seem to go straight to lowest possible cost solutions. Sorry if I sounded like wanting to sell something. I can't just say buy this or that, I have to have used the solution before I can honestly recommend it. I have already too many bikes, so it's one new solution a year for me.
In the past, you can make your own kit by buying all the individual components from China and get a really cheap kit. I would still do that for my own bikes so that I can get the best, but it's quite expensive to do that now and most people are doing their first conversion and don't want to pay more to get the best because they don't have any way to judge the different stuff, and they panic as soon as I mention changing a connector or swapping the pins around. The worst thing is that they do too much research on the internet and psych themselves up to believing that they need torque sensors and/or crank-drive motors.
 

Voltsnamps

Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2023
70
13
Thanks,

Although it's full suspension, I will use it mostly on roads and light trails and I'm hoping the suspension will give it a "plush" ride - I think I'll get it sorted as a non electric bike before convertingo
A very wise decision, not least to get gearing that you can always get you up the last hill when battery is flat but much more importantly to set up suspension. Plush is my game, no tabletops nor big drops here but dually set up right, ignores tree roots, potholes etc, mine only has 4” each end but it’s a magic carpet. Hardtail is hard to take after a well set up dually.
My expectations, needs and wants are possibly way different from forum regulars, to me (lack of) unsprung weight is paramount but I come from a motorcycle racing background so I have some experience with suspension.

Seriously, grams matter, members here couldn’t understand my 7kg 1800w/hr battery, probably not my comfy leather seat nor dropper seatpost either but these are sprung as is my body weight.
I run tubeless, alloy cassette nut, ti qr spindles etc etc, difference is stunning, plush is the word.
I look forward to your riding it analogue and then with half a ton of motor in the back wheel, if you can’t tell the difference, ignore me, if you can, think of a better way.
 
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Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
583
Some older full suspension bikes are excellent donors for conversions. If the travel is not too much, the improvement in comfort is worth it for a very slight loss of pedal efficiency
Yes - the rear suspension of that Scott Genius has 3 settings that you can adjust from a lever on the handlebar : Locked (a bit pointless for me), Downhill (6 inches of travel) , Traction Control (4 inches of travel and compression damping increased). I think I will leave it in Traction Control. Reading up about it online, the first version of the Genius rear damping setup was prone to faults but the version I've got with the yellow/black cylinders is pretty bomb proof.

you can forget about most modern ones because they might have any of these features, which make conversion difficult: Through axles; no room for a large chainwheel; nowhere to mount a battery; chainstays too wide for a crank motor; no way to anchor a crank motor; weird cable routing; press-fit bottom bracket; suspension travel too soft for efficient riding; and more surprises.
I think the one I have is 2007-2012 era with a normal bottom bracket and the chainstay isn't too flared. I took my battery when I bought it to check that it would fit on the downtube with room to slide on and off. The cable routing goes down the downtube at the minute but it looks like an easy job to move it to the bottom of the crossbar so that I can put the battery mount on the downtube. I think it would also work with a crank motor. It has been well used but well maintained and I can see parts have been replaced over the years - the seller seemed to have a batch of the same model bikes for sale - I wonder if it came from a bike hire place that has moved to a newer model.

A very wise decision, not least to get gearing that you can always get you up the last hill when battery is flat but much more importantly to set up suspension.
Yes - I have downloaded the original manual and it has some guidelines for rider weights for the 2 rear suspension cylinders - I will try it with the recommended settings for my weight.

I think I am going to optimise the gearing for it being a e-bike with assist and if that means if there is some failure or I run out of battery (not happened so far) and I have to push it up a very steep hill , so be it.

to me (lack of) unsprung weight is paramount but I come from a motorcycle racing background so I have some experience with suspension.

Seriously, grams matter, members here couldn’t understand my 7kg 1800w/hr battery, probably not my comfy leather seat nor dropper seatpost either but these are sprung as is my body weight.
I run tubeless, alloy cassette nut, ti qr spindles etc etc, difference is stunning, plush is the word.
I look forward to your riding it analogue and then with half a ton of motor in the back wheel, if you can’t tell the difference, ignore me, if you can, think of a better way.
Interesting - that's a very good argument for going mid drive. I will keep the original rear wheel just in case ! It does feel very nimble at the minute riding it analogue. The hub motor I am planning to put on is just under 3kg but I think that would be a big increase percentage-wise in unsprung mass.
 
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Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
583
Good catch!

I converted mine to 1*8.

I assume your bike has a square taper bottom bracket?

I dumped the front derailleur and left shifter/brake lever (whatever it's called) and fitted a normal left brake lever.

You need a crank puller, I recommend Park Tool CCP-22

You should watch some Youtube videos on crank removal.

And one of these, including crank arms (I started off with 34 teeth but now have 42 teeth):

Thanks @Waspy

It's now 1*9. The 48t narrow wide gear is fine, about 5mm clearance of the chainstay Did a test ride and goes through the gears very slickly.PXL_20240725_120415092~2.jpg
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
1,854
1,341
If it works then it works!

It looks a bit hard on the chain in the bottom two gears from the picture. If you sight from chainwheel to cassette without chain, which gear does it line up with?
 

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
583
If it works then it works!

It looks a bit hard on the chain in the bottom two gears from the picture. If you sight from chainwheel to cassette without chain, which gear does it line up with?
Between 6 and 7 . It does seem to go into gear 1 and 2 fine (not that I'll be using them much after I add the motor) but how would I move the chainring inbound ? (There is room)

ETA, just found places selling chainring spacers and longer bolts !
 
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,382
3,234
Between 6 and 7 . It does seem to go into gear 1 and 2 fine but how would I move the chainring inbound ? (There is room)
I'd love to know that too. I've yet to find inward offset chainwheels for normal bikes - I'm interested in installing a normal 60T chainwheel to my BBS01B using a BCD spider adapter.
 

Waspy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 8, 2012
431
170
Between 6 and 7 . It does seem to go into gear 1 and 2 fine (not that I'll be using them much after I add the motor) but how would I move the chainring inbound ? (There is room)

ETA, just found places selling chainring spacers and longer bolts !
I fitted two 2mm spacers between each arm of the spider and chainring, I also bought 4 chainring bolts (they come in 3 different lengths. I now have a pretty good chainline.

 
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Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
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I fitted two 2mm spacers between each arm of the spider and chainring, I also bought 4 chainring bolts (they come in 3 different lengths. I now have a pretty good chainline.

You can't remember where you got these can you ? Mine seems to change through the gears fine at the minute, but I would like to do the same as you.
 

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
583
Can I reduce the maximum power on my KT 22A controller (when it arrives) ? The main reason that I got it was because it was 9 mosfets rather than 6, rather than needing more assistance. The 6 mosfet one occasionally overheated on very steep long hills on hot days and @Nealh suggested the 9 mosfet one was a bit more heavy duty.

I know I can just use the lower PAS levels but level 4 PAS on KT, is, I believe 50% max power. Ideally I would be able to have 15a - 18a max current
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,917
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West Sx RH
Simply change C5 setting, some displays use a % reduction of up to 50% and some by 5a max in - 0.5v steps.
The 9 mosfet has greater heat sink abilitly and may have better mosfets, tbh I haven't cehcked the fets to see.
 
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saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,812
3,150
Telford
There are three different sizes of the 22A controller. The one on my bike is very small -probably 6 MOSFETs. The one I'm about to put on my nephew's bike is pretty big (125 x 65), and I've seen one half way in between.
 

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
583
There are three different sizes of the 22A controller. The one on my bike is very small -probably 6 MOSFETs. The one I'm about to put on my nephew's bike is pretty big (125 x 65), and I've seen one half way in between.
Mine is the T09s (9 mosfet sine wave)

59169
 

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,261
583
Simply change C5 setting, some displays use a % reduction of up to 50% and some by 5a max in - 0.5v steps.
The 9 mosfet has greater heat sink abilitly and may have better mosfets, tbh I haven't cehcked the fets to see.
Thanks @Nealh , do you know, by chance, if I reduce the max amps, say to 18 amps, if Pas level 4 will reduce to 9a or if it will remain at 11 amps ?
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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All levels should reduce accordingly.
All PAS %'s are based on the set maximum.
PAS1 13%.
PAS2 20%.
PAS3 33%.
PAS4 50%.
PAS5 100%.

One can see this with a LCD3, the watts output in each PAS level reduces when one experiments with the C5 reduction.
 
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