Right kit for Boardman Hybrid Team and 33 mile round hilly commute

[Deleted member 4366]

Sorry - I was responding regarding the BBS01 / 02 options trex mentioned and obviously only the one marked 250W is legal.

Derestricted would be interesting. The Oxydrive won up a hill climb, did it not? On the flat I think it would be a different story. You mention the Oxydrive will do 25mph and certainly my BBS01 250W can best that. Not that I like riding it at those speeds which is why I use it on partial assist all the time!

OK, I understand now.

It's not just about speed. You can gear a BBS01 to do a 100mph, but every time you change gear on a crank-drive, the torque goes down until you have very low torque in top gear, which is not enough to sustain high speed. The Oxydrive motor is much bigger and more powerful than a 250w BBS01. It has substantially more power in the range 15 to 23 mph, which is why it would win any race.

 

[selrahc1992]

Hi,
I bought my Boardman Hybrid Team last month and have been trying to commute to work on it but have barely managed 2-3 days per week.

The distance is approximately 16.5 miles each way Dartford to Croydon UK. There are a few challenging hills along the way. I love the bike but I feel tired on the way home and by the third day I am exhausted and dont particularly enjoy the home ride. I could also do without the copious sweating and complete change of clothes at the end of each ride. Altjough I am getting fitter I expect that I will chicken out if the weather turns bad and may stop commuting by bike.

I then came across pedelec and electric bikes/kits and became hopeful that I may be able to commute by bike 5 days per week and still have sufficient energy to go about by day(elimimate or reduce sweating considerably?).

What conversion kit would you recommend for my bike? The Oxydrive front wheel or rear? Would 13Ah battery be sufficient for the distance?would it still do the range with limited pedal assist(dont mind pedaling but want to reduce sweating) in 2 years time?

What about the Bafang crank drive kit? Looks easy to mount. I quite like the look of the downtube mounted battery. Would th 15Ah have sufficient range? Is there a bigger rack mounted battery perhaps that would do the job? There seem to be 2 kits BBS01 and BBS02. Is only the BBS01 road legal in UK?

As my bike has Hydraulic disk brakes both the Oxydrive and Bafang kits have cut off sensors for mechanical disk brake levers. Are sensors available for the above kits that work with Hydraulic disk brake levers?

I have also looked at the Cycleze Ezee conversion for the front hub but these are more expensive and still only have a max of 15Ah batteries. On the plus side they seem to have an option for Hydraulic brake levers and seem to have a good reputation.

What would be a good source for the right kit? How is Wooshbikes for the Bafang kits? Reputation, Warranty? Any other recommended sellers that have a decent warranty?

Are the kits fairly reliable for 9 months per year 5 days per week riding?

I have also considered some of the ready assembled ebikes but the nicer looking ones seem very expensive 2k+ and I really like my current bike.

I weigh 87kg and 177cm

Thank you

The only 2p I would add (I do a 27 mile all-round commute) is that minimal maintenance is a really important - I ended up with the 13 ah oxydrive kit on a cheap racer because IMHO crank drives are higher maintenance,they strain the drive train,one has to think about shifts,a good hub drive feels kind of fit it and forget it

 

[RobF]

I've yet to experience crank drive chain strain on my two bikes, but common sense says there must be more stress on the chain.

Equally, a powerful hub motor tortures the spokes.

No worries if the respective components are up to the job, but a worn or broken chain is a far easier fix than a broken spoke.

I would probably go for a crank drive on a commuter due to ease of puncture repair.

It is simple enough to unplug the motor, but you still need to carry a spanner for the axle.

A throttle - available on both types of kits - would be handy for the many restarts a commute usually entails.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Equally, a powerful hub motor tortures the spokes.

All the torque goes through the spokes whether you have a crank-motor or hub-motor.

 

[trex]

the inertia of the rotor adds a lot of stress to the spokes when the motor starts and stops and during braking when the motor overruns, even slightly. CD motors don't do that because the chain takes the jerking movements out.
Two other problems often encountered when fitting a hub kit are dishing and bottom brackets that have no room for pedelec sensors. CD kits don't have these problems because you don't need to touch the rear wheel and don't have to fit the pedelec sensor.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Neatly all the motors we use have clutches, so the motor disengages on the overrun. The controllers nearly all have soft start so you don't get any impact ftom the motor starting. You're talking a load of ball cocks.

You forgot to mention the problems of chainline with a BBS01.

 

[trex]

when you squeeze the brakes, the motor cuts out quickly, but the stator continues to run, the disengaged clutch cannot stop that. Its inertia is added to the bike's kinetic energy. When the motor starts again, the acceleration of a hub motor is inversely proportional to the reduction ratio, A hub motor like the BPM with a reduction ratio of 5 will accelerate more brutally than a Q128H that has a reduction ratio of 11 or a Krieger CD motor with a reduction ratio of 25 with the same controller.

 

[Nealh]

Everyone has a different opinion.
Its a toughie to choose which one, I have both and they are both good as also is the Big Bear kit. The BBS 350 is high torque and was wasted on my 700c Norco which mostly traversed fairly flat terrain, speeds up to 27mph were within my capabilities and the system is ultra reliable I used it 5 days week every week for the last 7 months, it now adorns my Cube AMS which I think it is better suited and for its offroad capabilities and would be good for a touring bike.
The Oxy will be better for a relaxing less sweaty road commute with fairly effortless speeds up to about 24mph derestricted, although I find PAS can be a little abrupt. Battery wise the BBS ekes more out mileage wise by at least 25%.
BBS sporty riding good speed, v.g range and need to think of gearing at stops. CST relaxed commuter riding good speed, good range no need to worry about gearing .
BBS easy to fit for the diyer just need a few basic tools but you will lose the front chain set and derailleur. CST is quit easy to fit just needs a little more diy skill esp with wheel dishing and trueing if needed.

 

[RobF]

I think a front hub motor has been mentioned in this thread.

Just so as the OP is aware, his bike has carbon forks so that's not an option.

Rear hub or crank drive is the choice.

 

[Cyclezee]

I have also looked at the Cycleze Ezee conversion for the front hub but these are more expensive and still only have a max of 15Ah batteries. On the plus side they seem to have an option for Hydraulic brake levers and seem to have a good reputation.

Hi Chris,
Rear hub eZee motor kits are also available, in fact 50% of our kit sales are rear wheel.

 

[RobF]

Hi Chris,
Rear hub eZee motor kits are also available, in fact 50% of our kit sales are rear wheel.

Well-proven, pokey motor and I'm sure Cyclezee offers a fitting service.

A few more battery options as well.

 

[Chris.mitu]

Everyone has a different opinion.
Its a toughie to choose which one, I have both and they are both good as also is the Big Bear kit. The BBS 350 is high torque and was wasted on my 700c Norco which mostly traversed fairly flat terrain, speeds up to 27mph were within my capabilities and the system is ultra reliable I used it 5 days week every week for the last 7 months, it now adorns my Cube AMS which I think it is better suited and for its offroad capabilities and would be good for a touring bike.
The Oxy will be better for a relaxing less sweaty road commute with fairly effortless speeds up to about 24mph derestricted, although I find PAS can be a little abrupt. Battery wise the BBS ekes more out mileage wise by at least 25%.
BBS sporty riding good speed, v.g range and need to think of gearing at stops. CST relaxed commuter riding good speed, good range no need to worry about gearing .
BBS easy to fit for the diyer just need a few basic tools but you will lose the front chain set and derailleur. CST is quit easy to fit just needs a little more diy skill esp with wheel dishing and trueing if needed.

Do you have to pedal harder on the BBS? Why do you say that the Oxydrive would give a less sweaty commute?

 

[Ferdinand]

What a wonderful range of choices you have

Reminds me of The Centipede's Dilemma:

The centipede was happy – quite!
Until the toad in fun
Said, "Pray, which leg goes after which?"
And raised her mind to such a pitch,
She lay distracted in the ditch
Considering how to run.

You are spookily similar to me in profile:

88-90kg depending on the day, the breakfast, the clothes and whether I have been to the loo yet
1.77m
Boardman Hybrid Team bought last year, but mine was switched to 42-28 gears after 6 months for easier touring.
​

My e-project is underway, and I will post when it has happened.

I think that if you set a goal of keeping going on commuting 2-3 times a week while you are thinking, it will be quite a lot easier in a couple of months as cyclo-fitness catches up.

An e-kit will undoubtedly make it easier long term, though. I think my comments would be:

1 - Don't go for excessive weight if you can avoid it, and make sure the battery is easily removable - it's a great lightish weight bike to ride as a nippy pushbike with the battery off.

2 - If you haven't done it yet, consider some more suitable tyres than the originals for commuting even as an unpowered bike. Will transform the comfort and any skittishness, and make it more resilient to the imperfections that *never* (ahem) occur on our perfectly maintained roads. Large and lightweight, but puncture resistant. I ride 35mm Marathon Supremes for a mix of road/trail, but I might go for the 40mm version next time. A couple of people who have posted about similar fast commuter conversions suggested other options.

Ferdinand

 

[Nealh]

BBS has built in pas and it is proportional to the effort you put in whilst pedalling so a more sportier ride and near normal cycling experience, the Oxy pas kicks in almost straight away with about and 1/8 turn of the crank and its off so little effort is needed.
With both systems speed and effort required depends on which settings you use for your requirements both will get you fitter used regularly, trying out both systems first would give you an idea of there differing appeals if you could visit Woosh then that would be a good start.

 

[Chris.mitu]

I just ordered the 13Ah Oxydrive kit.

I decided that I wanted to keep my gears, reduce my pedaling effort and sweating, that I want the lowest maintenance kit and the option of easily removing the kit if I decide to ride unassisted. Plus the Oxydrive kit looks a bit more aesthetically pleasing (The Gadget Show photos looked great).

Hopefully I will get it installed in the next couple of days and will report back.

Thank you to everybody who responded.

 

[mfj197]

Look forward to seeing how the conversion goes! An ebike can make for a great long-distance commuter.

Michael

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Fitting the kit is fairly straightforward. There were three things I had to do other than just bolt it in and connect it up.

1. Fit a Cyclezee V2 12mm torque arm, which conveniently bolts to a spare threaded hole:



2. I had to trim the flutes a bit in the middle of the PAS magnet disc because it wouldn't clip together.

3. The bottom corner of the battery was just interfering with the chain, so I had to mount the battery a bout 10mm higher than the slots in the holder would allow, so I leñgthened the slots as far as was possible with my Dremmel. You could just drill holes right at the end. You'll see what I mean when you fit it. There's another forum member on the Isle of Man that fitted one to the same bike. He said that his didn't interfere, so he didn't need to adjust anyyhing.

 

[Chris.mitu]

Going by the name Cyclezee torque arm I take it that it isn't included in the kit? What is the purpose of the arm? Does the wheel not mount properly without it?

 

[Chris.mitu]

Going by the name Cyclezee torque arm I take it that it isn't included in the kit? What is the purpose of the arm? Does the wheel not mount properly without it?

Never mind http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/a-reminder-to-use-torque-arms-on-kit-builds.16959/

 

[Nealh]

d8veh didn't mention anything about dishing so assume the wheel sat centrally ok.