TSDZ2 hardtail MTB conversion picking the right budget bike

[hartswood]

I'm going to install a 48v 500w TSDZ2 on a new yet to be purchased hardtail MTB. This will be my first conversion.I have a bike wishlist air forks, decent Shimano brakes and rear derailleur. In order to give the motor more ground clearance I thought I'd go for a 29er. I've been trawling through the end of season bike sales for a suitable purchase. Reading this forum has given me an idea of what I should look for, but I have somes questions:

1. On a bike fitted with a SLX / XT 1X11 groupset If the chainstay rubs against the motor and I have to add spacers,widening the chainline, is it likely I'll be unable to use the full cassette range? Generally is it better / easier to go for a three chainring bike? I have a bike in mind and have found a picture on the web showing its stock chainstay / cassette setup, the clearance looks limited. I don't have the bike's measurements.

2. Another possible purchase has a thick bottom bracket cable guide, picture attached. Will I have to remove this to fit the motor? Would it be easier to pick a bike with in-frame routed cables? Should I look for a smooth bottom bracket base to avoid grinding the frame?

3. My budget is limited to £500 for the bike purchase, ideally lower. My wish list limits choice. Air forks in my price range are difficult to find. Ideally I'd like something around 13kg, but the only sub £500 bike is 15kg. With the TSDZ2 can I basically disregard weight?

 

[peter.c]

I suspect you might have a problem with the motor and the chain stay distance
The motor could be spaced out up to 73mm but that makes for bigger problems with the chain line
I have converted a voodoo 1x11 that started with a single 32 on the front and a kona with a 1x10 with a 34 both with TSDZ2 but they both with minor clearance problems
But a bike with triple front will have more space
The gear cable is an easy fix, just remove the the braket and replace the cable outer
Remember the fixing for rear anti turn bracket on the back of the motor

 

[Raboa]

Hi, I would keep an eye on this police auction site, you can pick a bargain.

Bumblebee Auctions

 

[Nealh]

Hi, I would keep an eye on this police auction site, you can pick a bargain.

Bumblebee Auctions

Yes like Cwah's nicked build .

 

[hartswood]

I suspect you might have a problem with the motor and the chain stay distance
The motor could be spaced out up to 73mm but that makes for bigger problems with the chain line
I have converted a voodoo 1x11 that started with a single 32 on the front and a kona with a 1x10 with a 34 both with TSDZ2 but they both with minor clearance problems
But a bike with triple front will have more space
The gear cable is an easy fix, just remove the the braket and replace the cable outer
Remember the fixing for rear anti turn bracket on the back of the motor
View attachment 32089

That's really handy advice, thank you. I've decided to buy the motor before the bike so I can get a better feel for stuff like the anti turn bracket. The clearance looks tight between the bottom bracket and motor. I may fit it to an existing cheap MTB I own just to get the hang of what's involved and how it feels, before mucking about with something good and new. I think I'll also order a Yosi Power 48V battery 11.6Ah Samsung .

Original Down Tube 48V11.6Ah For Hub motor Electric Bicycle Lithium-ion Battery Black for NCM, LeonCycle

<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">*24 months warranty</span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">*Pass CE, ROHS, BASTO,UL,UN38.3</span></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14px;"><span...

www.yosepower.com

 

[peter.c]

That capacity is a bit low 11.6 ah but will be ok , try to find a 13.0 ah or above so you will get more range

 

[76zedfour]

@hartswood , is that a voodoo bizango in your photo?

I am considering putting a tsdz2 on that bike so wondered how you got on? @peter.c I was looking at your pics but as I am a bit of a biking numpty I don't really understand the problem regarding the chainstay. Is it that the increased diameter of the new 42T chain ring now hits the mainstay where it bulges out almost straight away from the crank ?

 

[vfr400]

@hartswood , is that a voodoo bizango in your photo?

I am considering putting a tsdz2 on that bike so wondered how you got on? @peter.c I was looking at your pics but as I am a bit of a biking numpty I don't really understand the problem regarding the chainstay. Is it that the increased diameter of the new 42T chain ring now hits the mainstay where it bulges out almost straight away from the crank ?

Yes. Modern MTBs tend to have wider tyres, so the chainstays are spaced further apart. They also have low gearing, so they use small chainwheels that can keep clear of the chainstays. If you want to use the bike for proper off-road stuff, you have to choose carefully. If you want to ride the bike mainly on the road, you'd be much better off with an older MTB or a hybrid type bike that has narrower tyres. Remember, when you have electrical assistance, you don't need all those fancy gears and things unless you're doing serious off-road biking.

If you have one of those chain-guides under the BB, you can remove it and run the cables in an outer cable. That way, you can route the cables wherever you want. If necessary, you can use the outer all the way from the shifter to the derailleur, or you can just use a short outer between the end-stops either side of the motor.

 

[76zedfour]

I have a carbon hybrid and find it a bit jarring on the tracks, dry bridleways and kerb hopping that i do and as that can't be fitted with a mid mount kit I guessed a MTB might be better. I live on an island and used donor bikes are pretty hard to come by and this voodoo is a cracking price. I do like the look of it though with the 29 wheels as I am quiet tall. So if I did go for this are you saying I would have to put some spacer rings on the chain ring side of the crank to move it out slightly so that it doesnt snag on the chainstay? Does this then cause a problem with the chain alignment with the cassette so the very top gears might not be usable?

 

[peter.c]

Try and find a bike with a triple front chain wheels, most voodoos will convert with the 73mm bottom bracket, the newer 11/12 speeds with the 32 front chain wheel are a concern
spacers can cause more problems than they solve

 

[76zedfour]

thanks all for advice, saved me making an error.

 

[hartswood]

After much searching I ordered one of these from Sports Direct for £400 with discount https://www.sportsdirect.com/spyder-rogue-30-mens-932062#colcode=93206203
It seemed good value with an air fork and XT rear mech. However on arrival I discovered it had an 83mm bottom bracket, so back it went. Lesson learnt, don't buy a bike for a conversion if you haven't inspected in person. Also posting bikes back is expensive.

For my next attempt I thought this from Go Outdoors would be a perfect fit for £300 after discount

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15903294/calibre-rake-mountain-bike-15903294

The bottom bracket looked good, chainring clearance looked workable and the anti-turn bracket OK. I now have a TSDZ2 and was able to carefully measure the required clearances. I then went back into the store with the intention to purchase, but on remeasuring the bike it was apparent the part of the motor where the chainrings are fixed would not clear the chainstay. I only needed 50 mm from the outside of the bottom bracket to the chainstay.


Whilst in Go Outdoors I checked a few other MTB's and all seemed to have the same problem, the trend to fatter tyres results in chainstays widening out very close to the bottom bracket. My search goes on for a straightforward MTB conversion. I don't want to go down the second hand bike path, taking on someone else's worn components.

 

[vfr400]

I's buy an older used bike on Ebay. You'll much better value for money. I can't see any advantage of buying new. There's much more chance of your motor fitting an older MTB because it's more likely to have a standard BB. The other thing you have to think about is whether the triangle is big enough for the battery.

You could probably get this for £500 and sell the crank and front derailleur for £100 to make it even cheaper.

Retro Rocky Mountain Mountain Bike XTR , Hope,Fox, Sid ,Chris King | eBay

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[wheeliepete]

VFR is right, there's an abundance of decent, lightly used s/h bikes for sale. Even if you have to replace a few parts, you should still save a good chuck of cash.

 

[76zedfour]

Resurrecting this thread as the lockdown makes me want to get a bike sorted now. I have been looking for used bikes for last week but nothing of interest in my localityy. Tredz have this which I can get a further 10% off making it £450.

Merida Big Nine 300 29" Mountain Bike 2019 - Out of Stock | Tredz Bikes

Merida Big Nine 300 29" Mountain Bike 2019 - Hardtail MTB. Out of Stock. All Mountain bikes are delivered free to the UK mainland, 365 day returns & Price Match.

www.tredz.co.uk

I want to ask tredz how much clearance there is and need to know what the tsdz2 requires. Could anyone advise?

 

[peter.c]

The bottom bracket width is 68mm/72mm it should be ok I converted an older big 9 - 500 with a tdz2 without a problem Merida is a specialized in disguise [same factory]

 

[76zedfour]

thanks for coming back to me on that. Reassuring to know. The spec looks decent for the money barring the fork

 

[peter.c]

Yes the forks need to be changed, I had to replace quickly as they bottomed out

 

[76zedfour]

I was too late on ordering that Merida and they sold out in my size.
I have since settled on a hybrid (without suspension as all my riding is paths, gravel, poor tarmac) and figured the Voodoo Agwe seems suitable. I think others have converted it without problem. My local Halfords store doesnt have one instock so two week wait however they do have the cheaper Marasa. From online geometrics it looks like identical frame, forks and bar to me but with Altus instead of Deore spec. My question is with the tongsheng is it pretty irrelevant whether the back cassette is a 9 speed 11-34T or a 10speed 11-42T when negotiating hills? Also on a none pedelec front is Deore worth the extra cost over Altus gear?

 

[Woosh]

what size is the chainring?
that's important. Some Voodoos have MTB cranksets with 38T chainring. They are not good for the TSDZ2 because the chainstays flare out too close to the bottom bracket, leaving insufficient space for the TSDZ2 gearbox casing.