McLannahan
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 03:57 PM |
|
|
Anyone converted a push-bike to electric?
Hi all -
I live in a reasonably hilly area on the English/Welsh border and would love to get out a little more and cycle. Electric bikes have SHOT up in price
since LD, quite out of my budget but I know there's plenty of kits available, some even "easy" conversion kits like Swytch
(https://www.swytchbike.com/)
Has anyone done anything like this? I know some will poor scorn that it's not real cycling but my knees aren't great and although I
absolutely love walking and walk everywhere - I'd love to go a bit further afield (COVID allowing of course....)
Thanks chaps and chappeseseses
Michael
|
|
|
|
|
nick205
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 04:40 PM |
|
|
I love cycling, but haven't considered getting and E-Bike or converting one of my ordinary bikes.
I recently became aware of a shop in Winchester (my home town) selling conversion kits to convert ordinary bies into E-Bikes. Like I say I've
not done this so no experience to report. It might be another conversion kit for you to look at though.
https://www.cytronex.com/
A few years ago I wasn't impressed by the whole E-Bike thing and held the view of "it's not real cycling". However, if it
enables more people to get out and about then perhaps it's not a bad thing. For those with joint problems or even those starting on a path to
better fitness, if it gets them moving outdoors and out of a car it gets a thumbs up from me.
|
|
|
McLannahan
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 04:58 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I love cycling, but haven't considered getting and E-Bike or converting one of my ordinary bikes.
I recently became aware of a shop in Winchester (my home town) selling conversion kits to convert ordinary bies into E-Bikes. Like I say I've
not done this so no experience to report. It might be another conversion kit for you to look at though.
https://www.cytronex.com/
A few years ago I wasn't impressed by the whole E-Bike thing and held the view of "it's not real cycling". However, if it
enables more people to get out and about then perhaps it's not a bad thing. For those with joint problems or even those starting on a path to
better fitness, if it gets them moving outdoors and out of a car it gets a thumbs up from me.
Thanks Nick, will look into it.
That's how I see it too! If it gets more people outside and out of their cars - the better. Especially if medical conditions prevented them
doing this previously. There's always the Lycra clad brigade who want to dominate the paths and roads that believe in "REAL cycling"
but I'm just thinking the occasional jaunt out once in a while to see and experience new areas.
|
|
|
nick205
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 05:26 PM |
|
|
What E-Bikes are ideal for IMHO 
|
|
|
Replicar328
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 06:03 PM |
|
|
Some years ago I got some 250 Watt 36V hub motor sent to me by a friend in China. took a front wheel apart, reassembled with shorter spokes and the
hub motor, controlled a cheap motor drive for brushless motors with an arduino and built a working bike for less than £200 including an £80 push bike.
Most expensive item was the Lithium Ion battery - these days I'd probably use a standard power tool battery.
By measuring tension in the chain with three jockey wheels (two on the top, one in the middle mounted under the chain to be pushed apart, the strain
being measured with a strain gauge) I had a really cheap "pedelec" where the contribution to power made by the motor could vary according
to the user's choice, putting in more power when the tension increased.
This was a bit Heath Robinson, but it proved the concept. Given the name of this web site, maybe others would be interested to build one properly?
I've still got a wheel with a motor in it, and a couple of hub motors if anyone is interested?
|
|
|
obfripper
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 06:47 PM |
|
|
Have a look at Tom Stanton's youtube channel, he has gone through about 4 different designs, linked is his latest iteration.
IIRC he has uploaded alot of the designed parts on thingiverse, and has linked the various motors and control boards as well as belts,pulleys,bearings
etc he has used on the individual build videos.
He does go through the reasoning for the changes if you follow the videos from the first to last, which gives a good idea of good and not so good
concepts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pm1RtCuE3A
Dave
|
|
|
rf900rush
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 07:08 PM |
|
|
Cheap (£120) Chinese 250w 36volt front hub complete with wheel/tyre and controller.
Had a reasonable amount of use now for two years. (dry days for me only)
It did need some minor felting to get it to work, mainly due to having disk brakes on my bike.
As above batteries can be expensive, but I had some already.
I now means my 6 mile comute is no longer tha by car. mine is still legal with the Max 15mph in place.
My average trip meter on my car is not more than this.
|
|
|
Slater
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 07:58 PM |
|
|
I converted a mountain bike to a 2 stroke "moped" a few years ago. See this thread.
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=156952
I managed to get 65 kph going down steep hills once it was run in. Road legal in South Africa, I probably did 2,000 km over the 4 yrs I was there.
I still have it now and go for a sneaky spin about once a year.
Why do they call Port Harcourt "The Garden City"?...... Becauase they can't spell Stramash.
|
|
|
Simon
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 08:34 PM |
|
|
You can get hub motors of 1000w, so one on the front and one on the back and 2.7bhp on a bicycle should be good for 60mph 
I did wonder if wearing a paramotor "fan" whilst riding a bicycle constituted a powered vehicle compared to an assisted human
|
|
|
Replicar328
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 09:06 PM |
|
|
How about four BOYUEDA 10/11inch 52V1200W/ 60V2800W Electric Scooter Brushless Hub Motors for a small electric car - not great on performance, but a
way to build a cheap electric car?
|
|
|
ianhurley20
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 10:48 PM |
|
|
I have a Wisper road legal Torque 905 electric bike. It is brilliant! There are two types (ish) of electric bike - cadence and torque. For a cadence
bike you simply pedal (select the power level you want) and you get it. For a torque system you still select the power but only get a propotion of it
dependant on the effort (torque) that you apply to the pedals. That means you have to put in more effort, coupled with the legal cut out at 15.4 mph
(25kmh). My 16 amp/hour battery will give me an 80 mile (ish) range.
A friend has just converted his Cube mountain bike to electric with a Yose 350watt (not quite legal) rear hub motor with a 12.5 amp/hour battery.
Conversion was a bit difficult as the width of motor and drive cassette exceeded the gap available (should be 165mm) and we had to stretch the gap by
over 10 mm. Fine in the workshop but not on the road if you have a puncture. Works fine on the road though. Through the settings you can extend the
motor cut off speed to 40 kmh (24mph) if you wish and there is a thumb operated throttle you can use on this system.
Swytch - probably ok but their standard battery is 5amphour and their extended one is 7 amp hour. Combined with a cadence system you will not get much
range at all
For expert advice I would look at the Pedelec forum - a bit like this one but with a massive depth of electric bike knowledge
|
|
|
SPYDER
|
| posted on 26/11/20 at 11:56 PM |
|
|
I converted my first bike about five years ago using a XIONGDA rear hub motor and controller from Panda eBikes and a battery pack from Insat
International in London. Previously to this I had been progressively struggling more and more to keep up with my mountain biking chums. It turned out
that I had a heart rhythm problem and I am now on various meds to control it.
The base bike was a Kinesis hardtail and the conversion was straightforward enough. I can choose between five levels of assist and the motor itself
has two internal speeds. It changes gear at about 9mph and runs up to the legal max. The cutoff is gradual, unlike some which seem to switch on/off.
I've done four thousand odd miles on it, including some memorable rides up the Glens.
It has a 630wH battery (which wasn't cheap) and is good for over 60 miles at medium assist. Reliability has been virtually 100%. I did have a
faulty cog early on which was promptly replaced directly from China.
Cost-wise the total came up to around £600. £200 kit, £300 battery plus sundries including top notch disc brakes. You need good brakes.
This bike has been one of the best things I have ever owned. I am "back in the saddle" and no longer struggle at all.
Such is my new found passion that I bought a Specialized Levo Turbo Carbon for my sixtieth birthday. I found a totally mint nearly new example with
250 miles on the clock for quite a bit less than it's £6.5K price when new. This year I am doing the 2020 Challenge and I'm up to 1900
miles atm, solely off-road on the Spesh.
It's fantastic fun, even when your helmet comes down over your eyes when going down some steps and you end up down a bank of nettles and over
the bars into a (shallow) river!
The "old bike" still gets used for day to day stuff as well as for longer road rides.
In short, I recommend you to "go for it!"
Here's one for the engineers/thinkers out there...
The hub changes gear ratios by changing the direction of the motor. How?
|
|
|
SteveWalker
|
| posted on 27/11/20 at 12:44 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by SPYDER
Here's one for the engineers/thinkers out there...
The hub changes gear ratios by changing the direction of the motor. How?
Presumably there are idler gears, probably in constant engagement with two different sized gears on the input side and as the motor turn one way, the
torque engages a single idler with the output side and as it rotates the other way, the torque disengages that idler and engages a pair of idlers with
the output side. Two different gear ratios due to the different input side gears and the extra idler cancels out the reversal of the motor.
|
|
|
roadrunner
|
| posted on 27/11/20 at 07:19 AM |
|
|
I've just converted my MTB to a 1500w kit.
I am a proper cyclist with long weekend blasts with an average speed just over 20mph.
I did commute my 30 miles a day ride but after getting a 125cc scooter I lost the motivation because the scooter was so cheap to run and the time
saved even compared to a car was epic. But the scooter needed replacing and I considered all options.
I decided on a pedal assist e bike kit. Started to follow Andy Kirby on YouTube and ended purchasing one of his kits. It was more expensive than I
could get elsewhere but trusted him to get a better quality kit.
I've been using it for a month now and I have to admit that it's bloody brilliant.
I have now turned my commute into a 15 mile 30minute trip. I have started to loose weight and get my fitness back.
The difference really comes in when its up hill or strong headwind.
I would highly recommend it.
Don't knock unless you've tried it.
|
|
|
roadrunner
|
| posted on 27/11/20 at 07:24 AM |
|
|
https://youtu.be/YtF_16RA2Jo
|
|
|
ianhurley20
|
| posted on 27/11/20 at 03:23 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
I've just converted my MTB to a 1500w kit.
For anyone who doesn't know 250watts is the max legal on road in the uk with the assisted speed cutting off at 25kmh or 15.4mph. To run the
1500watt motor you will have to register it as a motorcycle, I suppose that means IVA etc??
|
|
|
McLannahan
|
| posted on 27/11/20 at 04:07 PM |
|
|
Thanks guys - some great info there. That Kirby chap stuff looks amazing but it does come at a price! Sure cheaper than the high-street alternative
but sadly out of my budget too!
I'll give some more thought and see what money I can scrape towards it all
Thanks everyone
Michael
|
|
|
roadrunner
|
| posted on 27/11/20 at 05:47 PM |
|
|
The current laws are outdated and needs a refresh.
It would be ridiculous to try and register a pedal cycle as a motorbike.
If there was a sensible way to be legal I would gladly do it.
I already have a motorbike licence and know how to use the road on two wheels.
I can't even get insurance.
[Edited on 27/11/20 by roadrunner]
|
|
|
