Donor bike question

I’ve done some research on ebikes for a while and decided to get a 36V 500W ebikeling kit with a 48V 17.5ah Samsung battery. Once I bought the battery I was thinking about my bike, which is a Mercier Kilo WT (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott-wt-fixie-wide-tire.htm). I’m trying to use the bike for mostly city commuting in a relatively flat area (couple of big hills but not close to me or on my commute) about 8 miles round trip daily.

After some thought, I was wondering if I should secure a better bike to use. I was going to go front hub due to it being a single speed, but I was thinking about getting a rear hub and finding a different bike. I might want to do some light trails but since it would mostly be on roads, should I get a hybrid bike? I had been looking at the Motobecane Elite trail (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/elite_trail.htm) or possibly one of the real MTBs on bikesdirect. I found a lightly used elite trail for around $200, would that be a good option?

Full suspension "real" MTB is most ideal for real world ebike use including on street. Used name-brand bike off craigslist will give much more bang for the buck than a shitty bikesdirect bike. Don't be afraid to get an old MTB with rim brakes. They work BETTER than cheap discs, a not so well known secret.

If I am using a hub motor, you still think a full suspension is best? I have a lot of trouble finding used bikes because I need a 21-23" frame. What kind of brands/models would you recommend? Its mostly GT, low end Trek, and walmart bikes that I am finding.

Welcome to the forum.



That Motobecane is basically a hybrid with a shock. It's not a bad entry level bike, if you plan to use it like a hybrid. With those stock tires, the only trail tiding it should do is a groomed path through the park. But they do say it has clearance for 29X2 tires, so it could be made into a good hybrid/light trail bike with the right tire. If the $200 bike is your size and in good shape, that would be the way to go.

If you were going to buy it new, then you would be better off with a true mountain bike. something beefy enough to stand up to the weight and stress of being converted. You could then change the tires and other parts as needed to make it better suit your needs on the road. But since you found a good deal, and if you like that bike, it wouldn't be a bad place to start.

Thanks for the replies! Do you know of any bikes that would be best suited for commuting with a lower price tag? As I said, I seem to have a real tough time finding used bikes in my size around here. I just found a "windsor cliff 4500" for $240 used, which seems to be another directbikes bike. The ad seems to be a local dealer or someone who fixes up bikes for a living. Just serviced and detailed, excellent condition. Would this be more ideal for an ebike than the hybrid?

EDIT: also found a Gravity basecamp 27.5 in my size on bikeisland for $200.

That Windsor Cliff 4500 is fairly close to ideal. If we had a rating system, it might be 4 out of 5 stars. it's a double diamond design, with a large, consistent geometry main triangle that will make mounting the battery and other hardware easier. It's a 26" wheel size, meaning you have more choices in motors and tires, and the rims are 36H, name brand rims, so you can reuse them if they are better than the rim that comes with your motor. It has fairly decent quality components all around, Shimano Deore is mid range of their parts group, the Acera is an entry level parts group, but are known for being tough, WTB is OEM of Marin, Gary Fisher, And RockShox Dart 1 fork is... well, better than anything Suntour.. ok, it sucks, but a good fork cost more than this whole bike. At least it's not a Suntour, or a Zoom. They actually work well enough, they're just crude. Same with the Tektro brakes. They'll stop you. You'll want to upgrade someday.

Of the bikes you found, that would be a very good one to convert. Forget the gravity.

BikesDirect is a mixed bag. some bikes are pretty good, middle of the road quality for dirt cheap, others are worse than Walmart bike-shaped-objects (BSOs) for extraordinary prices.