MTB Recommendations

I am pretty new in the ebike world. after a lot of research, I decided to get the BBS02 48v 500w. I am looking for a mtb, preferably with a 68mm bb so everything is as simple as possible. My budget for a mtb is around $600. I will be riding it leisurely and hitting some light trails, nothing too extreme. Is bikesdirect a good place to look for a mtb?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/275-650b-bikes/527ht_27-650b_mountainbikes.htm

I was looking at this one. Would this make a good conversion bike? I don't want to look on Craigslist because I do not know much about bikes.

I looked up the bottom bracket for this bike at this site.
http://www.eurobike.pl/en/sr-suntour/cranksets/bottom-bracket

A 68mm shell means it has a 68mm bb that is ideal for a conversion, correct?
Thanks for your input.

Should fit, 68mm shell.

Good bike? Well, pretty ok bike. Good enough. Certainly better than a bike that sells for $150 new. Particularly good is that you can pick your size. The main thing that could improve on it is easy to change, upgrade the fork in a few years possibly.

I can't see what kind of shifter it has, but you want trigger shifters, not twist grip. The hydro brakes I know nothing about. Personally, I'd just want old school cable. Just because I'm familiar with cables.

SonNguyen04,

My local bike shop has a Giant 650b bike with almost the same parts, for $ 450, It could be even less now on sale since it is a 2015 year model.
It is pretty much the same bike as the Motobecane you linked to .
About the only difference would be cable disc brakes, If you want hydraulic disc brakes the cheep ones like on the Motobecane are just about the same in performance as
a cable ( mechanical ) disc brake. You need to get a good Shimano or other more costly hydraulic brake for them to make a difference.
B.T.W. most Mountain bikes have a 73mm wide BB, it is Road Bikes that have a 68 mm BB.
If you want a 68mm wide BB, you could look into a cyclocross bike , they come in many different price points. and are lighter weight than a MTB, by about 7 to 9 pounds .
Where are you located ? If you are near a bike shop that sells Giant, that would be a better buy , If you are out in the middle of nowhere with no bike shops the mail order way of buying is Ok.

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SonNguyen04 said:

I am pretty new in the ebike world. after a lot of research, I decided to get the BBS02 48v 500w. I am looking for a mtb, preferably with a 68mm bb so everything is as simple as possible. My budget for a mtb is around $600. I will be riding it leisurely and hitting some light trails, nothing too extreme. Is bikesdirect a good place to look for a mtb?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/275-650b-bikes/527ht_27-650b_mountainbikes.htm

I was looking at this one. Would this make a good conversion bike? I don't want to look on Craigslist because I do not know much about bikes.

I looked up the bottom bracket for this bike at this site.
http://www.eurobike.pl/en/sr-suntour/cranksets/bottom-bracket

A 68mm shell means it has a 68mm bb that is ideal for a conversion, correct?
Thanks for your input.

Click to expand...

I just measured a couple of hardtail mountain bikes, and the BB Shells are 68mm wide, not 73mm. Perhaps the Full Suspension bikes are wider?

It varies. Quickest way to work it out is to measure it in the shop. This isn't hard, just need to measure the width of the bottom of the BB.

Getting a 68mm shell means you are less likely to have the dreaded chain drop off/Lekkie Ring requirements of a 73mm shell (expensive chainring which corrects the additional offset caused by a 73mm frame). If I was doing it again, I would definitely be picking 68mm. If you want to get more technical about this, you need the BB offset from the Bafang unit and compare it to the offset of the frame. This compares the middle of the BB to the drive side. Some 73mm BBs are offset. Not a bad idea, chain drop off is one of the largest installation complaints with these. Theres a bit of planning getting this right, the rest is simple and plain sailing.

BTW 500w and 750w BBS02 are the same, the controller is the difference. Consider the higher power from the outset. Get a battery with sufficient discharge for your unit and sufficient range for your purposes. Buying both the motor unit package and a battery from the same vendor can have advantages, as they have been designed and tested to work together. I bought mine from em3ev, more expensive than others out there, but way better after sale service than many chinese online sellers. Updating your profile to include where you are in the world means we can offer better suggestions of a vendor so you do not get screwed on freight. Note when looking at ebike vendors, follow a quote right through to the last step to see paypal and freight charges as these are typically pretty ugly and many Chinese vendors 'appear' to build part of their price into the freight cost.

You may also want to read https://endless-sphere.com/w/index.php/EBike_Motors_Middrive and scroll to the Bafang section.
It summarises many of the main threads/answers most of the queries re installation etc. including what tools you need etc. The only thing missing from it now is an update re BBSHD (irrelevant for you) and adding a programming section (unlikely to need this from word go).

I also suggest sitting down and writing out (to yourself) what attributes you may value more. Disc/caliper hydraulic/mechanical 26/29 road/MTB/crusier, then try to find things that actually meet what you value before buying anything. Shops can also be used as testing grounds- find a bike and ride it if your unsure. I've found I keep bikes long enough and I'm pretty indifferent to what they cost - so long as they meet the attributes I want first.

That's a decent bike.
Bikes direct do a mix of great bikes and walmart-quality bike-shaped-objects (BSOs). Sometimes their prices can't be beat, and sometimes they can be easily by a local bike shop.

To give you a base line, the bike we often recommend for a first time builder is a trek 820. They are pretty close to ideal for the average rider in most conditions and for a wide range of conversions. The bike you picked is better, but you should check out a Trek Merlin 6. Same price range, and should be available from a good bike shop.

650B/27.5" wheels are an interesting choice.