Conversion Kit Questions

Hi, Couple of quick questions as I am thinking of converting my Giant Anyroad 1 to electric! ( http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/anyroad.1/19227/77321/ ) Its a cyclocross and has wider tires so should have enough space for a Hub motor.

I have been looking at ebay kits, are they any good ? Am i better off buying a kit with battery or buy the battery separate or look somewhere else ( uk based) ? i understand that i will have to match the motor, controller, battery and charger to some extent. ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500w-Electric-Bike-Conversion-Kit-36v-13amp-Lithium-Battery-Front-Rear-Wheel-/111887599062?var=&hash=item1a0d0545d6:m:miU0Jmspz3m_X3UMV-zqGsw)

Many of these kits come with the throttles attached to brake leavers or similar. How would i go about fitting a throttle to my drop handle bars ? can i do away with the brake levers as my bike already has two sets ( drops and center)could i have a simple button or something ?

The bike is full aluminium ( giant Aluxx frame ?) would it be preferable to go rear or front wheel drive based on safety, how easy it will be to fit and maintain ? Ideally i would like all the electronics in the frame but i don't think it will be possible with the profile of my crossbar ( I have the mens small and it looks like a kids road bike!) . maybe move the battery to a rear rack and have the controller in the frame or seat post.

I currently use this bike for commuting 8 miles to work with elevation gain of about 400 ft all on road or cycle path, a rough estimate on battery size would be great. I can currently peddle my little legs the 8 miles in 38 min at average of 12 mph so anything around that time without the sweat would be amazing!


Cheers!

Welcome to the forum.

I am extremely mistrustful of batteries from Ebay, especially extraordinarily cheap batteries. That whole kit is about what I would expect to pay for a fair quality battery of that size with shipping. (example: http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=35_53&product_id=160)

However, by the specs, it looks fine. I would call that kit a risky gamble, but if you have the cash and can afford the gamble, it might be worth the risk. The rest of the kit should be fine, There are very few bad ebike motors. That one looks to be manufactured by MXUS. It's hard to tell as the motor is a clone of many others in the same style, but they all share similar traits, and I like my MXUS.


That bike would be a match for a rear motor. You would need a steel fork for a front motor. I "Think" that battery would fit in the frame of the small. You will encounter a problem with the gearing. The bike uses a cassette, where the motor uses a freewheel. they aren't interchangeable, and I only know of one source for a 10 speed freewheel. http://www.nycewheels.com/10-speed-freewheel-11-32.html. Pricey. You may be able to find one cheaper, or someone else here might have a source, but since it isn't a common part, they are going to be rare and expensive.

If you love your bike, you might consider getting a cheap MTB style bike to convert. Much of what you love about your bike will be lost in the conversion. it will become a new beast, not an enhancement of the old one. Starting with a used MTB with a conventional 7 speed rear gear might be cheaper than solving the gearing issue with your current bike.

The throttle appears to be a thumb throttle, instead of a more common twist grip. That should make it easier to slip onto your bar, though you may only be able to get it on far enough to use in the drop position.
If that doesn't work, you might have to trade out your drop bars for a flat bar. The added power of the motor would easily make up for the lack of areo using a flat bar would cause.

The battery, if it works to expectation, should be good for 13 miles range minimum at 20mph, with a lot more possible.

Thanks for the response.

I don't trust ebay myself when it comes to electronics. Im willing to take a gamble but i will avoid ebay batteries and purchase a hub kit and battery separately. Are there any brands to avoid that might be re branded on ebay ?

Am i correct in assuming that I only need to match the motor voltage draw and max amp draw ? could this be achieved with a hobbyking li-po battery or should I aim for batteries designed for bikes ?

Could you explain the freewheel problem a little more ? is it due to the hub motor or my bike? is this a problem on front wheel drive ?. Ideally i would like to stick with this bike but i will probably change it up in 2-3 years.

Read this first.
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66302

wesnewell said:

Read this first.
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66302

Click to expand...

Already read the FAQ's before I Posted. thanks.

An answer to my free wheel question would be appreciated and also on the RC LiPo batteries are they the same as the ones you would find within a dedicated E-bike battery? will this Kit controller be safe for use with a correctly selected battery ?

Christafer said:

Hi, Couple of quick questions as I am thinking of converting my Giant Anyroad 1 to electric! ( http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/anyroad.1/19227/77321/ ) Its a cyclocross and has wider tires so should have enough space for a Hub motor.

I have been looking at ebay kits, are they any good ? Am i better off buying a kit with battery or buy the battery separate or look somewhere else ( uk based) ? i understand that i will have to match the motor, controller, battery and charger to some extent. ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500w-Electric-Bike-Conversion-Kit-36v-13amp-Lithium-Battery-Front-Rear-Wheel-/111887599062?var=&hash=item1a0d0545d6:m:miU0Jmspz3m_X3UMV-zqGsw)

Many of these kits come with the throttles attached to brake leavers or similar. How would i go about fitting a throttle to my drop handle bars ? can i do away with the brake levers as my bike already has two sets ( drops and center)could i have a simple button or something ?

The bike is full aluminium ( giant Aluxx frame ?) would it be preferable to go rear or front wheel drive based on safety, how easy it will be to fit and maintain ? Ideally i would like all the electronics in the frame but i don't think it will be possible with the profile of my crossbar ( I have the mens small and it looks like a kids road bike!) . maybe move the battery to a rear rack and have the controller in the frame or seat post.

I currently use this bike for commuting 8 miles to work with elevation gain of about 400 ft all on road or cycle path, a rough estimate on battery size would be great. I can currently peddle my little legs the 8 miles in 38 min at average of 12 mph so anything around that time without the sweat would be amazing!


Cheers!

Click to expand...

Too much motor for that bike. With a rise of only 400 ft., you really don't need anything larger than than a low-powered, geared mini-motor. By keeping the power low, it may be possible to frt. mount w/ torque arms and leave all your gearing intact. Keep your bike as a road bike by going this route. Many of us here like the Akima Q100 series of motors, also called the Cute. Rather than go into detail here, I'll link a recent discussion if you have an interest. You can join in there or ask me any questions here and I will try and respond.

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=75772&p=1145370#p1145370

Or you can search using the key words Cute, Q100, Q100H. There are serious roadie types here that use these motors reaching speeds close the 30 mph. Riders like sunder, chas58 and crossbreak.

Here is another long thread that deals more with Q100's and Roadies;

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=72094&p=1143638#p1143638

Thanks Motomech & Nelson37. I will certainly be doing some more research before making a purchase. There is a place nearby that will let people loan a E-bike for 2 weeks so im going to try that out first see if its any good for me.

I like the look of the Q100 kit with the controller and battery combined into one but im not sure it will fit in my frame. I have also been looking at the Oxydrive hub motor kit which have a built in free wheel but are roughly twice the price of the Q100 kit.
I have also learnt first hand the dangers of bike crashes. at 15 yrs old when i was peddling up a slope at walking pace and my feet slipped forward of the peddles whilst i was stood up, went over the bars head first and broke both my wrists protecting my stupid head.

I will lurk about here and learn what I can from you helpful bunch. Thanks Again!

Oh, you will like Ebikes just fine, everyone does. It's just a matter of matching the donor bike, drive system and needs. The motor you listed would be better suited to a mountain bike.
Since you mentioned Oxydrive, I'll assume you are familuar with Pedelecs UK.
There is a guy on there whose options I highly respect, Dave(D8veh). I think I've reaf every post he has made, both here and there. Search his posts while keying on Q100.

I'm a newbie myself but I hope my response will generate some discussion That will help me shop for a kit. I also want a kit because I love my bike and want to keep it beautiful. But I want to use the pedal assist feature to extend recreation ride distances while using my own power as much as possible.

I just bought a Dillinger Street Legal bike kit http://dillengerelectricbikes.com/electric-bike-kits/street-legal-kits/street-legal-electric-bike-kit-samsung-power-13ah-by-dillenger.html for my wife and am thinking about getting one for me to install on my Surley Travelers Check road bike with dropped handle bars.

The Dillinger kit might be suitable for the distances you plan to ride. This Dillinger kit is priced right at $700 with a Samsung Lithium 36v 13Ah battery and a 350 watt front hub motor that they claim has been trouble free for their other bike kits. ElectricBikeReview.com reviewed the predecessor of this kit with the same motor but less powerful battery and gave it high marks. This upgraded kit has brake sensors rather than handles with sensors so you use your own brakes and the sensors hide nicely. It has pedal assist and a throttle. The battery mounts unobtrusively to your water bottle cage and the wiring harness is very simple and easy to hide. I was able to install it on my wife's bike so you can hardly tell that it's an electric bike.

For your bike you might want to first verify that the battery will fit inside your frame and you might buy a steel fork. If I get one for my road bike, I will jury rig the throttle and the on/off/pedal assist switch to fit on the larger diameter of the dropped bars. If you are interested in those details let me know.

Good luck!

It's a good deal w/ the free shipping. I believe the OP is in Briton, so I'm not sure if the UK package is as good a value.
The one area they skrimped on is the charger. A 2 Amp charger?? Please, they should be ashamed for supplying that. At the very least, this kit should have a 4 Amp charger.
I'm not sure if the motor is an off-shoot of a MXUS, Outrider(Itself a MXUS clone), or a Bafang. But I can tell from the video sound that it is an 8 pole motor and probably used a single row of straight-cut gears. It deffinately is louder than a Cute, but not objectively so. But put it on 48 Volts and a powerful controller and it's going to howl.
I suspect the wheel build is much better than typical genaric Chinese kit, but the spokes should be checked several time none the less.
And the frt. mount kits should have at least one torque arm.

DaleLatham said:

I'm a newbie myself but I hope my response will generate some discussion That will help me shop for a kit. I also want a kit because I love my bike and want to keep it beautiful. But I want to use the pedal assist feature to extend recreation ride distances while using my own power as much as possible.

I just bought a Dillinger Street Legal bike kit http://dillengerelectricbikes.com/electric-bike-kits/street-legal-kits/street-legal-electric-bike-kit-samsung-power-13ah-by-dillenger.html for my wife and am thinking about getting one for me to install on my Surley Travelers Check road bike with dropped handle bars.

The Dillinger kit might be suitable for the distances you plan to ride. This Dillinger kit is priced right at $700 with a Samsung Lithium 36v 13Ah battery and a 350 watt front hub motor that they claim has been trouble free for their other bike kits. ElectricBikeReview.com reviewed the predecessor of this kit with the same motor but less powerful battery and gave it high marks. This upgraded kit has brake sensors rather than handles with sensors so you use your own brakes and the sensors hide nicely. It has pedal assist and a throttle. The battery mounts unobtrusively to your water bottle cage and the wiring harness is very simple and easy to hide. I was able to install it on my wife's bike so you can hardly tell that it's an electric bike.

For your bike you might want to first verify that the battery will fit inside your frame and you might buy a steel fork. If I get one for my road bike, I will jury rig the throttle and the on/off/pedal assist switch to fit on the larger diameter of the dropped bars. If you are interested in those details let me know.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks Dale, I did have a look at Dillinger, I like that they have a UK base with some customer support and warranty. they look just as easy to fit and maintain as kits like the Q100 which also offer pedal assist. I have to decide whether the $250 dollar price difference between this GBK 100 http://www.greenbikekit.com/36v-250w-front-hub-wheel-kit-with-36v-panasonic-frame-battery-with-built-in-sine-wave-controller.html ( re branded Q100) and the Dillinger is worth it. I will defiantly require brake sensors of some kind and i also need some torque arms which seem to be hard to find in the UK.

motomech said:

It's a good deal w/ the free shipping. I believe the OP is in Briton, so I'm not sure if the UK package is as good a value.
The one area they skrimped on is the charger. A 2 Amp charger?? Please, they should be ashamed for supplying that. At the very least, this kit should have a 4 Amp charger.
I'm not sure if the motor is an off-shoot of a MXUS, Outrider(Itself a MXUS clone), or a Bafang. But I can tell from the video sound that it is an 8 pole motor and probably used a single row of straight-cut gears. It deffinately is louder than a Cute, but not objectively so. But put it on 48 Volts and a powerful controller and it's going to howl.
I suspect the wheel build is much better than typical genaric Chinese kit, but the spokes should be checked several time none the less.
And the frt. mount kits should have at least one torque arm.

Click to expand...

I did not spot the 2A charger but i did see it on the OXYdrive kit, another UK company which looks similar to the Dillinger Kit but a bit cheaper.
A lot of these Kits seem to provide a lot of parts to attach to the handle bars. LCD screen, thumb throttle, Pedal assist selector and i just don't have the room on my drop handle bars with 2 sets of Brake levers. but that is something else im going to have to find a way to work around. I did email BMS about the Q100 bottle battery size and hole spacing but have heard nothing yet.
I'm not so sure I want to gamble on these Chinese based kits, i might as well go back to Ebay as i,m getting the same level of protection paying through paypal. Im assuming people have dealt with GreenBikeKit.com what is their reputation like ?

Christafer said:

motomech said:

It's a good deal w/ the free shipping. I believe the OP is in Briton, so I'm not sure if the UK package is as good a value.
The one area they skrimped on is the charger. A 2 Amp charger?? Please, they should be ashamed for supplying that. At the very least, this kit should have a 4 Amp charger.
I'm not sure if the motor is an off-shoot of a MXUS, Outrider(Itself a MXUS clone), or a Bafang. But I can tell from the video sound that it is an 8 pole motor and probably used a single row of straight-cut gears. It deffinately is louder than a Cute, but not objectively so. But put it on 48 Volts and a powerful controller and it's going to howl.
I suspect the wheel build is much better than typical genaric Chinese kit, but the spokes should be checked several time none the less.
And the frt. mount kits should have at least one torque arm.

Click to expand...

I did not spot the 2A charger but i did see it on the OXYdrive kit, another UK company which looks similar to the Dillinger Kit but a bit cheaper.
A lot of these Kits seem to provide a lot of parts to attach to the handle bars. LCD screen, thumb throttle, Pedal assist selector and i just don't have the room on my drop handle bars with 2 sets of Brake levers. but that is something else im going to have to find a way to work around. I did email BMS about the Q100 bottle battery size and hole spacing but have heard nothing yet.
Chinese based k I'm not so sure I want to gamble on these its, i might as well go back to Ebay as i,m getting the same level of protection paying through paypal. Im assuming people have dealt with GreenBikeKit.com what is their reputation like ?

Click to expand...

Chinese based I'm not so sure I want to gamble on these kits

Click to expand...

And this is based on.....
The three Chinese vendors used to be somewhat sketchy, but have gotten much better and are improving all the time. There are ways to "hedge your bets", the biggest one is communication, talk to them and ask for confirmations all along the process. It's possible that BMS Battery sells more stuff than every other vendor in the World combined. You see all the stuff from them on Pedelecs, would people keep buying from them if they were loosing out?

A lot of these Kits seem to provide a lot of parts to attach to the handle bars. LCD screen, thumb throttle, Pedal assist selector and i just don't have the room on my drop handle bars with 2 sets of Brake levers. but that is something else im going to have to find a way to work around.

Click to expand...

Nobody i making you use all that stuff. And what do you mean "2 sets of brake levers", like 4??
Your biggest problem is the throttle and the work-a-rounds that I have seen for those who insist on using drop bars is to use PAS only. I have also seen one guy who used the frt. chain ring shifter as a throttle, since with a motor, the frt. shifter is not used. The shifter cable ran to a throttle that was mounted in a sm. box. It was very slick. For PAS only,the minimum you need is a sm. "810" style display.

I did email BMS about the Q100 bottle battery size and hole spacing but have heard nothing yet.

Click to expand...

Well, maybe that's because the diamensions are listed in the product info and the hole spacing is standard water bottle mount.

Yeah i have 4 brake levers. 2 on the top and two on the drops.I could take the top pair off to make some space as I would like to make use of all the features on offer. The throttle idea sounds good I will have a search, perhaps i can make use of one of my extra levers.

You make a fair point about the vendors, they wouldnt be sustainable if they did not offer a decent product and support, i have been burned before but that was ages ago and im still bitter.( i see the sizing is not on the kit but is listed on the bottle battery item page.)

Hopefully i will try an ebike this week and make my mind up soon.

Thanks again for your support and wisdom !

In some ways, the best approach for an e bike is switch to flat bars, or mtb bars with a small rise. You won't need to tuck as much with the motor helping, and then all the stuff designed for this type bar works. This option best, if you really seldom use the bottom of the bars to ride in a tuck.

But of course, you might have to replace the shiters, unless they are on the frame, old school style. Brake levers often come with the kit.

But do that later, meanwhile a thumb throttle can work ok on the lower bars, if you prefer to ride that way.

Another option, is push buttons instead of a throttle. Could have several of them in different places. They do full throttle only, so that's only good if you would only use the motor when you need full assist.

Pas of course, works with any kind of bar, and lots of kits have both pas and a throttle.

FWIW; I had good service from Dillenger as far as warranty support for my 36V kit. Also, shipping cost was negligible since they have a warehouse in the US. I believe they also warehouse from the UK which should absorb some of the price difference from Chinese suppliers; also, they have sales occasionally which drop prices by 10% or so.

I will be sticking with the drops for the time being as the shifters are on the drops but its obvious that flat bars are better, i will keep this in mind when i look to change the bike in a few years. I don't think a push button would be the best option but i will consider it whatever setup i get.

I don't think i would be able to stop myself if Dillinger or one of the UK based companies had a sale on. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Christafer said:

I will be sticking with the drops for the time being as the shifters are on the drops but its obvious that flat bars are better, i will keep this in mind when i look to change the bike in a few years. I don't think a push button would be the best option but i will consider it whatever setup i get.

I don't think i would be able to stop myself if Dillinger or one of the UK based companies had a sale on. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Click to expand...

On my 29er Cyclocross, I find it pretty comfortable putting the throttle on the top left so you control the power with your thumb. (pull throttle towards you to accelerate).

Thanks for the photo Raged. Looks good . I will try this myself.

I like that Raged, but I can't tell from the photo what type of mechanism you used to clamp onto the bar and extend thru the hole of the throttle. Tell me! Show me!

Looks like a pair of cable ties ?

Looks like zip ties to me. Not a perfect solution, but hey looks like it works!

Thanks for the photo, always a new trick to learn. FWIW, I'm just to fat now to ride in a tuck, :lol: As I slowly recover from my illness, I'm getting less fat, but I'm never going to weigh what I did when I liked drop bars.

I rode into work today so I can take a short video of the lever mechanism and how it works at lunch time for you guys.

The sound cuts out mid-way... I must have covered up the mic on my phone for a bit, but you get the idea...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y29npPhguFA

[youtube]y29npPhguFA[/youtube]

In short, without the PVC pipe spacer, the cable ties sorta catch on the outside of the throttle and make it stick (not good)

Also note that it pretty much only works on the tops. If I'm in a tuck position on the drops I dont need the throttle. In tuck mode in the drops you really want controlled gradual speed anyway for chasing lycra's. If I need to throttle up, I move to the tops.

Thanks again Raged. Is it not uncomfortable pulling your thumb back like that for an extended period of time ?