Columbia 1937 1500w, part selection help

psycotrip

1 mW
Joined
Mar 3, 2018
Messages
19
Ok, I want to build a 1500w ebike using a Columbia 1937 deluxe as a base. My part choice so far is:

Lithium 48v 35ah battery
620$
https://www.ebay.com/itm/48V35Ah-LIFePO4-Battery-Pack-Power-for-Electric-Bike-KIt-2500W-with-Charger-BMS/272853014069?hash=item3f874e9635:g:y9gAAOSwNd9Zvzwu&vxp=mtr

columbia 1937 deluxe
229$
https://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Single-Speed-Vintage-Cruiser-Bicycle/dp/B01H02FVUO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Risunmotor 1500w kit
407$
https://risunmotor.com/risunmotor-super-powerful-brushless-gearless-36v-1200w-48v-1500w-ebike-front-rear-wheel-conversion-kits-with-sine-wave-controller-lcd3.html

I was going to get this cheaper ebay kit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/26-1500W-Rear-Wheel-48V-Electric-Bicycle-Bike-Motor-Conversion-Kit-Hub-Cycling/322269304808?epid=1286064734&hash=item4b08bf57e8:g:jxUAAOSwKIdaZvws
220$

I like the risun motor kit because it has a sine wave controller and option for a single speed, but with shipping its about double the cost.

I will be commuting about 10 miles, this is the route, https://www.google.com/maps/dir/264+Main+St,+Gloucester,+MA+01930/Farm+Bar+%26+Grille,+233+Western+Ave,+Essex,+MA+01929/@42.6051949,-70.8147031,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e3250549467993:0x5afe17ab89cbc9ea!2m2!1d-70.6585403!2d42.6150969!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e3180630369615:0xf0e7516a56e03c8!2m2!1d-70.8156099!2d42.6224018!3e1

Does this seem like good parts or would you recommend something else? I've had some electric vehicles but nothing this expensive.

I want the best reliability i can get, that's why the lifepo4 battery, hub motor, and single speed bike. I can charge at work, but would like to not have to incase i forget. And i do live in new England with bad weather so a bike that's good on a wet road would be nice.
 
Welcome to the forum.

I like the bike, as I have a '30s era Columbia Ebike my self, and those reproduction bikes look nice.

That said, the bike will be a problem. It's a hard tail with a coaster brake and no front brake at all. The motor you picked would eliminate the rear brake, and in general, be too fast for the design of the bike.

You can make that bike work, if you extensively modify it. At a minimum, you would need to be able to design, fabricate, and weld on brake bosses, and upgrade most of the parts to a higher, stronger spec.

That motor is a better match for a high end full suspension mountain bike using many DH parts. And if you want it reliable for commuting, department store grade bike parts aren't going to work.

As for the battery, I'm leery of discount batteries, as many have had bad experiences with them. But sometimes you do get lucky. That would not be a battery I would pick.
If you do chose to go with the Columbia, it would seem a real waste not to pick out or build a battery to go in it's tank.
 
Regen braking isn't a substitute for brakes. It can't completely stop a bike. It isn't as powerful as a normal brake. It's nearly ineffective at low speeds. It can't be used to hold a bike still at a stop, like when waiting for a light while on a hill. It won't work if the battery is full or if there is any kind of fault in the system. It won't work if the battery has shut down from low charge, or from an overload.

And with the power of that kit, you need 2 good brakes. At that kit's 58kph speed, 36mph, you have 4 times more kinetic energy for the brakes to bleed off than a bike would have at 18mph. A coaster brake wouldn't survive that for long. Ideally you need 2 disk brakes. At a minimum, a front disk brake, and a rear quality rim brake, or some form of drum brake.
 
That bike may be dressy and classic looking, but it's still what we in the industry call a BSO (bicycle shaped object). It's made for a single purpose: to be sold for a profit. That's the only thing it's really good at.

The bike is ready for 10mph, not 35mph. Rear brakes alone would make that bike a terrifying deathtrap, but that's not all. The "suspension" fork is also in its element at just over walking speed, and likely to fail structurally at the motorized speed you propose.

If that's the general style of bike you prefer, look for a cruiser that boasts of 7 speeds. Usually that means provisions for rim brakes front and rear (which can be upgraded from the usual garbage) and a rigid fork (which won't be at all comfortable at 35mph, but will not blow to pieces when it finds a pothole at such speed). It would be a good move to swap in a quality mountain bike suspension fork and hydraulic suspension seatpost, but those things would greatly exceed the purchase price of the bike you linked to.

You don't have to use multiple gears; you can even remove them when you install the hub motor wheel. But a bike that comes with them as originally equipped will also come with a rear brake that can work with a hub motor wheel. Any wheel that has multiple gears on it can be set up with a single gear instead.

I don't know where on that bike you propose to carry a 30 pound battery that's 6.5" wide in its smallest dimension. It's too fat to go in the triangle, and that bike's rack will not carry it for long. If you get a rack that will hold up to the dead weight, the bike will still be shaky and awkward with such a big battery up there.

You're talking about spending a thousand plus dollars on motor and battery, but only two hundred on the bike? On a bike that's totally unsuited to go as fast as your motor will take it? That's backwards if you ask me. First find a bike that will handle your commute day in and day out the way it is (not a fashion BSO). Then get an e-bike motor kit for it. Then upgrade whatever you must to make it work with the increased speed and weight.

I've spent a bit of time just now trying to find a bike of the style you've suggested that would tolerate the speed and hard mounted weight of the system you suggested. I didn't find any. You'll need to start with a rugged version of the style of bike you want, and replace a lot of parts to make it suitable for what you want to do with it.
 
The Felt 7 speed cruiser doesn't have the retro look you're attracted to but does have brakes, bosses and other cool features, is not real expensive. I'd rather make a rinky dink tank out of colorplast or something than ride a bike without brakes.
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The Lux is an example of a decked out electric cruiser, price is going to be way more expensive of course but it looks real roadworthy with the disk brakes and space for battery.
DOT_5Q=klq.JPG
 
psycotrip said:
what about a mongoose dolomite?

That's better for conversion, in that it's sturdier and easier to upgrade than the Columbia bike. It's a junky bike, but the problem components can be replaced as necessary. And it's slow and heavy, meaning you'll need more battery to get the same job done than if you used a more efficient bike.

The thing that would be a deal breaker with the Dolomite would be if you're bigger than average, or much smaller than average. It's a one-size bike with that one size being "slightly smaller than average".

Check out Bikesdirect.com for a huge range of different bikes that are cheaper than bike shop inventory, but better quality than big-box store fare, with choice of sizes.
 
That's better, It would work. It at least has brakes. It's Still a BSO ( Bike Shaped Object), and you would be better with a real Bike, like the base entry level Gravity Bullseye Monster, sold through several places, cheapest on Bikesdirect.com

Fat bikes are fun, but you're going to have some problems with the Dolomite. First is with the stock tires fitted to the Dolomite. They are a nightmare. They are best described as a cosmetic imitation of a real fatbike tire. Replacement tires, are $60 to $120 each, and another $20 for the tubes, each.

The next problem is with fatbikes in general. Tire wear. I get about 150 miles out of a rear fat tire at 35mph average. You ride slower, they'll last longer, but fatbike tires are very thin tires with off road tread and a very soft compound. they wear super fast. And they are super expensive.
If you go with a fatbike for thew road, you probably will want to fit a set of Boa G semi-fat 3.45" balloon tires. they're slicks meant for the road. they should last longer and give you a more efficient ride
 
Vee Speedster/Origin 8 Captiv8er 26x3.5" is about $60 retail and a fine street tire with good durability compared to a knobby. It's actually as wide as it claims, whereas 3G fat tires are exaggerated in their sizing. The last 3G Hoggy-G 24x3.45” that I mounted measured about 2.7” on a 38mm wide rim.
 
I think im going to go with the gravity 29er front suspension from bikes direct unless someone has a reason why not. With that bike on a 1500w controller, how big of a battery would i need to get 30 miles at 25ish mph, roughly (im 5'6" 190lbs). I like those street tires and might put them on tubeless after the stock tires wear down. I was looking at the motobecane 29er with wide tires but it seemed a little much and i could not find any hub motors for it. I might start a new thread because thanks to you guys most of my original ideas are out the window which is a good thing.

Also, i like the idea of front suspension to balance the weight of the motor a bit and to smooth the ride, but mostly this bike will be for the street so is it necessary? Thanks everyone for the help so far your information is very valuable to me and I appreciate you being so nice to a noob such as myself. I'm glad I asked here as I am sure to get a much better bike in the long run, reliability is my 1st concern.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29fs.htm

Ok i bit the bullet and bought the green one with the suspension in the 15.5M frame, it said 399 on the website, but in paypal it was 350, so i basically got the shocks for free!!
 
psycotrip said:
I think im going to go with the gravity 29er front suspension from bikes direct unless someone has a reason why not. With that bike on a 1500w controller, how big of a battery would i need to get 30 miles at 25ish mph, roughly (im 5'6" 190lbs). I like those street tires and might put them on tubeless after the stock tires wear down. I was looking at the motobecane 29er with wide tires but it seemed a little much and i could not find any hub motors for it. I might start a new thread because thanks to you guys most of my original ideas are out the window which is a good thing.

Also, i like the idea of front suspension to balance the weight of the motor a bit and to smooth the ride, but mostly this bike will be for the street so is it necessary? Thanks everyone for the help so far your information is very valuable to me and I appreciate you being so nice to a noob such as myself. I'm glad I asked here as I am sure to get a much better bike in the long run, reliability is my 1st concern.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29fs.htm


Ok i bit the bullet and bought the green one with the suspension in the 15.5M frame, it said 399 on the website, but in paypal it was 350, so i basically got the shocks for free!!

Modern bicycle suspension is one of society's great improvements of the 20th century IMO, I was skeptical about it initially but now I'm all about it, as far as ebikes are concerned shock absorption really helps moderate the jolting a person receives when riding over potholes, assorted bumps and cracks in the road, little driveway curbs etc. You know the state of roadways nowadays-generally horrible in many places from lack of maintenance, it gets amplified the faster you ride over things.
 
It's true that e-bikes ameliorate the chief drawback of bicycle suspension, which is its negative impact on the efficiency of pedal power. When you really want to make the most mph from the fewest watts of muscle power, suspension interferes with that goal in a number of ways. But we have motors, so hey-- no big deal.

To go 30 miles at 25 mph, plan on carrying about 1kWh of battery. It will help your range to use smooth treaded tires and as low a riding position as you can get comfortable with.
 
I agree with most of what was said above.

Absolutely the wrong bike for your needs, unless you modify it a lot. But a typical 7 speed cruiser with dual rim brakes will work fine, even to 30 mph. Still a BSO, but one that will work much better for street use than any MTB in the same price range.

I started out with the cheap mongooses, and wore out two in a year. But a steel 7 speed cruiser will work for years. Yes, its crank is shit, but you weren't going to pedal much anyway were you? ( Based on the kit choices)

Look at stuff like the huffy margaritaville, or if you want a really good one, get a more expensive electra townie, or a similar bike like the felt.

The gravity is a better MTB, and suitable, but I'd still recommend something with 26" wheels. You will be running through lots of tires if you commute a lot, and saving a few bucks on the tires will add up over time. Run a beach cruiser tire, unless you plan to spend a lot on expensive tires. My experience was that you cut the tire before you wore one out, on a big screw, glass, or sharp rock. Faster you ride, the less you see anything in time to jink over. So two sets of affordable cruiser tires per year worked best for me, for 2000-3000 miles a year.
 
i bought a gravity 29fs in green from bikes direct, now im just pricing battery packs and kits
 
psycotrip said:
i bought a gravity 29fs in green from bikes direct, now im just pricing battery packs and kits

You'd be wise to get a 26 inch hub motor wheel anyway, because it will perform better, have cheaper consumables, and alter your bike's geometry in a way that makes it better for a fast commute on pavement.
 
i was thinking the taller wheel would be a higher ratio and give me some more speed at the same wattage, any battery suggestions, i like lifepo4 because of the increased charge cycles but everything seems to be going to 18650's probably because their being mass manufactured for tesla, and could you elaborate on how the smaller wheel would be better besides cheaper parts, i think im missing something
 
psycotrip said:
i was thinking the taller wheel would be a higher ratio and give me some more speed at the same wattage,
Voltage, not wattage.

The taller wheel will also decrease the torque making it that much slower to accelerate.
 
psycotrip said:
could you elaborate on how the smaller wheel would be better besides cheaper parts, i think im missing something

The same torque from the hub results in greater thrust at the wheel when the wheel diameter is smaller. The hub motor gets up to speed more quickly and runs faster RPM at any given road speed, which is usually good for efficiency and heat management. The result is better climbing, better acceleration, less heat, more range. Whether the smaller wheel gives a higher or lower top speed is a function of several different factors, but it can be either higher or lower. Performance other than top speed will be better with the smaller diameter wheel.

A smaller 26" rear wheel mounted on a 29er will lower the bottom bracket height a bit (good for street riding), slacken the head angle a little and increase steering trail. All these changes make the bike's steering characteristics slightly more motorcycle-like, increasing stability at speed.

Cheap Chinese hub motors are designed for use with wheels between 20 and 26 inches. They can be used for other wheel sizes, but they won't be optimized for them.
 
psycotrip said:
i bought a gravity 29fs in green from bikes direct, now im just pricing battery packs and kits

I took a quick look, that bike comes equipped with some parts you most likely are not going to find on a department store bike, Cane Creek sealed headset, Truvativ crankset etc.
 
well i have a budget of 1,000 dollars for the battery and motor, already got bike, what would you recommend? are their more expensive hub motors or should i just go for a mid mount?
 
psycotrip said:
well i have a budget of 1,000 dollars for the battery and motor, already got bike, what would you recommend? are their more expensive hub motors or should i just go for a mid mount?

I think you'll do fine with a cheap direct drive hub. Your bike would work a little better with a 26" hub motor wheel than with a 29" hub motor wheel, for the reasons I explained above.

29 inch is a marketing term for 700c wheels with fat tires. So if you want to use the same tire and tube that came on your bike, get a 700c motor wheel.
 
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