Help a Newbie Build or Buy His First Ebike. UPDATED..

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is offering suggestions on a setup that would meet the following requirements:

1. Budget ~$1400

2. Approximate range: 40+ miles without pedaling. Edit: I could live with 30 miles on throttle and 40+ with minimum pedaling.

3. Top speed: ~30mph

4. Terrain: Mostly flat, urban commute.

5. Frame size: Suitable for someone over 6ft tall.

6. Load capacity: Capable of hauling a 230lb man + 30-40lbs of cargo.

7. Motor preference: Front hub.

8. I'll be able to charge the battery for 2-3 while away from home for extra range.

Thanks in advance, and I appreciate any additional insights.

Updated: I bought this 1200w 48v front hub kit from ebikeling.com

https://www.ebikeling.com/shop/electric-bike-48v-1200w-26-direct-drive-kit-2

Still looking for a battery that with enough power.

MISSION IS impossible

For $1400 if you have a bike and luck you might get 40 miles at 15mph. A 30-40AH battery and a 29" bike with 2-3,000 watts might do it. 30MPH is normally motorcycle speed. I am 250 lbs and can ride 20-25mph for 15-20 miles on 29", DD rear, 20AH and have about $1400 invested. Good luck in your build.

You could scrape together used batteries but 40 miles (65km) is pushing it for battery size. But if that distance is to and from, then you could charge the battery at work. Then your battery size would just need to cover 20 miles (32km) which is totally doable. Using 22wh/km times 32km youd need 700Wh battery divided by 48V is 15Ah on flat ground, no headwind. So you could buy a 20Ah pack.

Buy this kit
http://leafbike.com/products/diy-bike-conversion-kit/26-inch-electric-hub-motor-kit/newest-26-inch-48v-1500w-rear-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-987.html

Battery
http://leafbike.com/products/lithium-battery/48v-li-battery/the-newest-48v-20ah-lithium-battery-1007.html

$900USD + shipping which would be a hundred or two.

Thats a direct drive motor, so its ultra reliable and silent downside is when you run out of juice, there is drag when you pedal, like riding a bike with a flat tire.

30MPH is 48kph
http://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html?SID=cca9ba5043968b3e710bf5ffa4c70a1b&bopen=false&motor=M2705&batt=cust_48_0.2_20&cont=C40&mass=120&hp=0

bionx 1954 said:

MISSION IS impossible

Click to expand...

What if I was able to recharge the battery for 2-3 hours while away from home?

I weigh 180 hauling 35lbs of cargo with a 750w mid drive and 30mph is not possible for me, more like 20mph and that is with a bit of pedaling. You are going to require a lot of power, and that is going to put a lot of stress on your forks. You might want to rethink front hub and go with a rear hub motor. You can also go with a mid drive but the bbshd is the only motor that will get you up close to you target speed.

I think you can forget about buying a ready made e-bike, it will not do what you want and it will be made like crap for that much money. If you want to keep your expenses down buy a decent used bike and then get a quality motor. Perhaps you will need to start off with a smaller battery at first but then later you can always upgrade the battery.

Maybe an inexpensive 8speed fatbike or plus tire beach cruiser considering the amount of weight you will be carrying. A lightweight bike does not matter too much when you are hauling 250lbs of rider and cargo.

1) A good realistic budget

2) Doable , at around 15 miles per hour, also for speeds above 15 mph your body will want full suspension, at 25 and above mph you want good quality F.S, not the cheep stuff.

3) Somewhere around 1100-1400 watts ( for my lower weight and not hauling cargo, so you will be several watts above that )

4) Good for range and motor selection

5) Large , and for a fast speed commute and your height you want 29 er wheels ... but for cargo and up hills 26 or 27.5 wheels is better, so a newer 27.5 inch wheel bike would be good .

6) You are going to need allot of battery capacity . Better to spend much of that $ 1,400 on Battery

7) Rear Hub motor , for flat ground a higher speed/lower torque motor will work, when using the throttle keep the speeds above 10-14 mph when in a 27.5 / 29 er wheel.

8) That will help allot to stay within budget , buy two chargers , keep one at the location where you can charge for 2-3 hours, and have that charger charge at a slightly higher amperage than the home charger.

Endlesscube23 said:

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is offering suggestions on a setup that would meet the following requirements:

1. Budget ~$1400

2. Approximate range: 40+ miles without pedaling.

3. Top speed: ~30mph

4. Terrain: Mostly flat, urban commute.

5. Frame size: Suitable for someone over 6ft tall.

6. Load capacity: Capable of hauling a 230lb man + 30-40lbs of cargo.

7. Motor preference: Front hub.

8. I'll be able to charge the battery for 2-3 while away from home.

Thanks in advance, and I appreciate any additional insights.

Click to expand...

Kevlar tires and thicker self healing tire tubes are essential to any ebike builds

2. Approximate range: 40+ miles without pedaling.

Click to expand...

So. Physically disabled? Reason is, most urban travels today VERY stop-and-go. So in addition to pedaling for warmth and for exercise, in "EV Terms" one can pedal at shave off peak power outs at starts and up hills, etc (see also "faux" pedaling... hehe). such that one can extend ranges per charge and also extend the life of the cells ("battery") before eventual recycling and replacement. Also, 40+ miles seems "extreme" for many/most urban travels? Options include sometimes adding a second battery to extend ranges... and carrying a pocket-sized charger and "opportunity" charging en route while ya stop for a meal... About the worst thing ya can do for electric traction by battery is to add more weight to the vehicle. Alternatives include always traveling down hills only, or only traveling the same direction as any winds. :wink:

Hehe... PS: If yer interested in "higher" speeds, check out velomobiles... like this:


... where the diff. is aerodynamics? I'm looking forward to local political elections, where candidates like to plaster the neighbourhood with Coroplast (TM) light-weight plastic signs, to scoop some after election day to add as a shell (currents rides already recumbent), re rains and snow, but also re aero... Ya might consider at least a windscreen... :wink:

PPS: My current work-in-progress: