was originally thinking about buying a used frame froma well-known mountain bike brand and then building the bike around it with Components I choose. But now, l'm starting to reconsider that idea. Instead, I'm looking at two other options: 1. Buying a used mountain bike like the CUBE AIM PRO 29x2.25, which I've found for around €500, and then adding a Kirbebike kit to convert it into an e-bike for about €800-€900. Or.2nd option Buying a new bike like the Vitilan V7 Pro, which would cost me about €1,800.
Building e-bike more expensive than buying one?
- Thread starter darbas
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Totally agree OP.. here in the uk for sure.. a quality conversion kit costs circa £400+ complete with a trusted source battery, while an amazon special ebike can regularly be found for £500 or less ready to ride.
However its not really like for like, while the motors controllers and sensors in the kit and on the cheap bike are probably very comparable.
I would have grave reservations about the cheap bike battery however, as thats where its oh so easy to cut corners and costs...
And the bike.. well its probably what you would expect for £100 or $ waffer thin tyres perhaps?
Comfort in the saddle is even more important on an ebike than it is with an analog cycle. the motor ensures your backside will be in contact with the saddle way more and therefore every bump will be felt.. so dont cheap out on the base/donor bike..
So whats the bike for.. if a daily commute source a comfortable bike with GOOD brakes.. but if its just to fetch the paper on a saturday/sunday morning when its nice out- yeah go for the amazon special..
I totally agree with you, the price difference is clear, but you're right, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. As you said, the battery is crucial, and with cheaper bikes, you often don't know what you're getting in terms of longevity
For something more reliable, I’m leaning towards getting a conversion kit from Kirbebike. It's based in the UK, maybe you know this company or maybe you could recommend other in UK?
For the moment I can pick a comfortable bike CUBE AIM PRO with decent suspension and hydrolique brakes and thinking to simply convert it with e kit. As building from scratch all parts is way more expensive if bought new most of them.
Thanks, everyone, for your answers! I agree – building an e-bike is definitely more fun, and the parts are way better quality than what you'd get on cheap e-bikes.
Another good point (maybe a downside) is safety. A custume powerful e-bike on a smaller or lighter frame can be dangerous since the dynamics and braking distance aren’t regulated or tested.
Design is also a challenge. While I’ve seen some amazing custom e-bikes, they seem to be made by experienced builders, and it’s hard for a beginner to achieve that level from scratch.
So, I’m leaning towards buying a used entry-level MTB for around €500 and pairing it with a Kirbebike e-kit (52V 2000W with 48V 16Ah or 52V 20Ah battery). This setup would cost around €800–€900, with a speed of 45–50 km/h and a range of 40–60 km. I’m currently considering the Cube Aim Pro 29x2.25 as a base.
What do you think? Any recommendations for other MTBs (new price around €1k) or e-kits available in Europe in this price range also around 1k?
Another good point (maybe a downside) is safety. A custume powerful e-bike on a smaller or lighter frame can be dangerous since the dynamics and braking distance aren’t regulated or tested.
Design is also a challenge. While I’ve seen some amazing custom e-bikes, they seem to be made by experienced builders, and it’s hard for a beginner to achieve that level from scratch.
So, I’m leaning towards buying a used entry-level MTB for around €500 and pairing it with a Kirbebike e-kit (52V 2000W with 48V 16Ah or 52V 20Ah battery). This setup would cost around €800–€900, with a speed of 45–50 km/h and a range of 40–60 km. I’m currently considering the Cube Aim Pro 29x2.25 as a base.
What do you think? Any recommendations for other MTBs (new price around €1k) or e-kits available in Europe in this price range also around 1k?
ebike4healthandfitness
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Dynamics and braking are only tested on UL2849 bikes. UL2849 bikes are all pre-builts. Also that pre-built you mentioned in post #26 has a genuine Samsung built battery while the kirbebike DIY kit is made by who knows what standard. They list LG cells but who knows if they are genuine ----> kirbebike.com is rated "Average" with 3.3 / 5 on Trustpilot (Read those the reviews! Over half the reviews only got 1 star.)
Also I did notice many of the five star reviews were posted on the exact same day (April 21, 2022) and so did someone else:
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Yes good observation! I've found them on YouTube, I liked the simplicity of thing. But it seems they are not legit as I thought.
Dont know that seller? sorry
I went with yose-power as the batteries have a good rep and are often a recommendation for generic battery replacements on pedelec.co.uk.
TopBikeKit is a Chinese? seller of ebike bits trusted by pedelec.co.uk contributors, and is the goto seller of KT controllers and displays for proportional power application, controller configuration options, and Power upgrades. Volts X Amps = Watts a 17 -20a controller upgrade is fairly common to replace the generic 13-15a controllers generally supplied with kits and on bikes.
Greenlance.co.uk is liked by some for batteries in the UK others like Pspower? based in Germany and sell on ebay.
My only problem with the yose kit was initially getting used to the simple speed capped full on/off application of power to the motor, took me about a week to get used to a light touch on the brake lever (cut off sensor fitted) to augment control.
With hydraulic brakes be sure to buy/select the stick on sensor and magnet option Brake sensors are ESSENTIAL since pedal assistance may not register a stop in pedal rotation for a few seconds!! - So meanwhile your motor could drive you into big trouble with no brake sensors..
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docw009
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Whatcha think? Not a diamond shape road bike, but a Raleigh Ace, Mixte's have a nice ride with the flex. Do you see these frames all bent in half in the shops with regular use?
Just reliving my youth, Rode these bikes, albeit wit drop bars, when I was 160 lbs, with a yellow kids seat over the rear wheel and my 4 year old.,
ebike4healthandfitness
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Here is a thread on Chalo's cargo ebike which used an old POS road bike as a foundation:
endless-sphere.com
So keep in mind when Chalo speaks from experience about road bikes and ebike conversions he is coming from a very very low standard.
For example, those chain stays on that bike are super flex....and he put a BBS02 on it!
Then it ate rear cogs like crazy and he wonders why??
Chalo's cargo bike with BBS02
I finally took a few pictures of my cargo bike set up the way I use it. It started life as a 68cm, 27" wheeled Nishiki Rally road bike, but after using it in a couple of different pedal-only configurations, I decided to donate its rear triangle to my custom frame project. I made the part of...
endless-sphere.com
So keep in mind when Chalo speaks from experience about road bikes and ebike conversions he is coming from a very very low standard.
For example, those chain stays on that bike are super flex....and he put a BBS02 on it!
Then it ate rear cogs like crazy and he wonders why??
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docw009
1 MW
Looks like a welder had a fun day with that, I didn't read til the end, but I imagine shit happened.. Meanwhile, I never figured a steel frame would collapse with light power. I have a BBS02B that embodies everything good about ebiking. Pulls like a train in my reference world, but happy at 12 mph too. Have it on a department store DIamondback frame,Here is a thread on Chalo's cargo ebike which used an old POS road bike as a foundation:
Chalo's cargo bike with BBS02
I finally took a few pictures of my cargo bike set up the way I use it. It started life as a 68cm, 27" wheeled Nishiki Rally road bike, but after using it in a couple of different pedal-only configurations, I decided to donate its rear triangle to my custom frame project. I made the part of...
So keep in mind when Chalo speaks from experience about road bikes and ebike conversions he is coming from a very very low standard.
For example, those chain stays on that bike are super flex....and he put a BBS02 on it!
For the red Raleigh, I'd be running at most half the max power of a BBS02 with the Toseven DM02 at old man speeds. As is, it's 30.3 pounds, and the conversion will get me around 43 pounds with a dinky battery.
I've been running 1/3 the power with a Tongsheng TSDZ2 on another mixte for couple thousand miles, but that $260 motor is one of them get what you pay for.
Thanks for the great info! It's gold! I'm considering the 52V 68 73mm (standard) mid drive motor, with a 52V 20Ah battery from PSW Power for Cube Aim Pro 29 or similar MTB. I appreciate the advice about brake sensors, definitely going for it.
So where's the 30% higher cost of the DIY that you premised in your OP? Your work shows quite the opposite (Ready-made ebike €1,800 vs. DIY ebike €1,300 - €1,400).
Definitely a consideration! Good to be able to objectively rate your technical and mechanical skills. OTOH, there are many examples of simpler nearly bolt-on swap-out wire-up builds that require common hand tools and shop practices. And even a luxe brand of ready-made ebike will require these skills at some point.
You are correct, based on the price breakdown:
When I originally mentioned a 30% higher cost for DIY, I was expecting the frame, tires, gears, brakes, and the electric kit to add up to around €2,000 - €2,500 in total for a DIY build. This is assuming you are building from scratch and purchasing each component individually.
However, if you're comparing a ready-made ebike (e.g., around €1,600 - €2,000) versus a DIY setup (where the kit alone might cost you €1,300 - €1,400), DIY cost could be lower than a new, ready-made e-bike. This is especially true if you opt for used bikes like I finally disaded.
When I originally mentioned a 30% higher cost for DIY, I was expecting the frame, tires, gears, brakes, and the electric kit to add up to around €2,000 - €2,500 in total for a DIY build. This is assuming you are building from scratch and purchasing each component individually.
However, if you're comparing a ready-made ebike (e.g., around €1,600 - €2,000) versus a DIY setup (where the kit alone might cost you €1,300 - €1,400), DIY cost could be lower than a new, ready-made e-bike. This is especially true if you opt for used bikes like I finally disaded.
Chalo
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Mixte frames seem to have a very good half life, possibly because they were originally bought by less abusive owners. But they're strong enough and durable enough for real life.
That bike above was a "road bike" in its day, but it's almost the opposite by today's standards. Today it would be positioned as a hybrid or a city bike.
In the same way that 1980s MTBs were sturdy touring bikes with fat tires and low gears, but have since metamorphosed into goofy-styled, anti-engineered fake motorcycle toys, '80s road bikes gave way to disposable, incompatible, gimmick-packed plastic garbage.
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ebike4healthandfitness
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Nishiki Rally was definitely a road bike just a entry level one.
An example of a city bike or hybrid back then would have been this '78 Schwinn Suburban.
The Nishiki, of course, is a lot lighter weighing 12 pounds less.
If the Nishiki were positioned today it would not be as a city bike (e.g. Roadster, Dutch bike). This because being an old lugged small diameter frame tube design it would have to be a lot heavier than it is.
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ebike4healthandfitness
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One problem is you are using a used hard tail with new DIY kit and comparing to a completely new full suspension ebike.
Of course, something that is used and lower spec is going to be cheaper than something is new and higher spec.
If you are going to compare DIY vs. pre-built at least start with a new hard tail (or new full suspension) and DIY kit and compare to a new pre-built hard tail (or full suspension) ebike. Compare to like to like to get the full story.
And don't forget the alternative of buying a used DIY ebike or a used pre-built ebike.
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