2024 Go to budget doner bike shaped object

[Popstar]

What is the easiest cheap online order new bike these days that is excellent for electric diy conversions?

I have a really fun 1990's chromoly Gary Fisher with 2015 era 26" 10T Mac and 52V Triangle battery, but I really want modern disc brakes. The MAC motor at that time I believe had problems fitting disk brake, so any advice there would be great.

IIRC, There used to be a popular Walmart big box bike that was called convenient as a starter doner bike in terms of dropout, brakes, and battery mounting, though obvious not perfect. I can't find one by search that is still available.

I am a notorious diy upgrade addict, so don't limit recommendations to only MAC appropriate bikes. I need an upgrade outlet so I don't mess with the retail prebuilt ebike I have on order for wife and I to use.

 

[99t4]

Check out forum administrator neptronix's current in-process build up with an online bicycle liquidator bike. (bikesdirect.com or bikeisland.com)

His is rim brake but you should be able to find suitable disc brake models.

BSOs: Bikesdirect Motobecane 300HT or Gravity Basecamp? Unboxed on pg. 2

Howdy folks. So i've got 3 recumbents, all which need fabrication of some sort, and don't have the space or time.. But i've been off ebikes for a few years now, and i really don't like it. I was thinking of putting together another upright, and i saw this fine BSO: Save Up to 60% Off Mountain...

endless-sphere.com

 

[Chalo]

What is the easiest cheap online order new bike these days that is excellent for electric diy conversions?

I have a really fun 1990's chromoly Gary Fisher with 2015 era 26" 10T Mac and 52V Triangle battery, but I really want modern disc brakes.

The disc brakes that come with a BSO are so disgraceful that even 1970s single pivot caliper rim brakes are better.

The bike you are probably thinking of was the Genesis V2100. It sucked, but it was simple and strong enough to be worth trying to improve it.

 

[Popstar]

Ugh. It seems all new non-department store bikes have also totally abandoned the 26" wheel. My MAC is already expertly laced in a 26" wheel, so it does seem the Used bike market is my only route to get this excellent motor on a disc brake bike.

So have 27.5 and 29" E-bike kits taken over? I thought I still saw a lot of 26" kits being sold out there.

 

[lnanek]

Have you tried your local bike store? My work paid for a bike and I bought one for my wife while I was there, and there were plenty of 26" tires. E.g.

Frog Bikes Frog 78

This 26-inch junior hybrid bike is a great multi-purpose bike suitable for juniors aged 13+ years old with a minimum inside leg of 78cm. Wheel: 26-inch - Lightweight but sturdy frame -...

www.summitbicycles.com

Surly Disc Trucker 26-inch

A class-leading touring bike, the newly redesigned Disc Trucker provides versatility and dependability on the daily commute or trans-continental excursion. Fork blade three-pack mounts enable you...

www.summitbicycles.com

Tern Eclipse D16

The Eclipse D16 delivers the best price-to-performance ratio of any bike in our lineup. Designed with full-sized 26" wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, and a massively stiff hydroformed Eclipse frame,...

www.summitbicycles.com

Lot of the Trek bikes even had them at smaller frame sizes.

 

[gromike]

I have found quality lightly used twenty year-old 26 inch MTB's with disk brakes for next to nothing. My source is a non-profit bike place. They take donated bikes and fix them up for resell. I buy them before they fix them. Not much profit in their business, so they make more money selling to me what was once a $2000+ bike for a sub $100 price.
What I have found out is that people buy a top-of-the line bike, ride it for a season or two and then park it. The expensive bikes seem to get dry storage. The less expensive bikes, also lightly ridden, seem to find an afterlife in rust and/or corrosion.

 

[neptronix]

Yes, department store bikes don't have 26" wheels but the bikesdirect/bikeisland cheapies we mentioned do. I paid $138 shipped for mine. Ebay is full of older ones as well.

Throw out the fork and put a proper one on, use disc brakes or vbrakes, select a hub that has regen, and whatever brake you have on the rear doesn't matter. I myself don't even run a rear mechanical brake.

I also have a 24" in the rear and a 26" up front.. reason is, the smaller the wheel, the more power you get out of a hub motor.. this is where a 26er shines.. 27.5" and 29" are better suited for a mid drive since the wheel size doesn't reduce or increase the continuous wattage.

Running a 24' in the rear also gives you more fork rake. The more slack, the better the handling is at higher speeds. This also makes the bike a bit more crank forward ( nice pedaling position, also improves aero )