Best prebuilt mountain-ebike 20mph max under $2000

B

Blueshift

100 W
Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
176
Location
California
Hi all,

Ive been doing some research and have noticed that there are a lot of 15mph/25kmph bikes out there; especially from stores like walmart or target. I, however, am looking for a 20mph top speed that the motor disengages if you travel faster than 20mph. so i have compiled a list of desirable specs

1. minimum 20 mile battery charge
2. go almost anywhere bike ... street or light off road.
3. decent hill climber. (climbs similar to a bridge or overpass)
4. within the limit of 2000 dollars
5. 20mph top speed, faster than that and its strictly human power
6. a bike light enough that it would be easy to get a little extra speed with just human power above 20mph
7. Stealthy- Looks like a bicycle and no messy cords etc.

Now I don't expect all of these to be realized but hopefully there will be a few. (but of course 20mph and under 2000 i have to abide by)
Comments and ideas are appreciated :)
 
With so many particulars, you'll have to build it yourself.
 
I have a couple ideas that I think might work for you.

1. Raise your budget 300 dollars and get the Trek 7200+. It does everything you asked, and can go off road (trails, grass, etc.).

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/recreation/hybrid/7200_plus/#

There might be enough of a tax credit in California (or Federal) to offset the extra 300 bucks. Plus, by purchasing the whole thing from Trek you're covered for warranty.


2. Make your own by purchasing an excellent-condition used Trek and a Bionx kit (which is what the Trek + uses), take both to the Trek dealer and have them install it for you.

The Bionx kit is between 1600-1900 dollars (the same one that's on the Trek kits). You can find a good bike somewhere (you might even have one already) and get the Trek dealership to install it (or do it yourself). They'll charge you, but you'll meet your budget (if you have the bike). By using a Trek and having them install it, you get warranty benefits as well (I think).

http://www.amazon.com/BionX-PL-350-Kit-Pre-Built-Wheel/dp/B0025USB7W

Cheaper here: http://www.nycewheels.com/bionxpl350-electricbike-motorkit.html


Keep in mind that the Bionx kit is pedal assist, which means that it only engages the motor when you pedal.

But the benefit of the kit is that it works with your gears, and you can program it in a variety of ways to match your output. For example, you can set it for 25%, which means it will only give you a little bit of help. Or you can go up to 200%, meaning you'll have three times your strength but with the same weight.

I've ridden the Trek 7200+ and was amazed at what it can do. It's whisper quiet and really fun to ride. I rode up a very steep hill in my town in the highest gear (not need to shift with 200% help). It was definitely a hill-flattener, but you still get exercise because you have to give effort the entire ride (in order for the motor to work).

trek-7200-2011-city-bike.jpg



You could definitely kill that Torrey Pines hill with this. I hate that hill!
 
The addition of a Cycle Analyst to any bolt-on ebike kit will give you all of that for less than half your projected cost, just add a bicycle and about an hour of your time.

A smart shopper could do it all for under $500. Amberwolf could do it all for free! :D

http://www.ebike.ca
 
Build it yourself for under $1000.
You can make it look stealth.

electric_4300.jpg


There are plenty of other stealth bikes on here.
 
will_newton said:
The addition of a Cycle Analyst to any bolt-on ebike kit will give you all of that for less than half your projected cost, just add a bicycle and about an hour of your time.

A smart shopper could do it all for under $500. Amberwolf could do it all for free! :D

http://www.ebike.ca
Click to expand...

Hmm It does sound tempting to save some money and go with a kit but what kit should i go with then? Should i go find a particular bike or should I simply use my 20 year old mountain bike?

I am open to either pre built or a kit. Assuming Prebuilt will save me hassle but on the other hand kits will save me money. On another note, i would like to have it include a throttle.
 
gone now, but these pop up from time to time.
heck the factory sells kits for almost $2k, sometimes even complete new bikes go on sale for that usually around the thanksgiving/christmas season.
you'll prob want to splice in an additional LiPo pack (couple hundred bux?) if u wants the 20 mile range tho at WOT.
otherwise with moderate pedaling & easy on the throttle the stock batt will get u there.

in a back to back comparison according to one optibike owner basically it's performance speed & acceleration wise was about equal with his opti 800 cept on the steepest of climbs.
(which isn't saying much unless u believe an optibike 2b the best prebuilt mountain-ebike regardless of price).
 
Hi Blueshift and welcome to the forum :)

Although the freight / postage might be a killer, maybe shoot a PM to forum member Hyena in Sydney, Australia. I know he's got some interesting things happening at the moment and might be able to help you out :D

Failing that if i were you i'd buy a good condition 2nd hand mountain bike off Craiglist or ebay (or a newy from your LBS), buy a rear hub kit and build it yourself. Building it yourself will benefit you in the long-run in so far as if anything goes wrong with it, your more familiar with it 'cos you put it together yourself and may find it easier to repair it yourself, saving you $$$ and time.

Twas just a thought :wink:

Either way you go, don't forget to start a thread for it on here so we can all follow your progress and answer any questions you may have along the way :mrgreen:



Paul :D
 
will_newton said:
A smart shopper could do it all for under $500. Amberwolf could do it all for free! :D

http://www.ebike.ca
Click to expand...

Why give someone a false impression of the costs ??
.. for his range and speed requirements, he would be hard pressed to find a suitable battery alone for that $500.
even using his existing bike frame, sourcing the rest of the components could easily double that cost .

for $1250, this would fit your requirements... New, ready to ride, warranty, etc
http://www.amazon.com/Currie-Technologies-IZZUMABL-Izip-Zuma/dp/B004C6DZSM/ref=sr_1_19?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1308113102&sr=1-19
 
There are good bikes in the market for under $2000; if you go a bit higher, I believe the Treks and Ultra motors are around $2500. These bikes will not be as stealthy but they will be reliable. Some are heavy and under powered but usually meet your requirements of 20 mph.

That said, you are reading endless-sphere, so in time, you will want to build your own bikes; trust me, some of us got started with the same thinking as you but some of us are now---let's just say, own at least 2 e-bikes and some of us have more. If you look at the other sections of this sphere, you will find incredible talents building e-bikes from scratch.

Putting together your own e-bikes can be fun and a worthwhile hobby. The advantage is being able to fix problems that come up with your e-bike journey, instead of relying on someone else to fix it. The other advantage of do it yourself is being able to find a bike that fits you well, instead of one e-bike that fits all. I think this is the most important; a bike that does not fit you, you will not enjoy riding.

This is my e-bike I put together from parts. With careful shopping, I built it for less than $1200 with high quality components. There is a small hub motor in the rear wheel and the batteries go in the seat bag. Not many will suspect it as an e-bike, but it will go 20 mph and more with pedaling.

lcyclist_sundayride.jpg
 
If you want a rock-solid street-legal factory bike, I'd consider the E+, or A2B metro. Get on the E+ mailing list, they have frequent "sales" on the 1000w mountain bike for $1,999.

http://epluselectricbike.com/

It is a challenge to build one bike that does everything because the design criteria can conflict, so prioritizing your list and being able to make tradeoffs will help. Building your own bike will get you more of the stuff on your list, and you can easily meet your budget if it goes right, or easily exceed it if you do a lot of burn-and-learn like I did when getting started.

Heres another example of a stealthy build that would meet or exceed most of your criteria.

file.php
 
Copying Oatnets build would be a good way to get most of what you want.

Good MTB, Mac rear hub gearmotor, and possibly battery too from Cellman. See for sale new section in this forum.

Or lipo battery. 48v.

Other possibility, a 9 continent 2810 direct drive motor from Methods in the for sale section. Run on 48v batteries above. This motor runs just about exactly 20 mph on 48v batteries. That makes it legal, or if not actually legal puts it in a category where you may pass for legal on trails posted no motor vehicles. I like this setup a lot myself. Good hill climbing on only 48v, and a top speed that keeps you legal enough to ride most trails.

The light part, forget it if you want any real performance off road. So go with a good rear motor and a good battery, and figure on pedaling along with the motor.
 
Hillhater said:
I, however, am looking for a 20mph top speed that the motor disengages if you travel faster than 20mph. ..
Click to expand...

If this is a real requirement, steer clear of any bike or kit with a "DD" hub motor . ( "geared" hub motors would be OK)
Click to expand...

I don't think he was looking for physical disengagement to achieve the absence of cogging, such as a freewheeling geared motor would provide.

I think he was looking to stay street-legal, per the federal definition that the motor does not provide motive force above 20mph. :D

-JD
 
Well, his spec was ..
6. a bike light enough that it would be easy to get a little extra speed with just human power above 20mph
Click to expand...
But,even if it just to keep things legal, he will need a system that cuts power at 20mph...and it would take a tuff guy to pedal a DD hub at 20+mph with no power !
Just pointing out that a DD hub is not for those people who like to pedal without power !
 
That's why I advised copying Oatnets bike. A Mac, Puma, or BMC gearmotor would allow pedaling faster than the motor's top speed. But since you end up pedaling a bike at least 20 pounds heavier than normal, that is pretty useless for all but the really strong. Chances are, the motor may be slightly faster than 20 mph though.

For me, pedaling only speed is really slow, 10-12 mph max on a 60 pound bike. I find only a tiny tickle of current, like 50 watts, will eliminate the cogging of a dd motor. So if you are really trying to stretch range, freewheeling is not so mandatory. Since I tend to carry at least 750 wh of battery, I don't miss 50 wh of it if I pedal only for a full hour. Once you learn how by watching a wattmeter while riding, you can nearly match the efficiency of a freewheeling motor.

One thing I do like about a dd motor, is the braking effect on steeper hills. With a slow winding, you will find less need to use brakes going down a really steep grade. The cogging becomes your freind then. On a mild grade, again, just a tiny tickle of the trottle gets you the same effect as coasting a freewheel motor.
 
Hillhater said:
...and it would take a tuff guy to pedal a DD hub at 20+mph with no power !
Click to expand...

Yeah, I missed the "easy" part, I stand corrected. :D

-JD
 
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