Electra Townie Path 9d conversion

[neptronix]

I'm a lot more concerned about that super high handlebar position than the seat position. This affects weight balance more.

Two ends of the spectrum:

Electra townie

Road bike, close to 50/50 weight distribution

I built a bike like a townie once with a 750w rated front geared motor and i was very unhappy about it slipping on sand when turning with the motor engaged at relatively small speeds.

You could compensate for this with wider tires, but.. i also didn't like how the weight in the front wheel affected the steering.

 

[classicalgas]

Just as a point of interest, Electra Townies ( in ebike versions from the factory) come both as rear hub and mid drive.

 

[classicalgas]

I'm a lot more concerned about that super high handlebar position than the seat position. This affects weight balance more.

Two ends of the spectrum:

Electra townie View attachment 364317

Road bike, close to 50/50 weight distribution View attachment 364316

I built a bike like a townie once with a 750w rated front geared motor and i was very unhappy about it slipping on sand when turning with the motor engaged at relatively small speeds.

You could compensate for this with wider tires, but.. i also didn't like how the weight in the front wheel affected the steering.

Where was your battery?

The only front drive e bike I've owned that would slip the front wheel regularly had three SLA's on the back rack.

Got it super cheap, and fixed the problem with a dolphin style pack in the triangle (old Schwinn Jaguar cruiser)

 

[neptronix]

Battery was in center triangle ( rear rack batteries suck, i hate the counter-pendulum effect when steering )

SLA is pretty heavy, i see how relocating it could have such a big impact!

 

[ToAsTyWoAsTy]

The Townie Path has its seat post top just about where a modern MTB has it ( relative to the rear axle), maybe even a little forward, and a lot more bike in front of that than most MTBs, so if the battery is mounted on a front rack ( like Chalo suggested) the weight distribution should be fine.

I wouldn't put a 2000 w hub motor up there, but 500w geared motor should be fine. A battery good for 20 miles at 20mph, like the Opie first mentioned, won't be a heavy enough pack to hurt steering feel if mounted close to the stem and solid. Even in the triangle would work. Lots of bike ahead of the seat post.

If it were me, for the same mission ( 20 miles, flat land, 20 mph cruise) I'd put a TSDZ2B in the bottom bracket... but I've done enough of those to be familiar with the process and have all the tools. There's less than $50 difference in price these days. The torque sensing setup feels very natural to pedal, and having the controller built in cleans up the wiring a ton. not enough power to bother the drive-train much.


If you don't have the BB tools, and have never worked on a bike before, not so good a choice.

Thank you for giving such specific information about my bike; this is very helpful. I was very excited when I saw a recommended model number... then I saw the last line

I see that model on Ali with a battery for $500 but like you said I don't have special bike tools and have not done much bike work. With that said its back to thinking the front hub is my best bet.

When you are talking about the battery location for best weight distribution; is that in he middle where the bottle holder is and it says Townie? Or would you suggest above that so its further forward?

 

[classicalgas]

Thank you for giving such specific information about my bike; this is very helpful. I was very excited when I saw a recommended model number... then I saw the last line

I see that model on Ali with a battery for $500 but like you said I don't have special bike tools and have not done much bike work. With that said its back to thinking the front hub is my best bet.

When you are talking about the battery location for best weight distribution; is that in he middle where the bottle holder is and it says Townie? Or would you suggest above that so its further forward?

Yes, in your case ( trying to keep the installation as simple as possible ) I'd mount your battery to the bottle mount bolts. I've owned a couple older Ebikes with front hubs and a mid battery, and didn't find them sketchy except on very slick surfaces. No more than 500w, though, and use at least one torque arm, and check your wheel nuts regularly.

 

[MxusMick]

If you don't have a motor yet, get a rear wheel motor, the Townie style works fine, fenders keep spray away. A back rack is easier for battery, or a frame bag .

 

[MxusMick]

Kits are fun to build, even with different brand components it's possible, but you can burn up a controller easy if you give it too much throttle while wiring is incorrect. Learning wires are common on controllers to fix wiring issues, make sure you're controller is "brushless" and fits chosen battery voltage. Motor can be overvolted, 36v is a good start about 20mph, 48v is more than a child needs, IMO., Controller will fail first, so buy an extra, Lithium battery and brushless controller rated same voltage ,motorDD rear hub, 500w~1500w , throttle 3 wire, that's all!

 

[MxusMick]

Yet another detail is a tubeless or "flat proof tube/tire on the motor, you don't want to change a flat! The bracket for the frame and motor, doohickey, to keep the wheel from ripping off the frame! And if you lose a motor axle nut, auto store has it 14mm ? Good luck