Felt New Belgium single speed Cruiser eBike conversion

[pdf]

I have won, in consecutive years, the 2009 and 2010 New Belgium Fat Tire promotional bikes. Weird, huh? Anyway, I live in an extremely hilly area and the Fat Tire cruizers, while way cool, are single speed and not ammenable to riding in this area. I was considering putting a rear hub motor on the 2010 model, which is a Felt bike. I am having trouble finding motors that are designed for a single speed. I don't know the drop-out spacing off hand but it is the same bike as the Felt Magno with a different paint job, as far as I can tell.

Anyone done a conversion on a Cruiser-style bike?

 

[wineboyrider]

Here is a cool felt cruiser conversion link . The geared rear hub motor looks great on a cruiser bike, because it's small and just looks like a gear box.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19952&hilit=dodjob

 

[oldpiper]

I'm not sure why you don't seem to find hub motors for single speed. All hub motors are appropriate for single-speed, it's just that most of them now come with the ability to put on a freewheel for those of us (not me) who want to pedal along for just a little extra boost. You don't have to install the freewheel, but if you do, you might as well set it for the highest gear (smallest sprocket), because, as you know, you won't be using any others.

Cameron

 

[Drunkskunk]

FElt has 3 cruiser frames. 2 are tank frames, that look almost identical. One is steel, one is aluminum. The third doesn't have a tank and id aluminum I believe.

If it's the steel frame, you should be able to bend the frame enough to fit a hub motor in it. If it's aluminum, forget it. But you could always fit a front motor.

 

[pdf]

Umm. Forgot I will have to stop ocassionally; it has a rear coaster brake. Better go to the front or perhaps forgo the e-conversion. Shame, really. It is a cool bike, but not much use in "these parts".

 

[pdf]

I'm not sure why you don't seem to find hub motors for single speed. All hub motors are appropriate for single-speed, it's just that most of them now come with the ability to put on a freewheel for those of us (not me) who want to pedal along for just a little extra boost. You don't have to install the freewheel, but if you do, you might as well set it for the highest gear (smallest sprocket), because, as you know, you won't be using any others.
Cameron

The dropout spacing would not be correct on a rear hub motor designed for a freewheel, correct? I saw that ebikes.ca has a single speed rear hub motor. However, as per my earlier post, the lack of brakes might be a bigger issue. Could retrofit with disk brakes maybe but I wanted to keep the basic look of the bike. I think now I might look into putting an internally geared hub on it and just use it as a manual bike. Or maybe sell it and get something more appropriate.

 

[oldpiper]

The dropout spacing would not be correct on a rear hub motor designed for a freewheel, correct? I saw that ebikes.ca has a single speed rear hub motor. However, as per my earlier post, the lack of brakes might be a bigger issue. Could retrofit with disk brakes maybe but I wanted to keep the basic look of the bike. I think now I might look into putting an internally geared hub on it and just use it as a manual bike. Or maybe sell it and get something more appropriate.

OK, if the dropout spacing is the same as the front wheel, why not just use a front-wheel hubmotor? As for brakes, most nowadays come with a bolt circle for a disk brake. There is another thread going on now about caliper mount adapters for non-disk bikes somewhere, too.

(I'm not trying to push, just don't like to see anyone have to settle for less than you want, if there is a way to get it.)

Cameron