I just sold my e-bike because I am riding my Trek 720 all the time now. The ebike was great for getting me back into biking and some conditioning, but I prefer the Trek for exercise. What I was thinking was maybe getting something very simple and easy to attach/detach for the rare occasions when I am going on long rides and can use a stamina backup. The Rubbee look perfect but it is too much money ($1300). Are there any simple friction drive kits out there anyone can recommend at a decent price? 250w is plenty power (my old e-bike was 250). It might get used once or twice a month at most at this point. Granted, I'm 65 and one never knows what can happen with our health, so in a few years it might be something I need more. I'm also thinking of just waiting as new products are coming on the market and hopefully some competition will bring prices down. I'd appreciate any thoughts and advice. Thanks!
Friction drive e bike kit
- Thread starter linberl
- Start date
Bluefang
10 kW
Linberl, look up commuter booster on the forums and you will find exactly what you are after. I think the project has kind of been scrapped as its very very finiky to get working properly and also not very reliable with water been a major issue with drive ability. But for someone with your requirements it may work perfect.
Personally i would look around at the smaller geared BLDC hubs around. there is a complete listing of them and some are as low as 2.5kg linked with the tiny controllers and some RC lipo batteries it could be a complete system for ~5kg. Yes you could get lighter with a friction drive but that would still weigh ~3kg for the lighter versions.
Personally i would look around at the smaller geared BLDC hubs around. there is a complete listing of them and some are as low as 2.5kg linked with the tiny controllers and some RC lipo batteries it could be a complete system for ~5kg. Yes you could get lighter with a friction drive but that would still weigh ~3kg for the lighter versions.
dogman dan
1 PW
Or, you could have a cheaper, usually heavier, second bike to be your assisted ride. Ready to roll out any second.
Bike + one. The number of bikes you need is the number you have + one.
Bike + one. The number of bikes you need is the number you have + one.
linberl said:
There's a few DIY options here on the forum, if you're up for building your own, and you can probably make one a lot cheaper that way.
Most of the easy-to-attach DIY versions use RC motors, but there have been some using a rear rack modified to hold radiator fan motors with skateboard wheels instead of fans. See DayGlo Avenger for one option (though it's not what you want it might give you ideas).
EVTodd, Spinningmagnets, AdrianSM, and Kepler also all have made versions of them too, as have others.
chas58
10 kW
Bluefang said:
good point. That is what I did - spare bike with a small geared motor. A cute Q100 weighs 2.2kg, a bafang SWX weighs about 1.9kg. Or, If you build it into the front wheel, it would be pretty easy to swap out for a regular wheel, but a spare bike is better.
Drunkskunk
100 GW
Skip friction drives. There are some good, handbuilt options out there that use RC components, but for the most part, anything you find mass produced is going to be re-baked crap in fail sauce.
If you really just want an ebike sometimes, a second bike makes so much more sense than trying to make your bike pull double duty. The Rubbee is about the minimum standard for friction drives, and it's out of budget. you could build a full Ebike for less than that. You can buy a pre-made ebike that would function better for less than that.
A light geared drive like the Q100 would weigh less than the Rubbee and function much better for your current bike. But adding it to a second bike would give you the option to run electric, or not, without needing to install anything, or spend half an hour trying to re-adjust it to fit the way you want it to.
If you really just want an ebike sometimes, a second bike makes so much more sense than trying to make your bike pull double duty. The Rubbee is about the minimum standard for friction drives, and it's out of budget. you could build a full Ebike for less than that. You can buy a pre-made ebike that would function better for less than that.
A light geared drive like the Q100 would weigh less than the Rubbee and function much better for your current bike. But adding it to a second bike would give you the option to run electric, or not, without needing to install anything, or spend half an hour trying to re-adjust it to fit the way you want it to.
I appreciate the feedback. Part of the reason I sold my e-bike is I don't really have space for two bikes and honestly don't want more than one (I know, sacrilege to some of you). And while I can do most of my own maintenance on my bike, I'm not exactly a DIYer especially with electronic/electrical stuff. I was hoping for a kit type thing. I've been looking at the Leeds, the Hill Topper, the Rubbee, and the Copenhagen. The Leeds and Hill Topper are in budget now, and the other two will probably become cheaper over time, esp. the Copenhagen-style wheels. I'm torn between waiting or doing something now. Now I would just use it once or twice a month when I ride with my adult son, because he goes around 20mph (no motor) and I can only push around 14 max so he gets tired of waiting for me at lights, lol. Eventually, I'd be old enough I'd need to use it all the time but hopefully not for atleast 4 or 5 years! I've seen some negative comments about Hill Topper. Has anyone experienced the Leeds kits? Thanks for all the help.
Well Rubbee's rep just emailed me and said they have a big seasonal sale starting next week. Will wait and see what "big" means. For convenience sake, I'd consider it for $600 or less. Nothing to build, no wheel to swap with extra parts laying around. Fingers crossed for atleast half off, ha!
chas58
10 kW
Well, you are not going to go 20mph with the hilltopper (or Copenhagen or flykly). Try watching this:
http://electricbikereport.com/all-in-one-electric-bike-wheel/
or
Many people here get the 260rpm Cute Q100 at 36v or the 201 motor at 48volts (which produces 268rpm) to get 20mph. That is the cheapest and easiest. Get a kit from bmsbattery, greenbikekit, or elifebike. My kit was about $330, with shipping it was about $550.
Just put the ebike wheel on when your son visits, the rest of the time use your regular bike wheel. That is about as easy as it gets given your requirements.
http://electricbikereport.com/all-in-one-electric-bike-wheel/
or
Many people here get the 260rpm Cute Q100 at 36v or the 201 motor at 48volts (which produces 268rpm) to get 20mph. That is the cheapest and easiest. Get a kit from bmsbattery, greenbikekit, or elifebike. My kit was about $330, with shipping it was about $550.
Just put the ebike wheel on when your son visits, the rest of the time use your regular bike wheel. That is about as easy as it gets given your requirements.
I would consider one of those kits but, being honest, there is way more to install than I am up for. If I get a kit, I want a wheel (I can put on a tube/tire) with the motor on it and a plug connector, a battery with a cord on it already, the controller built in somewhere, and a throttle button to mount on the handlebar. The Leed kits and Dillinger kits are kinda more my speed. I don't have a lot of fancy tools, just a basic bike kit, and I know zip about electrical stuff.
You really don't think I can hit 20 mph with one of those other options if I pedal at 14 mph without assistance? On my e-bike (the one I just sold), I could get up to 23 in the lowest gear with the throttle maxed out. Am I wrong that pedaling can increase the speed past the units limit?
You really don't think I can hit 20 mph with one of those other options if I pedal at 14 mph without assistance? On my e-bike (the one I just sold), I could get up to 23 in the lowest gear with the throttle maxed out. Am I wrong that pedaling can increase the speed past the units limit?
Drunkskunk
100 GW
Well, of the kits you listed, the Leeds and Hill topper are 250 watt kits, probably good for between 17 and 19mph. Your pedal effort may take you to 20. HOWEVER, the Trek 720 comes with a carbon fork, and that isn't acceptable for mounting a front drive motor. Carbon fiber forks can't take the lateral stresses imposed by a motor. You need to replace it with a steel fork.
There isn't anything remarkable about these two kits, they are just generic 250 watt kits, and you could probably come up with better parts sourcing them from elsewhere. I do like that Leeds is fairly straightforward about what the kit can do and what they don't recommend. The price isn't bad, either.
The Rubbee... I just got nothing good to say about it. It might actually do what you think you want it to do, if you're willing to compromise your bike some. a thin road tire isn't going to play well with a friction roller, and you'll probably need to use large, wide tires and a wider rim to maximize the contact area, or you could end up just spinning the roller on your tire and burning the tire up. There are many reasons you don't see many friction drives for sale. they list of things they do well is nearly non existent, and they tend to only be good for a very few people. You might actually be one of them, but it could also be an expensive mistake.
The Copenhagen doesn't actually exist. It's been coming soon, coming next quarter, coming this spring! or just plain Ready for Preorder since 2009. Someday they may actually release something, until then, it's just a Big Red Mythical Wheel of Wounder.
There isn't anything remarkable about these two kits, they are just generic 250 watt kits, and you could probably come up with better parts sourcing them from elsewhere. I do like that Leeds is fairly straightforward about what the kit can do and what they don't recommend. The price isn't bad, either.
The Rubbee... I just got nothing good to say about it. It might actually do what you think you want it to do, if you're willing to compromise your bike some. a thin road tire isn't going to play well with a friction roller, and you'll probably need to use large, wide tires and a wider rim to maximize the contact area, or you could end up just spinning the roller on your tire and burning the tire up. There are many reasons you don't see many friction drives for sale. they list of things they do well is nearly non existent, and they tend to only be good for a very few people. You might actually be one of them, but it could also be an expensive mistake.
The Copenhagen doesn't actually exist. It's been coming soon, coming next quarter, coming this spring! or just plain Ready for Preorder since 2009. Someday they may actually release something, until then, it's just a Big Red Mythical Wheel of Wounder.
My 1997 Trek 720 has a cromoly fork, not carbon. So I'm not worried about that aspect. My tires are 700x35, not super thin. But the more I think about the Rubbee, unless it is super cheap, it's a no go because I would have to ditch my rear rack setup and get a front rack and that's just more expense. I can't really find any independent reviews of the Leeds kits, but I did find a few reviews of Dillenger on this site and it seems they are pretty reliable. I am thinking a 250 watt kit is fine since I would not want or need sustained power, just a short burst to catch up. I don't want a pedal assist unit, but it seems Dillinger has moved to those exclusively which may rule them out. If anyone can point me to independent feedback on the Leeds units, I'd be grateful!
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