Great conversion bike on sale at REI

Wile E. Coyote

Wile E. Coyote

1 W
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
60
Location
Seattle
(apologizes to ES members living outside the U.S. who can't shop at REI)

I was going to finish this build before posting but I want get the word out while the bike is on sale.
K2_EZ.JPG
Electra_seat.JPG
hooks.JPG


http://www.rei.com/product/761465

The pictures of this bike on REI and K2's websites is not accurate. The bike comes with front and rear disk brakes. The picture also looks a bit weird because they have the seat set for someone about eight feet tall. Someone in K2's marketing department really messed up.

I replaced the stock saddle with an Electra saddle and mounted the eZee kit (running c-lyte 35A controller and 20s2p dewalt a123). The ride is super comfy. I can hardly bare getting on my old Schwinn S-60. The components are decent quality, much better than discount store MTB. The gearing is in a good range for an ebike with a 48T front chainring and 11T on the high gear in back. I also find the 4 finger brake levers preferable to the 2 finger MTB style. All-in-all a good package for electrifying at $360.
 
I agree. I was very tempted to get one of these myself. I've never sat on a Cane Creek suspension post, but I can't imagine how much more comfier it can be compared to the post on this bike plus the stock saddle. Btw, your saddle definitely looks cooler. If only it came with a chromoly frame and fork.. sigh:/

but otherwise,... great bike. I love REI.

pizark
 
Love the handlebars. You can put lights, speedo, bells, GPS unit...a lot of real estate.
 
I'd get a torque arm on those forks. At least my wallbike has a steel dropout fork. But hey, 40 bucks is the max I pay for one.
 
Stock bike weighs 40lbs ( Size L ) including the electra saddle and rack, ~60lbs with eZee kit and 4 Dewalt Batteries.
I'm in the process of switching it to a rear BMC for better traction on steep hills.

I'm kicking myself for paying full price! I called REI and asked about a price guarantee. They give 30 days. Unfortunately, I bought mine a couple months back.
 
I thought the free tuneup deal would be fun to play with!

After an initial break-in period you might notice your bicycle performing less responsively than the day you brought it home. Not to worry, this is typical of all new bicycles and simply reflects that cables have stretched or their housings have seated themselves into final position. To keep running at peak performance, all REI bicycles come with a FREE warranty tune-up, which should be accomplished between the first 100-200 miles of riding or after the first two months if you're accumulating miles less quickly. Contact your nearest REI bike shop for details and an appointment for this important service.

So build up your ebike, and take it in for the service - just for grins!

Tell 'em: OK, I think it needs a little fine tuning.

ATB

BC
 
Although I chose a different REI platform for my conversion -- which I also thought was a great deal -- I'm chiming in here because I did take up REI's offer of a free tuneup, after all the electric bits were installed. They were amused, and honored their bargain.

My bike is a Novara Transfer. $600 new - 15% off during the Anniversary sale - $100 sale via craigslist of the OEM generator hub front wheel + funky handlebar + headlight setup with which it came = net cost of just over $400. This for a bike with full fenders, rack, lighting, and an internally geared Nexus 7 hub.
 
Here is my K2 conversion that I bought at last years REI clearance sale for $230. I added a 500W dual-freewheel cyclone motor and 24v20aH ping battery

k2 ebike.jpeg
 
I've been wondering how a Cyclone motor would do on my "Nemisis Hill". The best setup I've found is running dual geared hubs, but I'd like to loose some weight.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6067

With the 500W cyclone:
- whats your top speed?
- Max hill slope in low gear?
- Where did you get it?
 
Hey ateene! That Cyclone install is one of the neatest and most sanitary installs I have seen! The dual freewheel is a wonderful idea! "Long may you run"!
otherDoc
 
I just got the bike running this week, so I don't have any measured speeds. But the top speed is in the range 20 to 25mph and I'll have to ride up to the foothills here in town to check out the hill climbing capability.
 
I was at my local REI today (Issaquah, WA) and noticed they had this bike in a medium for $299. Unfortunately I need a large. I've been looking for a comfort bike with disc brakes and this looked like an excellent buy. Oh well. Probably too heavy for me anyway. How is it holding up for you Wile E. Coyote?
 
Tom said:
I was at my local REI today (Issaquah, WA)
Click to expand...

Ooo... used to paraglide at Tiger Mtn on occasion passing through. Fun flying there, if a bit political and nutsy! Pretty country that.
 
Tom said:
I was at my local REI today (Issaquah, WA) and noticed they had this bike in a medium for $299. Unfortunately I need a large. I've been looking for a comfort bike with disc brakes and this looked like an excellent buy. Oh well. Probably too heavy for me anyway. How is it holding up for you Wile E. Coyote?
Click to expand...

I 'borrowed' the motor from the K2 cruiser for my dual motor setup. So I have not been riding this bike as much. But so far it's held up very well, no problems.
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6067&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=nemesis

I think they have a couple K2 Ezee bikes at Performance Cycle in Redmond on clearance.
 
Any reason why you switched to the other bike other than the rear motor was on that bike?
 
Tom said:
Any reason why you switched to the other bike other than the rear motor was on that bike?
Click to expand...

I'm a little nervous about the aluminum front fork dropouts on the K2. I was planning on putting my rear motor on the K2 but was having too much fun with the dual motor setup.

The K2 has a different feel than the MTB. I like them both for different reasons. When I'm not in a hurry I appreciate the smooth comfortable ride of the K2. When I'm fully caffeinated and want to ride more aggressively I prefer the MTB.

A note on COMFORT
I :evil: hate :evil: bicycle seats!
One of my motivations for going with the K2 was the possibility of using a wide saddle. Wide cruiser saddles interfere with leg motion on normal geometry bikes but work great on crank-forward geometry bikes. But there's a catch: with crank forward bikes it's not as easy to stand on the pedals or un-weight the seat by locking a knee, so the saddle may be more comfortable, but your posterior spends more time on it, and places more weight on it.
 
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