Hello,
Sorting out the last logistics of my first eBike build for both my wife and I.
I decided on a BBSHD and triangle battery from em3ev.
Now the last piece of the puzzle. The donor bike.
I picked up a ‘97 Gary Fisher Aquila off Craigslist for $170. Low and behold the seat post is seized. Like completely seized, so most likely that bike is not gonna work and that sucks.
Regardless, I’m still on the hunt for my wife’s bike. If used, well I’ll hit the used market for something that checks her aesthetics boxes and my logistic boxes.
Another Avenue I’m looking at is just getting two new bikes from a store and going that route. She’s always in favor of matching anyway...
So, my question is what donor bike would you guys recommend if you had to buy from a store?
Ideally keeping costs low, but could venture upwards of $4-500 range for the donor bike?
It seems anything else has huge sacrifices, and even at that price point not even everything wanted.
Ideally, disc brakes, largest rear cassette possible, non-fat bike, front suspension. Oh, and my wife is a huge stickler for “straight” bars. She hates how the tubes have angles to them. I have somewhat convinced her of modern geometry where the top tube is not horizontal, but no bend necessarily in the tube itself.
Things I’m looking at for example are,
Trek 820, GT Aggressor, Giant ATX.
We thought about going roadmaster from Walmart but A, it keeps going out of stock, and B, I see nothing but bad things about it on the forums here.
At this point, I just want a bike so I can order parts and start my conversion.
Used market seems just okay at this point, cost vs quality and condition.
I guess I should mention we will mostly be toting our kids around on trailers etc. up and down the country as we travel in our self converted camper van. Mainly gravel/dirt trails and concrete jungle. No crazy mountain biking, not until they’re older at least..
Sorting out the last logistics of my first eBike build for both my wife and I.
I decided on a BBSHD and triangle battery from em3ev.
Now the last piece of the puzzle. The donor bike.
I picked up a ‘97 Gary Fisher Aquila off Craigslist for $170. Low and behold the seat post is seized. Like completely seized, so most likely that bike is not gonna work and that sucks.
Regardless, I’m still on the hunt for my wife’s bike. If used, well I’ll hit the used market for something that checks her aesthetics boxes and my logistic boxes.
Another Avenue I’m looking at is just getting two new bikes from a store and going that route. She’s always in favor of matching anyway...
So, my question is what donor bike would you guys recommend if you had to buy from a store?
Ideally keeping costs low, but could venture upwards of $4-500 range for the donor bike?
It seems anything else has huge sacrifices, and even at that price point not even everything wanted.
Ideally, disc brakes, largest rear cassette possible, non-fat bike, front suspension. Oh, and my wife is a huge stickler for “straight” bars. She hates how the tubes have angles to them. I have somewhat convinced her of modern geometry where the top tube is not horizontal, but no bend necessarily in the tube itself.
Things I’m looking at for example are,
Trek 820, GT Aggressor, Giant ATX.
We thought about going roadmaster from Walmart but A, it keeps going out of stock, and B, I see nothing but bad things about it on the forums here.
At this point, I just want a bike so I can order parts and start my conversion.
Used market seems just okay at this point, cost vs quality and condition.
I guess I should mention we will mostly be toting our kids around on trailers etc. up and down the country as we travel in our self converted camper van. Mainly gravel/dirt trails and concrete jungle. No crazy mountain biking, not until they’re older at least..