Hey folks, been lurking for a while but I've finally decided to join the club.
I'm thinking about building my first e-bike. Since my OG pedal bike was stolen (a mid 2000s LiteSpeed MTB) almost immediately after I moved to Stockholm a few months ago, I've been trying to decide what to do next. I've settled on a Crescent Pico Hybrid (16 speed) with Hydraulic brakes (mostly for the winter riding). It's nothing fancy but it should be a good all-rounder.
First a little background on me and what I'm looking for.
I have no car and travel primarily using the subway and the good local trains in the area. I've got a 5 year old son who doesn't quite ride yet, but up until recently sat on the back of my old bike in one of those bouncy kid seat attachments. I've also got a Thule Chariot for big grocery runs or longer trips when the weather is really shite, though he's getting too big for it now. We'd lived in Uppsala for the past two years, where there are bicycle lanes everywhere and only a couple hills here and there but now we're in STHLM and it's quite a bit hillier than Uppsala as well as more road riding in traffic. I used to be able to get anywhere in the city within a 15 minute ride, now not so much.
I'm looking to do some commuting (about 10 KM each way), as well as errands and exploring the city and surrounding countryside.
I'm in pretty decent shape for a 41 year old, at 6'1" 175#, and I actually really like the exercise and don't want to lose that aspect of riding, but I'm also not really prepared for a 20 km daily routine (yet). I am only looking for a mild assist to help either with carrying heavy loads or with the last hill or two before getting to the office/home and maybe to bump my average speed up a bit.
My priorities for a build:
Light weight, stealthy, amateur tunable and buildable with perhaps options for future upgrades. I'm not super concerned about EU legality, though that would be nice (at least if it gave that appearance). I don't want any giant color screens or wires everywhere, or really a visible battery if at all possible. I also don't want to go 50 MPH or 60 miles on a charge. I just want to pedal my bike and get a little help to keep my average speed up.
I'm thinking about using a cute Q100CST 250/350 watt motor. I haven't decided on the winding yet, probably the 201 rpm version to better help with the hills and potential loads. I'm also not sure if I can use a regular non-CST version or not with my 8 speed cassette. The non-CST version is a bit stronger, not sure if it would really matter all that much though given the modest output I'm looking for.
For a battery I was thinking of a tiny bottle battery like this (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32951953473.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.2.45922f03Ax7nL8), or possibly one of those mighty mini 52volt batteries. I understand range would be limited, but by how much, I don't know. I also understand that the life of a small battery would probably not be great unless i really managed it well, but I'm willing to trade that for the stealth and low weight (I think). Perhaps I can add a second battery later if I find a single small one too limiting? Could something like this get me close to 30 KM?
The real question I have is around controllers and the interface. I want something tiny and waterproof, maybe I can mount it down behind the crank where a kickstand would go? or, in a tiny bag if necessary with a battery. But regardless, it needs to be small and potentially be able to handle 52 volts if I go with the mighty mini. I also want to avoid any large displays. It'd be amazing if it was bluetooth compatible and I could just use my phone plus maybe a tiny set of switches for power levels. I also don't want to pay 300 bucks for a controller.
Any recommendations? I am in Europe and it's a lot harder to find stuff, especially electronics, though my wife is heading to the States for a month and can bring me back some stuff if needed.
I'm thinking about building my first e-bike. Since my OG pedal bike was stolen (a mid 2000s LiteSpeed MTB) almost immediately after I moved to Stockholm a few months ago, I've been trying to decide what to do next. I've settled on a Crescent Pico Hybrid (16 speed) with Hydraulic brakes (mostly for the winter riding). It's nothing fancy but it should be a good all-rounder.
First a little background on me and what I'm looking for.
I have no car and travel primarily using the subway and the good local trains in the area. I've got a 5 year old son who doesn't quite ride yet, but up until recently sat on the back of my old bike in one of those bouncy kid seat attachments. I've also got a Thule Chariot for big grocery runs or longer trips when the weather is really shite, though he's getting too big for it now. We'd lived in Uppsala for the past two years, where there are bicycle lanes everywhere and only a couple hills here and there but now we're in STHLM and it's quite a bit hillier than Uppsala as well as more road riding in traffic. I used to be able to get anywhere in the city within a 15 minute ride, now not so much.
I'm looking to do some commuting (about 10 KM each way), as well as errands and exploring the city and surrounding countryside.
I'm in pretty decent shape for a 41 year old, at 6'1" 175#, and I actually really like the exercise and don't want to lose that aspect of riding, but I'm also not really prepared for a 20 km daily routine (yet). I am only looking for a mild assist to help either with carrying heavy loads or with the last hill or two before getting to the office/home and maybe to bump my average speed up a bit.
My priorities for a build:
Light weight, stealthy, amateur tunable and buildable with perhaps options for future upgrades. I'm not super concerned about EU legality, though that would be nice (at least if it gave that appearance). I don't want any giant color screens or wires everywhere, or really a visible battery if at all possible. I also don't want to go 50 MPH or 60 miles on a charge. I just want to pedal my bike and get a little help to keep my average speed up.
I'm thinking about using a cute Q100CST 250/350 watt motor. I haven't decided on the winding yet, probably the 201 rpm version to better help with the hills and potential loads. I'm also not sure if I can use a regular non-CST version or not with my 8 speed cassette. The non-CST version is a bit stronger, not sure if it would really matter all that much though given the modest output I'm looking for.
For a battery I was thinking of a tiny bottle battery like this (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32951953473.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.2.45922f03Ax7nL8), or possibly one of those mighty mini 52volt batteries. I understand range would be limited, but by how much, I don't know. I also understand that the life of a small battery would probably not be great unless i really managed it well, but I'm willing to trade that for the stealth and low weight (I think). Perhaps I can add a second battery later if I find a single small one too limiting? Could something like this get me close to 30 KM?
The real question I have is around controllers and the interface. I want something tiny and waterproof, maybe I can mount it down behind the crank where a kickstand would go? or, in a tiny bag if necessary with a battery. But regardless, it needs to be small and potentially be able to handle 52 volts if I go with the mighty mini. I also want to avoid any large displays. It'd be amazing if it was bluetooth compatible and I could just use my phone plus maybe a tiny set of switches for power levels. I also don't want to pay 300 bucks for a controller.
Any recommendations? I am in Europe and it's a lot harder to find stuff, especially electronics, though my wife is heading to the States for a month and can bring me back some stuff if needed.
