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The eBike thread

unkel

A quick look seems that this doesn't really seem to fit in the cycling forum. So starting a thread here about all things eBike

I'll get the ball rolling. I have zero experience with eBikes. But I was going to build myself a battery anyway, for various reasons (like in bringing with me in my EV as a "petrol can")

I'm going to buy a solderless kit to make the battery (with 18650 cells I have removed from dead / old laptop batteries). This kit cah handle 20A max, and I would like the battery pack to produce 1kW constant. P=V*I so 1000W = 50V * 20A

This dictates that my battery needs to be nominal 48V (was thinking of making a 24V battery pack, but that won't be able to charge my car)

A quick browse on eBay and Amazon shows that you could buy a powerful 1000W bike conversion kit with everything needed except the battery for about GBP120 (a bit more from Amazon but peace of mind)

What to buy though, front wheel or rear wheel kit? Pros and cons? Any other advice?

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Outlaw Pete

Got it form Keeper & Jim's on AliExpress. Took around 10 days or so to get here.

They are good with communication too unlike many sellers on AliExperss. Recommend them for sure.

unkel

Ah ok you're lucky you didn't get stung for 23% VAT plus admin costs so! Wouldn't have been much of a bargain then.

Outlaw Pete

Yeah, made sure to select the Poland warehouse at checkout.

A lot of times the China warehouse will be the only one with stock though.

In fact, at the moment that's the case with the bike.

fixXxer

After going back and forth for ages I finally settles on this bike, the Ezego Fold.

A couple of cycles in to work and have to say its a great little runner. The fold up size isnt tiny but its small enough to fit in the office at work or under the stairs at home. The assist is fine. Five levels so can be adjusted to suit whats required easily from the handle bar control. Only odd thing about it is there seems to be a jump from gear 6 to 7/8 but I'm sure that can adjusted I assume.

[Deleted User]

fixXxer wrote: »

After going back and forth for ages I finally settles on this bike, the Ezego Fold.

A couple of cycles in to work and have to say its a great little runner. The fold up size isnt tiny but its small enough to fit in the office at work or under the stairs at home. The assist is fine. Five levels so can be adjusted to suit whats required easily from the handle bar control. Only odd thing about it is there seems to be a jump from gear 6 to 7/8 but I'm sure that can adjusted I assume.

45 Nm isn't much torque for a hub motor but it will probably be fine if you just need a boost on flat ground.

fuse

deadlast wrote: »

Hi guys, I've read about half of this thread so far. Good info and very interesting.

I've an old 28" wheel Giant hybrid here I'm thinking of putting a front hub and small battery on.

Anyone recommend a bargain kit? I see Unkel got a 36v 500w kit for £139 but I can't seem to find anything cheap as that. Don't want to get hit with customs either.

Hey, did you go with any kit yet?
I have a ten year old Giant 28" 700c also, just looking into converting.

Sounds like a mid drive replacement would be best but hub replacement much easier?

Also wondering, what happens if you run out of power, it's still possible to cycle as normal but just that you've got extra weight?

[Deleted User]

fuse wrote: »

Hey, did you go with any kit yet?
I have a ten year old Giant 28" 700c also, just looking into converting.

Sounds like a mid drive replacement would be best but hub replacement much easier?

Also wondering, what happens if you run out of power, it's still possible to cycle as normal but just that you've got extra weight?

Depends on the Hub motor and power, In aluminium dropouts I would recommend using torque arms to stop the axle spinning in the dropouts.

In a 28 inch wheel I would recommend a mid drive because larger wheel diameters give you less torque and are harder on the motor.

DIY Mid drive is a little tricky to fit and you can run into alignment issues with the chain but once setup for low power use they are pretty good.

Ease of peddling they are not, it's only the newest of ebikes such as the Good German brand motors such as Bosch and Brose, you will pay for these bikes but the reward is more pedal efficiency when not using motor power, you can even get carbon fibre electric bikes from say the likes of Haibike who make really great bikes.

The only DIY ebike that's the easiest to pedal without motor power are the geared hub motors with internal clutch, when motor power is off there is no mechanical connection to anything unlike a mid mount motor which has some cogging, the likes of the Bafang mid drive kits are reported to have a lot of drag compared to geared hubs.

So if max pedal efficiency is required and you want to keep with the 28inch wheel type bikes then the very latest Bosch and Brose motors are the ones to get but be warned, the 25 Km/hr cut off speed as required by dictating E.U is really frustrating and you can find yourself fighting that line of motor cutting in and out as you are at that limit.

Esooters are all over the place now and can go faster than ebikes you couldn't make this sh1t up if you tried, bicycles are much safer.

John Hutton

I have a BBS02 mid drive and it is fine to pedal with no power, on the flat. For example, I have the speed limited to 25km/hr (as legally required) and on the flat I cycle faster than that under my own steam (say, 30 or so). If it broke or ran out of power I would be able to make my way home. Or if it was out of power and I needed to go to the shops or something I wouldn't hesitate to do so under my own steam. It gets tricky when it comes to hills, but this is because I no longer have a triple on the front with a granny gear., rather than the motor making it feel like I'm cycling in quicksand.

It really depends on how you want to use the bike. I wanted it to extend my range and flatten the hills, but I wanted to still do some effort myself. I have done 85kms since my last (~90%) charge and still have 60 something % battery power left in my 17.5ah battery. So evidentially, I did a lot of that 85km "under my own steam" or with low amounts of power being pulled, yet the motor made it feel like I was pleasantly cycling on the flat on a normal bike, with a light wind at my back, even when going up hills. Once you get up to speed it doesn't take much power to keep you at 25km/hr especially if you are pedalling yourself.

I did recently reprogram the BBS02 and it is much better and efficient, and not as "jerky".

fuse

John Hutton wrote: »

I have a BBS02 mid drive and it is fine to pedal with no power, on the flat. For example, I have the speed limited to 25km/hr (as legally required) and on the flat I cycle faster than that under my own steam (say, 30 or so). If it broke or ran out of power I would be able to make my way home. Or if it was out of power and I needed to go to the shops or something I wouldn't hesitate to do so under my own steam. It gets tricky when it comes to hills, but this is because I no longer have a triple on the front with a granny gear., rather than the motor making it feel like I'm cycling in quicksand.

It really depends on how you want to use the bike. I wanted it to extend my range and flatten the hills, but I wanted to still do some effort myself. I have done 85kms since my last (~90%) charge and still have 60 something % battery power left in my 17.5ah battery. So evidentially, I did a lot of that 85km "under my own steam" or with low amounts of power being pulled, yet the motor made it feel like I was pleasantly cycling on the flat on a normal bike, with a light wind at my back, even when going up hills. Once you get up to speed it doesn't take much power to keep you at 25km/hr especially if you are pedalling yourself.

I did recently reprogram the BBS02 and it is much better and efficient, and not as "jerky".

Yeah I'd have very similar use case for it. Extend range and help out while I'm still getting a workout.

From what Mad_lad says, it sounds like a bit of a minefield going the self install route for someone like myself who is just a tinkerer and nowhere near being a bike mechanic.
Which would lead me back to just getting a front hub setup and trying it out myself. I wouldn't been too concerned about not getting enough power from it on steep hills, but it's more to experience the assistance and have a bit of fun with it on an old bike.

That or put some proper money into getting a hub professionally fitted.

John Hutton

fuse wrote: »

Yeah I'd have very similar use case for it. Extend range and help out while I'm still getting a workout.

From what Mad_lad says, it sounds like a bit of a minefield going the self install route for someone like myself who is just a tinkerer and nowhere near being a bike mechanic.
Which would lead me back to just getting a front hub setup and trying it out myself. I wouldn't been too concerned about not getting enough power from it on steep hills, but it's more to experience the assistance and have a bit of fun with it on an old bike.

That or put some proper money into getting a hub professionally fitted.

I fitted the mid drive onto a 1980s steel touring bike and it was grand. Earlier in this thread another poster fitted it onto a mountain bike. It's not as hard as it seems. Most difficult bit was removing the original cranks and bottom bracket, but that's more a case of having the right tools

unkel

fuse wrote: »

Yeah I'd have very similar use case for it. Extend range and help out while I'm still getting a workout.

From what Mad_lad says, it sounds like a bit of a minefield going the self install route for someone like myself who is just a tinkerer and nowhere near being a bike mechanic.
Which would lead me back to just getting a front hub setup and trying it out myself. I wouldn't been too concerned about not getting enough power from it on steep hills, but it's more to experience the assistance and have a bit of fun with it on an old bike.

That or put some proper money into getting a hub professionally fitted.

Don't be discouraged! A front hub is by far the easiest setup, my brother in law just fitted one to his bike (that had been sitting unused for years), the kit from Yose power that has been linked in this thread a few times, look for it. Just click and play and good value for money too. Go for it!

[Deleted User]

fuse wrote: »

Yeah I'd have very similar use case for it. Extend range and help out while I'm still getting a workout.

From what Mad_lad says, it sounds like a bit of a minefield going the self install route for someone like myself who is just a tinkerer and nowhere near being a bike mechanic.
Which would lead me back to just getting a front hub setup and trying it out myself. I wouldn't been too concerned about not getting enough power from it on steep hills, but it's more to experience the assistance and have a bit of fun with it on an old bike.

That or put some proper money into getting a hub professionally fitted.

Or just save up and get one of the Bosch powered bikes, the current gen with 85 nm Torque. The bikes are usually great quality and will last years, the likes of Haibike, you might even get one cheaper on ebay or maybe try a 2nd hand one with the 45 Km/hr version of the motor.

unkel

Deleted User wrote: »

Or just save up and get one of the Bosch powered bikes

Sure why not, they're a bargain, only 4 or 5 grand

Back in the real world, a Yose power kit with battery is just €400 or thereabouts. Or if that's too much buy the parts cheap and get hover board batteries and make the connections yourself. My first conversion cost €195 including the battery and all parts and incl shipping iirc, it's in this thread somewhere.

[Deleted User]

unkel wrote: »

Sure why not, they're a bargain, only 4 or 5 grand

Back in the real world, a Yose power kit with battery is just €400 or thereabouts. Or if that's too much buy the parts cheap and get hover board batteries and make the connections yourself. My first conversion cost €195 including the battery and all parts and incl shipping iirc, it's in this thread somewhere.

They can be got cheaper than 4K ffs lol.

Mine cost 2500 back in 2013 but the bike was really good quality which you'd pay a pretty price for anyway.

unkel

Deleted User wrote: »

They can be got cheaper than 4K ffs lol.

Mine cost 2500

A steal. Can I have 10 please?

[Deleted User]

unkel wrote: »

A steal. Can I have 10 please?

do I really have to type it like this. 2,500 ? I didn't write 25.00

fuse

unkel wrote: »

Don't be discouraged! A front hub is by far the easiest setup, my brother in law just fitted one to his bike (that had been sitting unused for years), the kit from Yose power that has been linked in this thread a few times, look for it. Just click and play and good value for money too. Go for it!

OK might got the Yose kit direction!
Dumb question - does it require disc brakes? My bike has normal pads.
Also why does it come with new brake levers?
I guess because it needs to communicate to the hub to power off when pressed?

thanks

unkel

First question - no it does not. In fact, it's easier to fit on V-brakes than on disk brakes. Just swap out the wheel, no need to do anything with the brakes
Second question - you answered it yourself!

kris_2021

are 50km/h ebike legal in Ireland? i would love one but 25km/h limit is putting me off

is this any good:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041090257.html?gps-id=pcStoreJustForYou&scm=1007.23125.137358.0&scm_id=1007.23125.137358.0&scm-url=1007.23125.137358.0&pvid=7800e2bd-fa6d-45ee-8799-c9f1f7e0ca3b&spm=a2g0o.store_home.smartJustForYou_866420476.4

SCOL

kris_2021 wrote: »

are 50km/h ebike legal in Ireland? i would love one but 25km/h limit is putting me off

is this any good:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041090257.html?gps-id=pcStoreJustForYou&scm=1007.23125.137358.0&scm_id=1007.23125.137358.0&scm-url=1007.23125.137358.0&pvid=7800e2bd-fa6d-45ee-8799-c9f1f7e0ca3b&spm=a2g0o.store_home.smartJustForYou_866420476.4

I think it's 250w with a max speed 25Km.
mine is a 750w mid drive use it daily and limit myself to 25Km

unkel

SCOL wrote: »

I think it's 250w with a max speed 25Km.
mine is a 750w mid drive use it daily and limit myself to 25Km

You can get 250W Bafang stickers on eBay

If you then remove the throttle and program the max speed with assist to be 25km/h, the bike is as legal as any of the 100% legal bikes the shops offer (pretty much none of them strictly have 250W only either)

SCOL

kris_2021 wrote: »

are 50km/h ebike legal in Ireland? i would love one but 25km/h limit is putting me off

is this any good:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041090257.html?gps-id=pcStoreJustForYou&scm=1007.23125.137358.0&scm_id=1007.23125.137358.0&scm-url=1007.23125.137358.0&pvid=7800e2bd-fa6d-45ee-8799-c9f1f7e0ca3b&spm=a2g0o.store_home.smartJustForYou_866420476.4

SCOL wrote: »

I think it's 250w with a max speed 25Km.
mine is a 750w mid drive use it daily and limit myself to 25Km

I've used mine all during the lockdown I've lost count of how many checkpoints I've gone through, never ever stopped.
It's nice to have the extra power even just to take off from the lights, on hills you don't have to use it all the time

https://b-static.net/vbulletin/images/icons/icon12.png

Dempo1

I'm a complete Novice so forgive me. I've decided to get an E Bike. I plan to use it for cycling distance round trip of 40km approx, oddly one way mainly down hill. Ideally looking for one that has a holder for rear basket, bag holder etc. Budget up to €1K.

Looking for recommendations on manufacturers and also wondered about life span of Batteries (bit of a concern) and are they replaceable.

Thanks in advance of any advice.

unkel

Most eBike battery packs are made up of fairly low quality 18650 cells. If you do a heavy daily commute with your bike, I wouldn't expect much more than 3 years out of the pack, but for a weekly trip, I wouldn't worry, you will get many years.

And yes, battery packs are replaceable and their prices have come down quite a bit over the last 5 years or so. You could even make your own, I have done with dead laptop batteries I got for free :-)

Dempo1

unkel wrote: »

Most eBike battery packs are made up of fairly low quality 18650 cells. If you do a heavy daily commute with your bike, I wouldn't expect much more than 3 years out of the pack, but for a weekly trip, I wouldn't worry, you will get many years.

And yes, battery packs are replaceable and their prices have come down quite a bit over the last 5 years or so. You could even make your own, I have done with dead laptop batteries I got for free :-)

Thanks for that, any recommendations on brands, models, also retailers, Halfords seem a good choice, I'm living rural so options limited etc, thanks again

fuse

I'd say you'd want to spend minimum of 1k to get something that's ready to go off the shelf. The rad power bikes seem to be great value for money - this is their base model - https://radpowerbikes.eu/products/radmission-electric-metro-bike

Dempo1

fuse wrote: »

I'd say you'd want to spend minimum of 1k to get something that's ready to go off the shelf. The rad power bikes seem to be great value for money - this is their base model - https://radpowerbikes.eu/products/radmission-electric-metro-bike

Excellent, thanks for that, can stretch budget to get the right bike

Calahonda52

Dempo1 wrote: »

Thanks for that, any recommendations on brands, models, also retailers, Halfords seem a good choice, I'm living rural so options limited etc, thanks again

can you avail of the cycle to work scheme?

Dempo1

Calahonda52 wrote: »

can you avail of the cycle to work scheme?

I wasn't sure Electric Bikes with assist were covered under this scheme? To be honest if it was I'd avail but primary use will be personal rather than work related

howardmarks

Dempo1 wrote: »

I wasn't sure Electric Bikes with assist were covered under this scheme? To be honest if it was I'd avail but primary use will be personal rather than work related

Pedelecs i.e. 25kmph limited are available on the scheme. Limit is €1500 now too