- Thread starter Kram
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DAPPH
as dyslexik as I'm daft
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Met a lad still at UNI a couple of weeks ago leisurely riding at speed up the steepest hill in Swansea with a bit of pedal and a lot of battery power .
He's built his own adapted bike he got a freecycle bike that had derailleur gears and the main crank replaced with three sizes of cog off a scrapped bike . He purchased his motor & controls bit by bit off Ebay over four months , his battery pack was made up from cells out of a crashed written off Nissan leaf . I was amazed when he said he'd spent just over £ 300 in total including the spray paints in rattle cans . He had his battery pack was on the rear luggage carrier and in two fibre glass panniers.
Some machine !
Saw him a couple of hours later on the same hill outside where my daugther used to live , doing the same journey having come home at the end of the day on his way back to his digs from the UNI class ( three miles away ) ...
Still on the same charged battery ...don't know if it had regen charging but on the hill he was on it would be ideal on the downward trips ./
He said there are several internet groups playing at the same thing .
He's built his own adapted bike he got a freecycle bike that had derailleur gears and the main crank replaced with three sizes of cog off a scrapped bike . He purchased his motor & controls bit by bit off Ebay over four months , his battery pack was made up from cells out of a crashed written off Nissan leaf . I was amazed when he said he'd spent just over £ 300 in total including the spray paints in rattle cans . He had his battery pack was on the rear luggage carrier and in two fibre glass panniers.
Some machine !
Saw him a couple of hours later on the same hill outside where my daugther used to live , doing the same journey having come home at the end of the day on his way back to his digs from the UNI class ( three miles away ) ...
Still on the same charged battery ...don't know if it had regen charging but on the hill he was on it would be ideal on the downward trips ./
He said there are several internet groups playing at the same thing .
Bladevane
Forum Supporter
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I converted a donor bike using a Bafang kit I bought from Whoosh Bikes. This was a bottom bearing mounted motor so we could, in theory, use the rear Derailleur gears but the user (my wife) doesn't use the gears, preferring instead to up the ante by giving the motor more beans. The most tricky bit of the conversion was to model and 3D print a new cable guide for the rear once the motor was fitted. Otherwise easy peasy.
Mate I MTB with quite often has 2 bikes he did himself.
One is an underslung motor & battery kit (Chinese origin),mounted on a Felt full suss MTB. He's fettled it a bit, had to fix a few bits, and rebuilt the motor with new bearings at least once I think..... but he's done over 7,000 miles with the setup!
He rides some pretty decent-difficulty steep technical terrain on it no problem.
(It also makes way more power & no speed limiter than my "legal" and "proper" e-mtb.
The other bike is a hardtail MTB. Uses another generic Chinese motor, but he's rigged it up to be powered by a pair of Makita 18v power tool batteries, which fit into 2 water bottle cages in the main frame triangle! Again, works well, with a much better performance and range than you'd expect.
One is an underslung motor & battery kit (Chinese origin),mounted on a Felt full suss MTB. He's fettled it a bit, had to fix a few bits, and rebuilt the motor with new bearings at least once I think..... but he's done over 7,000 miles with the setup!
He rides some pretty decent-difficulty steep technical terrain on it no problem.
(It also makes way more power & no speed limiter than my "legal" and "proper" e-mtb.
The other bike is a hardtail MTB. Uses another generic Chinese motor, but he's rigged it up to be powered by a pair of Makita 18v power tool batteries, which fit into 2 water bottle cages in the main frame triangle! Again, works well, with a much better performance and range than you'd expect.
roofman
Purveyor of fine English buckets and mops
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Can i ask what Watt you went with and how much you paid...wanting to do this myself but cant decide on a bottom bracket or hub motor.
Gareth J
Member
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I've used a "yosepower" kit and a few friends did the same after test riding the outcome. Can't remember the price but that'll be irrelevant now anyway as it was a good while ago. Ours was 350W 36V iirc and amply fast in a road bike. Some friends did 48V mountain bikes which were great climbers and had a quicker turn of speed.
Bladevane
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@roofman - Here is the link to Whoosh Bikes, who were very helpful on the phone and by email. https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?cdkit I think we had the 250W version, which is more than adequate. They have an interesting section on why to go for a chain drive conversion.
I bought the 19.2 AH battery because it did not have Chinese cells in it. So far battery life has been excellent with no issues at all. I see Whoosh are now offering full kits including the batteries which all come with Panasonic cells.
Nomad
Member
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- North Devon (for how long?)
There's a bike version of this forum, very friendly and helpful at https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/
There are a few UK suppliers of bikes & kits with good reputations and no customs / import hassles to worry about. Whisper is one of them.
I'm using a mtb I fitted a yose kit to 2+ years ago. I like their suff a lot but now know it's crude.
Look for a *current controlled* system (smooth to ride, nice and progressive, good battery life). Yose have a *speed controlled* system so you get full acceleration until it reaches cut-off speed then it kills power to the motor. It works but feels odd.
Most folk on the forum including me have fitted / retro fitted KT controllers, great kit at fair prices. Either swap out the yose controller or buy a kit that comes with a kt.
Legal max power in UK & Europe for is 250W but there are a lot of illegal kits in use. Your choice.
Motor can be in the front wheel, rear wheel (I have both types) or mid mounted. All have pros & cons.
Hub geared or mid motor make sense, avoid direct drive (typically 750w or above) - they work best flat out but useless unless you live in the flatlands of the Cambridge.
Just ask if any questions.
There are a few UK suppliers of bikes & kits with good reputations and no customs / import hassles to worry about. Whisper is one of them.
I'm using a mtb I fitted a yose kit to 2+ years ago. I like their suff a lot but now know it's crude.
Look for a *current controlled* system (smooth to ride, nice and progressive, good battery life). Yose have a *speed controlled* system so you get full acceleration until it reaches cut-off speed then it kills power to the motor. It works but feels odd.
Most folk on the forum including me have fitted / retro fitted KT controllers, great kit at fair prices. Either swap out the yose controller or buy a kit that comes with a kt.
Legal max power in UK & Europe for is 250W but there are a lot of illegal kits in use. Your choice.
Motor can be in the front wheel, rear wheel (I have both types) or mid mounted. All have pros & cons.
Hub geared or mid motor make sense, avoid direct drive (typically 750w or above) - they work best flat out but useless unless you live in the flatlands of the Cambridge.
Just ask if any questions.
Kram
Member
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I asked in halfords and the guy gave me a lot of sales BS. I asked about buying a spare battery pack to double my range. Yes they sell them, £500 or so extra, but...
"Batteries need to be fully discharged, if you keep recharging at 50% thats all they will have, so you need to buy the more expensive, higher range model"
Maybe their bikes use NiCd cells?
I asked him if this was also true with electric cars, and he started telling me about AGM lead acid batteries 
"Batteries need to be fully discharged, if you keep recharging at 50% thats all they will have, so you need to buy the more expensive, higher range model"
Maybe their bikes use NiCd cells?
I asked him if this was also true with electric cars, and he started telling me about AGM lead acid batteries
Kram
Member
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I prefer the idea of a geared hub motor. I clean and oil often but seem to have constant issues with chain/sprocket wear and adjustments.
If I buy a kit, Id rather not touch the slightly crossthreaded BB (bggered up by Evans before I bought it)
There are some hills but generally I can manage them without an e bike. I have never ridden an ebike before..
If I buy a kit, Id rather not touch the slightly crossthreaded BB (bggered up by Evans before I bought it)
There are some hills but generally I can manage them without an e bike. I have never ridden an ebike before..
Cobbler
Codger bodger
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I have a Trek ebike, & the instructions with that are not to store the battery for long periods, ie, over winter fully charged or uncharged. About 1/3 to 2/3 charged & check every so often.I asked in halfords and the guy gave me a lot of sales BS. I asked about buying a spare battery pack to double my range. Yes they sell them, £500 or so extra, but...
"Batteries need to be fully discharged, if you keep recharging at 50% thats all they will have, so you need to buy the more expensive, higher range model"
Maybe their bikes use NiCd cells?
Cobbler
Codger bodger
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- Gloucestershire UK
I live in a hilly area & at my age (73 74 next month) I found it a revelation. I have a Trek Powerfly 4 mountain bike & I felt a bit of a cheat buying it, but have yet to find anything I can’t ride on the normal ‘touring’ setting, the only time I turn it up is at road junctions & roundabouts to give an element of safety.
Kram
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Had a look at last long rides, round trip was 82km (roughly 55miles) and 750 meters of elevation gain.
I did have to walk up this short steep hill (Box hill by Betchworth) and at 14% Im thinking it would be best to walk up than to burn through the battery attempting to power up it. Less steep on the way home so I managed that ok, slowley, too long to walk so battery would really help.
The last 10 miles of the way home were awful, legs ready to give up and no power, starting to cramp.
I did have to walk up this short steep hill (Box hill by Betchworth) and at 14% Im thinking it would be best to walk up than to burn through the battery attempting to power up it. Less steep on the way home so I managed that ok, slowley, too long to walk so battery would really help.
The last 10 miles of the way home were awful, legs ready to give up and no power, starting to cramp.
