So who has an E-bike then ?
- Thread starter dyna-ti
- Start date
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Building one Andy though it'll be a Model T in comparison to your splendid bit of kit. I think it's one clever bit will be to use unmodified power tool batteries as it's power source as they are way cheaper the bike battery packs. Like you my unassisted cycling days have significantly declined.
I've converted an Orange C16R into an ebike but don't use it much now I'm 8 month post ankle replacement. It's currently in bits for a bit of reconfigurartion of battery placement. I'll use it occasionally if going out with mrs on her ebike & work if needed (if in a hurry or need to use the rack) or if ankle playing up (swelling). I may buy a 'proper' one eventually. I think the battery tech still has a long way to go.
Not me. But a classic ... I don´t know. It is Like a mechanical watch vs smart watch. A 1957 Speedmaster is a masterpiece. A 2014 smart watch is ... garbage. The battery after 20 years probably will not hold the energy properly and will be difficult to find the same to fit in the frame.
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Im on both the pedelecs and emtb forums and for building your own I'd recommend you join pedelecs site. They certainly have more experience in this area, especially to do with the electrics and settings, whereas the emtb forum is more like full fat suss Emtb for offroaders.
Best described as EMTB forum - For bikes costing between £3K-£12K
Pedelecs forum - For bikes costing between £700-£3K
But with the latter its very much the case of using the cheaper bits, best batteries price, building your own battery packs, configuring controllers. So probably better for you there for advice at least. Though be warned they are a clique lot.
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I have a Fiido D1. Just over 2 years old and over a couple of thousand miles on it. Needed the odd bit of fettling and a new charger. Have also replaced the crap brakes that came with it. Perfect for recovering from surgery about 2 years ago. I was back on the bike about a week and a half after coming home from hospital and riding 2-3 miles (bear in mind I couldn't walk more than 100 yards at the time).
Recently converted an old Whyte hardtail to electric using the Tongsheng kit. Conversion took just over an hour and cost around £425. Logged a couple of hundred of miles on it in a shade over as many weeks.
Both are a boon here in N. Wales, especially as we are a household without a car and all facilties are at least 4 miles away. Just yesterday, I thought nothing of popping into town to visit the local library and then over to another village to pick up the missus' prescription - about a 15 mile round trip with about a 1/3 of it up steep hills. I now wish I'd added an electric bike to the stable years ago. Great for tuning the ride - you can turn the motor off and push a bit harder going out and let the bike take the strain coming back loaded up with shopping or late at night after teaching.
Recently converted an old Whyte hardtail to electric using the Tongsheng kit. Conversion took just over an hour and cost around £425. Logged a couple of hundred of miles on it in a shade over as many weeks.
Both are a boon here in N. Wales, especially as we are a household without a car and all facilties are at least 4 miles away. Just yesterday, I thought nothing of popping into town to visit the local library and then over to another village to pick up the missus' prescription - about a 15 mile round trip with about a 1/3 of it up steep hills. I now wish I'd added an electric bike to the stable years ago. Great for tuning the ride - you can turn the motor off and push a bit harder going out and let the bike take the strain coming back loaded up with shopping or late at night after teaching.
It really is a great sensation, and one of surprise, relief and elation.
You go though the different emotions of wondering if its the right thing to buy, which model, a worry its going to propel you forward into danger, concerns about range and weight which all fall away the moment you turn the pedals and the motor kicks in. Then its a feeling of joy and later of regret that you didnt buy one sooner
The battery pack probably contains many standard size cells, 18650 for example. Once it's dead, get it re-celled.
People are already doing this, hell, I've already done it on a bike light. Removed the crappy low capacity cells and rebuilt with something with 50% more capacity than the originals.
Perhaps after 50+ years, the 2014 smart watch will be a classic too - like the retro computers from the 80s are beginning to be. Again if there is demand there will ways of keeping them alive - even relevant. For example, there are lots of tutorials, modifications etc to keep retro computers running - in some cases much better than they were back in the day.
I do think there is a potential short term problem with the longevity of some ebikes and maintenance of what are sometimes non user servicable motors etc. But if the market is there, solutions will follow.
Absolutely it's an opening up of new skills and businesses to cope with failing motors or recelling batteries, There are many people cannot even fix a puncture let along strip and service hydraulic brakes or forks or suspension units.
But its a new part of cycling relatively speaking. Sure we've had motor driven bikes for a good many years, but it's only been the last 3 or so years that the main players have diversified into ebikes in general. I give it another 3 and the ebike will develop more into something designed to last an easy ten years with little servicing required in the motors and recelling batteries the norm, something like your sus fork that you drop off at your lbs who send it away to be redone, the same will apply to ebike tech.
But in this short time it's come a long way already, from bikes that looks like its had a battery bolted on to where a bottle cage usually sits, and a motor driven rear wheel fitted where it all looks like an afterthought, to motor specific frame design, encompassing compartmentalizing for batteries.
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