Electric my Giant Farrago 2009 Hybrid bike help

[TheBeastie]

Hi all,

I been reading posts on here and am convinced this is the best place on the net to get help with my first ebike upgrade by far.
My main goal is to do 10km commute round trips, with about 8 stops at lights, and I want to do the least amount of pedalling needed (this is my vision currently at least).

I hate stopping at traffic lights and having to pedal hard to get going again and it really takes it out of me often to the point where once I get to my destination I can't enjoy my self etc as I am too hot and tired. So ebike is the answer!

I think I would be quite happy with 30km/h speed but am willing to accept 25km/h for exchange for more take off from traffic lights torque. Anything above that would just be a nice plus I think.

I want to electric my Giant Farrago 2009 M sized Hybrid bike and I am having trouble with which type of motor technology I should use.

Here are the specs to for my bike.
http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/lifestyle/2187/31871/?collections_id=4
http://www.cbdcycles.com.au/bikedetails.php?id=44

Originally I was thinking of going front geared/direct fork hub, but I found my bike completely fails the magnet steel fork strength test, the forks are pretty chunky aluminium though.
The forks are SR Suntour NEX 4610 V2, seems to get a lot of hits on google.

Then I thought mid-drive Cyclone or GNG electric kit, so i get more torque, this kit looks like a pretty good deal.
http://www.gngebike.com/450wbrushless.htm

Then I read mid-drive kits are noisey, and also a bigger job to install, while I plan to only ride on the road so noise can only matter so much I do like the idea the of being discreet, but any positive feedback on going down mid-drive route would easily help make it the choice of path.

I am now really am thinking geared or direct drive rear hub motor, because it will be safer with my aluminium frame and because after changing my rear tube it went flat again after one ride so I am think it's a sign that I should go with a rear setup.

My rear tyre has got a few small holes where I think it's been allowing flats so I think I could kill two birds with one stone and get a tyre+tube rear motor hub kit.

Have been thinking of going geared hub but they seem to cost a fair bit more and not many sellers about locally there is one seller on AU eBay but his listing has currently gone.

So I am thinking it might just be more worth while to get a cheaper direct drive of larger watts to make up for the lost torque of a geared hub. I do plan to give my self a leg push to start rolling and a crank when I start at lights, this should be enough for a direct drive hub?

One of my most important questions is since I have 9 sprockets/gears? on my current rear wheel, does it matter if I buy a hub motor kit with less sprockets? (check my skydrive url pics below) 
I noticed most rear hub motors have 6 and some offer 7 if requested.

And what about the fact I have 3 sprockets on my crank?

Also does it matter if I get a rear hub with a disc break and not use it, I was thinking I could take it to a bike shop and get the rest installed for a working hydraulic breaks later.

I saw on this web site the seller really goes on about the importance of "C" Rating of the battery.
http://www.edealsbargains.com.au/page2.php
Does this really matter for Hub motor kits or is it important for really hardcore builds? Or is it more important for mid-drives? 
I noticed that most of the batteries other people sell are just 2-3 C so I figured it can't be that important, or can a lower C rating performance loss be moderated by buying a higher voltage kit? I don't plan to do any over-locking of my kit I will instead just buy a more powerful kit if needed. Also I am not worried about local wattage/power laws.

Here are pictures of my bike with a ruler, while some pics the ruler doesn't look like it is in line with the fork etc it should be.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!132&authkey=!ANCC3N0nJt-n6i4
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!133&authkey=!AIZ1151O0B2UxSU
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!134&authkey=!AKcX8Sq4sRxoXQE
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!135&authkey=!AOIcHDbFgpbhJ2A
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!136&authkey=!AMx85jCMySU1T6g
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!137&authkey=!AJC0gQyzmwikkR8
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!138&authkey=!AHDaEjKi76s-6Yo
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!139&authkey=!ALBog39j3MIDOrU
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!140&authkey=!ANFbzfwsD89aVQ4
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!141&authkey=!AJr_FnLaI97GSuU
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=BB4F3F49867A05A7!142&authkey=!APh9Mu_hBjs_LoQ

Any suggestions or feedback welcome!

 

[Drunkskunk]

That looks like a good bike. But the 9 speed will be a problem. You may need to change the shifter and derailer for a 7 speed to get smooth shifting. the 3 speed chain ring won't matter.

a Basic 36 volt, 350w geared kit (Like the MXUS) will meet your expectations if you have flat terrain. it will have enough power to pull you from a stop easily without kicking off, and can do 27-30kph. It should get a minimum of 15km at full speed on a 10 AH battery, and will probably do 20km. Slowing down increases that range greatly. On flat ground. Hills will eat that range up and kill the speed too.

A 500 watt direct drive kit (Like a 9 Continents, MUXUS, or clone) will increase the speed and hill climbing ability. 33-35KPH at 36v. Range will be about the same under the same conditions, and if rode at the same speed. it would be quieter, more pwoerfull, and cost about the same. But bigger and heavier.

The C rate is important, but for a typical kit, you only need a 36v 10Ah battery with a C rate of 2.5.... as long as it's a quality battery. If you get a cheap battery it realy doesn't mattery what the C rate is.

Contrary to what seems intuitive, the battery choice is far more important than the motor choice. A good battery can make up for a bad motor choice, but a bad battery choice, and it won't matter what motor you chose. Expect the battery to take up most of your budget.

Its hard to make a direct recomendation without knowing what kind of terrain you will be riding in, but either of the two above may work for you.

http://www.emissions-free.com/catalog/c5_p1.html is a good place for the kits I mentioned, as well as batteries. Ping http://www.pingbattery.com/ is another good sorce for batteries. Both of those are the low priced leaders who also have earned the respect of almost everyone on this forum.
You can also try http://www.ebikes.ca/ and http://www.e-bikekit.com/ who are both great sources of Ebike kits.

36volt 10Ah battery would meet your stated needs. But I'd recomend a 48 volt 10-15ah battery. You'll be happier. more speed, more power, more range, and almost everyone eventualy wants 48 anyway.

As for your bike, You may find you don't want to lose it as a pedal bike. being electric changes it's nature, and with the gearing issue, it will need some work. Instead, check for a used bike like a Trek 820, or something similar. An older mountian bike, a hybrid. There are a lot of high quality bikes going to waste in people's garages, and they often get sold cheap 5-10 years later with the nubs still on the tires. Something with 18 or 21 speeds so it has a 6 or 7 speed rear. You'll end up wanting bigger tires with the exttra weight and speed, so having a 26" wheeled bike will make that easier.

 

[TheBeastie]

Thanks for your feed back, much appreciated.
Those links are good, got buying options now that I can feel good about.
I did a bit of thinking of just getting another bike and started putting a few watches on bikes on eBay. But I do like my current bike and don't mind modding it, I think I can't get too attached it it. I been thinking if I go back to just pure pedalling I am going to get a faster more efficient road bike, I am seeing my Farrago as a ebike or nothing.

Since the rear upgrade is a problem with 9 gears at the back I think I will just got with a front hub setup, I will torq arm it and if I break my forks I will just buy a new steel one, my bike forks isn't odd enough for that not to be replaceable right? As far as I know the Farrago is quite similar to the Giant Cypress.

My terrain is pretty flat, there is like one 15 dregree slope/hill I have to go up for about 60 meters one the way back, I don't mind doing a little peddling on the way back home as its the return trip where I don't mind getting a work out.

Thanks.

 

[john7700]

Well, you could probably get a hub on to that front shock but, I wouldn't. If it breaks, you may be replacing more than the fork. Like your teeth, a bunch of skin, etc. It isn't a great big deal to get a 6 speed shifter and cassette. You would need to change the cassette over from your old wheel any ways so instead of putting the old one on to your new wheel just put a new 6/7 speed on and then you just need to change the shifter. Not a huge deal. I like rear wheel drive myself. To me it feels more intuitive. Also, a front wheel under power can wash out a lot easier than a rear.

It sounds to me like a 36V 15Ah Ping battery would work well for you but, bigger is always better If you can afford it a 48/15 would give you more speed and distance.

Oh, BTW it helps to fill out your general location in your profile as some times it is cheaper to buy locally and save shipping.

 

[TheBeastie]

Well, you could probably get a hub on to that front shock but, I wouldn't. If it breaks, you may be replacing more than the fork. Like your teeth, a bunch of skin, etc.

Gee, I was under the impression if I got a dual torque arm setup I wouldn't get any instant nasty surprises and the torque arms would give me some notification time/sign to know something's going to really fail.

 

[Drunkskunk]

Torque arms can help. But there will be no warning. when the aluminum goes, its breaks like glass. You can make a front motor on aluminum forks safe, but it takes experience and skill and I strongly recommend not doing it for your first conversion.

When the front tire lets go, the first warning you will get is a sudden falling sensation, followed by a sudden jolt as the fork hits the ground and stops the bike. By the time your brain registers "Oh Shi#, I may have a problem" you're in the air, headed face first at the ground. Standard torque arms aren't going to retain the wheel. they aren't weight bearing, they just redistribute the torque over a larger area

No one here has been hurt that bad yet. there have been some close calls.

Couple videos, Not ebike related. But just to show how fast disaster happens when the wheel comes off.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/80625427/
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f8b_1203914838

My Advice, stick to rear motor until you get enough experience with Ebikes that you know how to make a front wheel on aluminum safe.

 

[wesnewell]

It would be a crying shame to electrify such a nice bike. Get a cheap 26" bike with steel dropouts and rear 48V 1000W DD hub motor and power it with 10ah of 12s lipo. Shunt mod the controller for 40-50A to get some real power. Whole setup shouldn't cost more than $600, including the bike, if you buy the right stuff..

 

[TheBeastie]

Yeah ok I am convinced to get mountain bike with rear hub setup, I noticed from eBay ads that they just are so much stronger built looking.
Are dual suspension bikes ok? I thought I read somewhere that suspension for the back isn't good? Can't remember now.
What do people think of a cheap hybrid,one that would have compatible rear gear setup etc...
cheers.

 

[wesnewell]

Dual suspension works fine for normal people. I built 2 of them,but at 275 lbs, I bottom them out. Still helped a little, but ended up using a really cheap non suspension bike with 26x2.4 tires. I don't think they make an off the shelf suspension bike for us big guys. If I were under 225, I'd certainly use a dual suspension mtb. I have no idea what's available to you down under though. Look for one that still has an open triangle area to place your battery pack, Something similar to this.
http://www.target.com/p/kent-men-s-bayside-26-road-bike-black-silver/-/A-13396075

 

[dogman dan]

Front hub on an alloy fork can be done, but many forks simply won't fit the motor case. Depends on the distance between the tubes, etc. In any case, dealing with converting shifters to 7 speed is not as hard as finding a shock fork that works well with a motor. Definitely safer to just stick with the rear motor idea.

You can get a decent enough shimano 7 or 8 speed trigger shifter and derailur easy enough. 7 speed ideal, but 8 speed will index fine on about 5 of the gears. Bear in mind, once you have a motor you may never touch the gear shifter again. The main issue is that 9 speed chain is too skinny to run on a 7 speed gear cluster.

Looked at one pic of the bike. Other than having to convert to 7 speed, I see nothing that would require you to use a different bike. However, it's in great shape, and selling it off could raise money for a really nice FS bike. Loving FS as much as I do, I see that as a reasonable thing to do.

Make sure you choose a FS bike that still has some room for batteries in the frame triangle. DONT, do this. This bike rides horrible unless I put an very small very short range battery on it. 15 pounds on that rear rack, and it's a pig.

 

[wesnewell]

The only time I've ever shifted out of high gear in the last year was when I was raising LVC in the controller and set it too high and the controller cut out at 94V and I had to pedal about a mile back to the house to change it.

 

[dogman dan]

Once in a blue moon, I'll want to double my range by riding really slow. Then I'll choose a smaller gear. I can go thousands of miles, including up steep hills, and never want anything but 48-14 gear.

You just stop shifting completely if you have at least 800w of power.

 

[TheBeastie]

Thanks a lot for your feedback guys, I really appreciate it.
I just had a look at my local Target and Bigw online and good grief they are a lot of cheap bikes for men from these stores then I thought was possible, have to admit never paid attention to the bikes at these stores before. I think the higher AU dollar is smashing price barriers these days for big importers.

Anyone have some thoughts or picks on these choices?

http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/bikes-accessories/bikes/mountain-bikes
http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/bikes-accessories/bikes/commuter
http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/bikes-accessories/bikes/cruiser
http://shop.target.com.au/66cm-men-s-meridian-bike-cyclops
http://shop.target.com.au/66cm-men-s-ridge-mountain-bike-cyclops

Thanks!

 

[TheBeastie]

Ok I am thinking either of these 2, both are diamond framed as I the the idea of trying to get the battery in the middle, so no dual shock on my list.
They also got disc breaks on both wheels..

http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/bikes-accessories/bikes/mountain-bikes/bpnBIGW_0000000281748/diamondback-outlook-66cm-26-quot-bike?selectedSku=BIGW_8274115
http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/bikes-accessories/bikes/mountain-bikes/bpnBIGW_0000000281751/diamondback-mens-66cm-outlook-sport-mountain-bike

Main diff is one has 7 gears on rear wheel while other one has 6 gears on rear wheel.

Any feedback welcome!

 

[wesnewell]

They're both Alloy, which I take to be aluminum. Here's what I'd get if that was the only place that sold bikes. Steel frame. Forget how many gears. Once you put a motor on it, you won't use but one anyway 99.999999% of the time.
http://www.bigw.com.au/sports-leisure/bikes-accessories/bikes/mountain-bikes/bpnBIGW_0000000299804/dunlop-armour-66cm-mens-mountain-bike

 

[dogman dan]

Well, I can't disagree more Wes. DO NOT go with a bike that cheap just to get steel. It really will fall apart in just a few thousand miles. or sooner.

But it's not a bad idea to hunt a bit more, perhaps on the used market, for a better quality bike that is steel.

So what are you looking for anyway?

7 speed, or less. On the rear I mean. So 7 speed, 14, 21, but not 24 speed.

Good quality components, not best, not worst. So that means trigger shifters on the brake handles rather than super cheeze twist grip shifters. You'll find the triggers more compatible with a throttle than twist.

Disk brake mounts, if not actual disk brakes. Mechanical junk disks ok, anything can be upgraded later if you at least have the mount right? Rim brakes still ok so long as the disk mounts are there.

Shock front fork, ( you want the motor in back) but look for 80 mm travel. 40 mm steel shock forks are pretty bad except for riding on pretty new roads.

Frame can be steel or alloy, but there are alloy frames to steer away from. The main thing you are looking for is a larger frame triangle space. The more room for the battery the better. The type is exemplified by the Trek 820. If you do get alloy, then look for as large and flat a space as possible at the rear dropout. Avoid a frame with a really lightened up and lacy looking rear dropout. You need some flat space around the dropout to bolt on a good rear torque arm, or homemade torque plate. Steel bikes, because they are cheaper in general, tend to come with big flat dropouts. But the more expensive alloy frames might be trying too hard to be light to make good candidates for a motor and it's torque plate.

New, at the wallmart or AU equivialnt, price range tends to be in the 250 USD range when bought in the USA. AU prices are different. In the USA, a Trek 820 retails at a bike shop at around $350. Idealy, you find one used at about $100, and put $50 into it for a good bike.

 

[dogman dan]

Looking closer at those diamondbacks, either one looks like it meets the criteria. Good rear dropouts with space to bolt on a torque plate, trigger shift, etc. Not the biggest frame space for a huge battery there.

Not a lot of specs on them, but perhaps get the one with the most fork travel if they differ.

Bear in mind, it's still a pretty cheap bike. You will definitely be tossing the saddle immediately. :lol: Other upgrades you might desire are swapping out the crankset for a stronger set of chainrings, better pedals mabye, and if you are tall you might want to swap in some bmx riser handlebars so you can ride in a more upright comfort bike like position.

Depending on just how cheezy the front wheel is, you might end up replacing that as well. All the upgrade parts ( except maybe saddle) can be had cheap by buying broken down, but higher quality bikes at flea markets and garage sales. Or from ebay guys that part out unsold new bikes.

 

[winkinatcha]

Hey The Beastie,

I notice yer in Melbourne...

Why don't you pop around to my workshop some time and check out a few of the builds I have, based on Direct Drive motors, One front and a couple of rear drives, even a side mount brushed example?

Most of my current builds are based on sub $300 bicycles, here's a link to my (still work in progress) blog, and a post on a build I have put on a brand new $250 retail bike... http://frankencycle.wordpress.com/

At the same time, if yer keen, I can sell you one of my kits, and help you install it... the kits are mentioned under the For Sale section, "24 volt 250w" thread title, I still have one front wheel kit at the "initial sale" price... but 'cos yer local and it could be fun, I am willing to part with another rear wheel kit at the $250 price (which as many have mentioned here a rear wheel kit is prolly the best to start with.)

But that is of no nevermind (re you buying a kit), I'd be rapt to just have you pop by and have a chat and see what I (hence you) can build.

Also, you may want to consider a second-hand bike.. I am going to check out what bicycle recyclers (in moorabbin) have to offer, but there is a high chance that you can get a good frame and components in good nick and good quality cheaper than buying a barely adequate new bicycle.

Anyways, if yer interested, pop me a PM

Joe

 

[d8veh]

I'm looking at your Giant Farago, and I wouldn't have any hesitation in converting it. You could use a front or rear motor. Don't worry about the gears. You could use a rear motor with 7 speed DNP freewheel and keep your existing shifters. I've fitted four or five of these and never changed the shifters. The only difference is that you don't get any more gears on the top two positions (of 9) on your shifters. Naturally, you have to re-set the end-stops on the rear derailleur with those two little screws. The free-wheel adds about $30 expence to the project. Without it, you can't pedal comfortably fast enough. Geared motors will probably be more efficient at the speeds you want, and they free-wheel nicely, so that you can pedal to extend battery range if you want, or ride comfortably home when something goes wrong with your electrics.

Front motor is also possible provided that: you don't want to go much more than 30kph; you file the drop-outs to re-centre the axle; use at least one torque-arm; and you make sure that washers fit properly in the lawyers lips. With a front motor, you can mount the battery on a rear rack, which makes a very simple installation.

With a rear motor, you can also mount the battery on a rear rack without upsetting the handling as long as you get the battery right up against the seat-post and as low as possible. Also, you don't want to go much bigger than 6kg. If you look at my recommendation below and you're lucky, you get the new BPM II, which is very smooth and quiet. The BPM I isn't bad either.

My recommendation would be to get the stuff from BMSBattery.com. Their stuff is pretty cheap, but works well and is generally reliable. You normally have to change one or two connectors and check/adjust the spokes on the wheel, but that's the same on most kits.
This kit: http://www.bmsbattery.com/ebike-kits/347-bafang-350watts500watts-bpm-motor-e-bike-kit.html
or this one: http://www.bmsbattery.com/ebike-kits/345-bafang-350watts500watts-bpm-motor-e-bike-kit.html
This battery (also comes in larger/smaller capacities): http://www.bmsbattery.com/packs/154-36v-12ah-38140-lifepo4-battery-12-cells-ebike-battery-pack.html
This charger (also comes in faster versions): http://www.bmsbattery.com/alloy-shell/24-alloy-shell-120w-lifepo4li-ionlead-acid-battery-ebike-charger.html
You can also get your torque arms from them plus a spare throttle or two to see which type fits best : thumb/half/full throttle.
You get everything from one supplier, which saves a lot of messing about. It takes 2-3 weeks to arrive.

One last thing: These kits have power above the legal limit. If this worries you, get any of the 250w motors except the SWXUand Q85, which are a bit under-powered. Australia has now adopted the European standard EN15194 that allows 250w motors, but The Europeans may shortly be increasing the amount of power allowed under EN15194. Speed limit will remain the same at 25kph. You mentioned 30 to 35kph, so I'm assuming that the legal aspect doesn't bother you too much.

 

[motomech]

Dual suspension works fine for normal people. I built 2 of them,but at 275 lbs, I bottom them out. Still helped a little, but ended up using a really cheap non suspension bike with 26x2.4 tires. I don't think they make an off the shelf suspension bike for us big guys. If I were under 225, I'd certainly use a dual suspension mtb. I have no idea what's available to you down under though. Look for one that still has an open triangle area to place your battery pack, Something similar to this.
http://www.target.com/p/kent-men-s-bayside-26-road-bike-black-silver/-/A-13396075

I don't think they make an off the shelf suspension bike for us big guys.

You should try a quality mountain bike.
My Rocky Mountain with 5" of rear travel provided by a Fox Float Vanilla R shock handles my 275 Lb.s just fine

 

[d8veh]

This is what I mean about the battery close to the seat-post. This bike uses the 12aH Headway battery from BMSBattery. It's stored in a football boot bag that has a plywood insert added and is then bolted to the rack. There's also room for tools and the controller in there. You can get these bags at flea markets for about $1 if you look around, or about $5 from a sports shop. Don't waste your money on the ones from bike shops. In case you're interested, this bike only weighs 19kg including battery and has a Bafang 250w motor running with 22 amps. It'll so about 35kph and will pull heavyweights up quite steep hills - or very steep hills with a bit of pedalling.

 

[wesnewell]

Well, I can't disagree more Wes. DO NOT go with a bike that cheap just to get steel. It really will fall apart in just a few thousand miles. or sooner.

It's a steel frame.What is there to fall apart? I went with a $59 steel frame bike after trying several others costing many time more. It hasn't fallen apart yet after several K miles, and I weigh 270lbs. I also disagree about the brakes. V brakes with good pads will stop better than most cheap disc brakes. I almost went over the handle bars when I first locked mine up.

 

[TheBeastie]

Well I tried to find more out on the Diamondback bikes online but didn't find any that looked the exact same.

There was a www.diamonback.com.au web site not too long ago but appears to have been removed.

The Diamondback Outlook model does appear on the .com ,uk and EU sites.

Diamondbacks own websites claim Outlook is meant to be an entry level bike that is still good quality. The one on the UK site looks a bit more similar to the one on Bigw, but no idea really.
I am guessing the Outlooks are going to be of a similar quality level globally since its ment to be their entry model name.
http://diamondback.co.uk/MTB/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=10&pg=7898
http://www.diamondback.com/2012-outlook
http://www.diamondback.com/2011-outlook
http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Outlook-Mountain-26-Inch-Wheels/dp/B002LFO1IO/ref=cm_rdp_product

I am 88kg/194lbs at about 176cm tall if you wondered.
I think I might go the diamondback route with a rear wheel motor, if the bike doesn't turn out to be that great well it will be a good learning experience anyway.

 

[e-beach]

I am 88kg/194lbs at about 176cm tall if you wondered.
I think I might go the diamondback route with a rear wheel motor, if the bike doesn't turn out to be that great well it will be a good learning experience anyway.

Hey Beastie!

I always tell nubees the "You have to build one to know how to build one." so keeping that "good learning experience" attitude is a must!!! Building the first one always takes a while. :x :wink:

Here is my 2¢

On a bicycle: Start with the one you got and see if it works. You can always get another bicycle or parts for your existing bike later if you need to.....and you will probably need to... just don't feel like you must get a new or different bike before you know what you are up against. Once you have built one then you will know how to built the one you really want.

On the motor:I would recommend a rear wheel motor for safety and ease of instillation versus a front hub motor instillation. Large dropouts in the back also help for torque arms. If you want to see what I went through as I did my front forks on-the-cheap check out this thread.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=39690

On motor size: I am about 90kg at 172cm and find that a 800w 36v motor moves me up and down and all around just fine. If I had to do it all over again I would go for 48v 1000w stright-off.

On batterys: Lifepo4 is safer the other chemistry. Get the most lifepo4 amp hours you can afford that will still fit in your triangle. As you get ridding you will eventually want to go farther and farther so might as well get the range from the beginning. If you are good with electronics, building a pack is probably OK, but if you have never done much electronics then just purchase a pre-made pack and just plug it in. You can always build a pack later to get that experience.

On battery position: In the triangle...In the triangle...In the triangle...Did I say In the triangle?...

I am a huge advocate of putting the batteries in the triangle for optimum handling. If you put them on the rack, your bike will handle poorly by comparison. Proper weight distribution is a must for performance and safety.

I have a 10.16cm / 4 inch width limit for the battery pack. After that my legs rub the pack. Your width will very. I am installing a 15ah Headway pack in my triangle this weekend. Had I the budget, I would have filled my triangle with 18ah's of A123 ANR26650M1 Cylindrical Cells...But alas, that will have to wait.

On tires: the bigger they are the more comfortable the ride will be. ( 2.somethings.) You might be a bit slower than with thin tires, but if you have 800w's plus, you won't ever know the difference. I have gone with a set of Bontrager H2 Hard Case tires because around here there is a lot of pot-holes and road debris and I wanted the comfort of big tires with flat protection so I won't need to change my inner tubes much.

Who to buy from: Buying local so you can actually get some sort of customer service is best, but, if you need to mail-order then sticking to the tried and true venders mentioned on this site will give you some safety.

If you go with other venders, maybe it will turn out fine, maybe not.

Anyway hope this helps and have fun with it!!! :lol:

 

[winkinatcha]

Great Post e-beach!

Brilliant build thread too.

Joe