Giant Talon Hardtail to Commuter Conversion

[Not Sheldon]

Decided to finally post this even though I sold the bike in 2020.

Had an entry level Giant Talon (hardtail MTB) sitting around not getting much use and decided to attempt my first conversion. Goal was a fast commuter capable of grocery getting, towing my daughter around and making the trip to work sweat free. Also convinced myself I needed a massive battery after my spouse reported her 36v 17ah pack would lower power output fairly quickly when commuting. I didn't know what I didn't know when I started purchasing parts.

Photo of the bike before. Bone stock and covered in dirt I never cleaned off from it's maiden voyage nearly 5 years prior:

Here is the bike in it's completed form:

Was a really fun learning experience and project. Definitely recommend embarking on a DIY conversion at least once if you have the means, time and tools. I had little of all three and it still came together, albeit over my initial budget.

Here is a breakdown of the final build components:

Part & Cost Itemization

• Bike Frame: 2015 Giant Talon 27.5 4 | Frame Size: Medium

• Paint: Stripped & Powder coated flat black ($236.72)

• Fork: eBay Rigid Aluminum Straight Forks ($64.84)

• Motor: Luna Cycle Bafang BBSHD w/ Hot Rod Programming ($499.95)

• Display: Bafang 500C ($65.99)

• Battery: EM3ev - 52v Triangle Pack | Size: 25.7AH 14S9P with 60a smart BMS ($679.00)

• Battery Bag: EM3ev Triangle Frame Bag w/branding removed ($25.00)

• Charger: 58.8v 2a from EM3ev | Connector Type: Anderson ($30.00)

• Crank Arms: Lekkie Buzz Bars | Length: 160mm ($90.00)

• Chainwheel: Lekkie Bling Ring | Size: 46 tooth ($90.00)

• Pedals: Crankbrothers Stamp 1 | Size: Large ($36.63)

• Bafang Shift sensor ($27.99)

• Bafang Magnet Brake sensors ($19.90)

• Bafang Thumb Throttle ($19.99)

• Bafang Speed sensor ($22.99)

• Bafang Wiring harness ($25.95)

• Bar Grips: MeetLocks Locking Rubber ($10.99)

• Tires: Continental Double Fighter III | Size: 27.5in x 2.0in (650b) ($68.00)

• Tubes: Continental 42mm Presta | Size: 27.5in x 1.75in – 2.40in ($15.00)

• Fenders: SKS Velo 65 Snap-On | Size: 65mm edge-to-edge ($33.06)

• Saddle: Fabric Scoop Sport Shallow ($39.99)

• Rear Rack: Blackburn Local Deluxe ($44.95)

• Stem: RaceFace Respond | Size: 10-degree x 60mm ($42.49)

• Cassette: Shimano HG51 8-speed | Size: 11-28 tooth ($17.89)

• Chain: Shimano CN-HG71 8-speed ($29.99)

• Kickstand: BV Alloy Adjustable ($14.99)

• Brake Rotors: SRAM Centerline Rounded | Size: 180mm ($70.00)

• Brake Pads: Resin Brake Pads ($9.99)

• Skewers: Delta Cycle KnoxNut ($35.00)

• Bell: Knog Oi Luxe ($39.95)

• Front Light: Light & Motion’s Urban 500 ($49.99)

• Rear Light: Planet Bike SuperFlash 65 ($23.94)

Total Cost: $2,481.17 excluding cost of the bike itself (Owned for 5 years)

Specs
Weight without battery: 44 lbs (approx.)
Weight with battery, lights, etc.: 60 lbs (approx.)
Top Speed: 30-40 mph

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and I could have done this a million different ways to save money or achieve a better end-result. I'm definitely itching to do another DIY conversion in the future with all I've learned from Endless Sphere and other sources since.

I will say I was fairly proud of the overall cable management. Made holes in the frame bag to route cables and used sugru to waterproof the holes around the cables. I later drilled through the bag where the bottle cage mounts aligned so I could screw the bag to the frame for additional support on the bottom/seat tubes. Gave me a bunch more confidence holding such a heavy battery. Since the bag had internal velcro strap to firmly hold the battery, it worked out quite nicely. The top straps are only taught to make zipping/unzipping a breeze:

Wanted to protect the cables & pad the battery, so I cut a piece of foam from the box Luna shipped the BBSHD in (great foam/packaging!).:

And a quick bridge photo hitting up a trail with my daughter in tow, coming home from daycare. She loved riding home from daycare vs. loading into the car:

Final take:
Overall I was thrilled how it turned out. It was solid, smooth and quiet. After I assembled everything, took it to my LBS just for an overall tune-up and 2nd set of eyes given this was my first time assembling a bike frame-up since an old 1980's Schwinn I resurrected. The shop had nothing but great things to say and just helped me with some derailleur alignment. Felt reassuring.

The BBSHD is incredibly powerful, especially with the Luna programming. It certainly made for a fun and exciting ride when you wanted. Enjoyed some local trails with it a few times and the low/center weight made it easy to navigate trickier terrain, very natural. I was pleased overall with the motor choice, albeit heavy and bulky visually. Unfortunately ordered some short Lekkie control arms by mistake and wasn't a fan of those. Never put enough miles or charges on the bike to really measure the overall efficiency. I'm sure in the time I had it, it was far less efficient because I used the throttle for spirited riding frequently during commutes.

However, I never really enjoyed pedaling this bike with assist unless it was around levels 3-4 (had it set to 9 assist levels) and at very specific cadences. It started feeling less like I made an electric bicycle and more like I made a pedel-able moped, which is fine, just not what I truly wanted. Used to commute by bicycle frequently before getting hit by a car and this was supposed to be my nudge to pick it back up again. It ended up being more of a crutch than a nudge though, so I decided to sell the bike to someone that wanted the power/flexibility this offered and told myself I'd build another down the road.

Things I'd do differently:

• Hub motor vs. Mid Drive: Mainly for simplicity and separation of drivetrain/power. Really want to try the Grin All Axle motor but cannot stand the Cycle Analyst. Makes cable management a chore and the display is massive. Not my cup of tea.

• Smaller and lighter weight battery: Call it forced pedaling encouragement. A heavy/large battery required more e-assist & throttle usage to counteract the weight

• Integrated lights: Screw charging three separate items, its just annoying

• Custom frame bag: Something tailored to the frame to use the entire triangle and maximize storage/hiding the battery

• MORE COLOR: This wasn't supposed to end up all black, I just never decided on a color and kept getting black parts. I definitely care about visibility more than stealth when riding.

• Belt vs. Chain: Commuting with a chain in a rainy area is such a chore.

For now I'm waiting on my Wattwagon Atom to arrive and will see how long I stay satisfied with that. If you made it this far, thanks!

EDIT: Adding more photos...

I overly managed the cables and learned from that. Used sugru to attach the brake sensors to the hydro brake levers. Worked really well and I enjoyed having them with the mid drive.

Power switch to the battery. BMS had bluetooth which I used to check battery stats. Was fairly nice to have when charging since I didn't have a Satiator. I want a Satiator.

I wanted the most compact screen I could find, this almost fit the bill but I'd prefer something like the EggRider or no display at all. I don't desire distractions while riding, would rather just log data without seeing it in real-time.

 

[E-HP]

However, I never really enjoyed pedaling with assist unless it was around levels 3-4 (had it set to 9 assist levels) and at very specific cadences. It started feeling less like I made an electric bicycle and more like I made a pedel-able moped, which is fine just not what I personally wanted for myself.

Things I'd do differently:

• Hub motor vs. Mid Drive: Mainly for simplicity and separation of drivetrain/power. Really want to try the Grin All Axle motor but cannot stand the Cycle Analyst. Makes cable management a chore and the display is massive. Not my cup of tea.

Good looking bike.

OK, I fully admit that the CA is more suited for coffee drinkers than tea, but functionally it might create the riding experience you are looking for. The BBSHD PAS on/off, with no adjustment for pedal pressure or cadence. Some other controllers, like KT, will implement a similar type of PAS, but controls power output, not speed, so may feel more natural.

The CA will do the same, but monitors cadence, and can be adjusted to change assistance level based on that input as well. It will also support torque based PAS sensors, that virtually no other stock controllers support (the KT can operate with open source firmware, making it compatible with a torque based PAS). So if you are looking for response, but with assist, like a pedal bike, then ultimately the torque based PAS may be the answer, but the CA will allow you to test the cadence based PAS before making the decision to invest in a torque based unit. The other solution would be a factory mid drive bike. For DIY mid drive, the TSDZ2 may be the only option for torque based.

 

[99t4]

Very clean looking well integrated DIY build.

What was your usual cruising speed? Guessing 10-15 MPH as you had replaced the front suspension with rigid.

Agree that the large battery was better suited to a usage scenario that involved longer distances and/or steeper hills.

 

[Not Sheldon]

The CA will do the same, but monitors cadence, and can be adjusted to change assistance level based on that input as well. It will also support torque based PAS sensors, that virtually no other stock controllers support (the KT can operate with open source firmware, making it compatible with a torque based PAS). So if you are looking for response, but with assist, like a pedal bike, then ultimately the torque based PAS may be the answer, but the CA will allow you to test the cadence based PAS before making the decision to invest in a torque based unit. The other solution would be a factory mid drive bike. For DIY mid drive, the TSDZ2 may be the only option for torque based.

I'll likely do a CA setup on my next DIY bike for this very reason, though I may find a way to hide it in a frame bag. I just prefer a simple and clean cockpit devoid of a ton of gadgets & gizmos. I eventually took my phone mount off this bike just to help that cause. Running a completely headless torque sensor based pedalec setup would be my ideal setup.

What was your usual cruising speed? Guessing 10-15 MPH as you had replaced the front suspension with rigid.

Honestly, I was cruising around 20-25mph most of the time unless towing the trailer. Had minimal stops between my house and work and the hills were non-existent with this setup. The rigid fork/seatpost were more a desire to keep weight down.