DIY ebike conversion 1st 100 miles…

Joined
Aug 21, 2022
Messages
11
Hi all,
So, I’ve been doing as much commuting as possible since I finished the conversion, and have just passed the first 100 miles on the odometer. I’ve actually done more as was riding the bike for a little while before I got the odometer.
Anyway, here’s my summary…
Firstly the main take away so far is that every commute feels like an adventure, like I’m actually excited to go to work. I know this is still early days and the novelty hasn’t yet worn off, but so far the feeling is priceless!
Motor and power:
Really happy with the front hub motor kit. Faultless so far. On my commute there are 2 patches each way uphill that I need to pedal to help keep my speed around 15mph, other than that I can throttle all the way. Top speed hit so far was 32.6mph going downhill, motor wasn’t really doing anything, it’s really steep (19 gradient). Generally on a flat or slight incline it seems to top out around 28mph (I’m 185lbs). I average around 15mph on a mixture of Road and cycle path riding. Sweet spot for comfort seems to be around 22-25mph, going over 30mph on this rigid MTB conversion starts to feel pretty scary.
Bike ride and comfort:
No suspension definitely means some discomfort in my hands and wrists. I bought some gloves, helped a tiny bit. I might invest in a handlebar with some flex in it. Really comfy seat was an essential purchase and it’s great. Brakes are V brakes, they squeak like hell but seem to work ok. A couple of times I would have like to have stopped earlier than I did, but it’s a learning process and I’m taking it easy.
I got a puncture on my way home fairly early on, but the tyres were ancient and I’d already ordered some big 2.35 tyres which I’ve now replaced one of. Just the rear sadly so no improvement on comfort from the front end of the bike, I’ll wait till the hub motor has worn down the front tyre before changing it.
Wing mirrors are hit and miss, you can get a bit of a peek behind but they’re too far into the handlebar, might need some end mounted ones.
Crappy Halfords bell is crappy.
Cateye odometer is awesome.
Battery:
I have a 13ah 48v battery. It does a round trip commute of 17 miles on one charge with just the red bar left on the battery, with a tiny bit of pedalling. Perfect really. Charging takes a while, 6.5 hours to fully charge. Just about the length of my work day!
Overall I’m loving it and want to commute on it as much as possible. I don’t think I’ll be using it in the wet weather, maybe light drizzle but not heavy stuff. I’ll see what it’s like as the weather gets colder too, although it doesn’t often dip lower than zero Celsius round here. I got some warm clothes and a motorcycle touring jacket, waxed cotton!
Here’s a few pics for reference! Any thoughts/reactions obviously welcome!
Cheers,
GrizzF973439C-1735-4AE5-A972-420B12B75AAF.jpeg57E64782-50CB-4D7A-A9E5-A99DE011B1EE.jpeg7F4E8ECB-B229-44B5-AFE5-BB564373808E.jpegDCCB1E36-7885-49BD-B287-74B60AC5BF77.jpeg
 
Grizzlymanjay said:
I might invest in a handlebar with some flex in it.
A flexy handlebar, if one exists, could cause handling problems.

There are grips with gel covers that might do something for small vibrations, but the gel will grow gummy and icky over time (the more it's in the sun the quicker this will happen).

Brakes are V brakes, they squeak like hell but seem to work ok. A couple of times I would have like to have stopped earlier than I did, but it’s a learning process and I’m taking it easy.
Kool-stop Salmon pads will generally work better than whatever is already on a bike (including in the wet).

Note that if a bike is new (or not much ridden) (or pads are new) it takes some time/usage/braking for the pads to bed into the rims, before you really get the full stopping power without really squeezing the handles super hard. Also be sure the pads are correctly aligned with the rim surface as they meet it during braking. Sheldon Brown's website has a lot of info on bike setup and maintenance that can be very helpful.

I got a puncture on my way home fairly early on,
There are a lot of flat-prevention / anti-puncture method posts and threads around the forum with assorted methods and items you can use to help prevent or minimize those.


Crappy Halfords bell is crappy.
Some bells must have the bell itself rotated to the right position to sound correctly; otherwise they may not make much of a sound.

Wing mirrors are hit and miss, you can get a bit of a peek behind but they’re too far into the handlebar, might need some end mounted ones.
You can cut open the ends of your grips and slide them (and everything else) inboard just enough to allow the mirrors you already have to clamp on the ends of the bars instead of where they are.

If you don't wnat to move anything you can still cut the grip ends open and get (or make) bar end extensions to insert into them to then clamp the mirrors to.


I don’t think I’ll be using it in the wet weather, maybe light drizzle but not heavy stuff.
Before riding in any wetness, I recommend looking around at the various threads about waterproofing, weather proofing, etc., because most of the stuff out there is not really waterproof (regardless of claims by sellers). Water can cause all sorts of problems, some benign (connection faults, condensation inside a screen making it hard to see), some "fatal" (especially to batteries and controllers or other complex electronic devices).


I’ll see what it’s like as the weather gets colder too, although it doesn’t often dip lower than zero Celsius round here.
Note that the battery will perform less well when it is cold, sometimes by quite a bit. Ensuring it is kept warm before usage will help with that; if problems occur during rides from the cold you can insulate it; there are threads about that sort of thing, too. :)
 
Vibration - sorry, do you have a thumb throttle? if yes, then maybe you can wrap some tennis grip sorta stuff on it and see if that helps?

Battery - if you charge a bit at work and it will help extend the life of your batt - so when you get back home, you have couple of bars left, that is if you have access to charge at work.

Maybe add a seat post with suspension?

Clean bike, congrats on your first 100miles!
 
Grizzlymanjay said:
...some big 2.35 tyres which I’ve now replaced one of.
This should improve your overall comfort level quite a bit. Unless you are carrying heavy loads no need to inflate them to the upper end of the range.

Like AW says, stay away from the "flexible handlebars." :?
 
My Kool stop pads need to warm up to work better. Brake squeal helps with people around you. Better than a bell .
Tighten your spokes on all new motors. Learn how . And adjusting brakes is a learning curve
 
Hi all,
Really appreciate that you’ve taken the time to read and give some really considered advice, so thanks!
I have a twist throttle so gel wraps isn’t really feasible, the flexi handlebar I saw was from a company called Baramind in France, here is the link, they look like decent products…
https://www.baramind-bike.com/en/products/9-bam-city.html
I’d be interested to see what you think.
Wing mirrors are now good once I shifted things around on my handlebars.
Bell is not as effective as my squealing brakes for alerting people to my presence!
I’m not too worried about the battery efficiency in the cold, as I said I won’t be riding in sub zero temps, and I keep the battery in my house or in my office at work so it is never outside unless I’m using the bike, and I can and do charge it up at work, so I’m winning that one!
Took the bike to work today and it was pretty cold this morning but got through it ok, think I might need to invest in a full face helmet though cos my eyes just stream constantly!
Anyway, keep any comments coming, I really appreciate them!
Cheers,
Grizz
 
You need a cup holder on the handle bars with a string and a baby nipple to put in the top of your beer upside down. No more beer flying out. Did you tighten the spokes yet ?
Tighten the spokes. Because they are loose.
 
"I got a puncture on my way home fairly early on, but the tyres were ancient and I’d already ordered some big 2.35 tyres which I’ve now replaced one of. Just the rear sadly so no improvement on comfort from the front end of the bike, I’ll wait till the hub motor has worn down the front tyre before changing it."

This part jumped out at me. Do yourself a favor and put the new front tire on in the comfort of home, before you get a flat. The new tire will help with comfort, be less likely to fail, and will most likely help with traction, which is especially important while using a front motor hub.
 
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