Sources for E-bike Frames

I currently have a Bafang mid-drive with the batteries in the triangle pack. It works good. At the moment however it is very hard for me to get on and off it. I have both back and knee problems that need to get taken care of. However, I will continue to get older, my battery pack will need to be replaced someday...

I'm thinking a step through frame would take care of my current situation. I also am interested in cargo bikes. I have also seem some modifications of a regular bike frame that allow you to convert it to a front tilting trike. Maybe something like that would be right for at some point later. A lot of the current commercially made ebikes have places to mount a battery usually on back of the upright tube or sometimes a compartment. I'd like to look into what sort of batters, how much power, etc would fit into them, etc. Basically I want to have my eyes open and looking forward for this.

I know there are all sorts of commercially made bikes now with all sorts of frames. I'm not really aware of any sources for just frames, preferably at a reasonable cost. I figured this would be a good place to inquire.

Anyone have any suggestions?

I am looking for a 'donor' Aluminum Step through for similar reasons ... they seem to be rare. May have to resort to a steel frame. EBAY has listing for used bike frames and you can sometimes find something on your local craigs list.

One type of frame that may suit your purposes is "crank forward" or "flat foot technology" (depending on the marketing department's nomenclature). Common brands are "Day 6" and "Electra".

tmort said:

I currently have a Bafang mid-drive with the batteries in the triangle pack. It works good. At the moment however it is very hard for me to get on and off it. I have both back and knee problems that need to get taken care of. However, I will continue to get older, my battery pack will need to be replaced someday...

I'm thinking a step through frame would take care of my current situation.

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I just built a bike for a gentleman with mild disability to address similar issues. It's an Electra Townie step through.

I also am interested in cargo bikes.

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There's the Rad Wagon 4, which is a surprisingly decent option for its cost:

I have also seem some modifications of a regular bike frame that allow you to convert it to a front tilting trike.

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Don't trifle with that nonsense; if it worked worth a damn, those things would have been around since the 19th century. If you want to carry cargo in front, use either a long john



or a cycle truck.



Underneath the cargo platform would be a good place to mount a battery, if the bike has a cargo platform.

I don't know that much about the tilting trikes, but have noticed that they started making some motorcycles that do this recently. they have also been around a long time and they have made all sorts of trikes and sidecar models, but as far as I know they have never made tilters. I figured maybe it is because we can now crunch numbers better and do simulations.

I kind of like trikes because under the cargo area there would be plenty of room for batteries, but they are also not particularly stable. I am trying to think ahead to a time when maybe I won't be that stable. I know someone a little older than me, make that two that have some balance issues.

I guess I'd sort of prefer the two wheels in the back to, but I think that design, tilting or not is less stable at speed. The adaptation to a standard frame though is that it is something that might be able to simply be added to what I have if it gets to that. All this suff adds up.

Right now I'm just trying to find places to look for these sorts of frames.

With your physical situation, if you have not already checked them, i would suggest you consider the “Day 6” range of frames and bikes ( including Ebikes).
Their upright riding position, step through Al frame, low seat height with back support, pedal forward , arrangement..... make them unique and sympathetic to restricted flexibility bodies.
Good value as complete bikes , but also they have been around long enough to crop up pre owned.
https://day6bikes.com/journey/

I just got some izip mountain trailz aluminum frame ebikes for cheap off facebook market place.

they are easy to step through and have a rear cargo rack.
but you can use any step through bike and add a rear cargo rack pretty easily as well. good luck.

tmort,

Trikes just have not evolved enough , the ones that are good for people for balance issues are
what is referred to as Granny Trikes, they come with the step through design but are good only
at slow speeds and can tip over if going around corners at speed.
No one yet has a commercially available Delta bicycle trike that tilts .
Look into the Honda Gyro Scooter that was made over 30 years ago, many of us are waiting for a
modern bicycle version of that .

I was going to get a cargo bike for a long time, ( 26 inch wheel one , the Yuba ) but they sit just as high as a regular bicycle,and are expensive so that is also out . Yuba used to sell just frames , you can contact them to see if they still do, one option is to build up a Yuba with 24 inch wheels to get lower to the ground .

A few of months ago there were a couple of used Day 6 bikes available , but they were both $ 600 or more used , and with such a long head tube it would be hard to put a suspension fork on it unless you buy a new suspension fork with uncut steerer , I never did find out if the head tube was 1 inch or 1 and 1/8 inch , which is needed for a fork. And the Day 6 looks to have a short wheelbase, or at least it would once you put a suspension fork onto it , also they were the older model so they just had rim brakes , so it would just too much $$$ and too many changes to make it worth while to get .

I have seen locally a couple of Micargi streatch chopper bikes and they have very low to the ground seating and a long wheelbase , the BBS02 would have to fit up above the base tube and I do not know if there is enough space there. The Seattle SS looks like a good bike to make electric, but when I called Bikeberry they could not tell me any spec's , also it has been sold out for a long time. The Seattle SS seems to be the only that can accept rear disc brakes ?
None of those have come up used , and when a stretch chopper bike does come up on craigslist in my area they are priced very high , almost or the same as a new one.
I think that bike with a DNM 200 mm travel downhill fork would make a good conversion bike, with plenty of space for as large a battery pack as you can get and still have some room left over.

Scooterman,
...i dont think you could get a suspension fork to work on a Day6,...the front wheel would just be too close to the pedals.
Maybe some form of sprung steerer column (cannondale ?) system...but that would be a special.
The OP didnt mention the need for suspension though .
If the plan is to build a bike using a new frame and components, $1200 for that complete Day 6 is not such a bad deal ?

Hillhater said:

Scooterman,
...i don't think you could get a suspension fork to work on a Day6,...the front wheel would just be too close to the pedals.

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Unless my guess is off, at least 75% of a seated rider's weight on a day six is on the rear wheel. I do not think a front suspension would buy you much of an improvement over a good, soft front tire. Of course that means the hard tail ass end is going to need a nice wide tire.

Other thoughts:
Giant made a step through, crank forward, 26" wheel bike a few years back called a Liv Suede 2
The Huffy Calais was another step through. crank forward, 26" wheel bike.
Both of those were aluminum frames and neither had a suspension fork.
I suspect the Huffy would be less expensive than the Giant.

The company currently abusing the Schwinn brand name has a step through, crank forward, 26" wheel bike on Amazon for about $800. It is a steel frame and it does have a suspension fork. However you folks that insist on disk brakes will not like it. I do not like it because it does not have a IGH rear hub and that price also seems a bit steep. I do like the orange color
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YYQ35C

Also from the company currently abusing the Schwinn brand name is the 26" Sivica. Aluminum crank forward, step through frame, rim brakes and no suspension fork. Unfortunately it is equipped with a 7 speed derailleur however it is about half the price of the other one from said company. Strangely they are the same weight. This one is a real possibility with a replacement IGH hub.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TBYVXRR

Another contender from Amazon is the "sixthreezero EVRYjourney" (also crank forward, 26", step through). It is a aluminum frame with a rear 3 speed IGH hub and at an even higher price point. The single speed model is half the cost.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078BMXT6T
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085M8YWTF

There was one more I spotted on Amazon but it was so ugly that I blew right past it.

Hillhater said:

With your physical situation, if you have not already checked them, i would suggest you consider the “Day 6” range of frames and bikes ( including Ebikes).

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I wonder how that particular bike handles. I noticed it has zero trail, maybe even negative, so that might be twitchy at ebike speeds.

ScooterMan101 said:

Trikes just have not evolved enough , the ones that are good for people for balance issues are
what is referred to as Granny Trikes, they come with the step through design but are good only
at slow speeds and can tip over if going around corners at speed.

Click to expand...

When I was visiting Thailand I think that half of everything that was moved from one point to another got there via a side-car/side-platform on a 125cc motorbike. They also had them for bicycles. When they get to a turn then they slow down. Maybe we in the west are a bit spoiled.

E-HP said:

Hillhater said:

With your physical situation, if you have not already checked them, i would suggest you consider the “Day 6” range of frames and bikes ( including Ebikes).

Click to expand...

I wonder how that particular bike handles. I noticed it has zero trail, maybe even negative, so that might be twitchy at ebike speeds.

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There have been many ebike conversions on the Day6, and the manufacturer also does their own mid drive version.
So, i guess its not a big issue ?
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=83283&p=1222230&hilit=Day6#p1222230