Finding the right DIY commuter mid drive frame

bjorsa

10 mW
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
33
Hello fellow cyclists,

I would like to build my own e-bike from various parts but the google up the mountain quickly threw monkey wrenches my way. Sourcing a frame turned out to be a formidable stumble block. My current setup is a very sturdy Lynskey Backroad touring frankenbike with a BBS02. The wide q have messed up my knees badly. Having entered the old age of constant complaining I would also like a comfort upgrade.
My dreams go thus:

  • Mid drive - almost any brand will do (preferably Yamaha due to reliability, I also like Brose due to top characteristics and low noise). They are all on ebay, should be fine, no? Or do I need to resort to a heavy and noisy Innotrace Ultra G510?
  • Belt drive compatible.
  • Front geometry fitting around 50-80 mm travel forks - I guess somewhere in the neighbourhood of 450 mm axle-to-crown. (A full suspension frame would also be ok and I understand this would mean more travel.)
  • Commuter specs with fender mounts etc.
  • Must be able to handle at least 25 kg on the rack and some in the front without going twitchy and noodly at high speeds.
  • Much prefer an integrated battery.
  • Reasonably long wheelbase (1120+ for sizes fitting a 175 cm tall cyclist) without toe-wheel overlap.

I looked at the Watt Wagons Helios frame but didn't fancy the long front fork length and M620. Who needs 160 mm of swampy front suspension travel on their way to work, all while sporting a hard ass tail? Browsing the usual suspects of chinese manufacturers e.g. Dengfu, Light-carbon etc I found nothing but an endless parade of almost identical MTB frames. The Taiwanese factories I recently spent my late evenings oogling were only interested in selling to OEMs and OBMs; reminded me of my youth, ouch. The European providers of fitting frames, like Messingschlager, only deals with resellers and wouldn't touch my money with a 580 mm downhill fork.

Now that I've framed the problem and steered you into my wheelhouse: what the fork would you have me do? Any advice greatly appreciated!
 
My advice: get a hub motor. Cheap, reliable and super easy to service. Also it basically provides a propulsion system independent from your bike transmission, which means you can setup your crank/transmission to match your physical limitations and will still be able to ride home with a broken chain.
If you still want a belt, you'll need a front hub or go single speed.

On a more general notice, I suggest starting with much simpler considerations before looking into frame details: where do you live ? What's the road, topography and distance like of your commute ? How much weight will you carry ? How fast do you want to go ? Those questions should help finding the correct bike and propulsion system tailored to your requirements.
 
qwerkus said:
What's the road, topography and distance like of your commute ? How much weight will you carry ? How fast do you want to go ? Those questions should help finding the correct bike and propulsion system tailored to your requirements.

It's somewhat hilly here; I carry groceries and all kinds of stuff up to about 50 kgs; speeds up to 45 kmph. My current homebrew frankenbike handles everything except my knees and it lacks a bit of comfort. I like hubmotors except they spin out at lower speeds OR they are too big. I'm utterly uninterested in 1000W+ motors and motorcycle builds.
 
Manbeer said:
Salsa Blackborrow with a CYC x1 stealth?

CYC's just too much and setting up a good pedelec feel would be tough. I'm not a throttle type of person.
 
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