Best setup with around $1200

[TannerL22]

I was planning to get some cheap bike from craigslist, get a BBSHD, and a battery from lunacycles but wanted some extra input. Any opinions on what I should do? I am up for buying something fully setup or buying my own motor and battery.

 

[wesnewell]

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66302

 

[dogman dan]

Best start is to get a good bike cheap, on craigslist. Likely what you meant when you said get a cheap bike.

Mid drive or hub motor, depends on the use. Mid drives rock, but if you just commute in a semi flat city, a hubbie might be more convenient to ride, and last longer.

 

[Tom on 101]

Make sure you get a bike you like. Most people I talk to who bike prefer their bike to the idea of a new bike. I suppose the difference Is between a complete ebike vs a build. Complete ebikes seem expensive. Around 1200 you can get a good set up for front hub conversion plus a new bike. It's the simplest way to turn a bike choice into an ebike. I've ridden a lot of styles (motor cross, street, bmx, downhill, etc.) so I kind of knew what I wanted, which was a light road bike with hill climbing assistance. I wound up with a great bike. But others might hate it as its built for me. First question is what kind of riding do you plan on doing?

 

[TannerL22]

Commuting mainly in college, but I will be in one of the best cities for mountain biking so I might get into that also.

 

[dogman dan]

Then look for a hard tail mtb, with a decent front shock on the used market. Something that retailed for at least 300, like a trek 820, or better still something that cost more like 600 new. What I mean is, something with a real shock, not a non adjustable pogo stick, walmart bike. Put a street tire on it, like comfort bikes run. Or a beach cruiser tire. You might run a knobby back tire, and just have a street front tire, then swap wheels to put a knobby on the front to ride dirt. Too much running knobbies on the street, it just costs you money. 500 miles, done. But it's a dilemma, you just can't do serious trail with street tires. Or worn down knobbies either. Bad tires on the trail means crashing a lot.

Put a 500w rated geared hub motor on the rear, Mac, E bike kit, Bafang etc. Not the tiny geared motor, the big one.

Battery, what ever is left in your budget. 48v 10ah, or bigger. Frame carry type battery, could be in a bag, or a mount on the bottle bolts.

Not sure if you can afford the mid drive on that budget, after buying the bike. But for city riding, I still say hubbies rule, and they seem to be much more reliable than the bbso2.

Chances are, you will end up spending 1500-2000 anyway, everybody does, unless they go with the cheap ass shit. It would work, to buy a $250 direct drive kit on ebay. That might be better, leaving you cash for a better battery. But it won't ride the city as nice, or trail as nice as a geared motor.

If you were aiming at an ideal full on trail bike, then it would be a FS MTB, and the BBso2. And the bike itself would cost 4x as much. $2000 retail new, type bike.

 

[WoodlandHills]

A Bikes Direct Deadeye Monster Fatbike is $399, a BBS02 is $499 from Luna which leaves $400 for a battery. It would cost another $130 to add a Nexus 3 IGH plus another $99 for a 42t chainwheel if desired....... This would result in a good looking all-around bike that would only need a change in tires to go from street to trail. And would be very reliable for a student.

Here's one with a BBSHD on street tires: the forks and suspension seatpost are optional budget busters!

 

[rockwalk]

I second woodland hills, except for the Geared hub - not needed. I have pretty much the setup he's talking about but in bbshd, 48v 20ah panasonic and it's absolutely sick. The fat tires are stable and work great with this setup. Once you start riding it, you'll want to upgrade stuff - guaranteed. Display, rack to carry stuff, lights, tire liners, brakes especially once you see the difference hydraulic makes over mechanical disk. You'll likely need some bits and pieces for the build - tools as well. Like everyone said, expect to peel off 2k, but trust me it's WAY worth every penny.

Good luck, show us what you ended up with.

Here's my first build...

 

[Tom on 101]

Commuting mainly in college, but I will be in one of the best cities for mountain biking so I might get into that also.

Is weight a consideration for you? Just asking. I didn't want a heavy bike as at times I need to load mine into a vehicle.

 

[dogman dan]

Fat bike for street, Bleah. The thief who takes it will sell it easy though.

Better to blend in a bit, with a bike who's paint is all sun faded on one side. Be the bike they don't bother to load on the van.

 

[ulrichw]

My personal opinion:

You said you're using this in college, so I'm guessing you're young and therefore not completely out of shape. Also, typical riding around a college campus is short-distance low speed.

How about you start with a non e-bike and get the e portion later?

Bikes are very efficient forms of transportation even without the motor. Flat commutes up to 10 miles one way are no big deal for anyone in any shape.

Investing in a regular bike will let you figure out what kind of riding you'll want/need to do at a much lower price point than going electric now. You'll also be able to figure out the spec for your motor/battery much better once you know the parameters of your riding.

 

[heavymetalthunder]

I would also add if you plan to commute, you will need a decent set of head and tail lights. Travelling at near 30MPH you will be a small target on the road. So you need to be seen,