taiwwa
1 W
I have a bike with high end steel but I’m hesitant to install a mid drive on it. What is the best material to install? Alu?
Best sort of frame for a mid drive?
- Thread starter taiwwa
- Start date
It's highly likely that any middrive's casing is going to be made from cast / machined aluminum alloy of some type, but it doesn't really matter what material the middrive your'e going to install is made from; what matters is whether the drive will do what you want and will fit on the bike you need to use.
Chalo
100 TW
I think chunky, nothing-special steel frames are the best for mid drive conversions. The tubes are most likely thick enough to resist being dented if the mid drive unit becomes loose, and the BB shell is usually soft enough for the teeth to bite in and immobilize the motor. As a bonus, frames of that description are more likely than others to be made of straight round tubes, which are the best for mounting electrical components and accessories on. And they're usually pretty stiff, so adding system weight doesn't make them wiggly.
Stu Summer
100 W
I had a light Kona Kikapoo with full suspension. I put a BBSHD on it but it flexed too much on acceleration. I didn't like that feel of the frame deflecting sideways. I now ride the Kona analog and have a BBSHD on a DB Haanjo aluminum cross country hardtail which is much stiffer. I do wish I had front suspension to go with my suspension seat post.
Chalo
100 TW
Sure, if all the pivots are crapped out. But that's what all full suspension frames are for-- consuming themselves and motivating you to buy something else. If you want something that starts rigid and stays rigid, don't have pivots.
Or, service your pivots?
Chalo
100 TW
Throw good money after bad, you mean?
If it's a toy, it's meant to be replaced. Try to find a rebuild kit for a 20 year old shock, or a bushing kit for a 20 year old frame. There was never any intention of maximizing their service lives. If you don't like that arrangement (and I don't), don't use a toy to do a tool's job.
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I have a Raleigh Seneca Mountain Tour I bought new around 1987. Have not ridden it much so it is not worn out, just weathered from being kept outdoors for many years. I just weighed it at 32 lbs, has a chromoly frame. The bottom bracket is 68 mm (just measured). Would it be a good candidate for a mid drive conversion?
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This looks very much like mine.
999zip999
100 TW
S.O.B. I've been working on my Kona cockapoo for 2 years now as a mid drive. Why 2 years. First I bought a mid-drive kit Cyc pro 1 Gen 2 with 855 BT controller. The controller never worked I had to pay another $90 for their new X6 controller Bluetooth as they wouldn't honor the fact that they're version of programming the 855 did not work for a year and a half they gave me instructions 10 to 12 different times to follow to try and make it work never worked. It works now. But the $1,200 72 volt bluetooth triangular battery has never given me the 24 ah only 19ah custom made from bicycle motor works. Never performed as advertised.
I've been doing this for 14 years and gotten bad new products many times. It would be cheaper and with a guarantee to go to a local bike store and get a mid-drive with a good enough battery there's a lot of discounts out there. And if they're a big enough and legit store they'll back up your battery controller charger. As you cannot get good service from China in a timely fashion.
Where do you live ? What do you need the bike for commuting off-road ? Does it need to be waterproof do you have a place to lock it up inside a garage or ?
It also depends how fast you want to go because bikes that have a store have their speed limitation I could walk you in how to build a 45 mile an hour bike for under a thousand dollars. But with hub motor. The mid drives are a lot lighter.
I'm not trying to talk you out do it yourself but what are your bike needs first
I've been doing this for 14 years and gotten bad new products many times. It would be cheaper and with a guarantee to go to a local bike store and get a mid-drive with a good enough battery there's a lot of discounts out there. And if they're a big enough and legit store they'll back up your battery controller charger. As you cannot get good service from China in a timely fashion.
Where do you live ? What do you need the bike for commuting off-road ? Does it need to be waterproof do you have a place to lock it up inside a garage or ?
It also depends how fast you want to go because bikes that have a store have their speed limitation I could walk you in how to build a 45 mile an hour bike for under a thousand dollars. But with hub motor. The mid drives are a lot lighter.
I'm not trying to talk you out do it yourself but what are your bike needs first
999zip999
100 TW
Oh you're from Pittsburgh there's a place called battery hookup that has automotive grade batteries for a good price ask us before you buy. But then you'd have to set up your charger. The bafang mid drive is commonly used with good results and there's a lot of info and backup for it. At least you're in the middle of winter and you can order your parts from China now and they'll get here in a timely fashion. But Bafang USA and other suppliers here in United States.
Chalo
100 TW
If it's not rotted out beyond repair from exposure, that would be an excellent base for a mid drive conversion.
Note that if you add front suspension, it will raise the bike's top tube and bottom bracket, and adversely affect its steering geometry. So it's best if you don't do that.
Does Chromoly rust? Where are the likely rust spots and how do I check? Surface rust is cosmetic and don't matter?
It rides fine.
Chalo
100 TW
Chromoly is steel, and it rusts. Yes, surface rust is usually only cosmetic; structurally damaging rust is rare on bikes and usually limited to ones ridden in road salt or kept outdoors near the ocean.
The rust that might be more significant to you is the rust that causes components to become stuck in the frame. If your seatpost and stem both slide out when loosened, then you probably have a good enough foundation to work with. Probably the hubs, headset, and bottom bracket bearings will all need to be overhauled. Certainly brake pads and all the cables and housings will have to be replaced if they're original.
Won't know if rust will be a problem till I start taking it apart. I have a lot of experience with rusted nuts and bolts working on my own cars over the years that are 20 to 30 years old.
I recently picked up this broken tsdz2 kit (Has been given away) Broken TSDZ2 FREE (Preferred pickup in Brooklyn please)
If I can find the parts to fix it, it will be going on the Raleigh Seneca Mountain Tour.
docw009
1 MW
Around $48 shipped from pswpower, if all you need is the TSDZ2 casing. Make sure it's the TSDZ2 and not the TSDZ2B,
pswpower.com
TONGSHENG TSDZ2 electric bicycle Mid Motor die casting shell motor case or motor cover
TONGSHENG TSDZ2 electric bicycle Mid Motor die casting shell motor case or motor cover
Thanks for the link to the casing! Before I order it, I want to hook up the motor to the LCD3 display and throttle and see if the motor runs. Bike it was on was never ridden. The casing broke during setup (maybe due to insufficient torque on mounting bolts).Around $48 shipped from pswpower, if all you need is the TSDZ2 casing. Make sure it's the TSDZ2 and not the TSDZ2B,
TONGSHENG TSDZ2 electric bicycle Mid Motor die casting shell motor case or motor cover
TONGSHENG TSDZ2 electric bicycle Mid Motor die casting shell motor case or motor cover
I have no experience with bottom brackets.
The Bottom Bracket on my Raleigh Seneca Mountain Tour is "Raleigh branded steel cup and cone". Will it fit the TSDZ2 motor?
Google found this site Threading/interchangeability Issues for Older Raleigh Bicycles
The Bottom Bracket on my Raleigh Seneca Mountain Tour is "Raleigh branded steel cup and cone". Will it fit the TSDZ2 motor?
Google found this site Threading/interchangeability Issues for Older Raleigh Bicycles
docw009
1 MW
I don't see problem with an old Raleigh. I converted a 1970's Raleigh two years ago, Altogether, fitted mid drives to four old bikes. Two Tongsheng and two Bafang,
One bike had the aluminum pedal arms fused to the steel BB axle. If you're an old car mechanic, a pickle fork will pop that arm right off, but I cut the arm off. Another bike had some casting debris inside the BB shell that needed to be ground away. That's not uncommon. All in a day's work.
If you're used to the response of a 500W+ hubmotor bike with throttle, be prepared to be puzzled by the TSDZ2, It felt gutless to me. It's intended for a different style of ebiking. Light bike, More rider effort. Lower speeds. More for the former packed bike lanes of China, or the current traffic patterns in Europe?
But I grew to like mine.
One bike had the aluminum pedal arms fused to the steel BB axle. If you're an old car mechanic, a pickle fork will pop that arm right off, but I cut the arm off. Another bike had some casting debris inside the BB shell that needed to be ground away. That's not uncommon. All in a day's work.
If you're used to the response of a 500W+ hubmotor bike with throttle, be prepared to be puzzled by the TSDZ2, It felt gutless to me. It's intended for a different style of ebiking. Light bike, More rider effort. Lower speeds. More for the former packed bike lanes of China, or the current traffic patterns in Europe?
But I grew to like mine.
Good to know I won't have problems with the Raleigh's fit to the TSDZ2. I've being riding the Raleigh, enjoying the pedaling and exercise. It's so light and efficient to pedal compared to my 75 lb Arrow 9.
How much drag does the TSDZ2 freewheel add with no assist?
How much drag does the TSDZ2 freewheel add with no assist?
docw009
1 MW
I don't detect any drag with my feet, but if I were to take off the chain and spin the cranks by hand, there is significant drag over a bare BB, which will spin forever, The TSDZ2 might go a half turn, while a BBS02 goes almost a full turn. In real life, you're turning the chain and that dominates any friction in the clutches on the crankshaft,
Once I learned how to pedal again, with a higher cadence in a lower gears, I didn't have any problem riding my TSDZ2.
Once I learned how to pedal again, with a higher cadence in a lower gears, I didn't have any problem riding my TSDZ2.
I tried to remove the aluminum crank arms today that's never been touched since 87. The nuts came off easily but the cranks were stuck real good. I couldn't find my pickle fork and used a 90 degree long nose pliers (which works like an adjustable pickle fork) and a hammer. It wouldn't budge with lot's of penetrating fluid and hammering. I thought maybe if I went for a ride, it will work itself loose. After a few miles the cranks didn't move. On an uphill section I pedaled as hard as I could on low gear. Shortly after that the left crank came off. The right crank did not get any penetrating oil and is still stuck. I need to go for another ride with penetrating fluid applied and hope I get the same result.
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