bchaney
100 W
Hey guys, I was just introduced to ebikes by a coworker a couple weeks ago, and now I find myself constantly distracted by reading and researching them. I recently moved to Seattle and my typical commute is only 3 miles each way to a park and ride where I catch a vanpool. I typically drive my car but for such a short trip an ebike seems like a great alternative. Eventually a bike lane will open up to allow me to bike straight to work at 10 miles each way. I could charge my battery at work so this range seems easily attainable. Cost is a major consideration since I've never owned an ebike I can't be sure how much I'll like/use it.
I have an old Trek 1200 aluminum 700c road bike with CrMo front fork that I would prefer to convert to avoid having to buy anything new. I know that a steel frame MTB frame is recommended. Would this bike be dangerous or completely out of the question for conversion? I weigh about 170. I could get torque arms and a flat handlebar for it if necessary.
This is my only bike and I'd like the ability to ride it without the motor on so it seems a geared hub may be the way to go. Is this realistic or would the motor still cause too much drag for comfortable riding? Is a geared hub OK for Seattle's hills? I think the largest grades I'd regularly encounter are a short 7-9% and a longer 3-5%. I don't need to go super fast, especially up hills. I'd be fine with 20mph.
After looking at some of the top conversion kits it seems like the MAC from em3ev may be my best option, but if I could get away with anything less expensive let me know. Does the 10T winding seem right? The Bafang or GBK from greenbikekit or bmsbattery seem interesting, but the shipping is more than the kit itself so it doesn't seem like a good value. There's a front drive 16T 350w MAC kit on sale at em3ev, do you think that would work?
I'm leaning towards a LiFePO4 battery pack due to it's longevity. 48v or can I get away with less?
Thanks for any help.
I have an old Trek 1200 aluminum 700c road bike with CrMo front fork that I would prefer to convert to avoid having to buy anything new. I know that a steel frame MTB frame is recommended. Would this bike be dangerous or completely out of the question for conversion? I weigh about 170. I could get torque arms and a flat handlebar for it if necessary.
This is my only bike and I'd like the ability to ride it without the motor on so it seems a geared hub may be the way to go. Is this realistic or would the motor still cause too much drag for comfortable riding? Is a geared hub OK for Seattle's hills? I think the largest grades I'd regularly encounter are a short 7-9% and a longer 3-5%. I don't need to go super fast, especially up hills. I'd be fine with 20mph.
After looking at some of the top conversion kits it seems like the MAC from em3ev may be my best option, but if I could get away with anything less expensive let me know. Does the 10T winding seem right? The Bafang or GBK from greenbikekit or bmsbattery seem interesting, but the shipping is more than the kit itself so it doesn't seem like a good value. There's a front drive 16T 350w MAC kit on sale at em3ev, do you think that would work?
I'm leaning towards a LiFePO4 battery pack due to it's longevity. 48v or can I get away with less?
Thanks for any help.