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E-bike transformation

2K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  i12ride 
#1 ·
I need some review for Aosom B4-0076 kit as I'm going to upgrade my common one for an e-bike. I guess I've chosen exactly this model just for one decent reason. simply because it's supposed that front wheel isnt ok for carbon forks the go well only for rigid alloy forks. Is that right? I'll probably get this kit soon stop if that's a waste of money

Cheers
 
#2 ·
#9 ·
I don't know about the one you listed... However if you have a smart phone, the Copenhagen Wheel is awesome. I have sold a hand full. The company is top class, the price is great, and it installs as simply as putting on your back wheel. Literally that easy. And no wires!

I can't speak highly enough of the product.

https://content.superpedestrian.com/?_ga=2.213250259.659451617.1523886442-1048342088.1523886442
I've been thinking of getting one of these for the wife's trike. Not much more expensive than some of the other conversion units and so much easier to put on the bike. It even weighs less then the kit I was previously looking at. Since this comes with it's own cassette, changing wheels when you don't want e-assist is an even better feature.
 
#5 ·
Wheel Product Font Screenshot Technology

This looks like it’s for a 26” wheel based on the model number you posted for the kit. If your bike s a Fuji Gran Fondo 2.1 it comes with 700x28. Unless I am not understanding correctly.
Also cwtch’s product looks easier to install.
I might be worried a little bit about quality as well for $200 to get the kit and rear wheel.
 
#6 ·
View attachment 32321
This looks like it’s for a 26” wheel based on the model number you posted for the kit. If your bike s a Fuji Gran Fondo 2.1 it comes with 700x28. Unless I am not understanding correctly.
Also cwtch’s product looks easier to install.
I might be worried a little bit about quality as well for $200 to get the kit and rear wheel.
I should admit it was quite a random choice, so you are right totally. what else would you advise?
 
#7 ·
I have no ebike experience, but others on here have built up their own.
Maybe more info on your rides or why you may want an assist in your bike would help with a product selection, I.e. do you love the Gran Fondo and just need an assist once in a while, Or would you be open to getting a new bike for rides where you need an assist, maybe not a road bike.
Are you a road rider or commuter? Both?
Not to come off as an ass so don’t be offended, because once in while we all could use an assist, But are you new to cycling and you just need to get a little bit better shape and you won’t need an assist. [emoji849]Did you have something happen where you’re not as strong a rider as you used to be, an injury or illness. ☹Or are you just trying to keep up with your friends that you cycle with. Because if their dropping you on every ride they’re not your friends and I would find others to ride with. [emoji15]
Just trying to come up with an idea of how much of an investment you’re willing to make.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Since the gran fondo is a carbon bike with a carbon fork, your only option is to go with a rear wheel assist set up. The one you pointed out is not right for your bike. To go electric with this bike you need a 700 c rear wheel set up and a place to stow your battery. Recognize that you will be adding from 15 to 20 pounds to the bike which means you will have to be a little more careful with impacts like curbs, etc. The bike comes with disc brakes, so that is a plus. I have only done crank mounted motors with the batteries mounted using the water bottle threaded gussets.

Some advice,while there are a lot of good companies out there, there are 2 companies that I have done business with and trust. The first is Empowered Cycles, they are located in the Bay Area in Northern CA and the owner is really knowledgeable and can guide you through the selection and build. The second company is Lunacycles, located in the CA LA area...again very knowledgeable and helpful. BUT, conversion of your bike to a reliable e-bike will prolly cost you in the range of $1k depending on the size of the drive and size of the battery. You will also need to decide where to mount the battery. Typical mounts are in a rack on the back of the bike for flat batteries or in the triangle for more tubular batteries. For commuting purposes you don’t need much more than 350watts assist. We ride in mountain country where there are steep hills and my wife’s bike uses 750 watts.

Hope this helps
 
#11 ·
Mrs. Newleaf is hoping to pick up her post-conversion Novara Fusion tomorrow. We went with Electric Bike Outfitters, a local company, for the kit, an e-bike LBS for the conversion work. Kits are offered with front or rear hub motors, or you can opt for the central drive style.

We went with the 48-volt Cruiser kit. She is planning to commute between work and home, hopefully with some pleasure riding, too. I think the total came to something like $1800 between the cost of the upgraded 48-v kit and installation.

I understand that a lot of the less expensive kits tend to work well, but you have to be really careful on the batteries, as that's where corners are often cut. Ea-bike batteries are large enough in terms of their charge capacity that internal problems can lead to catastrophic failure such as fire, explosion, or both. It's still not likely to happen, but something to consider given that the battery rides pretty close to the rider's own personal skin, and may be charged in one's home or garage.

That's a big reason we opted to spend the extra $$ on a better quality kit. I really love the idea of the Copenhagen Wheel, but the lack of disc brake support is a deal breaker in this case.
 
#12 ·
I think you did the right thing there. I run 52v 13.4 ah batteries and my average is about 66-70 miles between charges. One thing for you to be aware of is the center of balance on the bike will change due to the battery placement. But your wife should really enjoy it. Let us know how it goes and if you have any questions just yell or pm me.
 
#13 ·
Thank you, Cybersnow! I like the sound of your setup. Expert level :cool:. It's not for me just yet, but that's pretty awesome. It's also worth mentioning that you are the one who really got me thinking about ea-bikes in a more immediately positive way.

While I'm still not prepared to add a supplemental motor to my own bike, I can appreciate your argument from another thread regarding the cardiac benefits of being on the bike for 3 hrs at a lower heart rate than for 1 hr at a higher rate. Put another way, more saddle time is better, within reason. I think it will help Mrs. Newleaf to get out more if she knows the hills won't hurt, and if she gets too tired out in the middle of wherever, she can always crank the power and effectively freewheel home.

I figured for her commute with work clothes, computer, makeup, hair drier, etc, the 48v upgrade made good sense. All the more so in that she frequently travels between buildings on a campus large enough to measure distances between buildings in miles. Something like 10 square mi. Thanks to the fact that it's nestled in the foothills of the Rockies, there are also a lot of hills. Being a professional, she is strangely averse to showing up for a meeting sweaty and panting from a 300' loaded climb.

Thank you again for the offer of advice, too. I'm looking forward to seeing how this works out for her, and appreciate being able to call on your experience.
 
#14 ·
Putting a motor on my bike was a decision driven by riding in the mountains aroun Idaho. Using my heart rate monitor as a guide, I often ride during the winter in Southern California with the assist turned off for the days ride. It does mean that I am riding a 40lb bike for the day, but then I am not a competitive rider and putzing along at 14 mph is just fine with me.

I did decide last year to go to multiple bikes and built one specifically for off paved surface touring. I am now in the process of selling my Trek DS bike with the ebike setup and am wanting to go to a more road bike set up. Since our biking plans include a couple multi day tours, even though we will be credit carding it, each day will involve 4-6 hours in the saddle. No plans on motorizing the bike, but bike selection will take the possibility into consideration.

Like I said before, just pm me with any questions. As an electrical/computer engineer by profession, I rewrote the software on my bike and am more than willing to help if you have any questions.
 
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