Noob advice please

[Sasquatch260]

Hello
I really don’t know anything about brands yet. Totally new. But I’m wondering if there’s something out there less than $1500, that would be decent in quality, that I could ride on both roads and gas well roads (The gas well roads near my house are dirt and probably equivalent to intermediate mountain bike trails).

Unfortunately, my budget isn’t very high right now, so I don’t know if anything would work in this price range. (Obviously, I want the best deal possible, so if there is some thing that you guys know about closer to $1000, I would love to hear about it.)

Thanks !

 

[Sasquatch260]

I just read that there are kits you can add to your current bike. I don’t know - maybe this is a better idea? I have a Giant Revel 29er.

Just looking for help. Sorry, I don’t know much about options yet.

 

[Gordon71]

Hello
I really don’t know anything about brands yet. Totally new. But I’m wondering if there’s something out there less than $1500, that would be decent in quality, that I could ride on both roads and gas well roads (The gas well roads near my house are dirt and probably equivalent to intermediate mountain bike trails).

Unfortunately, my budget isn’t very high right now, so I don’t know if anything would work in this price range. (Obviously, I want the best deal possible, so if there is some thing that you guys know about closer to $1000, I would love to hear about it.)

Thanks !

The Rad Mini's are on sale right now for $1299. They are nice bikes for the money.

 

[AHicks]

Used to ride a lot of gas line trails in Michigan's northern lower on snowmobiles and ATV's for many years. Holy cow, excellent riding (assuming only you know where you are going, huge areas w/unmarked trails/no road signs, REALLY easy to get turned around/lost)! I like the RAD idea, but would go Rover, or maybe something along those lines (there are several compaies building very similar).

 

[john peck]

Hello
I really don’t know anything about brands yet. Totally new. But I’m wondering if there’s something out there less than $1500, that would be decent in quality, that I could ride on both roads and gas well roads (The gas well roads near my house are dirt and probably equivalent to intermediate mountain bike trails).

Unfortunately, my budget isn’t very high right now, so I don’t know if anything would work in this price range. (Obviously, I want the best deal possible, so if there is some thing that you guys know about closer to $1000, I would love to hear about it.)

Thanks !

NCM moscow, $1059. i´m just shy of 4000 mi on mine. in spite of the name, the company is German;; names
it´s bikes for cities. Itś powerful, good solid frame, terrific climber,...but the stock Schwalbe Smart Sam tires
are an issue. THey roll fast & give a comfortable ride, but are prone to puncture & bottomlng out due to
flimsy sidewalls. Bottoming out leads to busted spokes, & dealing with flats on a rear hub motor is labor
intensive & requires care to return every washer just the way in came off. Other than this issue,(especially
if you´re heavy), it is a great, rugged, all around bike. It it does have manual disc brakes that need adjustment
for cable stretch & temperature change. In that respect not the best for a novice rider. I think the moscow +
is currently $1700, with hydraulic brakes, 16ah battery instead of 13ah, & other upgrades. I love the moscow;
If you take care of it you´ll get years of good service. Using the right gear with the right cadence, I get
very good mileage from the 13ah battery. When pedaling the display often shows little or no power in use.
Check out the EBR review of the NCM moscow.
P.S. If you buy one I´d strongly advise getting tougher tires with thicker sidewalls & ´more PSI´ right off
the bat. It will save unwanted headaches. Don´t skimp, good quality tires are worth it.

 

[rich c]

Look at RadPower.

 

[m@Robertson]

The Giant Revel 29er would probably be an ideal candidate for a mid drive conversion. If you are running 'intermediate mountain bike trails' I would definitely use the kind of motor that you find on pretty much all quality production mountain bikes. A BBS02 kit with a decent battery will come in under your budget.

https://bicyclemotorworks.com/product/52v-16ah-samsung-40t-high-output-lithium-ion-e-bike-battery/

 

[john peck]

The Giant Revel 29er would probably be an ideal candidate for a mid drive conversion. If you are running 'intermediate mountain bike trails' I would definitely use the kind of motor that you find on pretty much all quality production mountain bikes. A BBS02 kit with a decent battery will come in under your budget.

https://bicyclemotorworks.com/product/52v-16ah-samsung-40t-high-output-lithium-ion-e-bike-battery/

Big maybe. Bafang has a 1000w mid kit with battery ´starting´ at $999, If ya wanna get crazy Calibike
has a 5000w kit.

 

[Sasquatch260]

Wow!
thank you all for this feedback! I will research.
John Peck, do you mean you are thinking my bike may be too big for that conversion?

 

[AHicks]

I would think that as long as you are comfortable on it it's not too big. If thinking conversion, my first thought is how to stop something this big in a hurry if necessary. I would not do a conversion that didn't have disk brakes.

As one with a go for it attitude when it comes to power, if I could swing the difference financially, I would go with the 750w BBS02's big brother, the 1000+ watt BBSHD. That's the end of the line. There is not a more powerful motor available.

A reason to go with one of the RAD bikes is their popularity. You can beat them feature wise without a lot of difficulty. What you can't beat is their resale value. If the bike is kept up in good condition, it will maintain it's ability to have the best resale of any bike. This being a first e-bike, it's going to teach you a ton. My bet is you'll enjoy it to the point where you'll soon start shopping for a bike better suited for how you use it most. A lot of us have done that, and continue to do that.

When you get to the point where you've replaced this first bike with another, and you want to sell the first one, a "home built" has very poor resale value.....

 

[john peck]

Wow!
thank you all for this feedback! I will research.
John Peck, do you mean you are thinking my bike may be too big for that conversion?

No, it is a good one for conversion, but conversion, even with quick connect does need knowing
what yur doing & involve some labor. A good choice of kit & battery is important..

 

[Sasquatch260]

Thanks guys.
Do the fat tires that a lot of the ebikes come with make a big difference?
If I go with the kit, could I just use the mountain bike tires that are on my bike now?

 

[AHicks]

I would say the answer to that question is going to depend on how much sand you generally encounter on one of your trail rides, and how the mountain tires you're using now handle that sand. Based on my experience in the northern lower MI, there's a lot of sand, making it pretty easy to justify a "fatty" w/4" tires.

 

[john peck]

Thanks guys.
Do the fat tires that a lot of the ebikes come with make a big difference?
If I go with the kit, could I just use the mountain bike tires that are on my bike now?

They provide traction in sand, snow, & mud. They soften the ride, but those tires are not cheap.
Narrower tires give longer range per Ah of battery. I was just looking at a 7 spd steel trike that
might make a tractor for light agriculture. Stock tires look good, rated to 400 pd..$393. Scaled
it; a bafang 1000w mid drive would fit perfect.($675).........that leaves a battery, I have a spare 21Ah.

 

[Sasquatch260]

I would think that as long as you are comfortable on it it's not too big. If thinking conversion, my first thought is how to stop something this big in a hurry if necessary. I would not do a conversion that didn't have disk brakes.

As one with a go for it attitude when it comes to power, if I could swing the difference financially, I would go with the 750w BBS02's big brother, the 1000+ watt BBSHD. That's the end of the line. There is not a more powerful motor available.

A reason to go with one of the RAD bikes is their popularity. You can beat them feature wise without a lot of difficulty. What you can't beat is their resale value. If the bike is kept up in good condition, it will maintain it's ability to have the best resale of any bike. This being a first e-bike, it's going to teach you a ton. My bet is you'll enjoy it to the point where you'll soon start shopping for a bike better suited for how you use it most. A lot of us have done that, and continue to do that.

When you get to the point where you've replaced this first bike with another, and you want to sell the first one, a "home built" has very poor resale value.....

I’m really leaning towards converting my Giant with the Bafang 750w. (Mainly due to finances right now and the fact that I would like to buy two, one for me and one for my wife). My only question is, do you think 750w will be strong enough for me? I am 6’1” and weigh about 225 pounds. I do plan to pedal for exercise… Not just cruise the whole time. The terrain where I live is pretty hilly. I’d like to commute 20 miles round trip to my work a few days a week, and ride some hilly Gaswell trails for recreation. If I could swing it financially, I would go with the 1000w. The 750w might be plenty. I just have nothing to compare it to because I’ve never ridden an eBike.

 

[AHicks]

My bet would be the 750 will have all the power you will need....

 

[m@Robertson]

For reference to everyone, this is the bike he's talking about (@Sasquatch260 right?). A basic hardtail with discs, with a good straight downtube, perfect for a BBSxx motor)

Revel 29er (2017) | Giant Bicycles US

www.giant-bicycles.com

I would agree with @AHicks that, if you can swing it, the BBSHD is a much smarter buy. Don't think of it as having too much power. Think of it as being overbuilt. The HD was manufactured to make up for shortcomings found in the 'O2. Its better to beat on a motor and use 50% of its capacity than 102%, right? BTW you definitely want to ensure you are buying a 750w 'O2 if you go that route as one of those should have the beefier controller internals.

The '1000w' motor - which is really quite a bit more than that with a 48v or 52v battery - is not as powerful as you might think. I mean... its not weak in any respect, but you are not going to be popping wheelies or burning rubber on the pavement, even in your lowest gear. Especially at your body weight (I am 6'0" and 250 so more similar than different). What the HD gives you is power in reserve. You will have the opportunity to not use it if you choose not to, whereas if you need more ... sorry wrong number.

Realistically, 750w is plenty. I seldom go above that, I try and stay below it to conserve battery, and when I am pedaling on level ground I am well below that number. But 'seldom' is not the same as 'never'.

 

[Gordon71]

Curious regarding the 1000W vs 750W motors. As I read the classifications regarding legality is having a motor greater than 750 putting one in a class that is not even a bike meaning it would need to be registered as a moped?

 

[AHicks]

Curious regarding the 1000W vs 750W motors. As I read the classifications regarding legality is having a motor greater than 750 putting one in a class that is not even a bike meaning it would need to be registered as a moped?

Are you bringing this up to inform our OP? Otherwise, we've beat the legality of the motor sizes over 750 watts to death. Even splitting hairs with the huge decisions regarding 749w vs. a true 750w rating. IMHO, if somebody is going to be concerned with the legality of a bigger motor, don't buy one. It's that simple. I think many, including myself, are very familiar with the legality issue. I'm very comfortable though, sleeping comfortably, knowing that if I use my "illegal" bike in a reasonable manner, it's legality will never be questioned. Further, if it is questioned, proving the motor is illegal is going to be difficult, if not impossible.

A "legal" 500w motor, fed a diet of 1000w, is capable of some pretty spectacular performance, though it won't last long. That thought in mind, how would officials prove I'm not starving my 1000w motor for power, leaving it with the ability to produce only 749 watts of power?

My point is, when they come up with more refined rules (rather than the poorly thought out, knee jerk reaction rules some ask/expect us to follow now), easily enforced well thought out rules, maybe folks will start paying more attention. My thoughts, FWIW. -Al

 

[Gordon71]

Are you bringing this up to inform our OP? Otherwise, we've beat the legality of the motor sizes over 750 watts to death. Even splitting hairs with the huge decisions regarding 749w vs. a true 750w rating. IMHO, if somebody is going to be concerned with the legality of a bigger motor, don't buy one. It's that simple. I think many, including myself, are very familiar with the legality issue. I'm very comfortable though, sleeping comfortably, knowing that if I use my "illegal" bike in a reasonable manner, it's legality will never be questioned. Further, if it is questioned, proving the motor is illegal is going to be difficult, if not impossible.

A "legal" 500w motor, fed a diet of 1000w, is capable of some pretty spectacular performance, though it won't last long. That thought in mind, how would officials prove I'm not starving my 1000w motor for power, leaving it with the ability to produce only 749 watts of power?

My point is, when they come up with more refined rules (rather than the poorly thought out, knee jerk reaction rules some ask/expect us to follow now), easily enforced well thought out rules, maybe folks will start paying more attention. My thoughts, FWIW. -Al

Yes to your first sentence.