Clean Custom Conversions

[PedalUma]

I have a custom conversion cumming up that I am excited to work on. I have spend 2.5 hours sitting down and consulting with the owner. And now we have it all planned. We are starting with a dropbar touring/gravel bike with the Shimano GRX groupset for durability. I am changing a many things about it, just for her. It will get a end-user fully programable torque sensing mid-drive. All I have done so far is add pedals and a more feminine friendly saddle. I will start ordering all the other parts early next week. Here is the before photo.

 

[PedalUma]

I just ordered all the parts. It is getting a stem riser and a bullhorn moustache bar. I will use an accessory extender for the display. It will have Schwalbe 622-50 DD guard reflex tires and a bikepacking rack. I already installed the Bontrager 205 Boulevard saddle. The levers will face down more and be at the curve, road bike style. It will have three modes (eco, city, sport) with five levels each on the small color display. Sport 5 will be 48V x 18 amps = 864W on the compact 500W nominal motor. I need to remove the analog chainring and BB, and those have already found a home today.

The owner of this Felt gravel bike is giving it to herself for Christmas. It will be ready by Christmas Eve.

 

[PedalUma]

This bike has integrated reflectivity in the paint. The first step in conversion is to remove the cranks and bottom bracket.

 

[stompandgo]

Clean. Looks brand new.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

You always build very clean looking bikes.
I am looking forward to photos the finished product.

 

[PedalUma]

Clean. Looks brand new.

A bike shop owner took a bunch of people for thousands then closed the shop. He wrote me a bad check for one-thousand. Before he closed the shop I went there with four other large guys and a truck with a trailer. I got my consignment bikes and seven new bikes. This was one of them. The new owner of the bike is the first to ride it. Here is a photo of some of my consignment ebikes at that store before it closed. You can see that Felt in the window.

 

[stompandgo]

Now it all makes sense. Good for you.

 

[PedalUma]

Now it all makes sense. Good for you.

Most of the bikes were basic $650-$750. Two were $1800-$2100 retail. His writing a bad check gave me the upperhand, I could then write a police report and he would have to talk to cops, pay lawyers, attend court, and have prison time with a permanent criminal record. Here is another Felt gravel that I put a flat bar on and converted. It now lives in Mexico. Look for wire management. The white box is the charger. On this green one I snuck it into the guy's garage with his wife, hiding it under a blanket. He found it a couple of days later. He rode it for a week for free, fell in love, and had to buy it.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

Not sure i understand all the economics. You got your consignment bikes back, you got 2 bikes to cover the $1000 bad check. Did you take additional bikes? How did that work?

 

[PedalUma]

Not sure i understand all the economics. You got your consignment bikes back, you got 2 bikes to cover the $1000 bad check. Did you take additional bikes? How did that work?

I was going to miss rent due to the fraud. He was going down. How hard was up to him. So, yes, I took additional bikes to not press charges. When closing the shop he didn't have storage for all the bikes anyway. That was the settlement. I was then bike rich and cash flow poor in that slow rainy season.
Some parts just arrived. The bullhorn mustache bar, the accessory extender, bar tape, and the adjustable stem riser. The photo time stamp is wrong, never set on the new camera. I ordered a black bar. Oh, well. It will still work. I will wrap the whole thing.
The motor goes in in the morning.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

So, yes, I took additional bikes to not press charges.

Sounds like blackmail.

 

[gromike]

Maybe just doing business.

 

[Gionnirocket]

And sometimes you get what you deserve.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

And sometimes you get what you deserve.

No argument there. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[PedalUma]

I have worked today on a bike where the owner has not cleaned the chain in seven years but has religiously applied WD-40 every week. What a mess. Then this thing came in. It is brand new and never ridden. The brakes do not work and are knock-off cable actuated junk. Everything is loose. It does not turn on and the handle bar is switched left to right and upside down. Then I can get back to the Felt. That handlebar will not work. I ordered a black 31.8, its one inch and polished.

 

[PedalUma]

I have been working on other bikes all day. I am finally spending a half-hour on the Felt. I removed the grip tape, drilled the down tube for the display wire, and am removing a protrusion so I can mount the motor higher and more forward against a bushing I made.

 

[PedalUma]

I got the display wire in. See how it has some extra protection where it enters the frame. I also smoothed that hole with a chainsaw file on a drill. And the motor is in and mounted solidly. Oh, I used to remove all connectors. I left the small one at the steer tube just incase the display needs to be replaced sometime.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

What was that metal loop for, that you sawed off? I wonder if a dremel cut off wheel would have been a better choice than a hacksaw

 

[Base]

to accommodate the reaction arm from the midmotor to fit under the downtube as far as I can see

 

[PedalUma]

What was that metal loop for, that you sawed off? I wonder if a dremel cut off wheel would have been a better choice than a hacksaw

to accommodate the reaction arm from the midmotor to fit under the downtube as far as I can see

I removed a seven mm section of the bottom of the downtube because it stuck out too far and was not flat to support a mounting bushing. The chainring goes down, the counterforce is the motor goes up against the downtube. I put a chunk of rubber there on the flat spot I made and filed smooth.
See the wires at the center bottom of this photo. Those are to the display. They will be soldered and placed inside the secret compartment behind the chainring. There is a cover plate that goes over it. I will chop and seal the light kit wires in there too. And I will take out the connector and slack to the speed sensor, sealing that in there as well. I ran the discharge wires from the motor and into the battery holder's bottom cover plate. They are soldered and sealed inside there and a inside marine grade heat shrink tube. That eliminates ugly connectors.
The tires just arrived. Officially it will be a 29'er with 622 50's. I love it, a 29'er gravel adventure bike.
I am working on this bike while I do other things. I have until Christmas Eve to finish.
Oh, afterthought, yesterday I boiled the chain in wax.