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.