24 in e-bike project

[dpayne]

I have no had my bike a couple of months and have not ridden it much as the bike is too big for me. I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to have a bike I will have to build it. I am thinking this bike will work.

 

[indianajo]

The 7 speed shimano rear axle common on discount store bikes tends to unscrew the race & drop the balls, somewhere above 4000 miles. They left out a lock nut to save $.12. Luckily I was only 4 miles from home when it happened, didn't have to call a tow truck. Check specs to see what this bike has. Also a SRAM shifter is more precise.
Lock nut is a 3/8"x26 tpi. Such nuts are listed on a website, but niagara twice shipped me something else instead. They are now thebikeshopstore.com . They refunded the money but didn't ship me a correct part. I ended up buying a $12 tap from victortools.net and making some. Meanwhile bought another flea market bike, since I don't have a car running.
Buy an 8 speed shimano sprocket rear axle, or a rear hub motor with an entirely different rear axle setup. The yubabikes bodaboda left has an 8 speed sprocket, and I put a front motor on it. I first installed a DD rear motor but the 7 speed sprocket cluster that came with it was only 14:28. I need 32 to get up hills around here unpowered, and I could only help the motor up to 11 mph with 14 small sprocket. 12:32 seven speed sprockets are listed on websites but no-one ever has one in stock. 8 speed were too wide. Front wheel drive is fine except on ice. I have battery mounted on front end for the weight.

 

[harryS]

If you're pulling 350-400 pounds with a freewheel, it will fall apart sooner than later. Majority of hub motors in the world use the cheap-as-dirt 14-34T Shimano free wheel. A few have cassettes. Cost more.

The 24" conversion kits are less common. I believe you have a 250W 36V bike right now with a geared motor? SOmething like this would be the same. Has an good enough display and controller. Add a battery, and it will cost more than yiour existing bike. Such is the nature of DIY.

Amazon.com

There are other vendors in North America, but it will be $500 or more by the time you get the motor/wheel/electrics and for that money, I think you might as well go with a mid drive Bafang BBS02. It's still very much like a bike.

 

[rich c]

That suspension fork won't do you any favors for low step over. Most shorter people go with a 20" folding eBike.

 

[tomjasz]

I think you might as well go with a mid drive Bafang BBS02. It's still very much like a bike

BUT, if not ridden like a bike with proper up and downshifting or regularly treating it like a one speed and being a throttle monster, it’ll be a disappointing choice. BBS02B motors are great. For an assist, but bad habits like not shifting as a rider approaches a stop, BBSxx series excepting the bbshd, needs to be ridden like an unpowered bike. Not shifting into proper gearing will lead to a early death. I have 5 year old BBS01 motors with thousands of miles, but recognize the limitations. If a builder doesn’t need the hill climbing ability of a mid drive, there are better choices. That’s advice from Someone who has sold only mid drive Bafang motors for 5 years and hundreds of customers.

 

[Mike_V]

I have no had my bike a couple of months and have not ridden it much as the bike is too big for me. I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to have a bike I will have to build it. I am thinking this bike will work.

Consider that the Electric Bike Company has a 24" model M ~$1,500 +?
All done, then go riding.

MODEL M - Electric Bike Company®

Description of the electric Bike Company Model R and the benefits it brings. Pre-order yours today and receive it in March 2020.

electricbikecompany.com

 

[dpayne]

I am leaning towards a mid drive. Guess I keep researching. Parts for a trycyle are harder to source. Still looking for smaller wheel's for the back and probably needs new forks as I want disc brakes for the front.

 

[tomjasz]

I am leaning towards a mid drive. Guess I keep researching. Parts for a trycyle are harder to source. Still looking for smaller wheel's for the back and probably needs new forks as I want disc brakes for the front.

BBSHD drives are incredibly tough. Very commonly used on commercial pedicabs and commercial delivery bikes.

 

[indianajo]

I am leaning towards a mid drive. Guess I keep researching. Parts for a trycyle are harder to source. Still looking for smaller wheel's for the back and probably needs new forks as I want disc brakes for the front.

Respoking a wheel is not THAT hard. I've done it. The really hard part is getting the right size spokes. Spoke calculators DON'T work, at least the 3 I tried. I suggest you measure a built 24" wheel, even in a discount store, then subtract the motor radius versus the wheel hub radius. Then buy cheap ****ese spokes off ebay, wald comes to mind. About $12 for 50. A wheel is 36 spokes. Buy extra long 16 mm nipples from thebikeshopstore.com or somebody. Then when the spokes don't fit (you can tell after installing about a dozen spokes) measure & buy another set. Then when you have the length right, buy DT Swiss spokes that don't break. About $60 a set for bright ones. You can turn the spokes with a 6" crescent wrench, no special wrench required. Throw away the used ****ese spokes.
Or take the wheel to a bike shop and pay them $100. They have a $400 spoke threading machine, usually. Special 12 ga spokes are not required for people under 400 lb unless they buy the ****ese 14 ga ones made of imitation steel. (too much lead zinc & aluminum from the scrap). I broke two spokes at ~10000 miles when I was 213 lb and those were Schwinn original equipment, probably ****ese.
BTW I don't know why you started another thread about this problem.
My legs are 28" inseam and I ride a 26" wheel bike. Correct frame measurements are required. I bought the bike left off the internet after measuring what I didn't like. I'm not as short as 64" but my torso is quite long, a very unusual combination. I'm 68' tall. My bones come from Appalachian natives who probably didn't get many carbohydrates. I guess I'm built to chase down deer on rainy rocky slopes without breaking bones.