Best ebike conversion kits to a stock Raleigh 3 speed.

[JoeDirt]

Hello all, as being retired now I have a little Spare Time to Ride More and just got the ebike bug. I would like to convert my vintage Raleigh 3 speed with some type of electric conversion. Preferably something that isn't too obvious. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance

 

[EMGX]

Did you just get a new Trek 50nm mid drive and are you satisfied with performance? If so you might like a mid drive Tongsheng TSDZ2 conversion. I've have two, a 48v 750w version and a 36v 500w and moved them around on several bikes including a shimano nexus 3 speed equipped bike. Smooth torque sensing with decent power and extremely easy to install without the hub motor conversion tangle of wires. Big limitation is bad chainline on largest inner cogs of derailleur/cassette bikes which wasn't an issue at all with single sprocket 3 speed Nexus or Nuvinci hubs that I've tried them on.

 

[indianajo]

I liked ebikeling.com the geared hub motor. I put it on the front to not mess with my 8 speed derailleur. If you have disk brakes, the rotor hides the motor somewhat. You see my battery hung off the front on my avatar left - the white triangle. Use a torque arm to not spin the shaft in the fork slot. I have the controller under the seat with the wires pointed down to avoid damage from rain. I do ride in the rain, snow, ice etc etc. Below 50 F the battery loses 1/2 its capacity.
If you are going to climb the Rocky or Sierra mountains, do not buy a geared hub motor. If lugged slowly at full power for an hour they burn the winding. Mine copes well with 77 rolling hills in 30 miles up to 100' long and 12%. That way I only have change the chain every 5000 miles, instead of the 1000 or less of a mid-drive. Not confident that a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed could cope with a mid drive torque.
I view pulling the crank and replacing with a torque sensor etc as very daunting. It was hard enough getting a crank arm off to install a PAS magnet wheel. Took a $18 tool. If you don't pull the crankshaft out you don't have to worry about the ball bearings falling out and getting gritty. If your bike is old enough, a one piece crank is totally incompatible with mid-drive.

 

[EMGX]

The couple tools to remove either one or three piece crank assemblies are inexpensive and the procedure is simple and easy for a person with a modicum of mechanical ability. Wear nitrite gloves and have a rag on hand for the small amount of grease that you encounter. There are eccentric bottom bracket adapters to allow for a mid drive installation in larger one piece crank "ashtabula" bottom brackets if that is what the bike has. If a mid drive is something you want I wouldn't be put off by ill advised opinions of someone who hasn't installed one.
From Sheldon Brown's web site "One-piece cranks are the easiest type to service, and require no special tools. All you need is a large adjustable wrench and a screwdriver". Three piece cranks, either with loose bearings or a cartridge are also simple to remove.

 

[gromike]

Best to do a front hub motor on a vintage 3-speed, as indianajo suggested.

 

[EMGX]

I wouldn't be confident with a front hub motor on skinny forks with what looks like forward facing dropouts in this Raleigh 3 speed.
It has a three piece bottom bracket which should fit a TSDZ2, I put one on a '70s Sears with similar cranks. Chainguard would have to be removed or mount modified but the TSDZ2 has a chainring guard anyway.

 

[JoeDirt]

Sorry all I posted this and I have been busy working on the exterior painting! Yes that's a good looking Raleigh. I have attached a picture of the one I was thinking of adding some kind of a front electric Hub as the sterny shifter is three speed and works very well.
So I was looking for a hub type front wheel with a throttle and a midsize battery.

 

[gromike]

Might want to measure the distance between your front forks. Like as EMGX alluded, a narrow motor might be hard to find, but they have got to be out there. I am not a fan of the TSDZ2, at least at 36v, but any mid-drive more than that will destroy your hub.
I think a front hub motor on a classic bike is most likely to look like a classic bike. In fact I'm building a cute front hub motor wheel, but that's for a Cannondale Badboy.

 

[PedalUma]

Put the motor where a nautical engineer would put added weight on a sailboat. In the front there is the problem of the front wheel twisting out of the forward facing drop outs and torque steer with a skinny fork. Then it could not power the shiftable gears. Listen to @EMXG. Put the motor low and centered on the bike where it pulls the shiftable chain through the gears and multiplies your pedal input. You do not want a lag, surge, lurch, over-run, throttle hub-drive. Let alone a front hub-drive.

 

[JoeDirt]

Thanks all for your input. I have been contemplating all three of those Solutions a completely fresh rear hub is an option but I don't think my rear stays on that bike are wide enough to hold a hub motor and gears. I think I will just keep this 1964 vintage Raleigh the way it is and let other people ride it. If I get deeper into this I will probably pick up a used mountain bike and dissect it. Thanks all for input

 

[JoeDirt]

I wouldn't be confident with a front hub motor on skinny forks with what looks like forward facing dropouts in this Raleigh 3 speed.
It has a three piece bottom bracket which should fit a TSDZ2, I put one on a '70s Sears with similar cranks. Chainguard would have to be removed or mount modified but the TSDZ2 has a chainring guard anyway.



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My bike is exactly the same as the one posted here. When you say TSD Z2 what are you referring to? Is that a mid-drive motor? And if that mounts I think somebody mentioned that a powerful motor like that would probably blow out that sterny rear hub

 

[EMGX]

Tongsheng TSDZ2 is a reasonably powerful torque sensing mid drive. Probably similar performance as the TREK 50nm that I think I read that you have. Similar to my Yamaha 70nm mid drive anyway. Depends on which power version you get. Not sure about the Sturmey Archer 3 speed but the Nexus 3 speed is supposed to be a good hub for mid drive conversion. I'd expect them to be similar but maybe not. It'd be a shame to alter your nice Raleigh bike so keeping it stock might be a good choice if you have uses for it.

 

[harryS]

Nice looking bike. I think it would be a fun conversion. Small bottle battery and mid drive like the TSDZ2B, or a small 250W front motor. You won't outrun the brakes except for going down steeper hills.

 

[JoeDirt]

Nice looking bike. I think it would be a fun conversion. Small bottle battery and mid drive like the TSDZ2B, or a small 250W front motor. You won't outrun the brakes except for going down steeper hills.

Most definitely the brakes on this are very weak made for the damp country sides of the UK.! I've decided I'm going to find a used 3 speed garage sale bike. Something with the derailleur and gears that can handle a mid-drive. I'm going to leave this bike intact being at a 1964 Raleigh.