Any recommendations for a lightweight ebike conversion kit for road bikes?

[kevinmccune]

On the better conversions the battery is hidden, and wires are through frame with no zip ties, zero, and the motor is in the middle. If you zoom this bike you will see a wire from the 'water bottle' to the motor. With no tangle of wires or connectors at the handlebar. With a front basket, with a bouquet, you do not see any wires. Now you can see on 4mm to the display at the left grip at the steertube. Looks like a bike. Yet blows past $6400 bikes with brand names. In other words it smokes SL Vados on a daily basis and looks like a casual sheep on vacation. No spandex required.

View attachment 190960

what no vados.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Thanks for the recommendation! Bimotal is innovative, especially with its quick-switch feature between e-assisted and analog rides.

I noticed it offers 750W of power and up to 50Nm of continuous torque, which seems more suited for MTB. I've read on forums that users of the Mahle X20 find its torque sufficient, so I'm wondering if the Bimotal might provide too much torque for a road bike.

Maybe not, as you say might be primarily for mtbs. It might be worth contacting the company to see anyway. Just saw Deacon Blue's reply above which says they are not suitable. Pity.

There is very little out there suitable for lightweight road bikes that is an easy fix and doesn't compromise weight and ride feel. If you after the Mahle hub type power and lightness and given the cost an add on system will cost like that Bimotal, it might be worth looking at a just getting an ebike - like the Ride Up CF Racer 1, as a relatively cheap carbon fibre road bike ($2,250) with hub motor similar to Mahle. Keep the Scott for weekend rides.

It's had some good reviews including on this site:

CF Racer1 - Ride1Up | Best Value Carbon Fiber Electric Bike

An elegantly designed, ultra lightweight carbon fiber ebike equipping premium electrical and mechanical components. Unmatched value and price point.

ride1up.com

 

[harryS]

I'm curious where's the battery on that left bike?

In the water bottle, similar to Pedaluma's picture and about 300 effective watt-hours. At 10wh/mile, 30 mile range,

 

[mschwett]

is the mahle XS available to consumers? it’s an integrated bottle battery and controller that works with the X20. if you want a lightweight road bike that behaves as much like a road bike as possible but with an extra 200w of power, mahle is the answer.

i’m not sure how the integration with the dropout works since the X20 has an integrated power connection, but there’s lots of info in mahle’s site.

 

[twy]

I've looked into Swytch myself and noticed their latest MAX+ product supports thru-axle frames. I'm curious, is the torque and range enough for your daily rides?

I haven't seen the details on the MAX+ as it relates to thru axle compatibility. I have a Turbo Tero so the Swytch rides quite differently than my bike. I am about 180 lb and it has enough power for moderate hills with me on it. My son is lighter and it performs well for him. He gets about 12 mi with each of the small battery packs but opted to have many small packs instead of the larger capacity ones they have.

EMGXs comment about carbon forks is certainly valid although I have seen a few comments on the web where people have used the kit without an issue (both with and without the torque arm) but it is probably very risky.

 

[EMGX]

If you're adventurous you (OP) can give the Keyde a try - I don't see any reviews of this new(?) thru axle compatible rear hub motor with built in controller, torque and cadence sensing. Looks like an easy and clean installation and would increase the weight of your bike by about 5 pounds, plus battery weight - so probably about 10-12 pounds total depending on the battery.

Edit:
there's one kit laced in rim on Ebay if you don't want to do AliExpress. Shipped from California $945 with the 7ah battery, other battery options available. So if your Scott bike is sub 20# it should end up sub 30# including battery (if the listed weights are accurate). Maybe just what you are looking for.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Thanks for the recommendation! Bimotal is innovative, especially with its quick-switch feature between e-assisted and analog rides.

I noticed it offers 750W of power and up to 50Nm of continuous torque, which seems more suited for MTB. I've read on forums that users of the Mahle X20 find its torque sufficient, so I'm wondering if the Bimotal might provide too much torque for a road bike.

As I already mentioned, this kit will not fit on a road bike frame. Look at how it mounts to the bike's frame.

 

[Katrina92]

不幸的是，没有太多适用于碳纤维车架公路自行车的套件。
我有一个 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0，想添加一套小型电动马达套件，但大多数套件不适用于我的 Defy 碳纤维车套件
一个确实有前景的套件是 Skarper 套件。Skarper.com
缺点是价格。

I've checked out that product before, but I felt like it might look a bit odd on a road bike.
Having the weight all on one side, I think it might mess with the handling.

 

[Katrina92]

I hate to toot their horn,but for the money the I Mortor isn't bad it puts out 350 watts and its surprisngly strong its self contained battery is 7.8 ah I think you can get an extended range battery and you can also get a version that is controlled from your Iphone it was around $400 and it worked pretty dang good,the biggest disadvantage was the weight almost 10# bang for the buck was hard to beat,I think the best use for one of these would have been a steel framed trike( wish I would kept mine) now that that I am 2 wheeled phobic wish me luck on the "trikker" trike I need to finish-Kevin

Thanks for the recommendation, Kevin! 10 pound weight's kinda heavy.

 

[Katrina92]

On the better conversions the battery is hidden, and wires are through frame with no zip ties, zero, and the motor is in the middle. If you zoom this bike you will see a wire from the 'water bottle' to the motor. With no tangle of wires or connectors at the handlebar. With a front basket, with a bouquet, you do not see any wires. Now you can see on 4mm to the display at the left grip at the steertube. Looks like a bike. Yet blows past $6400 bikes with brand names. In other words it smokes SL Vados on a daily basis and looks like a casual sheep on vacation. No spandex required.

View attachment 190960

I'm curious how much did the whole kit cost you?

 

[Katrina92]

Again and again, people get hung up on weight until they ride a bunch of eBikes. I see it everyday. Yes, an electric guitar weighs more than an acoustic. So what? What rocks more? Prices have dropped on high quality eBikes at your local store with local service. Start there. I started a thread here on DM02 motor programing. This motor goes on almost any standard bike. Carbon requires a shaped rubber bushing between the motor and the down tube. No dealer 'updates' needed. You own and control the bike, not a big corporation that can 'update you' from 28 to 20 mph overnight. Hub-drives suck. Front hub-drives are the worst. Don't bother unless you have a motor in the middle that pulls chain through the shiftable gears and has a torque sensor that you can program for smoothness or the perk you want. A new Aventon Pace 500.3 is on sale near you at $200 off, for $1599 with a free second battery worth $500. It will be pro built and include a follow-up tune worth $125. You will also never call or trouble shoot with AI in China. Just go local.

I dont like front hub motors either. I feel like they don't handle as well as rear hub motors.

 

[Katrina92]

It's more that I have much experience with the compromises and limitations of conversions. I got into it initially for my wife to try to keep her biking. I live and ride in a very hilly/mountainous area (I live on a mountain). Ridiculous but I have two TSDZ2 mid drives (500w 36v and 750w 48v), two front hub motors (36v 250w), one rear hub motor (48v 500w), as well as a Qiroll friction motor, and tried them on 7 or 8 different bikes. I also have a 5 year old gravel BH Yamaha PW-SE proprietary mid drive. Virtually all of the bikes including the BH weigh in at 40+ pounds which is (really) heavy if you're used to riding a light bike like your Scott. I've ridden my bikes thousands of miles including some touring so I have a decent amount of experience. With the current deeply discounted prices on ebikes, in most cases, it seems to make more sense to buy a UL listed, properly engineered, warranted, name brand proprietary bike rather than try to cobble together something oneself. The 26 pound Scott Contessa at $2700 looks like an awesome deal for what it is, certainly more refined than any DIY conversion and probably more of a pleasure to ride by a long shot.

That said you should do what suits you. The Swytch thru axle looks like a reasonable option. I've never ridden one but a 80 year old neighbor rides a Swytch front motor conversion up and down our neighborhood road which gains 400 feet in 1 mile, mostly in two 20+degree sections. He does work pretty hard and says that his battery only lasts one or two trips up the road. I saw a couple Swytch equipped bikes riding around Crater Lake on the car free days and they seemed to be doing very well. A lot of people make similar intitial posts as yours then never follow up on what they ultimately choose and how it works out for them. It'd be interesting if you do follow up.

I totally agree with you, most of the kit out there is just too heavy for light bikes. I think in the future, these kits really need to get lighter and smaller.

Are there any road bike users among those you mentioned?

I'd love to share what I've learned about the products and my thoughts during my selection process!

 

[Katrina92]

Maybe not, as you say might be primarily for mtbs. It might be worth contacting the company to see anyway. Just saw Deacon Blue's reply above which says they are not suitable. Pity.

There is very little out there suitable for lightweight road bikes that is an easy fix and doesn't compromise weight and ride feel. If you after the Mahle hub type power and lightness and given the cost an add on system will cost like that Bimotal, it might be worth looking at a just getting an ebike - like the Ride Up CF Racer 1, as a relatively cheap carbon fibre road bike ($2,250) with hub motor similar to Mahle. Keep the Scott for weekend rides.

It's had some good reviews including on this site:

CF Racer1 - Ride1Up | Best Value Carbon Fiber Electric Bike

An elegantly designed, ultra lightweight carbon fiber ebike equipping premium electrical and mechanical components. Unmatched value and price point.

ride1up.com

Thanks for the suggestion!
That bike looks pretty cool! It's got a Bafang H600 motor which is supposed to have up to 42Nm of torque.
I'm not sure if users can tweak that torque number through software.

 

[Katrina92]

is the mahle XS available to consumers? it’s an integrated bottle battery and controller that works with the X20. if you want a lightweight road bike that behaves as much like a road bike as possible but with an extra 200w of power, mahle is the answer.

i’m not sure how the integration with the dropout works since the X20 has an integrated power connection, but there’s lots of info in mahle’s site.

From what I've seen, I think Mahle really hits the mark, or, this kind of product spec is just spot on for road bikes.

 

[Katrina92]

I haven't seen the details on the MAX+ as it relates to thru axle compatibility. I have a Turbo Tero so the Swytch rides quite differently than my bike. I am about 180 lb and it has enough power for moderate hills with me on it. My son is lighter and it performs well for him. He gets about 12 mi with each of the small battery packs but opted to have many small packs instead of the larger capacity ones they have.

EMGXs comment about carbon forks is certainly valid although I have seen a few comments on the web where people have used the kit without an issue (both with and without the torque arm) but it is probably very risky.

Is it 'cause the bigger batteries are just too bulky?

 

[Katrina92]

It's more that I have much experience with the compromises and limitations of conversions. I got into it initially for my wife to try to keep her biking. I live and ride in a very hilly/mountainous area (I live on a mountain). Ridiculous but I have two TSDZ2 mid drives (500w 36v and 750w 48v), two front hub motors (36v 250w), one rear hub motor (48v 500w), as well as a Qiroll friction motor, and tried them on 7 or 8 different bikes. I also have a 5 year old gravel BH Yamaha PW-SE proprietary mid drive. Virtually all of the bikes including the BH weigh in at 40+ pounds which is (really) heavy if you're used to riding a light bike like your Scott. I've ridden my bikes thousands of miles including some touring so I have a decent amount of experience. With the current deeply discounted prices on ebikes, in most cases, it seems to make more sense to buy a UL listed, properly engineered, warranted, name brand proprietary bike rather than try to cobble together something oneself. The 26 pound Scott Contessa at $2700 looks like an awesome deal for what it is, certainly more refined than any DIY conversion and probably more of a pleasure to ride by a long shot.

That said you should do what suits you. The Swytch thru axle looks like a reasonable option. I've never ridden one but a 80 year old neighbor rides a Swytch front motor conversion up and down our neighborhood road which gains 400 feet in 1 mile, mostly in two 20+degree sections. He does work pretty hard and says that his battery only lasts one or two trips up the road. I saw a couple Swytch equipped bikes riding around Crater Lake on the car free days and they seemed to be doing very well. A lot of people make similar intitial posts as yours then never follow up on what they ultimately choose and how it works out for them. It'd be interesting if you do follow up.

I'm curious if the front hub motor's operation affects steering responsiveness.

 

[EMGX]

It sounds like you want a Mahle system and assuming you like your current bike why take a chance on disappointment and regret buying a $1000 - $2000 add on kit when there are better options for a complete bike for not that much of a premium?


video worth watching for scenery alone:

Scott Addict eRide 30 Bike

Engineered for cyclists who seek performance without compromise. Its lightweight HMX carbon frame, combined with the innovative Mahle motor hub, delivers an exhilarating ride on any terrain. With top-tier components and an aerodynamic design, this bike is ready to conquer challenging climbs and...

bikesonline.com

Front hub motors and cadence based assist (rather than torque based) are OK IMO for a casual cruiser bike rider like my wife but not likely to be satisfying for someone who is used to riding premium bikes like your Scott. Also front hub motors put a lot of stress on forks which can even damage or destroy steel and potentially more catastrophic failure with carbon.

Mid drive kits like Pedaluma uses are very heavy and not compatible with carbon frames, other than maybe a CYC Photon.

The Keyde thru axle rear torque sensing kit is interesting and potentially sub 10 pounds depending on the battery but not any real user reviews that I saw. Watch the installation video, looks as easy as changing a wheel and adding a water bottle cage.
Swytch is cadence sensing and just as heavy.

Edit: I watched a video that showed the Addict e-ride has a different more reinforced frame than the standard Addict which might be another reason to not try to kit your bike with an assist motor.

 

[Deacon Blues]

My favourite local bike shop offered me a good deal on an Addict eRide, but I didn't like the bike's 'racer' geometry, which is a shame, because the bike looks awesome.
At 73 my body likes the more relaxed geometry.

One kit that looks interesting is the Boost kit from the UK. The two negatives with this kit is they presently only offer their kits in the UK and they have a 25km motor cutoff. They're very similar to the Mahle setup.
There's also BikeOn, but there has been some problems with their earlier kits.

Shop | Buy Boost electric bike conversion kits directly from us | Boost Bikes

Buy your e-bike conversion system online for DIY install.

boostbike.uk

BikeOn - Turn Your Bicycle To A Smart E-Bike In Seconds

BikeOn is a device that turns any bicycle to a smart e-bike in less than 30 seconds. No tools, skills or bicycle modification required.

bikeon.com

Another kit is Skarper

https://skarper.com/

 

[PedalUma]

If you command a rowboat do you want a lightweight Viking rowing it? Or a strong one? Do you want that big strong Viking far out at one end, or centered low in the middle of the boat? Get a mid-drive, low and centered, one that pulls the chain through the shiftable gears. When some added weight adds multiplied power exponentially and is low and centered, you do not feel the weight, you feel the enhanced torque sensor power. I love the DM02 with the 4mm wire T154 display going through frame with no zip ties and no visible connectors and a battery that looks just like a water bottle. I sell carbon SL Creos at my day job, and can kick their butts with this set-up out in Western Marin on my days off. I have a Vado 4 and can smoke it with a ToSeven DM02.

 

[kevinmccune]

If you command a rowboat do you want a lightweight Viking rowing it? Or a strong one? Do you want that big strong Viking far out at one end, or centered low in the middle of the boat? Get a mid-drive, low and centered, one that pulls the chain through the shiftable gears. When some added weight adds multiplied power exponentially and is low and centered, you do not feel the weight, you feel the enhanced torque sensor power. I love the DM02 with the 4mm wire T154 display going through frame with no zip ties and no visible connectors and a battery that looks just like a water bottle. I sell carbon SL Creos at my day job, and can kick their butts with this set-up out in Western Marin on my days off. I have a Vado 4 and can smoke it with a ToSeven DM02.

View attachment 191034

ah vados,smoke,the good life!