Conversion Info

[Ben L]

Hi All,
I'm brand new to the e bike scene, and I'm already confused. Mid drive, hub drive, throttle, pedal assist, watts, it's confounding. Here is my question:
I have a trek marlin 6. Size is 18.5. I'd really like to convert it to electric. Ideally I'd want a 20+ mph throttle mode, and faster in pedal assist. A 25-30 mile range with hills would be ideal as well. Any advice on what components/strategies I should use.
Also, I have been looking at the leisger md5. Would this bike satisfy my needs?
Thank you!!!!

 

[RoyL]

If you`re converting you own bike and have hills to deal with then the BBS02 750w is the weapon of choice. Couple that with a 15ah-20ah battery and you`re good to go.

Check out the `8-Fun` forum for more details

 

[pocomo]

I recently converted a commuter bike with the BBS02 750W and it is a beast (check out my thread on the e-Rad forum). In fact, I probably would have been fine and had greater range with a 500W. Overall power is pretty amazing, and I never set the pedal assist above level 3 (of 5). It's great fun, takes ALL the drudgery out of cycling and just makes you want to spend more time outdoors!

 

[flymeaway]

I have been looking at the leisger md5. Would this bike satisfy my needs?

Not on the hills. Look into a Bafang BBS02 mid-drive. The 750W 48V system is very capable. The 500W would probably meet your needs too. The battery size for similar capacity would be larger if you choose the 48V system. I have converted bikes using both and systems and would suggest either will work.

Court J.

 

[George S.]

Your 30 mile range will depend a lot on speed. Aerodynamic drag kills ebike 'mileage' as you drift above around 15 mph. You can easily lose half your range going, say, 25 mpg. So, the strategy has to be 'go big' with the battery.

If you look on the battery page for EM3ev, you will now find very large capacities. You can use amp hours and volts, or just watt hours, but a 1000 watt hour battery (1 kwh) is a big battery. You can get big batteries from LunaCycle, more of a value price vendor. You can get large LiFePo batteries on Ebay. This is a safe chemistry, but the batteries are big. These batteries are fairly cheap.

You almost need to design the battery as much as the motor. I am using a MAC motor and feel it is a very nice way to go, front or rear hub. Mine is front. There's tons of info on the BBS02, and there is a new version for power enthusiasts.