Convert my 80s Peugeot to electric or get a new electric?

[PedalUma]

@doubleaxe,
Yes it is a play on Petaluma. Peta, by the way is much larger than Meta, so welcome to the Peta-verse! "Peta (/ˈpɛtə/) is a decimal unit prefix in the metric system denoting multiplication by one quadrillion, or 1015 (1000000000000000)." A Lumen is one Lux per square meter. I don't really know scientifically what it is to be a Peta-Lumen? Must have something to do with lasers? Zuckerberg might know from the Meta-verse.

The primary advantage of a mid-drive is that the force is multiplied by the gears. That is not true with hub-drives. At least run it through a three speed to see the benefits. IMO a motorized fixie sounds like a death trap. Just measure your tire clearance. Use both height and width. I am digging some WTB Riddlers. They barley fit one of my bikes at 38mm. It may be that your bike is a little too narrow to make a good conversion. I do not like going under 32. Just go with the largest that will safely fit the rim, frame and brakes.

 

[Art Deco]

IDK what the classic road bike is worth, but it may make financial sense to sell it and buy a newer but lower quality bike just to convert. A bit of extra weight isn't really a big deal when you have a motor ...

 

[Gionnirocket]

IDK what the classic road bike is worth, but it may make financial sense to sell it and buy a newer but lower quality bike just to convert. A bit of extra weight isn't really a big deal when you have a motor ...

To me it comes down to whether or not you really like the bike and enjoy riding it with the caveat that it's convertible without much necessary alterations.
New can be nice too, but converting what you have has a green angle as well.

 

[PedalUma]

All true. When the guy brought in the 1980 Univega yesterday it would take $595 to make it operate as a functional not so great old bike. That is when I realized I could buy a nice new classic type of bike for $549, so I got two. As parts these bikes must be worth twice that. What would just the wheels be worth. $220 each?

 

[doubleaxe]

The main reason I want something light is I live on the side of a hill. So I have to lug my bike up about 18 steep steps and then downstairs to the basement. I used to live in the bay area so would regular carry my bike up and down steps to get to and from the subway. I've done it enough to know heavy bikes do not make good friends when steps are involved.

 

[doubleaxe]

@PedalUma Beautiful photos! My brother in law had an internship in Petaluma a few years ago. He would always call it "Pet a llama" when we drove through Marin county.

The more I think about converting the old Peugeot now makes me feel like it's not a great idea. I like the aesthetics of the older bikes so much.

 

[Art Deco]

The main reason I want something light is I live on the side of a hill. So I have to lug my bike up about 18 steep steps and then downstairs to the basement. I used to live in the bay area so would regular carry my bike up and down steps to get to and from the subway. I've done it enough to know heavy bikes do not make good friends when steps are involved.

Very true. Stay away from folders in general ... seems like a good idea until you see the weights on them ... 70+ pounds is normal.

 

[doubleaxe]

Won't heavier bikes use more electricity as well?

 

[Art Deco]

Won't heavier bikes use more electricity as well?

Yes. A heavier bike needs a bigger motor, a bigger motor needs a bigger battery for the same range, a bigger motor and battery will go faster, which requires a heavier bike to stand up to the shocks, and so on in a spiral ...

 

[PedalUma]

There are a ton of factors impacting range. The quality of the bearings in the wheels, wind resistance, pedaling technique ... Total weight is mostly a big factor in stop and go situations and in handling. But as mentioned weight is a viscous cycle. R&M bikes are like this.
@doubleaxe, Did you notice that my avatar is a llama in a saffron robe? It is sort of like Dolly the Sheep but this one is the pettable PedalUma Dolly-Llama

 

[john peck]

Show a photo John. I love it. My first conversion was a Bafang Mid on a new 650B (27.5) $299 on sale MTB from Dick's Sporting Goods. Here it is. It was mess. But I was happy because of my investment in ownership and creativity. Avoid a hub motor if you can.

My old 1080 is d e a d, but I just sprang $40 for a new one on ebay to placate you. should be here in a week.
In the meantime I try to find a way to make it look good

 

[AHicks]

As far as consumption, my experience has shown 2 identical bikes riding side by side on a level surface, will use about the same amount of power, even if one is a 500w and the other is 1000w - all else being equal. Even on a slight grade that's true. The difference starts showing up when the grade increases to the point the 500w motor can no longer keep up with the 1000w, THAT'S when the bigger motor consumption numbers start to climb as compared to the 500's. It's consumption has increased because it's able to make more power.

And sure, when you first get a bike with a big motor, there's a tendency to be ham fisted with it, battery mileage be damned. That's on you though, not because the motor is bigger....

Bottom line, a bigger motor will use more power only when MAKING more power.

 

[john peck]

Yes. A heavier bike needs a bigger motor, a bigger motor needs a bigger battery for the same range, a bigger motor and battery will go faster, which requires a heavier bike to stand up to the shocks, and so on in a spiral ...

One thing I´ve found about a heavy bike, they will carry momentum once they´re rolling good. As long
as I´m not climbing mine doesn´t need a lot of juice to maintain speed.

 

[Art Deco]

As far as consumption, my experience has shown 2 identical bikes riding side by side on a level surface, will use about the same amount of power, even if one is a 500w and the other is 1000w - all else being equal. Even on a slight grade that's true. The difference starts showing up when the grade increases to the point the 500w motor can no longer keep up with the 1000w, THAT'S when the bigger motor consumption numbers start to climb as compared to the 500's. It's consumption has increased because it's able to make more power.

And sure, when you first get a bike with a big motor, there's a tendency to be ham fisted with it, battery mileage be damned. That's on you though, not because the motor is bigger....

Bottom line, a bigger motor will use more power only when MAKING more power.

Sure. A 500 watt motor probably weighs about the same as a 250 watt motor. The weight spiral mostly happens when the bike is built up to take advantage of the extra power you paid for.

 

[PedalUma]

A friend of a friend has one of these. https://electricbikereview.com/riese-muller/culture-gt-vario/ It is 78 pounds with the second battery. Bikes half that weight are so much better. I can understand when weight does something, like a strong chain.

 

[john peck]

Show a photo John. I love it. My first conversion was a Bafang Mid on a new 650B (27.5) $299 on sale MTB from Dick's Sporting Goods. Here it is. It was mess. But I was happy because of my investment in ownership and creativity. Avoid a hub motor if you can.

Well. camera arrived today. misleading ad led me to believe sd card included. Ad failed to mention
it only works with MS 98, Me, 2000, or XP. Iḿ a bit PO´ed. Only bot it cuz it uses AA bats, & They
want as much for a battery for my old cam as for this cam,(actually more). The camel straw is that
I just saw ad for same cam at 1/3 what I paid. Ooo, I´m sending it back, & ebay getting some
special feedback

 

[doubleaxe]

@PedalUma I was in New Orleans last week and took one of their city bikes that looked a lot like the one you linked. It was nice. It didn't really feel like biking but more like riding on a scooter. That is until the battery ran out near the end of my ride. That thing was a beast to get around on with no assist. It made me want to have something where I can control the amount of motor assist but also a bike where I can be more upright. I still have to hunch over on my Peugeot a little because my handlebars do not go up any further. I would need to change those to something with a little more rise and sweep for a more comfortable riding position. I just feel more aware of traffic around me when I'm more upright.

 

[PedalUma]

@PedalUma I was in New Orleans last week and took one of their city bikes that looked a lot like the one you linked. It was nice. It didn't really feel like biking but more like riding on a scooter. That is until the battery ran out near the end of my ride. That thing was a beast to get around on with no assist. It made me want to have something where I can control the amount of motor assist but also a bike where I can be more upright. I still have to hunch over on my Peugeot a little because my handlebars do not go up any further. I would need to change those to something with a little more rise and sweep for a more comfortable riding position. I just feel more aware of traffic around me when I'm more upright.

Take a look at moustache bars. You will need to put a caliper on yours to find the diameter before you order. Others have already seen this but I finished the pink bike yesterday. It feels nothing like a scooter. It just amplifies your input. It took a while for some parts to arrive for the build.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Take a look at moustache bars. You will need to put a caliper on yours to find the diameter before you order. Others have already seen this but I finished the pink bike yesterday. It feels nothing like a scooter. It just amplifies your input. It took a while for some parts to arrive for the build.

You're builds are so clean!
And this is more of a personal petpeeve than criticism... But we got to think of away to eliminate the plastic ties around the downtube... They're like salt in my eyes

Maybe some smaller version of this... attached with some 3M VHB Tape?

 

[Nomad]

I have a 80s road bike that's extremely light. I've swapped the drop bars for more of a straight bar and it now has a rack in the back. I have some pretty skinny tires on there as well.

I'm just wondering if I were to convert this to an electric, do you have any suggestions for what type of battery to get? I'm new to the topic of electric bikes but am very curious.

I would mostly be using it for commuting around town. I live in Pittsburgh and there are a number of potholes around and the drivers are not the most bike friendly.

I would look at options for both put honestly lean toward a Ebike that was make as one and is not department store quality. That Peugeot is well made road bike from back in the day but take out a bike like that's been converted for a good few days and see how she really works. Also try something new with hydraulic disc brakes.