Converting old Raleigh 3 speed

[eshroom]

I'm interested in making a budget, stealth e-bike that can handle a bit of a hill (and is legal i.e. 250w).

I found this kit online https://www.banggood.com/36V-250W-El...r_warehouse=CN

This £50 bike as a donor: http://thebiketube.com/blog/bike-wee...aleigh-3-speed

My thinking is basic hub motors are not geared, Raleigh 3 speeds have geared hubs and so therefore should work with basic hub motors offering efficiency savings and better hill performance.

Of course I am a complete noob, so appreciate any comments or advice on a better (but still budget) set-up.

 

[Dewey]

Not easy I'm afraid, see https://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh26.html. Unique bottom bracket width and threading so you can't easily fit a mid-drive motor. Sheldon Brown said the front fork dropout width is less than 100mm which is narrower than most hub motors, and with thinner axle slots so you would have to spread the fork, realign the axle slots and file them to make it fit, you might think to swap out the fork but then realize you also would have to swap out the headset due to the unique Raleigh 26 tpi threading. It's just easier to use a more modern donor bike.

 

[eshroom]

This kits linked bolts onto the rear part of the frame but is not suitable for heated bikes. This kit should work shouldn't it? None of the problems you listed apply with this kit.

The reason I was thinking of the Raleighs is the hub gears as this kit doesn't work with normal gears.

 

[Dewey]

That’s an MY 1016Z2 24v/36v motor. Only thing I found Googling was this installation video from an Indian seller, there is a screw-on freewheel that requires a cheaper or older derailleur bike wheel using a freewheel, it’s not going to fit on anything with an internal geared hub

 

[eshroom]

Ah I didn't realise that. Thank you. So do you think that precludes all in-hub geared bikes e.g. the newer Peugeot ones? If so can you point me in the direction of a cheap build that could work? It needs to be heated really in order to cope with hills and I'd rather not be breaking the law by going above 250w (though understand a 250w motor can peak much higher).

 

[indianajo]

You should really use a front hub motor. The forks have been a standard width since Caesar was a corporal. Raleigh had steel forks so bending them should not be a problem. The crank of a raleigh is non standard by modern specifications; I've been trying to replace a standard 52 tooth front sprocket on an Austrian 3 speed (Raleigh copy) with a 42 tooth for 3 useful speeds, no go.
Modern mid drives are usually set up for 3/32" width chain, and everything through the 15 speed mountain bikes was 1/4" width chain. The 18 speed mountain bike was the 3/32" chain, as is the 21 speed MTB and all 7 speed rear freewheels on cruisers etc.
I have absolutly no idea what you are saying about a "heated" bike. You've posted it twice now. I ride down to 0 deg F and there is nothing heated on my bike. I do put a heating pad over the battery in the garage at night below freezing to keep the battery from freezing.
If you want to get up hills, get a geared front hub motor. My 1200 W one will start 330 lb on a 15% grade, and push it up to 4 mph from a dead stop on that grade. A $50 cheaper direct drive hub motor will start on that grade but uses a lot more electricity on hilly terrain. DD is useful for going fast in cities.

 

[Dewey]

Nothing beats local knowledge so as you seem to be located in the UK, and this is a predominantly N American forum, I recommend asking on the UK Pedelecs forum https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/categories/conversion-kits.52/

You can buy basic bikes from the bigger stores like Decathlon, Halfords, Evans, etc. for under 150 pounds but the advice usually is to buy the best used bicycle you can afford. Yosepower sell cheap hub motor kits https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/yosepower-hub-kits.30061/

 

[Marci jo]

And what about brakes?
I had a 3-speed bike long time ago. Really like it, very smooth and easy to shift. If I remember correctly it had caliber type brakes on the wheel's rims. They worked ok but only for a not so fast 3 speed bike.
Do you intend to change brakes on you home made ebike? Will the original brakes be sufficient to stop you safely in an emergency, especially at a faster speed?
Just something to think about as you move forward in your project.

 

[Al P]

If you have hills, a 250w motor will strain quite a bit and when you downshift the 3-speed your speed will decrease dramatically. No problem on level roads.

 

[spinnanz]

Here is mine. I had to ditch the 3 speed hub. My new sprocket is a 16T, so its a little taller than the 1:1 ratio the 3 speed hub had (18t). Also the new wheels are a little taller than original, further increasing the ratio slightly. At 60rpm of the crank I should be doing 25kph.

You could fit a cheap external brushed motor kit that mounts the elec motor and its drive sprocket to the opposite side of your normal sprocket, this will allow you to keep the 3 speed. If you had a saddle bag like mine you could cut the back out of it to mostly hide the motor.

 

[Antonella]

Not easy I'm afraid, see https://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh26.html. Unique bottom bracket width and threading so you can't easily fit a mid-drive motor. Sheldon Brown said the front fork dropout width is less than 100mm which is narrower than most hub motors, and with thinner axle slots so you would have to spread the fork, realign the axle slots and file them to make it fit, you might think to swap out the fork but then realize you also would have to swap out the headset due to the unique Raleigh 26 tpi threading. It's just easier to use a more modern donor bike.

The threads are not used when a mid motor is installed so it does not matter that it is 26tpi. The width of the bb is important and they is a range in most emotors.

 

[Dewey]

Yes, in the 18 months since this thread was started I’ve seen examples of vintage Raleigh 3-speeds converted with a Bafang BBS mid-drive, see https://www.bikeforums.net/21311783-post50.html

 

[Antonella]

Thank you Dewey, that is very encouraging!
I hope to
Build it with the smallest battery and motor since I live in a flat city and don't have the best brakes on the bike.
I can use a three speed S/A hub with a coaster brake.
Best to you!

 

[harryS]

This is not for the novice DIY ebiker, but an experienced cheapo DIY ebiker. $66 for a complete, but used front motor/wheel. I ordered one. They come from a rental ebike startup that failed.

26" BAFANG DC36V - Electric Bike Wheel with Tire

This is for a previously used commercial electric bike wheel Listing is for the BAFANG DC36V - 26" Front wheel/Hub Batteries and Controllers are not included, we also just ran out of nuts, washers, and brake calipers. The wheels have good tires, but the tubes might need to be replaced. (tire...

www.batteryclearinghouse.com

It would be nice with an old bike that has a 3 speed rear hub. Poke along all day at 14 mph, well for 90 minutes anyway, on a pair of UL approved hoverboard batteries.

 

[Antonella]

Hahaha, okay maybe not the smallest batteries. Maybe five hours of charge would be good.

 

[Antonella]

And what about brakes?
I had a 3-speed bike long time ago. Really like it, very smooth and easy to shift. If I remember correctly it had caliber type brakes on the wheel's rims. They worked ok but only for a not so fast 3 speed bike.
Do you intend to change brakes on you home made ebike? Will the original brakes be sufficient to stop you safely in an emergency, especially at a faster speed?
Just something to think about as you move forward in your project.

Maybe get a rear hub with a coaster brake in addition to the existing brakes?

 

[EMGX]

Thank you Dewey, that is very encouraging!
I hope to
Build it with the smallest battery and motor since I live in a flat city and don't have the best brakes on the bike.
I can use a three speed S/A hub with a coaster brake.
Best to you!

A typical mid drive won't work with a coaster brake because back pedaling doesn't rotate the chainring. There is a coaster brake version of the Tongsheng TSDZ2 that has a solid final drive gear instead of one with a sprag clutch bearing. Not sure if Bafang has a coaster brake compatible version. I have an '70s Sears 27" 10 speed (when they were built in Austria) that I converted to a 26" 3 speed coaster brake - considering putting a regular non-coaster brake TS into it but I would have to add a rear rim brake.

 

[Dewey]

This is not for the novice DIY ebiker, but an experienced cheapo DIY ebiker. $66 for a complete, but used front motor/wheel. I ordered one. They come from a rental ebike startup that failed.

26" BAFANG DC36V - Electric Bike Wheel with Tire

This is for a previously used commercial electric bike wheel Listing is for the BAFANG DC36V - 26" Front wheel/Hub Batteries and Controllers are not included, we also just ran out of nuts, washers, and brake calipers. The wheels have good tires, but the tubes might need to be replaced. (tire...

www.batteryclearinghouse.com

It would be nice with an old bike that has a 3 speed rear hub. Poke along all day at 14 mph, well for 90 minutes anyway, on a pair of UL approved hoverboard batteries.

Cool, are those the JUMP bike front wheels? I read about them becoming available used when Uber trashed thousands of the bikes last year, glad to see they're still available. Presumably can be hooked up to a Bafang wiring harness, controller, display, with hi-go connectors?

 

[Dewey]

Thank you Dewey, that is very encouraging!
I hope to
Build it with the smallest battery and motor since I live in a flat city and don't have the best brakes on the bike.
I can use a three speed S/A hub with a coaster brake.
Best to you!

Great idea. My wife and I have two 1973 Raleigh Sports, mine I had the shop convert with Sun CR18 aluminum rims and with kool-stop salmon pads it brakes much better. I have a spare BBS01 motor and have been toying with the idea of converting my Raleigh Sports to use with the battery from my daily rider.

Here is a list of parts I need to complete the project:
Battery cradle (Sondors Original 36v battery holder) $91
Display C965 eBay $55
Speed cable + sensor eBay $25
ebrake lever eBay $25
Main wiring harness eBay $25
Anderson power connectors Grin Tech $28
Chain ring + spider Luna Cycle $70
BSB-1 Stabilizer bar California Ebike $25
Sunlite L&R cotterless steel crank arms eBay $24
Sub-total $368

I have a Bikesmith (Mark Stonich) cotter press and fixed cup tool so I could probably remove the cranks & BB myself although I'd be nervous about losing all the ball bearings!

Right now I like riding my Raleigh Sports as a pedal bike, but its nice to daydream

 

[Antonella]

That’s an MY 1016Z2 24v/36v motor. Only thing I found Googling was this installation video from an Indian seller, there is a screw-on freewheel that requires a cheaper or older derailleur bike wheel using a freewheel, it’s not going to fit on anything with an internal geared hub

It does not look very waterproof!