Converting old Raleigh 3 speed

[Dewey]

Yes, it does have a rear coaster brake built in!

If you want to fit a mid-drive kit motor, I think another forum member @PedalUma converts pedal bikes with coaster brakes using the TSDZ2 motor.

 

[harryS]

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?

They are the Jump wheels. I bought two. Both work. The showstopper for me right now is that the rims are curved, and not optimized for caliper brakes, although two people report they can stop with rim brakes. I might just swap the rims, as I know how to do that.

 

[Antonella]

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

Oh please do it! I look forward to seeing that and I will do mine too!

 

[PedalUma]

If you want to fit a mid-drive kit motor, I think another forum member @PedalUma converts pedal bikes with coaster brakes using the TSDZ2 motor.

Here are a couple of three-speeds with a coaster brake. These are great for people with carpal tunnel or other hand issues. Also they are super fun to ride. Of course only shift when coasting. There are a couple of odd things 1) slow down on pedaling speed before coasting, 2) Roll the bike backwards, stop to start up the display while off the bike before riding. I can explain more about thing one and thing two later.

 

[john peck]

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.

Old Raleighs never die, well almost never. I had one just like that, painted it gold but left the fenders coffee.
I think yours is a great idea, If nothing else it is a an inexpensive way to learn the ropes before getting too
invested in something you can´t afford to break.

 

[JohnnyGee]

I’ve converted a 3 speed Raleigh using a Tongsheng tsdz2. The conversion itself was pretty straightforward apart from refitting the chain guard. As others have mentioned, brakes become an issue so I changed to Dia compes and Kool Stops and it works great.

 

[Dewey]

I’ve converted a 3 speed Raleigh using a Tongsheng tsdz2. The conversion itself was pretty straightforward apart from refitting the chain guard. As others have mentioned, brakes become an issue so I changed to Dia compes and Kool Stops and it works great.

Good tire & brake choice, and a very tidy wiring job! How do you like your Brooks grips, they say the leather washers feel soft to touch but how do they feel after a few hours riding? Nice idea to do a matching paint job on the battery & motor, did you buy the Raleigh decals off eBay?

 

[fauconnier]

I particularly like the all blue conversion and leather combination.

 

[JohnnyGee]

Good tire & brake choice, and a very tidy wiring job! How do you like your Brooks grips, they say the leather washers feel soft to touch but how do they feel after a few hours riding? Nice idea to do a matching paint job on the battery & motor, did you buy the Raleigh decals off eBay?

Thank you! I like them - they’re very non slip without being sticky, and seem less tiring than the rubberised cork I had on before. Yes the decals were from eBay, just to tie the whole thing together

 

[Antonella]

I’ve converted a 3 speed Raleigh using a Tongsheng tsdz2. The conversion itself was pretty straightforward apart from refitting the chain guard. As others have mentioned, brakes become an issue so I changed to Dia compes and Kool Stops and it works great.

What a beautiful job! How did you attach the battery? I don't believe it has any attachments for water bottles.

 

[JohnnyGee]

What a beautiful job! How did you attach the battery? I don't believe it has any attachments for water bottles.

Thanks! I drilled the frame for three rivnuts, it’s pretty secure as long as the battery is locked on the base. The leather straps are a little extra security

 

[PedalUma]

Thanks! I drilled the frame for three rivnuts, it’s pretty secure as long as the battery is locked on the base. The leather straps are a little extra security

Masterfully done! The paint. The attention to detail. The style. Did you cover the black wire to the display with white shrink tube? It looks great. I have yet to refit a chain guard. Brilliant. Perfect for a Tweed Run.

 

[JohnnyGee]

Masterfully done! The paint. The attention to detail. The style. Did you cover the black wire to the display with white shrink tube? It looks great. I have yet to refit a chain guard. Brilliant. Perfect for a Tweed Run.

Thank you! Yes the wiring was covered in silver expanding sleeving to match the brake and gear cables. I had to totally change the way the chain guard was attached, if I did it again I’d probably just use a Hebie chain glider. I’ve never done a tweed run, but I often cycle in tweeds in the winter - linen in the summer . Yours look great, what capacity batteries are those?

 

[PedalUma]

Thank you! Yes the wiring was covered in silver expanding sleeving to match the brake and gear cables. I had to totally change the way the chain guard was attached, if I did it again I’d probably just use a Hebie chain glider. I’ve never done a tweed run, but I often cycle in tweeds in the winter - linen in the summer . Yours look great, what capacity batteries are those?

I need to step up my game! I do a layer of Marino wool on many rides. It breaths and the texture creates a smooth air flow. Sharks and birds use this fluid dynamic principle. These batteries go into a standard water bottle cage. Sometimes I use 10.5 often 7.2Ah.

tweed run - Google Search

 

[Antonella]

Hello ebike Babes and Boys!
It appears that Bafang has updated their midmotors due to be released in June!
They have solved some problems that bothered me like the fact that the motor becomes loose. I can't say it is the most visually appealing method and seems a cheap way to solve this issue but it must do the trick.
Also, I like how they allow the use of hose clamps to attach the gigantic battery to the frame if you don't have water bottle screws or do not want to drill holes in your frame which I don't want to do!

 

[tomjasz]

It appears that Bafang has updated their midmotors due to be released in June!

If this release goes like the BBS01, BBS01B, BBS02, BBS02B, BBSHD(A), and BBSHD(B) I'd avoid the upgrade until I saw a parts stream and actual support. The earliest days of BBSxx series were a nightmare with no support other than forums. There are still issues with parts and compatibility with the Ultra and Ultra style Bafang mid drives.

 

[Antonella]

Thank you for the warning. Good to know.

 

[PedalUma]

Thank you for the warning. Good to know.

I use a shortened hack saw blade when installing Bafang mid-drives. I cut into the left side of the bottom bracket a radial clock face 1.5mm deep every 40 degrees. This prevents the motor, including HD's from shifting and a pipe clamp is not required. Thank you for the video. In my opinion the bike looked relatively sloppy when completed, unlike @JohnnyGee's builds. Clean. I converted a mid-eighties bike yesterday for a man with knee issues so he can ride again with his family. How do the wire runs and connectors look?

 

[Antonella]

I’ve converted a 3 speed Raleigh using a Tongsheng tsdz2. The conversion itself was pretty straightforward apart from refitting the chain guard. As others have mentioned, brakes become an issue so I changed to Dia compes and Kool Stops and it works great.

Is the 250W motor adequate for hills and such? I cant decide between a 250 or 500w Tongsheng motor for my classic Raleigh. I am afraid of having too much power and going too fast on my rim brake bike but maybe with a larger motor I can limit the top end and have a more reliable cooler motor. Does a 250 w motor run more efficiently and have longer battery life?

 

[PedalUma]

The lower Nominal power drain rate is preferable for range. Ditch the speed sensor to hit the peeks of power. For me 305W is ideal on my classic three-speed. It has a half-link chain and gravel tires. I rode it fast on a gravel path several minutes ago to make an appointment to repair a Vado's display. That bike keeps being my go to bike because it is so much fun. I use these pads with twice the surface area and they can lock it up if needed. The inserts are replaceable and come in colors.