custom wheel lacing?

[Twizzler]

Hi! I've got a Choice Collective two-speed crank 36 inch custom. Would love to find a power hub that can be laced into the rear wheel. It's got 36 inch rims, 50 spokes, and a 145mm drop-out width. Photo attached. I'd like to find a custom shop I can send the wheel to and have them lace one in. Probably need a blank hub so that the spoke holes can be drilled to fit. I've installed a few ebike kits so am pretty capable, but not for this. A mid-drive would be cool too, but the frame is so big that would get complicated. Any thoughts/ideas would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks

 

[indianajo]

I've looked at a lot of hub motors on the internet. Your choices are 32 holes and 36 holes. To get a blank undrilled hubmotor you'd have to speak Mandarin. Maybe Em3EV in HK could negotiate something for you, but you'd have to make it worth his while. 28" rims are out there, more common is 700 mm, maybe you could compromise? Where do you buy tires & tubes?
US shops don't see a lot of profit in the hub motor market, they would rather sell whole bikes. Even parts specialists - I've ordered a MAC12t geared hub motor twice and have zero deliveries. Electricbikes.com cancelled my order because we have 15% hills in southern Indiana, and Lunacycle the order is 8 weeks old, ???? ebikeling sold me a private label geared hub motor which I am using but he doesn't keep 48 v ones anymore. Direct drive hubs drag unpowered; I have a $189 one but seriously don't like pedaling it. Not paying $700 for a crystal direct drive, hear me electricbikes.com?

 

[Twizzler]

Ah, that's good to know. Sounds like I'm looking at a mid-drive then to make this work. Thanks for the input. Choice Collective makes 36 inch unicycles as does a place in Chattanooga, TN, so tires and tubes are available. Fortunately they are so big they roll slow and wear out slowly!

 

[harryS]

If you were able to drill a motor for spoke holes, you can probably convert a 36 hole flange to 50 holes. Start with the first existing hole and lay out the position for 49 more, It will turn out that around 14-16 holes will be close enough to an existing hole that you can use it. The spoke length might be a little off for the holes that you re-use, but not a problem if that 36" wheel is double wall.

Even with my drill press, I'm not good enough to do the above machine work. You have to countersink those holes for spoke heads.

It would be a good looking bike with dual hub motors.

 

[JRA]

You might try giving this guy a call: http://waltworks.com/

I think Walt had some lesser hole rims made, I know he did tires for sure.