EF-MAX
New Member
- Region
- United Kingdom
NEW BIKE, NEW PROJECT: Age, hard to deny, but it is creeping up on me, and I found myself doing less and less mountain biking.. so I decided on a new project; a new electric bike project.
My first ideas were to buy a new complete electric mountain bike and then strip down my old bike and swap the parts over and sell what I did not need. But the price of decent electric bikes were ranging from £4500 to around £15,000, and the bike I did like (after weeks and weeks of research) was a Trek Fuel E9.5 at £6500.
I asked around to see if any company would sell me just the frame, motor, and battery, and I was slammed by everyone with a very loud N.O.! And then, by chance, ICAN, a company that I purchased my last full carbon full suss frame from, was offering just what I wanted, frame only with the optional choice of both motors and batteries.. so I took the plunge and brought a frame, that with shipping and import taxes, came to £820. I later sourced a motor and battery with taxes and shipping for another £950.
The parts list is extensive, but every component is there for a cost-effective reason, and many of the parts have been tried and tested, and some are over 10 years old. My aim for this bike was to create a more commute-friendly off-road enduro bike with an All Mountain flavour. It needed to be light (less than 23kg) compared to a typical 25kg e-mtb; it had to have the best I could afford components and basically provide a more upright and road-friendly ride. What I discovered from my last bike was – I did not need the additional big mega-lumen lights and batteries that I previously had, which shaved an instant 1kg of my weight.
My 7up, with 3000 lumens of output, did for good all day and all night road use, and were more than able to secure me when riding off-road at night (but I have change them now for a lighter set of Lezyne. I came down in tyre size and was still able to retain a high volume look but using tyres that were half the price and more easily secured because of their popularity. I kept the same suspension setup, both back and front, because simply they were nothing better in its price range and at £1100, I was not going to just ditch them, so I serviced both myself and used better lubrication on each.
From the motor side of things, got myself the latest Bafang M510 kit.. ditched the bits I did not need and got myself a new screen, better cranks, chainring and used my old tested Candy 7 pedals from Crank Brothers. I took the new motor, stripped it down and regreased it all up like grease was going out of fashion.
The frame had all the suspension stripped down and repainted in a beautiful metallic black with a candy red flip paint job (looks wicked in the sunshine). I have chosen to build into the frame a GPS tracking system with its own backup battery and fit a Bluetooth tracker with its own 2yr battery (I am so proud of this tried and tested system). I refitted the rear suspension triangle, greased everything up and did a great job of reassembly.
I have rewired everything and have kept cables down to a neat minimum, and have attached my own anti-defence/theft system – bloody effective and will mess up anyone trying to rob me of my bike.
The wheels are my tried and tested super light ICAN Carbon Fat 65mm rims with a set of Nobly Nics tyres. These are great all-round high volume tyres which roll great on the road and yet will grip up the trails like a vice holding on to a nymph in a brothel.
My brakes are way ott, but they are both old and very, very good. Hope hubs, Hope brakes and the M6 & M4 combo with 225mm & 205mm rotors will rip your face off in a sand storm. I use Ceramic and Kevlar pads, and these never let you down. My typical total bike weight and me and the kit is around 120kg.. stopping 120kg going down, for example, a steep volcano at 30-40mph in 35*c temps, requires stopping power, and that power needs to be consistent and 100% reliable.
At the end of the day, this bike is right up my street. While I was waiting for the battery to turn up, I was out riding it; this way, I get to know how the bike feels without power and to that end, my choice of gearing is perfect as I am still fit enough to climb small hills. I have gone for a 40t chain ring and an 11-36 cassette, and that gives me all the range I need on a single 9-speed setup.
* FORKS X-FUSION VENGEANCE HLR 170mm
* HEADSET HOPE * HANDLEBARS CARBON 660mm
* STEM SIX PACK 80mm
* REAR SHOX FOX RP23 * TFT-TUNED TUNING
* MOTOR BAFANG M510 (and programming with K1 Flash and soon BESST)
* CRANKS MARANDA E-Bike (155mm)
* CHAINRING 40t +
* CHAIN SUNRACE 120 link Pro Lite
* CASSETTE SRAM 9 Speed 36/11
* PEDALS Crank Brothers Candy 7
* RIMS ICAN 65mm CARBON FAT-RIMS
* FRONT HUB HOPE PRO 4 (20mm)
* REAR HUB HOPE PRO (148*12mm) inc Thru Bolt
* TYRES NOBLY NIC 26x2.40
* SEAT POST RACEFACE TURBINE PRO
* SADDLE ERGON ST CORE
* F/BRAKES HOPE M6
* F/LEVERS HOPE TECH 3
* F/ROTOR HOPE FLOATING 225mm
* R/BRAKES HOPE M4
* R/LEVERS HOPE TECH 3
* R/ROTOR HOPE FLOATING 205mm
* F/PADS EBC CERAMIC
* R/PADS UKBIKER KEVLAR
* BATTERY BAFANG BT F03
* REAR MECH SCRAM X0-CARBON
* BRAKE HOSES HOPE CARBON (3m) + KIT
* DISPLAY HUIYE BA04
* TRIGGER SCRAM X0-CARBON
* GEAR CABLE CNC PRO SHIFTER
* R/LIGHT 1 LUPINE
* R/LIGHT 2 C&B SEEN (red)
* F/LIGHTS LEZYNE (E-BIKE Macro Drive 1000 + Super Drive 1600XXL)
* REPAINT METALLIC BLACK & PEARL RED
* FRAME ICAN 27.5+ Carbon MTB Boost Frame
Still in the honeymoon phase of testing - M510 (small 10.4Ah battery) - played around with each PAS setting.. The front light on (drawing between 9v – 12v) - My first impressions leaves a smile on my face. I always ride with my lights on 24/7 so I have to factor in their power needs. I have taken the 12v feed off the motor, and run it into a step-down-unit rated at 10A.. this regulates the power supply and allows the LED lamp to run inside its required 7.4v - 9.4v range. The light sensitivity switch on the back of the display, I have taped over as I want my lights on all the time when I am riding and with my display, they come on when I switch the bike on.
The power delivery was not perfect as I found PAS L/1 okayish.. 2-3 not, sure but 3 is where you start to notice a few things (as long as you keep pressure on the pedals. PAS 4 and 5 felt like there could be more to give, but it was holding back.. that said, on the hills in my area and on the way back home, it climbed them with ease and with enough grunt to make cars behind me think twice about overtaking me on the tighter bits.
With that all said, I got a proper workout. Maintaining a speed of 21mmph - 24mph was quite easy in PAS L/3 using a 40t chainring and 11t on the cassette but pedalling any faster meant that my feet were spinning out when going down any inclines.. a bigger chainring is not really an option as 40t has just mm of frame clearance.
When changing gears, it was much better to ease off the pressure, this avoids any clunking sounds and provides a much smoother gear change (the gear shift sensor is in the post).. So at the end of the day.. no cramp in my legs, bum not sore, heart rate elevated, slightly damp tee-shirt but a big grin on my face.. on my first full charge, I did a total of 22 miles of hard riding, and the gauge says 15% left.. I will run it down this first time to see just where the cut-off point is and then charge it back up and run it within a zone that doesn't fully kill the battery.
The K1 Flash has made a good difference, but once the BESST Tool arrives, then I will be able to nail it down to my own tastes.. and by time I fit the battery extender, I am hoping that I can see 50 road miles out of it.. Without the additional accessories, it weighs in at 22.55kg.
Looking forward to chatting with others..
My first ideas were to buy a new complete electric mountain bike and then strip down my old bike and swap the parts over and sell what I did not need. But the price of decent electric bikes were ranging from £4500 to around £15,000, and the bike I did like (after weeks and weeks of research) was a Trek Fuel E9.5 at £6500.
I asked around to see if any company would sell me just the frame, motor, and battery, and I was slammed by everyone with a very loud N.O.! And then, by chance, ICAN, a company that I purchased my last full carbon full suss frame from, was offering just what I wanted, frame only with the optional choice of both motors and batteries.. so I took the plunge and brought a frame, that with shipping and import taxes, came to £820. I later sourced a motor and battery with taxes and shipping for another £950.
The parts list is extensive, but every component is there for a cost-effective reason, and many of the parts have been tried and tested, and some are over 10 years old. My aim for this bike was to create a more commute-friendly off-road enduro bike with an All Mountain flavour. It needed to be light (less than 23kg) compared to a typical 25kg e-mtb; it had to have the best I could afford components and basically provide a more upright and road-friendly ride. What I discovered from my last bike was – I did not need the additional big mega-lumen lights and batteries that I previously had, which shaved an instant 1kg of my weight.
My 7up, with 3000 lumens of output, did for good all day and all night road use, and were more than able to secure me when riding off-road at night (but I have change them now for a lighter set of Lezyne. I came down in tyre size and was still able to retain a high volume look but using tyres that were half the price and more easily secured because of their popularity. I kept the same suspension setup, both back and front, because simply they were nothing better in its price range and at £1100, I was not going to just ditch them, so I serviced both myself and used better lubrication on each.
From the motor side of things, got myself the latest Bafang M510 kit.. ditched the bits I did not need and got myself a new screen, better cranks, chainring and used my old tested Candy 7 pedals from Crank Brothers. I took the new motor, stripped it down and regreased it all up like grease was going out of fashion.
The frame had all the suspension stripped down and repainted in a beautiful metallic black with a candy red flip paint job (looks wicked in the sunshine). I have chosen to build into the frame a GPS tracking system with its own backup battery and fit a Bluetooth tracker with its own 2yr battery (I am so proud of this tried and tested system). I refitted the rear suspension triangle, greased everything up and did a great job of reassembly.
I have rewired everything and have kept cables down to a neat minimum, and have attached my own anti-defence/theft system – bloody effective and will mess up anyone trying to rob me of my bike.
The wheels are my tried and tested super light ICAN Carbon Fat 65mm rims with a set of Nobly Nics tyres. These are great all-round high volume tyres which roll great on the road and yet will grip up the trails like a vice holding on to a nymph in a brothel.
My brakes are way ott, but they are both old and very, very good. Hope hubs, Hope brakes and the M6 & M4 combo with 225mm & 205mm rotors will rip your face off in a sand storm. I use Ceramic and Kevlar pads, and these never let you down. My typical total bike weight and me and the kit is around 120kg.. stopping 120kg going down, for example, a steep volcano at 30-40mph in 35*c temps, requires stopping power, and that power needs to be consistent and 100% reliable.
At the end of the day, this bike is right up my street. While I was waiting for the battery to turn up, I was out riding it; this way, I get to know how the bike feels without power and to that end, my choice of gearing is perfect as I am still fit enough to climb small hills. I have gone for a 40t chain ring and an 11-36 cassette, and that gives me all the range I need on a single 9-speed setup.
* FORKS X-FUSION VENGEANCE HLR 170mm
* HEADSET HOPE * HANDLEBARS CARBON 660mm
* STEM SIX PACK 80mm
* REAR SHOX FOX RP23 * TFT-TUNED TUNING
* MOTOR BAFANG M510 (and programming with K1 Flash and soon BESST)
* CRANKS MARANDA E-Bike (155mm)
* CHAINRING 40t +
* CHAIN SUNRACE 120 link Pro Lite
* CASSETTE SRAM 9 Speed 36/11
* PEDALS Crank Brothers Candy 7
* RIMS ICAN 65mm CARBON FAT-RIMS
* FRONT HUB HOPE PRO 4 (20mm)
* REAR HUB HOPE PRO (148*12mm) inc Thru Bolt
* TYRES NOBLY NIC 26x2.40
* SEAT POST RACEFACE TURBINE PRO
* SADDLE ERGON ST CORE
* F/BRAKES HOPE M6
* F/LEVERS HOPE TECH 3
* F/ROTOR HOPE FLOATING 225mm
* R/BRAKES HOPE M4
* R/LEVERS HOPE TECH 3
* R/ROTOR HOPE FLOATING 205mm
* F/PADS EBC CERAMIC
* R/PADS UKBIKER KEVLAR
* BATTERY BAFANG BT F03
* REAR MECH SCRAM X0-CARBON
* BRAKE HOSES HOPE CARBON (3m) + KIT
* DISPLAY HUIYE BA04
* TRIGGER SCRAM X0-CARBON
* GEAR CABLE CNC PRO SHIFTER
* R/LIGHT 1 LUPINE
* R/LIGHT 2 C&B SEEN (red)
* F/LIGHTS LEZYNE (E-BIKE Macro Drive 1000 + Super Drive 1600XXL)
* REPAINT METALLIC BLACK & PEARL RED
* FRAME ICAN 27.5+ Carbon MTB Boost Frame
Still in the honeymoon phase of testing - M510 (small 10.4Ah battery) - played around with each PAS setting.. The front light on (drawing between 9v – 12v) - My first impressions leaves a smile on my face. I always ride with my lights on 24/7 so I have to factor in their power needs. I have taken the 12v feed off the motor, and run it into a step-down-unit rated at 10A.. this regulates the power supply and allows the LED lamp to run inside its required 7.4v - 9.4v range. The light sensitivity switch on the back of the display, I have taped over as I want my lights on all the time when I am riding and with my display, they come on when I switch the bike on.
The power delivery was not perfect as I found PAS L/1 okayish.. 2-3 not, sure but 3 is where you start to notice a few things (as long as you keep pressure on the pedals. PAS 4 and 5 felt like there could be more to give, but it was holding back.. that said, on the hills in my area and on the way back home, it climbed them with ease and with enough grunt to make cars behind me think twice about overtaking me on the tighter bits.
With that all said, I got a proper workout. Maintaining a speed of 21mmph - 24mph was quite easy in PAS L/3 using a 40t chainring and 11t on the cassette but pedalling any faster meant that my feet were spinning out when going down any inclines.. a bigger chainring is not really an option as 40t has just mm of frame clearance.
When changing gears, it was much better to ease off the pressure, this avoids any clunking sounds and provides a much smoother gear change (the gear shift sensor is in the post).. So at the end of the day.. no cramp in my legs, bum not sore, heart rate elevated, slightly damp tee-shirt but a big grin on my face.. on my first full charge, I did a total of 22 miles of hard riding, and the gauge says 15% left.. I will run it down this first time to see just where the cut-off point is and then charge it back up and run it within a zone that doesn't fully kill the battery.
The K1 Flash has made a good difference, but once the BESST Tool arrives, then I will be able to nail it down to my own tastes.. and by time I fit the battery extender, I am hoping that I can see 50 road miles out of it.. Without the additional accessories, it weighs in at 22.55kg.
Looking forward to chatting with others..
