Hi all, New member here and need advice. Thanks

[Rainer]

I bought a Trek 7300 (see link ) in 2006 brand new. Use it just a few times times that Summer. Winter came then spring and there was no air in both tires. Yes it was stored in a cold garage that's why the tire deflated. Got my pump and it wouldn't inflate the tires. Got so frustrated I just used my old beater bike which pump had no problem inflating the tires. It's been in storage all these years and looks brand new . I found out later it had Presta valves. By then it was in storage and just stayed there all these years.

Anyway..it has been stored ever since and still looks brand new after all these years. I now have a bad knee so going to buy an E kit for the Trek 7300.

I want to use it for commuting and leisure on the weekends. Mainly for commute to work. My commute is about 10 miles each way give or take. Mostly flat pavement. I weigh 150lbs.

This commute is from Brooklyn NY into Manhattan and we have tons of potholes. Really bad this year due to all the snow (salt) we had.

I'm new at E bikes and I have information overload, which means I'm so confused.

I need a rear hub being it's much quieter than mid drive from what I been reading. Don't want to be zooming around NYC with a loud bike and getting stopped by the cops.

My Budget is $1100.... $1500 if I have to.

I want to be able to shut it off so I can peddle manually when knee feels up to it. Or at least peddle assist. I want several assist modes and gears. My bike has 24.

Hoping to get something that will give me at least 30 mile range to play it safe for peace of mind and go at least 20mph to 30mph. And under 20 mph when I have to cruise. I need a throttle if I have the need for a speed burst to get out of the way of danger. Taxis here are nuts swerving in and out of traffic and into bike lanes.

I do not want a Rack battery.

I want a Bottle Mount battery like the Falco Bottle Mount Lithium Ion ..it's more stealthy. Is this battery as good as LiFePO4 batteries or better ? I read so many different reviews and still confused.

Are there other bottle mount batteries that are better than Falco that are LiFePO4 ?

I don't want to buy any kits from Chinese dealers on Ebay or Alibr. I'm afraid of getting a bogus battery
that might cause a fire .

I'm not sure how to match up a motor with a battery for my needs. So any help is greatly appreciated.

I was thinking 1500 watt motor and 48Volt battery ,but falco doesn't have a 48volt bottle mount battery.

Thanks again for any assistance.

Link to my bike which looks as new as the picture.
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bike...etails?url=us/en/bikes/2005/archive/trek/7300

 

[stevenast]

to summarize, you want:
1. Convert your Trek
2. For < $1500
3. To stealthy,
4. Long-range (mid-range anyway),
5. high-powered 1500w, 48v,
6. Road-illegal in U.S. and banned in NYC

 

[stevenast]

First, disregarding the law, that is a lot of power for a conventional aluminum-framed bike to handle. Standard spokes and no disc brakes to cope with the added weight and speed. Safety is concern #1.

Second, stealth is hard to come by in a kit, especially on the cheap. I don't think the bottle batteries are going to fool anybody, do you? Take a look at the batteries in the Easy Motion line, for example, for well-engineered stealth.

I agree that a geared, rear hub motor is a good choice probably.

I would be interested to see what some people who actually ride conversion bikes have to say... Also you could try the 8fun forum, among others...

 

[J.R.]

I bought a Trek 7300 (see link ) in 2006 brand new. Use it just a few times times that Summer. Winter came then spring and there was no air in both tires. Yes it was stored in a cold garage that's why the tire deflated. Got my pump and it wouldn't inflate the tires. Got so frustrated I just used my old beater bike which pump had no problem inflating the tires. It's been in storage all these years and looks brand new . I found out later it had Presta valves. By then it was in storage and just stayed there all these years.

Anyway..it has been stored ever since and still looks brand new after all these years. I now have a bad knee so going to buy an E kit for the Trek 7300.

I want to use it for commuting and leisure on the weekends. Mainly for commute to work. My commute is about 10 miles each way give or take. Mostly flat pavement. I weigh 150lbs.

This commute is from Brooklyn NY into Manhattan and we have tons of potholes. Really bad this year due to all the snow (salt) we had.

I'm new at E bikes and I have information overload, which means I'm so confused.

I need a rear hub being it's much quieter than mid drive from what I been reading. Don't want to be zooming around NYC with a loud bike and getting stopped by the cops.

My Budget is $1100.... $1500 if I have to.

I want to be able to shut it off so I can peddle manually when knee feels up to it. Or at least peddle assist. I want several assist modes and gears. My bike has 24.

Hoping to get something that will give me at least 30 mile range to play it safe for peace of mind and go at least 20mph to 30mph. And under 20 mph when I have to cruise. I need a throttle if I have the need for a speed burst to get out of the way of danger. Taxis here are nuts swerving in and out of traffic and into bike lanes.

I do not want a Rack battery.

I want a Bottle Mount battery like the Falco Bottle Mount Lithium Ion ..it's more stealthy. Is this battery as good as LiFePO4 batteries or better ? I read so many different reviews and still confused.

Are there other bottle mount batteries that are better than Falco that are LiFePO4 ?

I don't want to buy any kits from Chinese dealers on Ebay or Alibr. I'm afraid of getting a bogus battery
that might cause a fire .

I'm not sure how to match up a motor with a battery for my needs. So any help is greatly appreciated.

I was thinking 1500 watt motor and 48Volt battery ,but falco doesn't have a 48volt bottle mount battery.

Thanks again for any assistance.

Link to my bike which looks as new as the picture.
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bike...etails?url=us/en/bikes/2005/archive/trek/7300

Hi Rainer and welcome. 1500 watts is a lot of power and weight for your bike and far more power than I feel you need. You would need a huge and heavy battery to push 1500 watts, 30 miles. I think that Trek is a nice bike, but worrying only about getting up to speed in a dangerous place like NYC streets is only half the problem, what about stopping on a dime to save yourself from that out of control taxi? For your want list an Easy Motion bike might be ideal. If you are going to build the Trek, I believe all you would need is a 350w geared or a 500w direct drive, 750w DD max. Plus the best brakes you can. Good luck!

 

[Rainer]

Hi stevenast and J.R.

First off thanks for taking the time to reply...much appreciated.

I should mention 60% of my commute will be on bike paths where there are no cars along the Hudson . Not many people running or biking at all on this path during morning rush hour and evening rush hour when I will be using it.

20% will be in out of the way of most traffic that has bike lanes.

15% will in traffic that has bike lanes.

5% will be going over the Brooklyn bridge which allows bikes.

I was thinking more higher speeds for the 60% of trip. After much thought and reading your replies I think the higher speeds aren't a great idea. Plus it gets expensive and safety is and should always be number one.

Yes, one of my main concerns is braking. Most likely Won't be using any speed when biking the 15% portion, but braking still is a major concern .

Can I convert my bike to Disc brakes ?
If yes, which brand is most reliable?
I'm extremely handy.

I'm now thinking of the Falco 500watt motor and a 36V falco battery.

Will this set up be sufficient for my commute which is about 10 miles each way (20 miles total ) give or take.

Also, the falco motor is a gearless rear hub. Is this motor more quiet than a geared DD motor ?

From what I been reading gearless motors have a tendency to overheat . Should this be a concern for me ?

I figured gearless would be better than gear because gears wear out. With gearless I can just wait for it to cool down in a pinch , but with gears , if it breaks I'm screwed.

What's your take on gears as oppose to gearless ?

Thanks so much !!

 

[George S.]

http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=45&product_id=179

A kit like this is worth looking at. Paul is in Hong Kong, and the shipping on batteries is high with the Hazmat stuff.

His batteries are widely discussed and well-regarded.

 

[J.R.]

Hi stevenast and J.R.

First off thanks for taking the time to reply...much appreciated.

I should mention 60% of my commute will be on bike paths where there are no cars along the Hudson . Not many people running or biking at all on this path during morning rush hour and evening rush hour when I will be using it.

20% will be in out of the way of most traffic that has bike lanes.

15% will in traffic that has bike lanes.

5% will be going over the Brooklyn bridge which allows bikes.

I was thinking more higher speeds for the 60% of trip. After much thought and reading your replies I think the higher speeds aren't a great idea. Plus it gets expensive and safety is and should always be number one.

Yes, one of my main concerns is braking. Most likely Won't be using any speed when biking the 15% portion, but braking still is a major concern .

Can I convert my bike to Disc brakes ?
If yes, which brand is most reliable?
I'm extremely handy.

I'm now thinking of the Falco 500watt motor and a 36V falco battery.

Will this set up be sufficient for my commute which is about 10 miles each way (20 miles total ) give or take.

Also, the falco motor is a gearless rear hub. Is this motor more quiet than a geared DD motor ?

From what I been reading gearless motors have a tendency to overheat . Should this be a concern for me ?

I figured gearless would be better than gear because gears wear out. With gearless I can just wait for it to cool down in a pinch , but with gears , if it breaks I'm screwed.

What's your take on gears as oppose to gearless ?

Thanks so much !!

@George S. has posted a really nice kit to consider. Falco makes an interesting kit also, but there have been a few somewhat minor problems. Check out the Falco Forum, there are some experienced members there. Unfortunately a kit may not give you the ultimate reliability with a bumper to bumper warrantee you want for a long range commuter. When you add up the total cost of bike+kit+brakes+++, you get close to the cost of a purpose built ebike. Kits have a strong place in ebiking and a kit may very well be the best option for you, just make sure you've considered everything. Good luck!

 

[stevenast]

A conversion is a dream of mine too, however I think it's most appropriate for someone who likes to tinker, more about the journey than the destination!

As J.R. points out above, there is no real savings and extra risk. if you're doing it because you love your bike, and you're enthusiastic about the time spent working and problem solving, then I say go for it!

 

[Rainer]

http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=45&product_id=179

A kit like this is worth looking at. Paul is in Hong Kong, and the shipping on batteries is high with the Hazmat stuff.

His batteries are widely discussed and well-regarded.

Hi George,

Thanks for the link. Seems like they have great kits with many options. Cost for their kits are nice...wish they were located here in the States.

Just worried about shipping back and forth if something had to be returned. ..could be several weeks to a month.

I'm still up in the air on what to do.

Thanks George for your reply.

 

[stevenast]

http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=45&product_id=187

I was looking at this mid-drive...

 

[Rainer]

@George S. has posted a really nice kit to consider. Falco makes an interesting kit also, but there have been a few somewhat minor problems. Check out the Falco Forum, there are some experienced members there. Unfortunately a kit may not give you the ultimate reliability with a bumper to bumper warrantee you want for a long range commuter. When you add up the total cost of bike+kit+brakes+++, you get close to the cost of a purpose built ebike. Kits have a strong place in ebiking and a kit may very well be the best option for you, just make sure you've considered everything. Good luck!

Hey JR,

I've been reading the Falco forum and the only problem I read about is the wireless controller not syncing. I rather hardwired anyway.

Also some had to dial in the motor using Falcos software.

Is there anything else I should look into ?

Thanks !

 

[Rainer]

http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=45&product_id=187

I was looking at this mid-drive...

Aren't Mid-Drives more noisy than a rear hub ?

 

[stevenast]

Yes, generally more noisy they say, but also resulting in a lighter and more efficient bike. "Lighter" as in less stressful on an ordinary bike frame.

 

[J.R.]

Hey JR,

I've been reading the Falco forum and the only problem I read about is the wireless controller not syncing. I rather hardwired anyway.

Also some had to dial in the motor using Falcos software.

Is there anything else I should look into ?

Thanks !

Hey Rainer, I think those are the only minor nagging issues I've heard of.

 

[J.R.]

Hi stevenast and J.R.

First off thanks for taking the time to reply...much appreciated.

I should mention 60% of my commute will be on bike paths where there are no cars along the Hudson . Not many people running or biking at all on this path during morning rush hour and evening rush hour when I will be using it.

20% will be in out of the way of most traffic that has bike lanes.

15% will in traffic that has bike lanes.

5% will be going over the Brooklyn bridge which allows bikes.

I was thinking more higher speeds for the 60% of trip. After much thought and reading your replies I think the higher speeds aren't a great idea. Plus it gets expensive and safety is and should always be number one.

Yes, one of my main concerns is braking. Most likely Won't be using any speed when biking the 15% portion, but braking still is a major concern .

Can I convert my bike to Disc brakes ?
If yes, which brand is most reliable?
I'm extremely handy.

I'm now thinking of the Falco 500watt motor and a 36V falco battery.

Will this set up be sufficient for my commute which is about 10 miles each way (20 miles total ) give or take.

Also, the falco motor is a gearless rear hub. Is this motor more quiet than a geared DD motor ?

From what I been reading gearless motors have a tendency to overheat . Should this be a concern for me ?

I figured gearless would be better than gear because gears wear out. With gearless I can just wait for it to cool down in a pinch , but with gears , if it breaks I'm screwed.

What's your take on gears as oppose to gearless ?

Thanks so much !!

I don't know if you've found all the answers you needed. On the issue of converting your current bike to disk brakes, consider the costs. It can be done, but is expensive. Disk brakes will give you great stopping power and I like them very much. I do have bikes with very good rim brakes and they work fairly well in the dry, for the 20mph and under range. No matter how much power you add to your bike I don't expect your average speed will be more than that. Comfort-hybrids have their limitations.

Here's a link to a prudent Q&A on adding disk brakes to a non disk brake bike.

 

[Rainer]

I don't know if you've found all the answers you needed. On the issue of converting your current bike to disk brakes, consider the costs. It can be done, but is expensive. Disk brakes will give you great stopping power and I like them very much. I do have bikes with very good rim brakes and they work fairly well in the dry, for the 20mph and under range. No matter how much power you add to your bike I don't expect your average speed will be more than that. Comfort-hybrids have their limitations.

Here's a link to a prudent Q&A on adding disk brakes to a non disk brake bike.

Very helpful link JR..thanks.

Well after reading the article it seems my frame is ready for DB's ,but I would have to get new rims. Being that I won't be riding under wet conditions the rim brakes will do. They are actually very good.

I'm trying to figure out the drop-out angle of the Trek 7300 (2005 model). Hard to tell if it's vertical or almost vertical .

Also need the over the locknut dimension.

Online manual doesn't give theses detail specs.

Would you happen to know ?


Thanks again !

 

[J.R.]

Very helpful link JR..thanks.

Well after reading the article it seems my frame is ready for DB's ,but I would have to get new rims. Being that I won't be riding under wet conditions the rim brakes will do. They are actually very good.

I'm trying to figure out the drop-out angle of the Trek 7300 (2005 model). Hard to tell if it's vertical or almost vertical .

Also need the over the locknut dimension.

Online manual doesn't give theses detail specs.

Would you happen to know ?


Thanks again !

Hey Rainer,
Your learning curve looks vertical! Your Trek has gears so it has vertical drop-outs. The dimensions would be easy to measure yourself, take the wheel of and put a ruler to it. Any doubts call a Trek dealer and ask the service manager. Just tell them the bike and the dimensions you require, there would have been several models with the same dimensions. Don't worry you will pay them back, when you put electric to your bike and ride the kind of miles you're planning you will require maintenance parts. The price we all pay, cheaper than auto maintenance. I frequent a local Trek dealer for accessories, I like Trek products very much. I see a Trek FX (or similar) in my future!

 

[Rainer]

Hey Rainer,
Your learning curve looks vertical! Your Trek has gears so it has vertical drop-outs. The dimensions would be easy to measure yourself, take the wheel of and put a ruler to it. Any doubts call a Trek dealer and ask the service manager. Just tell them the bike and the dimensions you require, there would have been several models with the same dimensions. Don't worry you will pay them back, when you put electric to your bike and ride the kind of miles you're planning you will require maintenance parts. The price we all pay, cheaper than auto maintenance. I frequent a local Trek dealer for accessories, I like Trek products very much. I see a Trek FX (or similar) in my future!

Hi J.R.

I thought some bikes with gears can also have "almost vertical drop outs 15 % off vertical " ...is this true or not?

I've always been an avid bike rider ,but my experience has been limited to
fixing a flat, changing brake pads and adjusting gears with the H and L screw.

Other than that I'm clueless ,but I'm researching and learning..lol

Thanks again ,much appreciated !

 

[J.R.]

"Almost vertical" would be vertical, as I understand it. If you have a cassette or freewheel, it's vertical. If you have any doubts call your Trek dealer.

 

[Rainer]

"Almost vertical" would be vertical, as I understand it. If you have a cassette or freewheel, it's vertical. If you have any doubts call your Trek dealer.

Hey J.R.

Please see this regarding vertical drop being vertical or off by 15%.

http://falcoemotors.com

Trek dealer I bought the bike from 9 years ago said to bring bike in and trek website doesn't even have a support phone number listed.