How to pick a bike for Bafang BBSHD

Vladsbeat

Vladsbeat

New Member
Hey Guys,
New to the thing.
Just wanted to start with a clean slate build.
After a considerable research came to conclusion that I want to go for BBSHD to reap all the improvements and benefits off the new product.
And while the kit is being shipped need to pick up a bike.
Most of setups Ive seen so far are Fat Bikes. Is it due to extra rigidity they have or excessive torque on the rear wheel?
So the question is : apart from the dimension what to consider when in the shop?
Cheers.
 
Hi Vladsbeat, Fatbikes are heavy and usually miserable to ride with their weight, so they are a prime candidate for the powerful HD. Bikesdirect.com is a clearing house for European overstock bikes. The prices can be 60% lower. No sales tax and free shipping to all States. MTBR.com forums shows that Bikesdirect "BD" bikes can have more scratches and even bent parts sometimes, but hay, that is worth 60% savings in my book. Many users at ElectricBikeReview have BD bikes as the base for their build. Vladsbeat, I hope you got an upgraded chainring on your order. The stock chainring is heavy and not machined to as tight a tolerance as the upgrade "bling rings". For offroad use the bling ring choices offer a lower tooth count, which is better for smooth offroad use. You can always upgrade your chainring latter if you missed doing it when ordering.
 
When you`re looking for a donor bike for the BBSxx a couple of things to consider. Firstly don`t go for some odd-ball as you can easily run into mounting problems with BB size.
A must is disc brakes, hydraulic even better.
I went for a s/h light but strong frame with a decent sized triangle if ever i want to mount a bigger battery in there, and with the HD you probably will.
Chainring etc will depend on where you ride, for offroad or hilly country maybe something smaller.
 
Jim123 said:
Hi Vladsbeat, Fatbikes are heavy and usually miserable to ride with their weight, so they are a prime candidate for the powerful HD. Bikesdirect.com is a clearing house for European overstock bikes. The prices can be 60% lower. No sales tax and free shipping to all States. MTBR.com forums shows that Bikesdirect "BD" bikes can have more scratches and even bent parts sometimes, but hay, that is worth 60% savings in my book. Many users at ElectricBikeReview have BD bikes as the base for their build. Vladsbeat, I hope you got an upgraded chainring on your order. The stock chainring is heavy and not machined to as tight a tolerance as the upgrade "bling rings". For offroad use the bling ring choices offer a lower tooth count, which is better for smooth offroad use. You can always upgrade your chainring latter if you missed doing it when ordering.
Click to expand...

Which BD bikes are European overstock? From my understanding, BD buys all their bikes direct from Kinesis in Taiwan, and none of their bikes are overstock. I've only rarely seen branded bikes (which may be overstock, usually Fuji) on there, and they don't last long. Everything else they sell on there is pretty much exclusive to BD (Motobecane USA, Gravity, Dawes, Windsor) and direct from the Kinesis factory in Taiwan. Also, BD bikes don't have scratches. BikesDirect has another website, BikeIsland.com, that sells all the inventory that arrives from the factory with scratches/blemishes/defects, and prices them accordingly, so if you're looking for a good deal on a bike with blemishes, head to BikeIsland :D
 
Bike island looks to have Bikes Direct blemished bikes a little cheaper. Limited models, sizes, and colors, but worth a look. I have a the juggernaut. Fun to ride. Heavy. Not very nimble. Great all season commuter or light rec bike.Was going to put a BBSHD on a mongoose fat bike I have, Then I read this today. Makes more sense. http://electricbike.com/forum/forum...-diamonback-overdrive-sport-27-5-gets-a-bbshd... I can get a 27.5 off Bikes direct for reasonable money. Trying to find out the weights on some of those bikes. Haven't found that yet. Would make a good all round bike. Add a suspension seat post and your ready, and obviously ebike chain. I figure around 1700 bucks. That would include beckie bling ring and suspension seat post purchased from Germany. If you need a high capacity battery, like in the article, it would be a little over 2000. I personally would get another Dolphin battery. Fits in a rack bag. Don't have to bring it and carry the extra weight on short trips. Less weight on trail rides. Can't afford the diamondback, but they have some respectable looking 27.5 hardtails in the 350 dollar range on bikes direct. Quite a number of people have gotten bikes direct bikes as their electric platform.
 
Vladsbeat said:
Hey Guys,
New to the thing.
Just wanted to start with a clean slate build.
After a considerable research came to conclusion that I want to go for BBSHD to reap all the improvements and benefits off the new product.
And while the kit is being shipped need to pick up a bike.
Most of setups Ive seen so far are Fat Bikes. Is it due to extra rigidity they have or excessive torque on the rear wheel?
So the question is : apart from the dimension what to consider when in the shop?
Cheers.
Click to expand...

If I were doing a BBSHD build, I'd only consider bikes with either front suspension or full suspension, because the BBSHD is so fast (30MPH+) that it'd be too jarring to ride it at high speeds on all but the smoothest of roads. I agree with RoyL that you should get hydraulic disc brakes, too.
 
Full suspension would be optimal, but you probably then lose optimal battery placement. hardtail with suspension seatpost not as optimal, but a better balanced bik., Unless your doing some really aggressive stuff or have roads form hell, HT with suspension seatpost will work, and for the weight conscious a little lighter. Good quality mechanical discs should suffice in most circumstances. If budget no object by all means get hydraulic.
 
I have a BBSO2 fatbike with no suspension. Tires help, but anyone considering a BBSHD, suspension should not be optional in your consideration. Won't ride mine as fast is it will go unless on smooth as a babies butt roads. Suspension fork from China on the way.
 
tinasdude said:
I have a BBSO2 fatbike with no suspension. Tires help, but anyone considering a BBSHD, suspension should not be optional in your consideration. Won't ride mine as fast is it will go unless on smooth as a babies butt roads. Suspension fork from China on the way.
Click to expand...
Some of the people that choose fatbikes live in northern climates and want to commute year round. Others like that you can go anywhere with them. Ride in the road, hop a curb, and ride through a field Another consideration in your selection should how you will ride. If it is only going to be on roads, no trails, eliminate MTB
 
Cameron, thanks for the detailed information. A year ago I was reading about a sweet 6 inch travel fullsuspension BD bike and the MTBR forum gave me info on the bike. Maybe the scratches and dents were due to delivery, or BD upped their quality. But thanks for the info, correcting someone is doing them a favor, it can only make things better. I hadn't heard of bikeisland.
 
That full sus fat bike wss bikes directs first.It had a lot of problems and failures and was pulled. They have fixed them as far as I know. I really like my Boris x7 from bikes direct, great components for a reasonable price.
 
I love my bike direct night train bullet! It was on the higher end for cost but when all put together it came out to the cost of the izip sumo but is way better. I love the front suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, and tubeless ready wheels. I also hear of people complaining of their chain falling off and I dont know why maybe its the higher end derailleur x9 or the chain alignment in general but that does not happen to my build. It is also on the lighter end for fight bikes. My last final plug is the look of it. The bike is black and I was able to run light wires through the downtube and it had an extra spot to run my display cable making it all look stock.

If you go with a fat bike make sure to get some fat slick tires for road commuting. I rode a pair today to work and the bike was smooth and much faster. Having the bigger tire is nice for the faster speed and feels stable on turns.
 
Have you chosen a bike and done the build yet? I am looking at a Motobecane Boris Brut as a possible replacement for my Radrover. My biggest concerns about fat bike conversions is the chain stay clearances for the gear box and the chainring.
 
I've got a Boris x7.The Brit would be a very nice option, definitely go for the sprung version!
 
Yeah I was looking at the Boris Evil Brut Sprung specifically. I'm particularly interested in the shimming requirements for those frames with the BBSHD. Stacking washers and shims just doesn't sound appealing to me.
 
Oh and to answer someone's misinformation upthread; Fatbikes are not necessarily heavy.

Here's one that's 8.8KG (19lb) (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
Yes, it's quite high end. But here's an inexpensive fatbike with a front suspension fork that weighs 13.8KG (30lb) (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I have the bottom of the barrel, cheap as chips Nakamura 4.0 fatbike from a few years ago. 14,8KG without motor. It's still going strong after a couple of winter's commuting. My wife's hardtail weighs more.
 
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