Make ebike of my folder - good or bad idea

[marcuspresident]

I’m thinking of making my folding bike to an e-bike. With the TSDZ2 motor. Will it fit on that bike(see pic) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1usrGgBmJXXA2Xh-3Ibz0TWdx6AYwUzRl or and will a battery fit somewhere? That motor seems easy to install. I have not done anything like this before so. Ot shall I choose another option/motor kit?!

/Marcus

 

[rich c]

The bottom bracket size is the first consideration. You'll either have to measure it, or find the information from both manufacturers. Then find the crank size in the kit vs. what you have on the bike. Easiest battery mount would be to add a rear rack. Then it's a matter if all clears when you fold it up.

 

[harryS]

Unless you get a rack designed for your folder, it may not fold well with a rack. They also get a bit heavy with motor.

The bottom brackets on mine were 68mm long, perfect for a mid drive, but I installed hub motors. You will need to make sure that your mid drive front gear and the derailleur's gears match your desired speed range, but since you already have a folder, you know this.. With hub motor and a 46T/11T ratio, my folder is limited to about 18 mph with fast pedaling. That's generally fast enough for me. Rim brakes are sufficient, in my opinion.

I don't know the TDS options as far as voltage, power, and throttle. Do your research.

For batteries, I use cheap 36V hoverboard batteries (100 wh) to go about 12 miles at home. For longer rides, I have a 52V Luna Mini (300 wh) and a 36V bottle battery (320 watt-hr). The latter are good for 25+ miles. I think. The nice thing about hubmotors is that I can use a controller that is flexible with battery voltage. Mid drives are less flexible, tying you down to one voltage. I would prefer a 48V battery in that case.

 

[marcuspresident]

Unless you get a rack designed for your folder, it may not fold well with a rack. They also get a bit heavy with motor.

The bottom brackets on mine were 68mm long, perfect for a mid drive, but I installed hub motors. You will need to make sure that your mid drive front gear and the derailleur's gears match your desired speed range, but since you already have a folder, you know this.. With hub motor and a 46T/11T ratio, my folder is limited to about 18 mph with fast pedaling. That's generally fast enough for me. Rim brakes are sufficient, in my opinion.

I don't know the TDS options as far as voltage, power, and throttle. Do your research.

For batteries, I use cheap 36V hoverboard batteries (100 wh) to go about 12 miles at home. For longer rides, I have a 52V Luna Mini (300 wh) and a 36V bottle battery (320 watt-hr). The latter are good for 25+ miles. I think. The nice thing about hubmotors is that I can use a controller that is flexible with battery voltage. Mid drives are less flexible, tying you down to one voltage. I would prefer a 48V battery in that case.

So you have made a ebike of your folder? Do you have any picture if?
Bottle battery is that that round battery? I can place that laying on top of the frame and not under.
What do you mean with ”bottom brackets”? ..

 

[Bicyclista]

Personally, I would just get a folding ebike and be done with it. In addition to the motor and battery issues mentioned above, you will also have a bunch of wires to route, attach to the frame, and make sure they don't interfere with folding. Is there a place for the controller? I found there was no place to fit a controller when I tried to convert my Salsa El Mariachi mountain bike...

Here is what a search for folding ebikes yields on this site. Oddly, the search did not find my personal favorite, the RadMini recently reviewed by Court. With its fat tires, rear rack, and optional front rack, it's like a go-anywhere expedition ebike!

 

[harryS]

Here's a picture of someone measuring the bottom bracket. A digital caliper is probably not needed. Manufacturers standardize on 68mm or 73mm in the low range, so a metal tape measure would tell you what you have.

Pics of my folders. The blue one is full suspension. I put the controllers under the racks. I can carry my smaller batteries in the seat bags, but will put a battery bag on the rack for the larger units. I've never folded the bikes until recently, and I found that I didn't leave enough slack in one throttle cable, as it pulled apart when the bike was folded. Well, I learn from my mistakes.

As for build vs buy. I cannot build them for less than a low cost import. I can buy a inexpensive folder for $550 on ebay. These two cost me $600 each without batteries. In addition, these are for light use although I have ridden them 35 miles in one day. Ow. I do trust these ebikes not to fail and fold up on me, and the motors/controllers I use are used by a lot of hobbyists.

Rad motors does have a nice 20" fat tire bike. Two wouldn't fit in my car though.