Trek Verve 4 - suitable for conversion?

[DrDisintegrator]

Hello,

I have a Trek Verve 4 bike in good condition - looks like this one: https://www.trekchicago.com/product/trek-verve-4-212071-1.htm
I'm wondering if this would be a suitable frame for doing an ebike conversion?
I'm considering the BBS02 kit from Lunacycle https://lunacycle.com/bafang-bbs02-750w-middrive-kit/

A few questions:
1) Is this frame sturdy enough for a 'commuter' / 'touring' style bike? To be used mostly on bike paths / trails with some road riding?
2) Besides the above kit, what else do I need to change / upgrade? Tires? Wheels?
3) Is there another conversion kit I should be considering over the BBS02?

Thanks in advance for your guidance!

 

[AHicks]

I do a lot of my riding in a coastal area with a lot of rolling hills, so the first thing I look at when selecting a donor bike are the brakes. If it doesn't have disk brakes, I wouldn't use it.

For my first conversion, I looked at the Trek I had, and passed for that reason. After building my first conversion the level of dust on the Trek just kept getting deeper and deeper, so I thought I would list it for sale and did quite well with it. It brought way more than the brand new Schwinn mountain bike I bought at Walmart (for 200!) to do that conversion.

Even if you don't have any hills around, the conversion is going to be much heavier, so way more demand on the brakes. Best of luck!

 

[indianajo]

2nd the motion on rim brakes. They work at about 10% efficiency in the rain after a puddle. Does it ever rain where you are? You're adding both weight & speed to your frame. Fatter tires also make higher speeds more comfortable. I ride 2.1" cross section about 10 mph, peaks of 30 downhill.
Other sources of conversion bikes are flea markets & charity resale shops. You usually have to replace the tires & cables. Don't buy one with rusted up chain derailleurs or calipers.

 

[BigMatt]

Hello,

I have a Trek Verve 4 bike in good condition - looks like this one: https://www.trekchicago.com/product/trek-verve-4-212071-1.htm
I'm wondering if this would be a suitable frame for doing an ebike conversion?
I'm considering the BBS02 kit from Lunacycle https://lunacycle.com/bafang-bbs02-750w-middrive-kit/

A few questions:
1) Is this frame sturdy enough for a 'commuter' / 'touring' style bike? To be used mostly on bike paths / trails with some road riding?
2) Besides the above kit, what else do I need to change / upgrade? Tires? Wheels?
3) Is there another conversion kit I should be considering over the BBS02?

Thanks in advance for your guidance!

I used a Trek Verve Disk 1 recently (same frame as Verve 4) on a 1200 W Ebikeling (rear wheel) kit, and the frame is plenty sturdy. The disk 1 doesn’t come with a suspension fork, so I added an air fork though. I would echo others’s comments on going with disk brakes. The ~$450 Trek Verve Disk 1 proved easy to convert. It handles 30 MPH well, but I would not suggest traveling that speed regularly on any bike.

 

[dpayne]

Hello,

I have a Trek Verve 4 bike in good condition - looks like this one: https://www.trekchicago.com/product/trek-verve-4-212071-1.htm
I'm wondering if this would be a suitable frame for doing an ebike conversion?
I'm considering the BBS02 kit from Lunacycle https://lunacycle.com/bafang-bbs02-750w-middrive-kit/

A few questions:
1) Is this frame sturdy enough for a 'commuter' / 'touring' style bike? To be used mostly on bike paths / trails with some road riding?
2) Besides the above kit, what else do I need to change / upgrade? Tires? Wheels?
3) Is there another conversion kit I should be considering over the BBS02?

Thanks in advance for your guidance!

If you use this bike I would consider upgrading your braking system. Disc brakes and rotors are pretty cheap.check your forks to see if you can add mounts or some aftermarket fix.