Electric Bike Conversion Kit or Electric Bike?

I experimented today with 'Throttle Only' mode but I need to read the guys instructions again.
The throttle won't work unless you've got pedal assist 1 on and I put the throttle on so that you had to pedal to get it going.
It really felt like cheating because the motor was always on full but I couldn't just sit there and not provide some pedal power and there are several places where the motor wouldn't take me up on it's own anyway.
I'm quite surprised that on a full charge my 5 mile commute has used about 20 to 25% but I can't be sure.
I'm going to do it tomorrow also.
 
Dimple said:
In 2 years of cycling and 39 years of driving I've never seen a cyclist stopped by Police.
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i like to think the one i passed cycling the wrong way and down the center (in between the two oncoming lanes) of the dual carriage way with no lights in the middle of the night would have been stopped by police if they'd met him
 
ebikenewb said:
You reckon the woosh big bear will also hot 25mph assisted and derestricted?
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No because it uses a hub motor which they themselves state does not perform as well as a mid drive. And I really wouldn't buy an electric bike without rear disk brakes either.

Unless you are really masochistic I would avoid these £800 Woosh things like the plague.
 
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Energize said:
No because it uses a hub motor which they themselves state does not perform as well as a mid drive. And I really wouldn't buy an electric bike without rear disk brakes either.

Unless you are really masochistic I would avoid these £800 Woosh things like the plague.
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Most of your braking should be done with the front brake, a rim brake is fine for sub 30 MPH.
 
DIABLO said:
Most of your braking should be done with the front brake, a rim brake is fine for sub 30 MPH.
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Electric bikes weigh considerably more than a normal bike so going down a hill you will be going >30mph certainly and require more braking force, not to mention the v-brakes these e-bikes come with are a right pain in the arse and rim brakes in general can be significantly affected by the road and weather conditions. You also have to take into account that one brake needs to be completely sufficient by itself in the event of a failure, so regardless of good braking practice the rear brake must be able to stop the bike in a reasonable amount of time in any circumstances. If it were an 8kg road bike I would not have a problem with rim brakes, but I would not rely on v-brakes on a 25kg bike traveling 40mph down the hills I frequent.
 
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Energize said:
No because it uses a hub motor which they themselves state does not perform as well as a mid drive. And I really wouldn't buy an electric bike without rear disk brakes either.

Unless you are really masochistic I would avoid these £800 Woosh things like the plague.
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You do know that all bikes electric are made in china?....right? I have found the same models online made in china only to be rebranded via stickers and what was costing them 600 dollars to buy, cost you 1600 pounds....so I think that you havent got a clue about what u are talking about? They are the same motors same components shimano etc. Surely there is about 10% manufacturing defect. 10% of which you or anyone may buy mate, they're not all perfect.
Just because something costs less. It does not mean it isnt worth it.
 
ebikenewb said:
You do know that all bikes electric are made in china?....right? I have found the same models online made in china only to be rebranded via stickers and what was costing them 600 dollars to buy, cost you 1600 pounds....so I think that you havent got a clue about what u are talking about? They are the same motors same components shimano etc. Surely there is about 10% manufacturing defect. 10% of which you or anyone may buy mate, they're not all perfect.
Just because something costs less. It does not mean it isnt worth it.
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You really ought to tone your posting style down telling helpful posters 'they don't know what they are talking about' because it does you no favours.

I have a £800 'Chinese' bike and it is a piece of crap and I knew it would be but didn't expect to fit better parts immediately.
I'm now happy (ish) but waiting for the next thing to go wrong.
The thing is with parts is (for example) there are Shimano cheap and Shimano expensive and I now know what I should have bought.
The Woosh, Roo Dog and Cyclotricity bikes are cheap with cheap 'named' parts and I deserved what I got.
 
ebikenewb said:
You do know that all bikes electric are made in china?....right? I have found the same models online made in china only to be rebranded via stickers and what was costing them 600 dollars to buy, cost you 1600 pounds....so I think that you havent got a clue about what u are talking about? They are the same motors same components shimano etc. Surely there is about 10% manufacturing defect. 10% of which you or anyone may buy mate, they're not all perfect.
Just because something costs less. It does not mean it isnt worth it.
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Err, I have actually bought a Woosh bike, it used some unbranded components like "Zoom" disk brakes (which failed catastrophically), and the bike was constructed shoddily (lights held in place by one screw which fell off), I had to return it for repair (during which time they dropped the bike and damaged it) and when I got it back it still didn't work. Why are you asking us owners for advice if you are just going to ignore it?

More expensive bikes use better quality components like high end front and rear hydraulic disk bakes, and the parts are fitted to a higher standard. Be my guest and buy an £800 Woosh bike with rear v-brakes, computers that fill with condensation and batteries that fail due to lack of weather sealing, your money not mine. But don't try to tell me and Dimple that our experiences are made up.
 
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Dimple said:
or talk to AmigaFan2003 on here or Pedelecs.
He has a new project on Pedelecs and his bike he rides now does 40 mph I think.
I'm surprised he hasn't replied in here.
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Oh hi!

My current ebike is this:-

IMAG06991_zps44cfe93f.jpg


Does a shade of 25mph and does 25 miles distance off road and climbs like a mountain goat as it's crank drive (i.e. turns the chain rather than a hub motor). I don't commute on it (I retired last July) - it's just a fun toy :-)

My old commuter was this:-

IMAG04141_zpsbc68c71b.jpg


It did over 40mph and pulled over 2kw (3hp) but to be honest it was too fast for a bike with hydraulic rim brakes and no suspension and it'd just spin the wheel if you nailed the throttle - it was fun in an "OMG I'm going to die" kida way though - had muchos fun winding Strava addicts up with it ;-). I sold the electrickery stuff when I retired so it's stock "nonelectric" now.

However, I'm going to uni to do an Interactive Media Development BSc (Hons) course in September so I'll be converting it back, using a lightweight rear motor and 5ah 63v lipo pack in a saddle bag - going for the stealth look - similar to what the bike first looked like when I started off with ebikes:-

bbd3180d.jpg


Should still do between 20 and 25mph and the uni os only a few miles away so range wont be an issue.
 
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Energize said:
Err, I have actually bought a Woosh bike, it used some unbranded components like "Zoom" disk brakes (which failed catastrophically),
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Bad memories, Cyclotricity sent me new ones and they also failed, that's why I fitted the Avid BB7s. I have a thread on here about them.

Even at £279 my Carrera Subway is an infinitely superior bike so I'm thinking of putting the Cyclotricity kit on that.
 
Where do I start:

  • Battery suddenly died, apparently due to moisture getting into the electronic controller, had to be replaced.
  • "King-meter" bike computer got full of condensation and had to be replaced, same damage is already occurring with the second one.
  • Internal pedal assist disk broke, so the bike did not detect when I was pedaling and I had to use the throttle until it was repaired.
  • Front disk brake suddenly failed without warning, fault could not be diagnosed and it had to be replaced.
  • Chain kept "slipping" in high gears which resulted in the chain and cassette having to be replaced.
  • Supplied charger is 84W so it takes forever and a day to charge the battery.
Currently:

  • Gear indicator for the derailleur is jammed in the "1" position.
  • Power suddenly stops for short periods of time with no apparent indication as to why.
I also had to remove various tat accessories like the front light which was held on by a single screw which it freely swiveled around. Also the chain guard which blocked access to the chain (which frequently comes off the cassette on bumpy terrain). And I found no rear disk brake mount despite it being advertised as a MTB type bike, so have to put up with the ****** v-brakes they put on it.

Electronics wise, the assist is crap, in mode 1 it's fine for the flat, but useless for hills so you have to put it up to 5 to go up a steep hill because it's just a linear increase in power output for each setting rather than a target torque or speed. And there is simply no way the battery has a capacity of 15Ah, after 70 mins use it's power output is pretty low.

As for the companies service, they charge for courier costs when repairing the bike under the warranty period. They arranged a courier collection without prior acceptance and then whined because it cost them £20 when I wasn't in. They dropped the bike at the workshop and damaged it, and then tried to blame it on the courier! And when the bike came back, it still didn't work despite them saying they had fixed all the problems, so they obviously don't even bother to test the product and have no quality assurance.

Terrible company, terrible product.
 
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Thanks for the replies to my earlier query Dimple and Energize.

Amigafan - do you buy all your kit from GBK / US websites?

Not sure I'm entirely clear on what my expectations should be from an e-bike. Need to do some more reading as to just how much difference they can make.

Range is probably my main issue. I've got a Carrera Subway that I'm looking to make into an e-bike for a 13 mile (each way) commute across country lanes. It is plausible to buy kit that will allow me to average say 20mph for the whole 26 miles, but be able to cycle in my suit, i.e. not break sweat? Assuming moderate fitness.
 
Participant said:
Amigafan - do you buy all your kit from GBK / US websites?
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I use https://www.greenbikekit.com/ and http://em3ev.com/

Both are Chinese based but EM3EV is run by an Englishman based in China.

Pauls (EM3EV) batteries are probably the best you can buy and his MAC motors are the most powerful geared motors you can get - but as they are powerful you have to be extra careful fitting them or else they'll snap your dropouts clean off!

FWIW I'd never buy an off the shelf ebike - I can always build a good kit into a better base bike and end up with a bike that's exactly how I want it with components that will last. I also enjoy the project aspect. Have a read of the Endless Sphere forums if you want to learn how to do it.

Participant said:
It is plausible to buy kit that will allow me to average say 20mph for the whole 26 miles, but be able to cycle in my suit, i.e. not break sweat? Assuming moderate fitness.
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That would be easy - GBK 100 front or rear kit plus a 48v15ah battery in a pannier bag on a rack and you could do 30miles without needing to pedal.
 
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amigafan2003 said:
I use https://www.greenbikekit.com/ and http://em3ev.com/

Both are Chinese based but EM3EV is run by an Englishman based in China.

Pauls (EM3EV) batteries are probably the best you can buy and his MAC motors are the most powerful geared motors you can get - but as they are powerful you have to be extra careful fitting them or else they'll snap your dropouts clean off!

FWIW I'd never buy an off the shelf ebike - I can always build a good kit into a better base bike and end up with a bike that's exactly how I want it with components that will last. I also enjoy the project aspect. Have a read of the Endless Sphere forums if you want to learn how to do it.



That would be easy - GBK 100 front or rear kit plus a 48v15ah battery in a pannier bag on a rack and you could do 30miles without needing to pedal.
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Hey amiga, is that legal in the UK? Can it be derestricted?
 
Also, since everyone is saying dont get a ready made ebike I was thinking of making my own...I was thinking of getting a carrera subway hybrid bike from halfords. 26inch wheels, could you, if possible, help me make my order for a bike kit with 15ah battery from gbk? I would prefer lcd display so I can derestrict it if possible?
 
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