You’ve watched in awe when an e-bike driver zooms past you on the incline of the hill, it could be time to wash the sweat off your eyes and join the electric bike revolution. E-bikes are great for the environment, and a excellent way to travel to the city or the countryside. You’ll be able to conquer the hills you’ve been dreaming off.
The decision to part ways with the old bike and upgrading to an electric bike may be difficult, but the good part is, you don’t need to. There are a variety of ebike conversion kit types for bikes that will transform your old bike into an electric one.
Can any bicycle be turned into an electric motor?
What ever bike you own, whether the mountain bike an athletic bicycle, a folding bike, or hybrid bike, you can find an electric bike conversion kit to fit. Ebike conversion kits are able to be mounted to nearly every frame on a traditional bicycle, and they can be used to provide power to the rear or front wheel.
All e-bike conversion kits are made alike, and certain electronic conversion kits for bikes are heavier than others. The majority of kits focus on installing a motorized hub onto each wheel. These hubs that are larger come with an electric motor, battery and a gearing mechanism that aids in providing power to the wheel.
Hubs with motors that are electric work great and are a fast and simple way to transform your regular bicycle into an electric bike. The only drawback is that they can add significant extra weight as well as a significant amount of friction when you try to accelerate. When you’re at your desired speed it will let the motor help you get to the appropriate speed for cruising.
The other types of E-bike conversions can be a bit more complicated that include a motor the battery and drivetrain hidden within your frame. Some even go in the seat posts or can be attached to a rear rack for luggage.
E-bike controls and speed limiters
Then, you’ll have to think about how you can control the motor. The majority of e-bike conversion kits employ an electronic throttle similar to the one utilized on motorbikes. This is why they are legal motorcycles, not e-bikes in the sense that they are, and many are speed-limited.
These electric conversion kits based on throttles might require registration and taxation exactly the same way as the electric motorbike or motorbike, so make sure to read the specifications of the manufacturer prior to purchasing.
What is the charge to convert an bicycle to electric?
The cost of conversion kits for bikes isn’t expensive, but they are coming out each year, and this is driving price down. If you’re willing to wait for a bit and wait, you’ll lower your costs and to keep an eye on the e-bike conversion kits available on Kickstarter.
Based on the kind of conversion kit for e-bikes you select, as well as the specifications and design of the kit will affect the cost. The bigger and heavier the kit’s appearance and the more expensive it’s likely to cost.
Also, be sure to verify the power output as well as battery specifications. The higher the power of the battery and electric motor will be, the more expensive the device will be.
If you want a front hub e-bike conversion kit, which includes all parts you’ll require (electric hub and battery, throttle, wiring, etc.) You’ll need to look at about PS175 minimum. This is enough to purchase an e-bike kit that has 35V batteries that convert to 500 Watts of power.
A conversion kit for e-bikes that includes the 48V battery and 1,000 watts of power is priced about PS335 including all the parts needed to convert. A bike kit that meets these specifications of power will easily take you to 20 miles per hour.
It is it hard to perform the conversion on your own?
Ebike kit conversions need a amount of mechanical skills to set up. The most basic setup requires replacing either the rear or front wheel, and installing the throttle, battery pack and wires to your frame.
If you’re pretty adept with the spanner, you can be able to do this in a matter of minutes.
The majority of e-bike conversion kit makers provide instructions and an installation instructions. If bicycle mechanics aren’t your forte, there are bike shops who will be capable of installing your e-bike conversion kit at a cost that is around PS200.
3 Major types of kits for conversion:
There are a variety of E-bike conversion kits in the marketplace in the present. Certain are superior to others, while some come with more features worth considering. Let’s review the most commonly used kinds of conversion kits for e-bikes.
E-bike wheels powered by electricity
The e-bike wheels powered by electricity are the most well-known kind of conversion kit in the marketplace. Take a look at Amazon.co.uk will show an extensive selection of hub kits that are electric. They’re all identical however, you should verify the specifications prior to taking your credit card since batteries’ power output and power range aren’t the same.
Two of the local UK manufacturer of e-bike conversion kits consist of Cytronex as well as Swytch. The Swytch Universal E-bike kit can be mounted to any bike , and comes with the top speed of 25/32kph, and a 50km range. This Cytronex C1 kit is a excellent option that is lightweight, weighing only 3.6 kilograms. It utilizes its amazing C1 application to provide controls and power as well.
Rear-mounted friction drive conversion kit
These conversion kits are heavier than hub-mounted kit. They depend on the battery, motor and other running equipment attached on the frame a bicycle. The motor is mounted close to the pedals and comes with an incline that is mounted upon the wheel of the back, and offers power to assist.
They’re usually easier to install and the battery is easily mounted on the bottle racks mounted in your bicycle. A rear-mounted conversion kit for e-bikes costs more than hub-driven kits and one example is the GBoost starter kit, which costs about PS800 and shipping.
Concealed kit to convert an e-bike
Concealed e-bikes exist for a while now however, few of them are able to live up to the hype of their names. A majority of these kits are placed under the seat or inside the triangular frame portion of the bike, however the claim that they are concealed is not certain.
E-bikes that are concealed are usually large and require a drivetrain system to provide power to the wheels. The most popular being the rear-friction system by a roller mounted on the motor.
Conclusion – What’s the most efficient method to convert your bike into an electric bike, and do you think it’s worth all the work?
There are many good reasons to convert your bike to an E-bike conversion kit. They’re easy to install cost-effective, and recycling your old bike can be beneficial to the environment as well. Based on the bike you own and the range and power you want from your e-bike will determine which kit will work best for you.
The most well-known e-bike conversion kit available currently is the hub-powered e-bike kit. They’re among the easiest to set up and are also the least expensive option. They are a good compromise between power, weight and function, and are worthy of consideration if you’re contemplating converting your bike into an electric bicycle.