You then fit the torque arms to the fork and wire up the loom, controller and battery. Hydraulic disc brakes are a little bulkier, which is why we suggested a mechanical system above – replacing will take more time but should prevent the unwanted friction. If it has disc brakes, you will need to fit the old disc (or a compatible new one) to the new wheel too. If you have gone out and bought a secondhand bike to convert, or are using an old but quality bike as a platform, think about the tire they supply – this might not be brilliant so you may need a new tire that suits your needs or to swap the tire on the old front wheel onto the new wheel. The kit will come with a wheel that has been pre-threaded with spokes and the rim. You will need basic bike mechanic skills, the tools that you have for that maintenance, tools for simple wiring, and some judgment as to how it looks and feels. Many newer bikes have a press-fit bottom bracket so would be unsuitable. Where it comes to fitting a crank or ‘mid-drive’ unit, look for a machine with a 68mm-73mm threaded bottom bracket. We do recommend you buy a solid machine like a beach cruiser or a mountain bike as though not designed for the added stresses of an electric bike system, either will be over-engineered to tackle the stresses of the trail, and in the case of the beach cruiser will have chunky components as part of its look. This will have lighter, decent quality components.
BUILD A MINI BIKE KIT PLUS
Even a five year old mountain bike that once retailed for $1000 plus could be bought for relatively little money. This is why with a little care you could fit similar components to those fitted by the cheaper OEMs to a better machine. It may look good but you’ll break a sweat picking it up thanks to its weight! One of the disadvantages of buying a cheap, fully fitted e-bike is that you may have good quality e-bike components, but you will generally have a not-so-good bike as a platform.Įven in the $700 – $800 price band you may have disc brakes, forks with shocks and a Shimano gear system but these will be baseline options at best.
BUILD A MINI BIKE KIT HOW TO
With these answers in mind let’s now look at the questions above in more detail, including what’s required in how to build an electric bike with these kits and components. You will need more tools and time to fit this.
You can also cycle more economically on the battery by fitting a pedal-assist system (PAS) that comes as an option with front, rear and crank motor kits.
Be aware the DIY option can be extremely difficult to do! If you have better bike mechanic skills, or just want to stretch yourself then in order of difficulty, the rear, crank and DIY options may be your choice.