Electric assist conversion

[The Family Cyclist]

I'm sure this has been covered but partly influenced by us having a bigger car which is ideal for camping/canoeing but not so much for short trips so trying to convince the wife she can cycle further then she thinks for utility purposes such as to our allotment which is three miles away

Wondering if an e assist kit in her trekking bike would help. I don't have the budget for an new e assit bike or even an top range kit but as probably only needs to have a 10 mile range or so. Any suggestions?

[Kim]

Sounds like a job for one of those cheap & cheerful hub motor kits from China.  Though you get what you pay for, so expect a tangle of fugly wiring loom and a motor that doesn't react well to Weather...

[robgul]

Don't go there - even the top of the range e kits are a massive compromise in every way - and as Kim says the cheap stuff is . . .  well, cheap and you get what you pay for.

Gentle persuasion and encouragment on the existing bike - perhaps a bigger cassette to give some lower gears? - that would be my take on the matter.

My wife drives to her allotment - but has to take tools etc ... and bring back abundant produce - I'm trying to get her to cycle there at least some of the time in the Summer.

[Frank9755]

Sounds like a good plan.  You can get a great result from a kit if you know what you are doing and avoid the rubbish.
I built a couple a decade or so ago but my knowledge is out of date.  If I were you I'd go to the pedelecs forum and ask for advice there on which motors / batteries / controllers are recommended for your intended use.

[Polar Bear]

I stuck a front wheel hub motor kit onto a bike for the wife of a friend.  She hardly ever uses it so he hoons about on it about once a month and then recharges the battery.

Once installed (which was morenof a problem than we imagined due to an odd wheel size and a faulty controller) it has given no further issues.

To date it has served it's purpose very effectively and the great thing about front wheel kits is that they can be removed easily at a later date.

[DuncanM]

I was wondering if getting one of these might enable me to cycle again. I started looking into cheapo Chinese front wheel kits, but I got massively bogged down in the details, and now I'm trying to avoid buying unnecessary stuff where I can't check the provenance I gave up on that idea. I'll be really interested in seeing how you get on (and whether it actually makes a difference in habits).

[jiberjaber]

I'm sure this has been covered but partly influenced by us having a bigger car which is ideal for camping/canoeing but not so much for short trips so trying to convince the wife she can cycle further then she thinks for utility purposes such as to our allotment which is three miles away

Wondering if an e assist kit in her trekking bike would help. I don't have the budget for an new e assit bike or even an top range kit but as probably only needs to have a 10 mile range or so. Any suggestions?

Jonny - there's a non disk electric city bike for sale in Chelmsford at the moment £100 - might be an option to use and try it. Battery apparently a bit knackered (15 mile range apparently)

[Polar Bear]

I forgot to mention earlier but depending on budget the Swytch kits look reasonable.   

[grams]

What's the issue with a cheapo kit for the intended light usage?

[ppg]

What's the issue with a cheapo kit for the intended light usage?

Nothing! (though maybe not the real cheapy ebay stuff)
Ignore the sniffy replies here and go to fora containing real life experience - pedelecs and even (whisper it) CUK which has a fairly active e-bike sub-section.

Full disclosure - we have 3 Yosepower systems (2 rear and one front hub drives) and one Swytch - they all work well (>2 years) and cope with the 15+% Exmoor terrain fine (with rider effort)

More of an issue is supply atm, particularly from Chinese firms like Yose, who previously used warehouses in EU.
UK suppliers like Whooshbikes have a good reputation for customer service and are good for advice.

[alexb]

Charlotte's done one recently for her cargo bike. Try sending her a DM. It should ping to her email.