She wants an electric bike...

[Torslanda]

In a nutshell. I've fitted several of them and every one has been different. Not the kits themselves but the variety of frames, forks and configurations requiring workarounds for wiring routing control box mounting and so on.

[CAMRAMan]

Oxygen do a step-through model. I have one of their older machines and it is very good indeed. I have also converted an Orbit using a Panda FWD kit. Their connectors are about as plug-and-play as it gets, if you choose their Pro kits. If you go the conversion route, buy a kit without a battery and then ask BGA Reworking to specify a battery* that they will build up for you and which will fit your chosen kit and give you significantly more KWH for your Buck. I'll happily discuss details via PM. I have had crank-drive, FWD and RWD bikes and my RWD Oxygen is by far the best all round set up.

Wisper bikes are also worth a look.

As mentioned above, The Pedelecs forum is full of useful advice, but be prepared for certain sellers to be rather pushy with suggestions of their mediocre bikes.

* With the proviso that a small diamond frame might not accommodate a bottle-cage-style battery and you may have to go for a rack battery.

[Kim]

One thing to watch out for with rack-mounted batteries is whether the required special rack is actually any good for luggage:  Most of them are fine, but some have had a visit from the ministry of crap design and eg. give you limited access to luggage fixings because the battery gets in the way or lack a dog-leg strut that keeps the pannier from rubbing on the tyre.

I recall fondling a lovely Ridgeback with a rack-mounted battery and being completely unable to attach a not-an-Ortlieb pannier (which was what the bike shop had to hand) because you needed access to the back of the fixings to secure it.