Hey Everybody,

I'm starting a new ebike project with a Crystalite Phoenix Cruiser motor as a power plant.

My question is, can anybody recommend a specific frame, under $200 that would be good for a front mount?

I was looking at the Chrysler PT Cruiser bikes, because they have an all steel frame.

Any other recommendations, would be much appreciated. I'm not very good with measurements, so taking the guess work out for me, would help a lot.

thanks.

I would recommend a used no-suspension mountain bike (complete bike, not just frame) by Trek, Giant, Specialized, Diamondback, or other major bike brand. In general the used MTBs available on craiglist.org or from a bike shop will fit your requirements because they almost all have steel forks, and they tend to be very durable, no-frills, types of bikes. Steel non-suspension forks are probably the best if you want a durable front-motor bike.

Easy way to be sure whether the fork is steel is to bring a magnet with you. If the magnet sticks to the fork, it's steel.

As far as frames go. Since your going front hub. I would strongly consider a MTB frame that has a rear mount for a disc brake. Ebikes are heavy so strong brakes are important. You can always use a plain steel front fork for the front hub, Up here I would go with V-brakes. Go for a good sturdy heavy rear rim. If you carry batteries over the rear rack, the rim will get beat up pretty quickly. Thicker spokes are better. I also put a touring crank on mine that protects your pant legs from grease. (has a plastic guard). Since many e-bikes are practical use for commuting, I didn't want to have to worry about shorts or tying up my pants to go on short errands.

Best wishes

meanjoe.

www.ebikehub.com (http://www.ebikehub.com) the forum for electric bikes-check it out. If you go to the endless sphere forum (check under links) you will see plenty of electric bike builders on there who have all kinds of ideas.

Frame - do you mean frame only/frameset, or a complete bike? I'm a bit confused here because you're talking about a frame, but mentioning a whole bike.

So far as strength is concerned, a bicycle might be made of steel, but that should in no way be taken as a sign of strength: A wal-mart/cheapo level steel bike is likely essentially made of recycled washing machines and designed without shaped tubing or professional welding. In other words, a poor quality frame is far inferior to a good (any material here) frame, and steel is no exception. That PT Cruiser frame, I can assure you, is most likely on the "recycled washing machine" side of things.

At a low price point, waiting for Nashbar's next steel frame offerings would do well: they're currently out of their "basic" offering, but its a real, decent quality 4130 hardtail frame for under $100. They have the Nashbar signature in stock still, which is made of Reynolds 853 steel (extremely strong!), but that frame is out of your expected price range.

http://nycbikes.com/item.php?item_id=407

NYCbikes carries these frames. Rocky Mountain is known for their craftsmanship and durable design, their stuff is some of the best. These frames are a bit older, but i'd take an older steel Rocky Mountain over a lot of some of these junky new offerings. These frames were hand made in Canada by professional bike builders, not by an automated machine or "trained" worker who only knows how to stick part A to part B and pull the trigger on the welding unit. I would bet on this frame being a very sturdy choice.

Cerewa's advice is also good, as long as you're fairly comfortable with knowing what you need, shopping used can be a good way to get a lot of bike for your money.

find a dude who plays with bikes most are more than willing to give frames away,i would play wid an old frame firstas prototype then do it for real,that way you can weld and chop if you need to and not have to worry,just about any steel frames would do i havent seen a dud one,even my currie frame is bullet proof,must have been a good washing mashine lol

just about any steel frames would do i havent seen a dud one,even my currie frame is bullet proof,must have been a good washing mashine lol

In my opinion, the most trustworthy frames are from name-brand steel mountain bikes that were sold cheap, because the buyers of those MTBs wanted durability over light weight. Bikes that originally sold for more than $500 were usually made for light weight... the buyers weren't asking for strength and the manufacturers weren't trying to provide strength.

I used the Nashbar "X" Cyclocross frame ($130) & their steel fork ($50) when I built the MonkeyRocket 2000.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000130&subcategory=60001176&brand=&sku=15767&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Frames%2FBikes

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600086&subcategory=60001182&brand=&sku=13283&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Road%20Forks

In my opinion, the most trustworthy frames are from name-brand steel mountain bikes that were sold cheap, because the buyers of those MTBs wanted durability over light weight. Bikes that originally sold for more than $500 were usually made for light weight... the buyers weren't asking for strength and the manufacturers weren't trying to provide strength.

I don't know where you get that notion. Buyers looking for pricier bikes are often looking for some fairly exotic riding, from marathon cross-country to abusive downhill - riding which *demands* durability. I know if my All Mountain rig was less durable than a cheaper variant, i'd be quite upset.

Honestly, I suppose it would also be good to know what sort of context you're planning on running your Phoenix in. What sort of voltage are you going to apply, are you planning on carrying cargo and so on? If you're going to be running moderate voltages, "any old steel frame" might indeed do. Dwaine's frame also seems fine thanks to its well shaped downtube and matching with a nice CrMo touring fork.

Thanks for the input gang

Thanks for the input gang.

I plan on running the Phoenix Cruiser at 36v. I want to put it in the front hub, because the pre-wired kits I'm looking at have a battery bag for the rear rack. Therefore, it will be more balanced with the hub in the front.

I noticed the kit comes with a torque bar for the front wheel.

So, I'm thinking as somebody said "any old steel frame" will do.

I ride in the city, on some pretty choppy roads. Does that affect which frame to use?

I ride in the city, on some pretty choppy roads. Does that affect which frame to use?

Personally, it would swing me towards getting a bike capable of taking some wide tires, like Big Apples or another good high volume choice. Just check your frame clearance and pick up some balloon tires, they're well suited to that sort of thing.

You could always get a wider/stronger fork for the bigger tires and Phoenix motor if you needed to as well. The biggest concern with an unsuspended front drive motor is keeping your dropouts from spreading, which your included torque arm should handle well.

http://www.captmonkeyrocket.com/db4/00322/captmonkeyrocket.com/_uimages/IMG_0981.jpg Dwaine's frame also seems fine thanks to its well shaped downtube and matching with a nice CrMo touring fork.

And it takes 700c wheels with plenty of room for wide tires. (After all, it's designed for cyclocross, right?) this gives you the choice of better tires, in my opinion, that what you get if you go with a 26" frame. (I'm assuming that you're going to use your ebike on pavement.)

The only problem I had was fitting fenders because on this frame the chainstays are short, leaving not much clearance in the seat tube/front derailleur/fender/tire area. I just cut off the front 6 inches of the fender & zip tied it to the seat tube right above the derailleur. Problem solved!

http://http://www.captmonkeyrocket.com/db4/00322/captmonkeyrocket.com/_uimages/IMG_0981.jpg