So I know absolutely nothing about e-bikes other then the fact I want to start using one.

I plan on using it to commute to and from work 6 miles each way, 5-6 days a week. If I go with a kit, I would like to convert a Cruiser if it’s even possible(only have seen pics of mountain bikes ), so it would be a comfortable ride.
I am leaning more towards a kit if some one can list some pro’s and con’s that would be great.

There are very few quality brands of pre-built, and none I can think of that let you pick from bike components any higher than low-mid entry level. Granted, on a cruiser you're probably not looking for top level stuff unless you're shopping RANS, so that may be of little consequence.

Ezee and Giant are the only two reputable ones still around from my memory, the bikes themselves aren't incredible, but are of reliable construction, and the electric drive on the Ezee in particular is actually quite good.. Those random "Beach Cruisers" you see being sold as prebuilt e-bikes are pretty poor performers: They're not worth your time.

As for Cruisers themselves, i've seen the Electra Townie as an e-bike, and the Townie is a very good bike - my girlfriend and I have a Townie 21 model with the fenders/rack together, which she often rides - very comfortable, well designed sort of nature to it. Electra applies the flat foot design to all their bikes, but lets you pick from designs ranging from the functional and quietly attractive up to crazy choppers with flames and skulls.

Its not hard to convert most bikes really, 135mm OLD on the rear or 100mm OLD on the front is usually all you need, that includes almost *everything* out there being made new these days. Folders and some track/road/racing bikes being the exception. Steel can spread quite a bit, so steel frames are easy to work just about any motor you want into the mix. For a rear drive kit, you *may* require changing some shifting/gearing components, its nothing that breaks the bank.

There *were* some pretty good pre-builts out there, like the Giant Twist/Lite, but out of the current selection, none of them are all that spectacular and can be typically outvalued by someone who can shop for a good bike and a good kit, and piece them together well :)

Thanks for the reply,
If I go with this kit from http://www.ampedbikes.com what kind of battery should I use? If you can provide some links that would be awsome.

I've never heard of anyone buying from these guys before, although i've seen their website. Thats pretty cheap, I wonder which brand they're selling? Personally, I would beware if you don't know what it is at all, try getting some response from them - it could be just fine, or it could be junk. Anyways,

if you're looking for a cheap purchase, the kit already comes with an SLA charger, and SLA is certainly the cheapest option. You need deep discharge/deep cycle batteries. (they call them a few different things) which you should be able to find locally. Marine supply stores often carry deep discharge types.

SLA batteries are the heaviest, and don't work at full capacity in cold (below freezing), as well as having the shortest service life - they're by far the cheapest though, a good entry point if you're already given a charger, and you can move on later if you like :)

The next step up is Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), a lighter, longer lasting, more weather resistant battery. These will start in price around $200 typically, and you'll need an accompanying charger which can also run $75+

At the top of the food chain currently rests Lithium, which comes in several variations: LiFePO4 which is a bit heavier than its brothers, but has an extremely long service life, and Li-ion/Li-mn who are lighter than LiFePO4 but don't last for as many cycles. All of these Lithiums typically stay good longer than the other choices, provide greater range, work in nearly any weather and temperature at top capacity, and weigh in very light in comparison (36v/8.5ah of lithium is about 4.5-5lbs, whereas the same in SLA is about 16-17lbs). The drawback is cost:

Systems will probably start around $425.

My personal favourite supplier is http://www.ebikes.ca/

They carry a wide range of products, and are *extremely* knowledgeable.

ampedbikes is probably a north america based goldenmotor.com reseller. (goldenmotor is china based.)

the ampedbikes and goldenmotor kits should be used with 36V batteries, and ~8 to 20 amp hour batteries are appropriate. 8ah*36V batteries (non lead acid) will probably give you about 15-20 miles of range without pedaling. Lead acid batteries give somewhere around half as much range for the same rated capacity, compared to other chemistries.

I plan on using the ampedbike kit with a 36V 15or20AH LiFePO4 Battery, that should work out good right? I don't want to use SLA because there might be a chance of working the am shift, 2am start time and don't want the cold affecting the range.

Whats your expected daily range usage? 15 or 20ah of lithium may *well* be overkill. Then again, if you're hauling long distances, it may not be :)

12 miles round trip to work 5 days a week plus errands and I'm a little on the bigger side =)
Goal is to completely get rid of car.

12 miles total, or 12 miles there + 12 back? 20ah is certainly overkill if its the former. I liked to have enough to complete the total trip + an extra 15km for unplanned or extra travel.

I used to have about 50km to play with using 10ah, given that things are roughly equal that would equal 31 miles with 10ah, 46.6 with 15ah and 62.1 using 20ah.

12 total, I'm factoring the extra waight