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08-23-08, 07:00 PM
Hi. New here. I've recently been struck with the idea of building an e-bike. I currently have a manufactured one that is chain-driven, but the battery charger crapped out and I can't charge the battery. So it's out of commision for the time being. It's a fun and practical runabout, but it's heavy and a bit of a clunker. It's one of those Chinese-built electric bikes with a removeable battery case, which sits at an angle on the down tube. Anyway, I'm thinking of doing an e-bike project using a hub-driven motor. The question is which brand or company is best? I discovered Amped Bikes from here and the quality rims sorta got me sold. The only draw back is that it doesn't come with a battery. Wilderness Energy is selling kits on Ebay and Craigslist for about $20-30 more than AB but WE's kits come with an SLA battery plus bag. The motor is 600W. Then again, AB has the brake levers that are connected to the electronics. I like the idea of the motor disenaged when braking. But again, quality is important and AB's site boasts about the durability of its rims. Is this a gimmick or are the rims actually better than WE's or other brands?
Edit to add: Originally I wanted to convert a beach cruiser. I like the idea of a classic bike frame converted to something hi-tech. But I gave up on that idea since most beach cruisers are steel, don't have B-brake bosses, and come in only one size--large! I think I'm gonna using a traditional mt. bike frame (since I come from a MTB background) for this build. My plan is to have a rear-motor set-up so that I can use disc up front. There is the issue of weight ratio. I'm thinking of using a fork-mounted rack to hold the batteries up front, but I'm not sure if this is doable. I'm concerned about control when turning.
Edit to add: Originally I wanted to convert a beach cruiser. I like the idea of a classic bike frame converted to something hi-tech. But I gave up on that idea since most beach cruisers are steel, don't have B-brake bosses, and come in only one size--large! I think I'm gonna using a traditional mt. bike frame (since I come from a MTB background) for this build. My plan is to have a rear-motor set-up so that I can use disc up front. There is the issue of weight ratio. I'm thinking of using a fork-mounted rack to hold the batteries up front, but I'm not sure if this is doable. I'm concerned about control when turning.