djork

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.

justriding

I just bought the ampedbike's kit. I am VERY impressed with the wheel. Like others, I put a liner on the rim. Before I bought a kit, I test drove an URBAN MOVER electric bike. Very wimpy motor, aluminum frame (felt every bump in the road and it felt "cheap"), nickel metal hydride battery gone quickly. It would be good for a featherweight rider who rode only flats or gentle hills on occasion. The motor on the AMPED BIKES is HUGE compared to the Urban Movers motor. The wheel is far superior to Urban Movers. I know that ampedbikes is going to sell lifeP04 batteries on his site soon. I am putting my ampedbike kit on my old trusty Specialized Hard Rock (era 1980s). Still working on installation issues, so I haven't road tested the kit yet.

crock

Check out "www.texaselectricbikes.com" for their hub motor. This one is specially built for them with better bearings than the Forsen motors. It has more hill climbing torque than anything else we have compared it to, and is still going strong after a full year of use. Also, it is very quiet.

djork

Also want to know if the Amped rear hub is a free wheel hub. Since it has 5 speeds, what shifters can I use?

snowranger

The rear hub has a free wheel. The motor itself is not geared and does not freewheel internally. You will feel the resistance of the motor if you try to pedal it.