Converting using a e-front wheel.

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
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mick skinner
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Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 7:57pm
Location: ilkeston, derbyshire

Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by mick skinner »

Hi All,

I'm thinking of converting my regular bike to an e-bike using a motorised front wheel. After perusing some of the posts on here and a brief web search I've found one company that sells such a thing.

I'm wondering if anyone else who has done this would give your verdict on the on their finished conversion, ie tell me if it's worth it or if I should just go for a new e-bike and that sort of thing. Also I'd like recommendations about where to get a motorised front wheel.

For you information, the bike I'm wanting to convert is a Cannondale CAADX from 2014. It has Shimano 105 cable disk brakes. I'm also planning to change the handle bars from drop bars to straight bars.

Thanks in advance.
reohn2
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Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by reohn2 »

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hemo
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Joined: 16 Nov 2017, 5:40pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by hemo »

A touring /racing bike is usually fairly light and a heavy front hub motor can vastly affect the handling of said bike, depending on how heavy you are it would be better to fit a rear hub drive with a down tube battery for better weight and c of g distribution. Unfortunately lighter weight kits aren't available and usually you have to order direct from reputable China sites for mixing and matching systems though batteries are always best sourced in the Uk or Eu.
Typically a lighter hub is 2 -3kg where as most kit hubs sold in the uk are about 4 - 4.3kg.
There are some nice looking kits on uk ebay from Germany from elife shop and elife bike.
mick skinner
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Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 7:57pm
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Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by mick skinner »

Excellent.

... can vastly affect the handling ...
Yes I've heard the same about front panniers for touring. I'm quite a heavy rider so I might be ok with a front wheel motor in that context. The reason I want it in the front is so it's easy to change between the motor wheel and the non motor wheel and so it's easy to change between more than one different bike, the loss of handling might be an ok compromise.

Thanks to both of you for the good advice.
hemo
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Location: West Sussex

Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by hemo »

Depending on how heavy you are ( 90/100kg or more ) then you will ideally need a high torque Bafang bpm hub, these are 4.4kg 180mm quite heavy hubs on a front wheel. They do produce some wheel spin on loose or slippery surfaces but nothing to bad, they excel at hill climbing. the 201rpm code 13 bpm @36v will plod along at 18-20 mph on the flat given 18/20a from the controller.
mick skinner
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Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 7:57pm
Location: ilkeston, derbyshire

Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by mick skinner »

hemo, that's the best bit of advice for me 'cos I'm over 100kg. Excellent.

Where can I get one? The Bafang website seem to be a trade only supplier.
hemo
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Location: West Sussex

Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by hemo »

mick skinner wrote:hemo, that's the best bit of advice for me 'cos I'm over 100kg. Excellent.

Where can I get one? The Bafang website seem to be a trade only supplier.


Have a look at Woosh bikes kits (Southend). http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits
Or China sellers BMS Battery, Elifebike.com and Greenbike kit.com.
Ideally a sensored hub with a sinewave controller for quieter operation.
OEM BPM hub bikes are 250w and marked as such however you won't find an after market BPM hub at 250w :( , they are all 350 or 500w marked.

My BPM is 350w and has about 2k miles on it, they are solid good hubs. The only issue I have had is the side cover plate bearing became noisy at about 1700 miles, £3 and 15 minutes later it was simple to replace.
The bearing started to fail and rotation on removal was very rough/coarse.
mick skinner
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Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 7:57pm
Location: ilkeston, derbyshire

Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by mick skinner »

Hey hemo, thanks again for the advice but, I think it's getting a bit complicated. I put 'high torque ebike' into google and found Whisper bikes; https://wisperbikes.com/ . I wonder if you've got an opinion about these bikes?
hemo
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Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by hemo »

Not owned one but they are very good for the money with used 5/6 year old bikes still going well with original battery.
Sold and produced for Amps bikes in 7oaks, boss man is David Mial They have superb CS and hold spares for several years or more after any production run ceases.
The torque versions use a dual sensor source it has a 4 levels torque sensor drive and in addition if required a cadence sensor.
The motor I believe is a 128sx produced by the Aikema Suzhou Company and has about 80% grunt of a BPM.
The 128SX /Q128C is very quiet, I have one laced in a 700c and it is very good also quite light at 3kg compared to 4.4kg BPM. Nicely they come in black and sit well in the wheel with a cassette and disc rotor hiding them and in all are no larger then some igh's.
mick skinner
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Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 7:57pm
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Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by mick skinner »

I'll take that as a positive endorsement hemo, this is the one I'll get I think; https://wisperbikes.com/e-bikes/705-se-step-through/
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georgew
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Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by georgew »

I use a Bafang front hub in my converted Moulton TSR27 and believe it has much to recommend it.
I'd recommend having a look at the Pedelecs forum as it is a fount of information on these motors and on sourcing batteries.

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/
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Cunobelin
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Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by Cunobelin »

hemo wrote:
mick skinner wrote:hemo, that's the best bit of advice for me 'cos I'm over 100kg. Excellent.

Where can I get one? The Bafang website seem to be a trade only supplier.


Have a look at Woosh bikes kits (Southend). http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits
Or China sellers BMS Battery, Elifebike.com and Greenbike kit.com.
Ideally a sensored hub with a sinewave controller for quieter operation.
OEM BPM hub bikes are 250w and marked as such however you won't find an after market BPM hub at 250w :( , they are all 350 or 500w marked.

My BPM is 350w and has about 2k miles on it, they are solid good hubs. The only issue I have had is the side cover plate bearing became noisy at about 1700 miles, £3 and 15 minutes later it was simple to replace.
The bearing started to fail and rotation on removal was very rough/coarse.




..... and illegal for use on UK roads
mick skinner
Posts: 552
Joined: 15 Aug 2007, 7:57pm
Location: ilkeston, derbyshire

Re: Converting using a e-front wheel.

Post by mick skinner »

..... and illegal for use on UK roads
I'm aware 250w is the legal limit, which is why I've changed my mind and going for a whole ebike instead. Thanks for all the advice folks.
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