Low-step donor bikes

[UpWrong]

I'm having more trouble with my balance, so swinging a leg over a saddle has become problematic, hence I have been looking at step through frames. For electric conversions this generally means using a rear rack mounted battery. I bought an XF08C rear wheel kit with 15Ah battery from Woosh. For a donor bike, I bought a used Dawes Red Feather which has an Alu frame and a reasonable 72 degree seat tube.

It was a bit difficult squeezing the 142mm hub into the dropouts which were only 133mm spaced. I have it working and managed a 47 mile commute on it this week. The back end with the motor and battery is very heavy and I have to be careful to keep it vertical. When stopping I want to put both feet down and keep the bike vertical. A slacker seat tube would help me to reach the floor and still get good leg extension when pedalling.

I have looked at the Electra range which is famous for their “flat-foot” frame geometry. However, there tends to be a loss of pedalling power with a crank-forward design. So I’m looking at the Dawes Heritage series steel frames. These have a 70 degree seat tube and 15mm more BB drop than the Red Feather (55 vs 40mm). The disadvantage is another 3 Kg in weight, although switching from steel mudguards to plastic would take a Kg off I expect. The Heritage frames also have longer chainstays (445 vs 425mm) which might help with fitting the hub motor and with the weight distribution too.

Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone else with similar requirements had been round the same loop, and what frames they’d used and whether they were satisfactory. Would be interested to hear if someone has done an eBike conversion of a Dawes Heritage series steel frame

[saudidave]

Have you considered a dropper seat post? That way you could put your feet down when stopping quite easily

[UpWrong]

Have you considered a dropper seat post? That way you could put your feet down when stopping quite easily

I don't think that will suit me or the bike thanks. The bars are quite crowded and I have enough to think about when stopping already (gears and power levels).

[UpWrong]

I think I have a problem with my plan to find a used Dawes Cambridge as a donor. Looks like the wheels have ETRTO 590 rims whereas my motor is built into a 559 wheel. So, might have to reconsider the Electra Townie option.

[stodd]

The bars are quite crowded and I have enough to think about when stopping already (gears and power levels).

Have you considered hub gears and front hub drive? That saves the need for thinking about gears before stopping. There are disadvantages to front hub drive (modified steering and risk of scrubbing on steep hills) but for most riding the are pretty minor (my opinion). There is an advantage in some cases having your power and the motor power applied to different wheels.

[UpWrong]

The bars are quite crowded and I have enough to think about when stopping already (gears and power levels).

Have you considered hub gears and front hub drive? That saves the need for thinking about gears before stopping. There are disadvantages to front hub drive (modified steering and risk of scrubbing on steep hills) but for most riding the are pretty minor (my opinion). There is an advantage in some cases having your power and the motor power applied to different wheels.

It's a thought. It also improves the fore-aft weight distrbution. I've been thinking about an Alfine 8 which would pair with a front hub nicely. TBH, I can live with the current set-up although now wondering about splashing out on a new, purpose built eBike with a semi-integrated frame battery ...

[Geoff.D]

I've got round the problem of not being able to swing my leg over (I'm 73) in two ways - I ride a recumbent trike in the main and I decided to supplement this with a step through, bike conversion.

The donor bike I chose was a Pashley Sovereign. I wanted minimal maintenance. I picked up a basket case - stripped and serviced the seized hub; serviced the head bearings and front wheel; fitted a Bafung mid motor. I'm happy with it. It does exactly what it says on the tin. I can get to the town (5 miles over the Cotswold hills) for shopping, appointments, etc. in good shape.

BUT .....
I share the problem of not being able to get my foot down whilst in the saddle. This is exacerbated by having a fused ankle, so I can't point my toes. I thought of a dropper post, but couldn't find one that fits the seat post diameter. I've ended up lowering the saddle. I don't get a proper leg extension and that feels funny. But the motor compensates for a less efficient pedalling action when I use it uphill. I've got used to it.

[UpWrong]

I've put a narrower tyre on the back so the BB is nearer the ground. This noticeably helps with stopping securely.