eBikes with low BBs

[Carlton green]

Thanks for the update.
I’m a bit sceptical about flat foot technology but if it works for you then all well and good.

I’m trying some new pedals on my bike, they’re not as chunky as the old ones were and I notice the reduced thickness. A few mm here and there can make a difference and I wondering about dropping my saddle slightly.

[UpWrong]

I didn't find anywhere with the Electra in stock and viewable so still considering other options.

I note that the Canondale Adventure is currently available for £280 (with discount code) and has a low BB (288mm) and slack seat tube (68 degrees) and would make a good donor bike for conversion I think, https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/canno ... e=93134603

Trouble is I really could do with selling my wife's Squish 26 first to make room and am currently reverting it to original spec. Also I've had thoughts about converting one of my long wheelbase recumbents, and I don't have trouble comfortably reaching the ground with that .

Plus hesitating because I've got more comfortable with the Wisper, so probably not much advantage swapping for the Canondale.

[Cadence]

That Cannondale looks a good option for an electric conversion. I particularly like the position of the bottle cage screws, which make fitting a downtube battery possible without compromising the "step through" nearer the seat tube. Might need a third rivnut adding but at least there is no top tube to get in the way when drilling.
If I hadn't already fitted Yosepower kits to three of my bikes I would be very tempted. Unfortunately none of them were for 27.5" wheels, so I wouldn't be able to swap a kit over!
My most recent Yose purchase was a 350w. rear cassette hub kit:-
https://www.yosepower.co.uk/products/36 ... 1256338652
The other two are a 250w rear cassette hub kit and a 350w rear freewheel kit. All are good, but the 350w cassette kit in the link seems to be the best performer on hills and, unike the 250w the speed and throttle settings can be changed.
Allowing for buying some mudguards and a rear pannier rack (if you want them), you would have a good bike for around £700. The more I think about it the more I'm tempted!

[UpWrong]

Well, the price of the Cannondale Adventure dropped to £209 so I couldn't resist and have ordered one. There is a £19.99 delivery or collection charge which is naughty. A charge for collection, how is that justified?!!!!

I shall ride it unassisted to evaluate the geometry, then decide on whether to convert it to an eBike or fit a double/triple and use it for touring without a motor.

[rareposter]

With balance issues I like to be able to get the balls of both feet on the ground when I stop. I can dismount as I stop on a step-thru but it needs to be a planned stop and it delays setting off again which is awkward in busy traffic.

A lot hybrid eBikes have an MTB heritage and along with increasingly tall tyres this has raised BB heights. Most are now over 300mm and reaching the ground whilst still getting good leg extension when cycling has become unachievable. For comparison, in the old days, tourers might have BB heights around 270mm.

There appear to be two solutions. One is the "feet-forward" designs which have very slack seat tube angles. The Electra Townie is the main advocate of this but there is also the Gazelle Easyflow. These all use Bosch mid-drives.

A second solution I guess is to fit smaller wheels. Replacing 700c disc wheels with 650B (27.5") disc wheels would bring the BB down by 19mm which is probably about right. Any spoke attached rotation sensors would need to be moved but this does seem a good way to go. Any reason not to go this route?

I know you've already bought the bike but there is a much simpler solution that does not require measuring BB heights.

A dropper post like this: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/b ... lsrc=aw.ds

It's not a suspension seatpost (although it does look like one!), it's a locking telescope design. Push a lever on the bars, the saddle drops under your weight. Stand up off the saddle and push the lever again, the saddle rises back to its original height.

Originally developed as a way for MTBers to drop the saddle on steep descents without stopping, faffing with seatpost QR levers and so on, they've become quite common on gravel bikes as well for the same reason but they're brilliant for allowing people to reach the ground while stationary as well. As you're coming to a stop, press the lever, the saddle drops and you can reach the ground with both feet. Excellent for remounting too or mounting the bike while on a hill for example.

You can buy them to fit most seat tube sizes (sometimes with shims) and they're available in drops of 80mm (for gravel bikes etc) right up to about 200mm for enduro-style MTBs. And it obviously means you can use any bike you want, not just one with a low BB.

Obviously a bit late now for that seeing as you've bought your bike but maybe of use to others or if you decide that what you've bought is not suitable.

Good luck with your new purchase!

[Carlton green]

Well, the price of the Cannondale Adventure dropped to £209 so I couldn't resist and have ordered one. There is a £19.99 delivery or collection charge which is naughty. A charge for collection, how is that justified?!!!!

I shall ride it unassisted to evaluate the geometry, then decide on whether to convert it to an eBike or fit a double/triple and use it for touring without a motor.

Thanks for the update. At that price it’s hard to go too far wrong. I don’t see enough merit in front suspension to warrant using it and do see some drawbacks, but each to what pleases them. To my mind trying a triple before electrification makes sense, but I do appreciate that some folk just need the eleci to allow them to cycle / continue to cycle - or if not in need now they are pretty sure that they will be so within a few years.

Obviously - though I’m not sure that it is - some riders can choose to own and use both electric and traditional powered bikes, it doesn’t have to be all one type or the other.

Please let us know how you get on, how things worked out to your plan or what problems you found, etc.

[UpWrong]

Thanks for the update. At that price it’s hard to go too far wrong. I don’t see enough merit in front suspension to warrant using it and do see some drawbacks, but each to what pleases them. To my mind trying a triple before electrification makes sense, but I do appreciate that some folk just need the eleci to allow them to cycle / continue to cycle - or if not in need now they are pretty sure that they will be so within a few years.

Obviously - though I’m not sure that it is - some riders can choose to own and use both electric and traditional powered bikes, it doesn’t have to be all one type or the other.

Please let us know how you get on, how things worked out to your plan or what problems you found, etc.

Yes, I am covering my bases with this. At the moment my attention has switched to using this unassisted because I don't currently have a normal upright bike yet I have the Wisper 705 eBike which is proving to be adequate if not perfect for my needs. Swinging a leg over a saddle has become tricky so an aluminium frame step through could be the way to go.

Regarding the front suspension, I may fit a fixed fork If I keep the bike unassisted. However at eBike speeds of 14/15mph on the Wisper I'm finding a suspension fork is really appreciated. The faster you go the more the benefit from suspension.

[Carlton green]

Thanks for the update. At that price it’s hard to go too far wrong. I don’t see enough merit in front suspension to warrant using it and do see some drawbacks, but each to what pleases them. To my mind trying a triple before electrification makes sense, but I do appreciate that some folk just need the eleci to allow them to cycle / continue to cycle - or if not in need now they are pretty sure that they will be so within a few years.

Obviously - though I’m not sure that it is - some riders can choose to own and use both electric and traditional powered bikes, it doesn’t have to be all one type or the other.

Please let us know how you get on, how things worked out to your plan or what problems you found, etc.

Yes, I am covering my bases with this. At the moment my attention has switched to using this unassisted because I don't currently have a normal upright bike yet I have the Wisper 705 eBike which is proving to be adequate if not perfect for my needs. Swinging a leg over a saddle has become tricky so an aluminium frame step through could be the way to go.

Regarding the front suspension, I may fit a fixed fork If I keep the bike unassisted. However at eBike speeds of 14/15mph on the Wisper I'm finding a suspension fork is really appreciated. The faster you go the more the benefit from suspension.

I don’t ride that fast as to find a need for suspension but also use a traditional style drop handlebar bike - rather than quite upright - and that might have an impact. Replacing the sprung fork with fixed might be difficult, in that I suspect that there might not be a direct replacement that both fits and doesn’t alter the bike’s geometry.

On an electric bike the spring in the front forks might not matter but for traditional bikes one of their unintended actions - not easy to explain - is a drain on the effort put into the pedals.

[UpWrong]

A quick report on the Cannondale Adventure 2. It arrived quickly and securely. The gears and disc brakes were set up nicely and required no adjustment. I'm impressed with the overall quality of the parts: jagwire cabling, nice saddle, replaceable chainring, chain-catcher, 4-bolt stem etc. The chief drawback is that the fork has a custom crown which I think will make it difficult to fit a non-suspended replacement. The headtube tapers and has a diameter of 60mm at the base. The lower bearing has a diameter of around 50mm. So whilst the steerer is straight you'd need a crown which can accomodate a 50mm race.

I can report that the BB is low at around 285mm even with the 2.4" tyres, although actual width is around 50mm. The step-over height is around 400mm. The wheels rims look quite narrow but are labelled as 23C. The handlebars are wide and high. I have moved the spacers above the stem and flipped the stem. I shall probably change the bars to narrower flat bars with less rise.

So I am pondering whether to convert it to an eBike or set it up for touring for now. I'm prety sure I can fit an FD, a super-compact double, a pair of 700c wheels with 32mm tyres and a rack.

[UpWrong]

It looks like 42mm/52mm tapered headsets are an MTB standard, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ever-Mountain- ... B088T8KVC5

[Jdsk]

Thanks for the update,

Please could you add the height of the BB and the step-over.

Jonathan

[UpWrong]

Thanks for the update,

Please could you add the height of the BB and the step-over.

Jonathan

I've added those measurements

[Jdsk]

Thankyou

Jonathan

[UpWrong]

For now, I've converted the Cannondale Adventure into a 2x9 tourer with 700c wheels (was 650B wheels). It has separate fixing points for a rear rack and a rear mudguard which is nice. Basically, I kept the frame, fork, saddle, seatpost and brakes and changed everything else: wheels, transmission, bar, stem. Weight as pictured is 34lbs: