What is the Best E-bike Conversion that will fit you and your riding style? Let's figure it out!
If you are already pretty sure you want to convert your bike give us a call +1 801-997-0550 and we can cut right to the chase with our best advice taking into account what you tell us about you, your bike and your riding style. Or you can fill out our conversion estimate form here and we will get back to you. If you have already done your research you can click here to check out our ebike conversion products. To learn a little more before deciding if it is right for you and how you would go about it, you are in the right place. There is a lot of detailed info available by clicking the buttons below.
Choosing a Bike
First of all, do you have a bike? If you have one that you are certain is perfect for your e-bike conversion then skip to the next section on selecting a motor. If you don't have a bike or want to make sure you are starting with the right kind of bike a few questions to think about are: What kind of riding would you like to do? Trails mostly or just occasionally? Do you want to just ride around the neighborhood? Do you ride for exercise, enjoyment or to actually get somewhere or accomplish something? Do you want to ride to work with your ebike as primary or occasional commute transportation? Do you need to haul kids or heavy and bulky loads? There is a bike designed for almost any need have for a bike a bike. There are even options to replace the car and carry lots of cargo. Whether you choose mountain, cruiser, hybrid, road, folding or cargo, there are great customizing options for getting your perfect powered ride. Click on these links to see if they describe you and what you want out of an ebike:
Choosing a Bike
First of all, do you have a bike? If you have one that you are certain is perfect for your e-bike conversion then skip to the next section on selecting a motor. If you don't have a bike or want to make sure you are starting with the right kind of bike a few questions to think about are: What kind of riding would you like to do? Trails mostly or just occasionally? Do you want to just ride around the neighborhood? Do you ride for exercise, enjoyment or to actually get somewhere or accomplish something? Do you want to ride to work with your ebike as primary or occasional commute transportation? Do you need to haul kids or heavy and bulky loads? There is a bike designed for almost any need have for a bike a bike. There are even options to replace the car and carry lots of cargo. Whether you choose mountain, cruiser, hybrid, road, folding or cargo, there are great customizing options for getting your perfect powered ride. Click on these links to see if they describe you and what you want out of an ebike:
Electric Mountain Bike
Young and old are discovering electric mountain bikes (eMTB's) but often for entirely different reasons. Young riders are discovering that they can get 3 or 4 rides in a day rather than just 1 or 2. Going uphill is as fun as going downhill. In fact there is a new term starting to be used called "uphill flow". Until now the flow has always been downhill on an MTB.
Some like an eMTB's for getting around town and commuting. Mountain bikes are about the only bikes made with full suspension and you can't beat full suspension for comfort but it does add some weight. However, the extra weight of full suspension is not even noticed with electric assist and they do make a very comfortable commuter with the added benefit of being able to hop curbs and take shortcuts through fields and trails when available.
For the more senior riders an eMTB lets them keep riding in the mountains and wilderness places they love. It keeps them active and lets them get out and exercise more often while doing something truly fun.
Others recovering from injuries or with physical limitations find they can get out on the trails and keep moving for their health and well-being.
If the kind of riding in this section speaks to you then an electric mountain bike might be for you. Maybe you already have one in the garage or just need to go pick one out. In either case we can help you electrify it into an eMTB you will love.
Some like an eMTB's for getting around town and commuting. Mountain bikes are about the only bikes made with full suspension and you can't beat full suspension for comfort but it does add some weight. However, the extra weight of full suspension is not even noticed with electric assist and they do make a very comfortable commuter with the added benefit of being able to hop curbs and take shortcuts through fields and trails when available.
For the more senior riders an eMTB lets them keep riding in the mountains and wilderness places they love. It keeps them active and lets them get out and exercise more often while doing something truly fun.
Others recovering from injuries or with physical limitations find they can get out on the trails and keep moving for their health and well-being.
If the kind of riding in this section speaks to you then an electric mountain bike might be for you. Maybe you already have one in the garage or just need to go pick one out. In either case we can help you electrify it into an eMTB you will love.
Electric City Bike or Electric Cruiser Bike
Bike shops these days seem to be full of either road racing bikes or off-road mountain bikes, both of which were not designed for comfort but for speed and power with the rider hunched forward. Do you remember when people wore normal clothing to go for a ride? When it was about being outdoors and enjoying the ride rather than focused on speed? When bikes were designed to sit upright where you can enjoy the scenery and wave hello to your neighbors? When it was as much about the journey as the destination?
Everyday cycling in Europe is still like that and they have perfected the upright city bike for getting around town or just out for a ride. In America we popularized the cruiser style and they are still very popular. An example is the Electra Townie or a beach cruiser. City bikes tend to be more for getting around and cruisers are more for pleasure but they both do both and it really comes down to preference and both make great e-bike conversions.
If you live in a flat area and have your health you may not need an ebike but if you are in your senior years, have health issues or live around hills or wind, an ebike is the answer. In the Salt Lake Valley where I live the ground slopes from the mountains on either side of the valley to the Jordan River. Wherever you are in the valley if you are going in an east/west direction you will have a hill going or coming not to mention a lot of other hills spread throughout the valley. That coupled with steady winds at different times of the year makes electric assist welcome on a majority of rides. So for the less athletic we can now add electric motor assistance to both flatten the hills and tame the wind. In fact, people find once they have converted their bike they find themselves riding a lot more often because the reasons for not riding a bike and just taking the car tend to go away.
If this section appeals to you then a city bike or a cruiser might be for you. Maybe you already have one in the garage or just need to go pick one out. In either case we can help you electrify it into an ebike you will love.
Everyday cycling in Europe is still like that and they have perfected the upright city bike for getting around town or just out for a ride. In America we popularized the cruiser style and they are still very popular. An example is the Electra Townie or a beach cruiser. City bikes tend to be more for getting around and cruisers are more for pleasure but they both do both and it really comes down to preference and both make great e-bike conversions.
If you live in a flat area and have your health you may not need an ebike but if you are in your senior years, have health issues or live around hills or wind, an ebike is the answer. In the Salt Lake Valley where I live the ground slopes from the mountains on either side of the valley to the Jordan River. Wherever you are in the valley if you are going in an east/west direction you will have a hill going or coming not to mention a lot of other hills spread throughout the valley. That coupled with steady winds at different times of the year makes electric assist welcome on a majority of rides. So for the less athletic we can now add electric motor assistance to both flatten the hills and tame the wind. In fact, people find once they have converted their bike they find themselves riding a lot more often because the reasons for not riding a bike and just taking the car tend to go away.
If this section appeals to you then a city bike or a cruiser might be for you. Maybe you already have one in the garage or just need to go pick one out. In either case we can help you electrify it into an ebike you will love.
Electric Commuter Bike
One of the biggest reasons people are reluctant to ride their bike to work is that they can't arrive sweaty. So they drive even if they want to ride. An e-bike solves that one and also gets you to work faster. Commuters find that even if it is too far for a normal bike the fact that they go further faster on an e-bike makes a bicycle commute possible.
So what kind of bike makes the best commuter bike? There is no right answer to that because different people commute on different styles of bike for different reasons. A city bike or even a cruiser can make a great commuter and be very comfortable on a lot of commutes. However, if the roads are rough or there are a lot of potholes they can be a little rough without full suspension. Some city bikes have front suspension and any city bike or cruiser can be upgraded with a suspension seat post that smooths out road bumps from being transferred directly from the road to your spine.
Some like an eMTB's for getting around town and commuting. Mountain bikes are about the only bikes made with full suspension and you can't beat full suspension for comfort but it does add some weight. However, the extra weight of full suspension is not even noticed with electric assist and they do make a very comfortable commuter with the added benefit of being able to hop curbs and take shortcuts through fields and trails when available.
Commuting on road bikes is another opportunity for racers to get in some training on the way to work. The problem is they need a shower when they get their. This is where an electrified road bike makes a lot of sense. They can ride it to work and not break a sweat and then not use the motor on the ride home and train on the type of bike they like to ride. Of course they still need a non-motorized one for regular rides.
Folding bikes are great for split commutes where part is by public transit or car and part is on bike. For those on public transit the folding bike gets them from the station to work. For those in cars they don't have to find and pay for parking close in to town. They can park where it is easy and free or cheap and ride the rest of the way in.
Whichever kind of bike you decide is ideal for your commute, we can help you electrify it into an electric commuter bike you will love.
So what kind of bike makes the best commuter bike? There is no right answer to that because different people commute on different styles of bike for different reasons. A city bike or even a cruiser can make a great commuter and be very comfortable on a lot of commutes. However, if the roads are rough or there are a lot of potholes they can be a little rough without full suspension. Some city bikes have front suspension and any city bike or cruiser can be upgraded with a suspension seat post that smooths out road bumps from being transferred directly from the road to your spine.
Some like an eMTB's for getting around town and commuting. Mountain bikes are about the only bikes made with full suspension and you can't beat full suspension for comfort but it does add some weight. However, the extra weight of full suspension is not even noticed with electric assist and they do make a very comfortable commuter with the added benefit of being able to hop curbs and take shortcuts through fields and trails when available.
Commuting on road bikes is another opportunity for racers to get in some training on the way to work. The problem is they need a shower when they get their. This is where an electrified road bike makes a lot of sense. They can ride it to work and not break a sweat and then not use the motor on the ride home and train on the type of bike they like to ride. Of course they still need a non-motorized one for regular rides.
Folding bikes are great for split commutes where part is by public transit or car and part is on bike. For those on public transit the folding bike gets them from the station to work. For those in cars they don't have to find and pay for parking close in to town. They can park where it is easy and free or cheap and ride the rest of the way in.
Whichever kind of bike you decide is ideal for your commute, we can help you electrify it into an electric commuter bike you will love.
Electric Road Bike
RRoad bikes are an interesting one. Most road bikes are ridden by the racers and those riding to constantly up the bar on fitness. I used to think they weren't the best candidates for electric conversions. However, since I have come to realize that there are 2 big exceptions to riding a road bike as a pure human powered sport. Cycling for many is a social sport. They ride with friends, family or a team. One of the 2 reasons for electric conversions on a road bike is to allow those that for any number of reasons can't keep up with those they want to ride with. Sometimes this is a spouse that can't keep up with the other spouse but they want to ride together. Others are recovering from an injury or have health issues that prevent them from riding as fast as they use to. It can be very rewarding for all parties to have them able to join and it seems unfair to ask the fittest to slow their pace when the sport is all about pushing ones limits.
The second reason for electric road bikes is that commuting on road bikes is another opportunity for racers to get some training in while commuting to work. The problem is they need a shower when they get there. This is where an electrified road bike makes a lot of sense. They can ride it to work and not break a sweat and then not use the motor on the ride home and train on the type of bike they like to ride. Of course they still need a non-motorized one for regular rides.
You won't find very many electric road bikes in the ebike shops but if you bring one to us we will help you pick out the perfect motor and battery to electrify it.
The second reason for electric road bikes is that commuting on road bikes is another opportunity for racers to get some training in while commuting to work. The problem is they need a shower when they get there. This is where an electrified road bike makes a lot of sense. They can ride it to work and not break a sweat and then not use the motor on the ride home and train on the type of bike they like to ride. Of course they still need a non-motorized one for regular rides.
You won't find very many electric road bikes in the ebike shops but if you bring one to us we will help you pick out the perfect motor and battery to electrify it.
Electric Folding Bike
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Folding bikes are great if you ever need to fit your bike in a small space like the trunk of your car. Do you need conserve on space where you store it at home or work? Is it needed for public transportation? Some require it. Some are ok with you bringing a full-sized bike. If you pick a folding bike you will want to keep it light with an ebike conversion kit that is light weight and doesn't interfere with folding it up.
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Folding bikes are great for split commutes where part is by public transit or car and part is on bike. For those on public transit the folding bike gets them from the station to work. For those in cars they don't have to find and pay for parking close in to town. They can park where it is easy and free or cheap and ride the rest of the way in.
Most folding bikes are good candidates for conversion to an electric folding bike. If you have one or have one in mind - great! If you would like a recommendation give us a call and we will help you pick one out. In anycase we can help you electrify it into a folding ebike you will love.
Most folding bikes are good candidates for conversion to an electric folding bike. If you have one or have one in mind - great! If you would like a recommendation give us a call and we will help you pick one out. In anycase we can help you electrify it into a folding ebike you will love.
Electric Cargo Bike
Cargo bikes may be the most obvious candidates for electrification. If you have any experience hauling kids or cargo you know the extra strain they put on pedaling especially on hills and against the wind. Maybe you have tried a basket or a rack and panniers on your bike so you can carry some stuff. But if you really want to replace even more car trips when you need to haul a load of kids, groceries or hardware you should be thinking about a cargo bike. A mid-drive motor is almost always the way to go because on hills you can gear down and have all the power you need. An electric assist on a cargo bike is a natural and is still good for the planet and the wallet. A typical battery charge is less than 20 cents.
Some of the coolest conversions we have done have been cargo bikes. If you are leaning in this direction we would love to help you electrify it into an electric cargo bike you will love.
Some of the coolest conversions we have done have been cargo bikes. If you are leaning in this direction we would love to help you electrify it into an electric cargo bike you will love.
Choosing a Motor
What kind of e-bike motor will suit your needs the best? High power, medium power, torque sensing mid-drive or hub motor? There are two basic kinds for motors on an e-bike, hub motors and mid-drive motors. Hub motors are in the wheels and and either have a single gear or are direct drive with no gears. Each has its own advantages. The second type is a mid-drive like the Bafang BBS02 and BBSHD. These put the power where the pedals are and have the advantages of being able to use all of your bikes gears. Click the button below for more information and helpful guidance.
What kind of e-bike motor will suit your needs the best? High power, medium power, torque sensing mid-drive or hub motor? There are two basic kinds for motors on an e-bike, hub motors and mid-drive motors. Hub motors are in the wheels and and either have a single gear or are direct drive with no gears. Each has its own advantages. The second type is a mid-drive like the Bafang BBS02 and BBSHD. These put the power where the pedals are and have the advantages of being able to use all of your bikes gears. Click the button below for more information and helpful guidance.
Hub Motors
Hub motors are a straightforward way to convert a bike and sometimes are the only way. They are simple and provide ample assist in most street riding environments. They have a few disadvantages when compared with mid-drive motors in that they put the weight out on one of the wheels which can make the bike feel more unbalanced. Hub motors are also not able to use the bikes gears like a mid-drive can so the motor is always in one gear. This can cause it to bog down on hills, when starting from a dead stop or when riding into a headwind. This makes it less efficient and it uses more battery. Not being able to downshift, it can also overheat on long uphill grades if you are not careful. Hub motors also make servicing the bike a little more difficult. Instead of just popping off the wheel to fix a flat, you need to unplug wires and you may need to disconnect a torque arm. Hub motors also require nuts on the axle rather than a quick release.
Direct drive hub motor:
Advantages: A direct drive motor is not geared and spins exactly as fast as the wheel is turning. They have the advantage of being the quietest of all of the ebike motors and are very simple with less to go wrong.
Disadvantages: Direct drive hub motors tend to be heavy and like almost all hub motors they only have a single gear which means they will use more power when accelerating from a stop, climbing hills or riding into a headwind.
Geared hub motor:
Advantages: Geared hub motors are smaller and less visible in the wheel. They are lighter weight than direct drive motors.
Disadvantages: Usually noisier than direct drive motors and more prone to overheating with less surface area to dissipate the heat.
What Electrify Bike offers: We are always striving for the sweet spot in the illusive "Goldilocks Zone". The "just right" compromise between weight, power and range. We just haven't found a direct drive hub motor in the zone we are aiming for. As a result, we only use geared hub motors that are under 5 lbs but can crank out up to 750 watts of power and are very quiet. For this motor and electronics we use the Bafang MG510 from the hub motor experts in Canada, Grin Technology. Let us know what you need and we will have a custom wheel built with exactly what you need for your hub motor conversion.
Direct drive hub motor:
Advantages: A direct drive motor is not geared and spins exactly as fast as the wheel is turning. They have the advantage of being the quietest of all of the ebike motors and are very simple with less to go wrong.
Disadvantages: Direct drive hub motors tend to be heavy and like almost all hub motors they only have a single gear which means they will use more power when accelerating from a stop, climbing hills or riding into a headwind.
Geared hub motor:
Advantages: Geared hub motors are smaller and less visible in the wheel. They are lighter weight than direct drive motors.
Disadvantages: Usually noisier than direct drive motors and more prone to overheating with less surface area to dissipate the heat.
What Electrify Bike offers: We are always striving for the sweet spot in the illusive "Goldilocks Zone". The "just right" compromise between weight, power and range. We just haven't found a direct drive hub motor in the zone we are aiming for. As a result, we only use geared hub motors that are under 5 lbs but can crank out up to 750 watts of power and are very quiet. For this motor and electronics we use the Bafang MG510 from the hub motor experts in Canada, Grin Technology. Let us know what you need and we will have a custom wheel built with exactly what you need for your hub motor conversion.
Mid-drive motors
Mid-drive motors are called that because they are located in the middle of the bike at the cranks and they transfer the power through the same drive-train the rider does with the pedals. This is where the mid-drive advantages start.
Advantages: The motor is centered and low - right where you want that extra weight. The motor gets to use all of the gears you do. When you shift into the right gear for you, that is also the gear that will let the motor run most efficiently while powering up hills or going fast on the flats. Another less obvious advantage of a mid-drive motor that you will only truly appreciate if you have owned a hub motor ebike is that it leaves the wheels of the bike unchanged. They are still normal bicycle wheels that you can pop on and off easily for transport or to change a flat.
Disadvantages: The advantage of the motor using the drive-train of the bike is also one of its liabilities. You are putting a lot of extra power through the drive train which means it will wear out more quickly. Fortunately chains and sprockets are not very expensive. Also, some mid-drive motors have a gear-sensor option that cuts the motor for a split second during shifting. This protects the drivetrain from the extra power from the motor when shifting between gears.
Advantages: The motor is centered and low - right where you want that extra weight. The motor gets to use all of the gears you do. When you shift into the right gear for you, that is also the gear that will let the motor run most efficiently while powering up hills or going fast on the flats. Another less obvious advantage of a mid-drive motor that you will only truly appreciate if you have owned a hub motor ebike is that it leaves the wheels of the bike unchanged. They are still normal bicycle wheels that you can pop on and off easily for transport or to change a flat.
Disadvantages: The advantage of the motor using the drive-train of the bike is also one of its liabilities. You are putting a lot of extra power through the drive train which means it will wear out more quickly. Fortunately chains and sprockets are not very expensive. Also, some mid-drive motors have a gear-sensor option that cuts the motor for a split second during shifting. This protects the drivetrain from the extra power from the motor when shifting between gears.
How Much Power is Enough?
More power means more weight and expense. If you are riding a bicycle and not a motorcycle it usually means you want to pedal for exercise and you want the lightweight benefits of a bicycle. At Electrify Bike we believe in maximizing power while keeping the bike as lightweight as possible. This is why we ask how far you want to ride so we can give you the right size battery. More distance means bigger battery and more weight. This is the same with the motor.
We provide motors that have maximum power for US law. This is 750 watts. Most ebikes are designed for European law which is 250 watts. But on hills, with heavy loads and against headwinds this is often insufficient. If you have a motor with more power it doesn't mean you always use it. In fact most riding is done at 250 watts or below. But when you need more power it is nice to have it. Whether that is to get up a steep hill or to just go faster when you need to. Most of us riding e-bikes economize our batteries and maximize our exercise by riding with a low level of assistance most of time. However, when you need power or just need to go fast, the extra power is nice to have as long as you are not paying for it in excess weight and expense. We have found that sweet-spot with the solutions we sell.
All of our street legal 750 watt motors are between 5 and 8.5 lbs. We do have the more powerful BBSHD mid-drive that ways just over 12 lbs. but even it can be scaled back to 750 watts street legal by using the EggRider display. This display can switch the BBSHD & Ultra motors between 750 watt street legal mode and 1000+ watt off-road mode with the press of a button.
We provide motors that have maximum power for US law. This is 750 watts. Most ebikes are designed for European law which is 250 watts. But on hills, with heavy loads and against headwinds this is often insufficient. If you have a motor with more power it doesn't mean you always use it. In fact most riding is done at 250 watts or below. But when you need more power it is nice to have it. Whether that is to get up a steep hill or to just go faster when you need to. Most of us riding e-bikes economize our batteries and maximize our exercise by riding with a low level of assistance most of time. However, when you need power or just need to go fast, the extra power is nice to have as long as you are not paying for it in excess weight and expense. We have found that sweet-spot with the solutions we sell.
All of our street legal 750 watt motors are between 5 and 8.5 lbs. We do have the more powerful BBSHD mid-drive that ways just over 12 lbs. but even it can be scaled back to 750 watts street legal by using the EggRider display. This display can switch the BBSHD & Ultra motors between 750 watt street legal mode and 1000+ watt off-road mode with the press of a button.
Torque Sensing
What is torque sensing?
Torque sensing is an extra sensor that measures how much effort the rider is applying to the pedals so that the riders effort can be factored into how much motor power is applied.
What is basic pedal assist?
Basic pedal assist is whenever you are pedaling a certain amount of pre-selected assistance from the motor is applied. When you stop pedaling, the motor stops. As a gauge for how much assistance we are talking about, a normal adult pedaling hard is about 150 watts of power. We like to start our assistance at level one at about 100 watts of power or 2/3 of a person. We then graduate that up in levels you can select incrementing up to the maximum power the motor delivers which if it is 750 watts is 5 times the effort of the rider pedaling hard. With basic pedal assist the ebike only knows that rider is pedaling, not how hard the rider is pedaling. It will put out however much power is selected to the motor whenever it detects that the rider is pedaling whether that is 100 watts on level one or 750 watts on level nine,
How important is torque sensing?
With torque sensing the ebike has a measure of how hard you are pedaling and can give a more nuanced amount of power based on your effort. It can feel very responsive like you are very powerful. That said, you can get close to this same feeling with basic pedal assist if you are adding a lot of effort and not just letting the motor do all of the work. Some riders have a definite preference for one or the other. Not all bikes are candidates for torque sensing and you may find that you are trading off more important capabilities to get it. Our most popular mid-drive motors, the Bafang BBSHD and BBS02 are pedal assist and throttle motors. They are very powerful, silent and robust motors. The lighter weight TongSheng TSDZ2 does have torque sensing for those that don't need that extra power and ultra-quiet of the.Bafang motors. If you are looking at a hub motor, torque sensing is possible using the Cycle Analyst and a torque sensor in the bottom bracket. These are limited to bikes that can be adapted to a 68mm threaded bottom bracket.
Confused?
If you are new to ebikes and this is a bit confusing, don't worry. Torque sensing is much less important than other factors in making your decisions. You will actually be thrilled with any of our conversion solutions but more important than features like torque sensing are the bike you start with and the kind of riding you want to do. Just fill out our conversion questionnaire, tell us your preferences, and we can advise you on the best approach.
Torque sensing is an extra sensor that measures how much effort the rider is applying to the pedals so that the riders effort can be factored into how much motor power is applied.
What is basic pedal assist?
Basic pedal assist is whenever you are pedaling a certain amount of pre-selected assistance from the motor is applied. When you stop pedaling, the motor stops. As a gauge for how much assistance we are talking about, a normal adult pedaling hard is about 150 watts of power. We like to start our assistance at level one at about 100 watts of power or 2/3 of a person. We then graduate that up in levels you can select incrementing up to the maximum power the motor delivers which if it is 750 watts is 5 times the effort of the rider pedaling hard. With basic pedal assist the ebike only knows that rider is pedaling, not how hard the rider is pedaling. It will put out however much power is selected to the motor whenever it detects that the rider is pedaling whether that is 100 watts on level one or 750 watts on level nine,
How important is torque sensing?
With torque sensing the ebike has a measure of how hard you are pedaling and can give a more nuanced amount of power based on your effort. It can feel very responsive like you are very powerful. That said, you can get close to this same feeling with basic pedal assist if you are adding a lot of effort and not just letting the motor do all of the work. Some riders have a definite preference for one or the other. Not all bikes are candidates for torque sensing and you may find that you are trading off more important capabilities to get it. Our most popular mid-drive motors, the Bafang BBSHD and BBS02 are pedal assist and throttle motors. They are very powerful, silent and robust motors. The lighter weight TongSheng TSDZ2 does have torque sensing for those that don't need that extra power and ultra-quiet of the.Bafang motors. If you are looking at a hub motor, torque sensing is possible using the Cycle Analyst and a torque sensor in the bottom bracket. These are limited to bikes that can be adapted to a 68mm threaded bottom bracket.
Confused?
If you are new to ebikes and this is a bit confusing, don't worry. Torque sensing is much less important than other factors in making your decisions. You will actually be thrilled with any of our conversion solutions but more important than features like torque sensing are the bike you start with and the kind of riding you want to do. Just fill out our conversion questionnaire, tell us your preferences, and we can advise you on the best approach.
Choosing a Battery
What kind and size e-bike battery should you get? Capacity vs weight, power vs capacity, sizing for longest ride vs average or daily ride are all important considerations. Click "Choosing the Right Battery" to learn more.
What kind and size e-bike battery should you get? Capacity vs weight, power vs capacity, sizing for longest ride vs average or daily ride are all important considerations. Click "Choosing the Right Battery" to learn more.
Battery
The most important factors in choosing a battery.
1. Trusted brand. 18650 Lithium Ion cells are by far the most popular cells found in ebike batteries. This is because the energy density is very high and they are being manufactured in huge quantities. They are being used everywhere including electric cars like Teslas. There are many cheap lithium ion 18650 cells that don't last and can be very dangerous especially in the quantities found in ebike battery packs. It is not uncommon for an ebike battery to have over 50 18650 cells. All it takes is one bad cell to destroy a pack and create a fire hazard. This is why the manufacturer of the cells is extremely. Brands like Samsung, Panasonic, Sanyo, LG are all excellent brands with excellent process and quality control. You can't go wrong with any of these brands. However, know your source. There are knockoffs with the brand names printed on the cases so buy from someone you trust or that have a good reputation and others trust.
2. Power & Capacity. How many volts? How many Amps? How many amp hours? Without getting into how cells are made into battery packs if you know the answer to the first 3 questions you can calculate watts and watt hours which are the 2 most useful numbers. We use 52 volt packs everywhere we can and only sell motors that can support them. 52 volts is like 48 volts after morning coffee. It packs a little more punch and gets a little more speed out of your motor. However, if you are not using the speed or power the extra volts transfer directly into increased range. How does that work? It is simple math. Volts x amps = watts. Watts equal power. Volts x amp hours = watt hours. Watt hours = capacity or range. Think of watt hours as how much gas you have in the tank and think of watts as how much power it can put out. If you have a 2000 watt battery supplying a 750 watt motor but you are only asking it for 250 watts on your ride you have plenty of reserve power and your battery and motor will run cool. If that battery happens to have 750 watt hours of capacity it will be able to power the bike for 3 hours at 250 watts. 3 hours x 250 watts = 750 watt hours. If you were going 20 miles an hour that would mean your range was 60 miles. See! Simple math.
3. How big? We always ask our customers 3 questions. What is your average ride in miles? What is your longest ride? How many miles per week do you ride? This gives us a pretty good feel for the best battery options. If your longest ride is fairly frequent the you should pick a battery with that much range. If however, the long rides are infrequent you many want to think twice about adding that weight to your bike for all of your shorter rides as well. Sometimes it makes sense to get a smaller battery that will handle 90% or more of your rides and then get a second one to throw in your pack when you take longer rides or just want to know you have a spare tank. Our most popular battery is the 52v 14ah Panasonic Super Shark. We call this our 50 mile battery. It is 728 watt hours and mounts on the down tube on water bottle mounts. It fits in most bike frames but if it won't it can sometimes be put on the bottom of the down tube or on the rear rack. A step up for those that need even more range is the 52v 17.5ah Panasonic Jumbo Shark. We call this our 70 mile battery. It is 910 watt hours and mounts just like the Super Shark. For those that want to keep it light and most of their rides are under 15 miles, we have our 52v Samsung Mini-cube battery that fits in a saddle bag under the seat.
1. Trusted brand. 18650 Lithium Ion cells are by far the most popular cells found in ebike batteries. This is because the energy density is very high and they are being manufactured in huge quantities. They are being used everywhere including electric cars like Teslas. There are many cheap lithium ion 18650 cells that don't last and can be very dangerous especially in the quantities found in ebike battery packs. It is not uncommon for an ebike battery to have over 50 18650 cells. All it takes is one bad cell to destroy a pack and create a fire hazard. This is why the manufacturer of the cells is extremely. Brands like Samsung, Panasonic, Sanyo, LG are all excellent brands with excellent process and quality control. You can't go wrong with any of these brands. However, know your source. There are knockoffs with the brand names printed on the cases so buy from someone you trust or that have a good reputation and others trust.
2. Power & Capacity. How many volts? How many Amps? How many amp hours? Without getting into how cells are made into battery packs if you know the answer to the first 3 questions you can calculate watts and watt hours which are the 2 most useful numbers. We use 52 volt packs everywhere we can and only sell motors that can support them. 52 volts is like 48 volts after morning coffee. It packs a little more punch and gets a little more speed out of your motor. However, if you are not using the speed or power the extra volts transfer directly into increased range. How does that work? It is simple math. Volts x amps = watts. Watts equal power. Volts x amp hours = watt hours. Watt hours = capacity or range. Think of watt hours as how much gas you have in the tank and think of watts as how much power it can put out. If you have a 2000 watt battery supplying a 750 watt motor but you are only asking it for 250 watts on your ride you have plenty of reserve power and your battery and motor will run cool. If that battery happens to have 750 watt hours of capacity it will be able to power the bike for 3 hours at 250 watts. 3 hours x 250 watts = 750 watt hours. If you were going 20 miles an hour that would mean your range was 60 miles. See! Simple math.
3. How big? We always ask our customers 3 questions. What is your average ride in miles? What is your longest ride? How many miles per week do you ride? This gives us a pretty good feel for the best battery options. If your longest ride is fairly frequent the you should pick a battery with that much range. If however, the long rides are infrequent you many want to think twice about adding that weight to your bike for all of your shorter rides as well. Sometimes it makes sense to get a smaller battery that will handle 90% or more of your rides and then get a second one to throw in your pack when you take longer rides or just want to know you have a spare tank. Our most popular battery is the 52v 14ah Panasonic Super Shark. We call this our 50 mile battery. It is 728 watt hours and mounts on the down tube on water bottle mounts. It fits in most bike frames but if it won't it can sometimes be put on the bottom of the down tube or on the rear rack. A step up for those that need even more range is the 52v 17.5ah Panasonic Jumbo Shark. We call this our 70 mile battery. It is 910 watt hours and mounts just like the Super Shark. For those that want to keep it light and most of their rides are under 15 miles, we have our 52v Samsung Mini-cube battery that fits in a saddle bag under the seat.
Choosing a Charger
Chargers can not only charge your battery but higher-end chargers can make a huge difference in how long you battery lasts and how many times it will take a charge.
Chargers can not only charge your battery but higher-end chargers can make a huge difference in how long you battery lasts and how many times it will take a charge.
Which charger?
A few things to think about: Better chargers usually come in a metal case and are fan cooled. They come in different amperages which determines how fast your battery charges. Charging too fast at too high of an amperage can shorten the life of your battery. If you don't know a lot about battery technology, it is best to buy your charger from the same company that you got your battery from. The amp rating of the charger must be matched to the charging rating of the pack. Not the max charge but the standard charge or lower. Consistently charging at the max charge amps will shorten the life of your battery. This is why Tesla recommends that their cars not be charged at their super chargers very often. They are intended for fast charges on road trips with routine daily charges taking place at a slower charger at home or in a parking lot.
Electrify bike chargers come in 2 amp or fast charge 4 amp sizes. 4 amp chargers charge twice as fast as 2 amp. A 52v 700 watt hour battery will charge in 3.5 hours with a 4 amp charger if it is fully drained. The same battery will charge in 7 hours with a 2 amp charger. All of the batteries sold by Electrify Bike including the mini-cubes can take a 4 amp charge without any negative impact on battery life.
Increasing the number of charge cycles: A smart charger can increase the number of charge cycles of your battery dramatically. If you charge your battery to 100% every time, it will take about 400 charge cycles before the battery capacity is reduced to 85%. This is 2 charges a week for 4 years. Not bad! You may want a new battery in four years anyway. However, if you have a long commute and charge everyday you will exhaust your 400 charges in just over a year. Did you know that if you only charge your battery to 90% you can get close to 1000 charges? Or if you charge it to only 80% you will get closer to 2000 charges? This is true of all lithium ion batteries including your cell phone. The problem is everyone is competing on talk time so they always max the charge to 100% instead of optimizing for battery life.
A smart charger is has a selectable amount of charge. For example, Electrify Bike's smart charger have a rotary switch that is selectable for 80%, 90% and 100% charges. We recommend charging to 90% unless you are planning a long ride. For long rides top it off to 100%. The occasional 100% won't have a big impact on battery life.
Electrify bike chargers come in 2 amp or fast charge 4 amp sizes. 4 amp chargers charge twice as fast as 2 amp. A 52v 700 watt hour battery will charge in 3.5 hours with a 4 amp charger if it is fully drained. The same battery will charge in 7 hours with a 2 amp charger. All of the batteries sold by Electrify Bike including the mini-cubes can take a 4 amp charge without any negative impact on battery life.
Increasing the number of charge cycles: A smart charger can increase the number of charge cycles of your battery dramatically. If you charge your battery to 100% every time, it will take about 400 charge cycles before the battery capacity is reduced to 85%. This is 2 charges a week for 4 years. Not bad! You may want a new battery in four years anyway. However, if you have a long commute and charge everyday you will exhaust your 400 charges in just over a year. Did you know that if you only charge your battery to 90% you can get close to 1000 charges? Or if you charge it to only 80% you will get closer to 2000 charges? This is true of all lithium ion batteries including your cell phone. The problem is everyone is competing on talk time so they always max the charge to 100% instead of optimizing for battery life.
A smart charger is has a selectable amount of charge. For example, Electrify Bike's smart charger have a rotary switch that is selectable for 80%, 90% and 100% charges. We recommend charging to 90% unless you are planning a long ride. For long rides top it off to 100%. The occasional 100% won't have a big impact on battery life.
Choosing a Chainring
Choosing the right chainring will determine whether you have the power to climb hills and whether you can go as fast as you what to go and your bike, battery and motor are capable of. Click on "Picking the Right Chainring" to maximize the efficiency of your mid-drive motor.
Choosing the right chainring will determine whether you have the power to climb hills and whether you can go as fast as you what to go and your bike, battery and motor are capable of. Click on "Picking the Right Chainring" to maximize the efficiency of your mid-drive motor.
Picking the right chainring
With a mid-drive motor you may have fewer gears: The front sprocket by the pedals is called a chainring. With a mid-drive motor you take off your front chainring(s) with the cranks and bottom bracket and slide in the motor with its own chainring. If you had more than one chainring you now only have one. Let's say you had 3 chainrings up front and 9 cogs on your rear wheel. That is a total of 27 combinations or speeds. With the mid-drive motor you typically have just one chainring which means your 27 speed is now a 9 speed. This is not as bad as it sounds in fact in some respects it is desirable. Riders find that they need fewer gears with electric assist and it is nice having fewer gears to shift through.
If your bike originally had 3 gears up front and they were 52 tooth, 42 tooth, and 38 tooth, you might want to pick the middle or gear or 42 tooth chainring as the best all around. If you still want a wide range of gears, especially low gears then you can trade out your rear cassette for a wider range cassette and have the full range you need. You can read more about that here.
As it turns out most newer mountain bikes and now many city and road bikes have only a single chainring up front and a wide range cassette in the back. So adding a mid-drive doesn't require any of the trade offs mentioned above. In fact if you have an older bike you can look at going to a mid-drive to be a drive-train upgrade as well.
If you really want more than one chainring it is possible. It is actually common with the TSDZ2 motor in fact we sell dual chainrings for that motor. It is less common with Bafang but is still possible. The problem is many front derailleurs won't go out far enough to reach the outer chainring. Since the TSDZ2 doesn't stick out quite as far as the Bafang motors more front derailleurs will work with the TSDZ2. If you just want to have it on one or the other based on city or mountain riding then you can move it by hand before you start out.
Why are some mid-drive motor chainrings offset? Each mid-drive motor comes with a chainring, usually steel and between 42 to 46 teeth. This is usually a good size for all around riding and also 42 teeth is the smallest you can go and have the chainring offset to return your chainline as close as possible to your original chainring(s). This simply means that the motor pushes your chainring mount point to the outside and by dishing or offsetting the chainring they can move it back inboard closer to where your original chainrings were. Chainrings smaller than 42T can't be dished because they would hit the motor housing so they are further outboard and the chainline will be off. This is not a problem on many bikes but you want to try to keep the chain as straight as possible. 42T is simply too big for many mountain bikers so they get a smaller chainring for overall lower gearing and the chainline is still fine through much of the range but is more cross chained in the lowest (large) gears on the rear wheel.
What size chainring is ideal? The ideal chainring size can be illusive because you are making tradeoffs. The Bafang motors want to run fast and perform at their best with smaller chainrings while the TSDZ2 motors tend to top out at a cadence of 90 to 100 so a somewhat larger chainring for riders that like a fast cadence can be better. If you just want overall lower gearing for mountain biking a 30-38T chainring is ideal. However, if you have chainline issues then you may want to go with a 42T and make sure you have ultra-low gears in the back in the 40-46T range. If you are a speed demon and want to feel like you are contributing and getting a good workout at higher speeds you may want a 48-52T chainring. I say "want to feel like you are contributing" because even if you are pedaling very hard the wind resistance is so significant that the motor will be doing the lions share of the work but you will still get a good workout.
Should I upgrade my chainring? This question may be answered for you if you choose a different size chainring than the one that comes with your motor. If you want higher or lower overall gearing you need an upgrade. Even if you decide you actually want the size that came with your motor, you may still want to get an upgrade. The upgrade chainrings made by Lekkie and others are typically CNC 7075 T6 hardened aluminum and are lighter, better looking. They also have a significant advantage by using a narrow/wide tooth profile. This means that every other tooth is wider or narrower to fill the entire space in the outer and inner chain links. This has the advantage of holding the chain onto the chainring so that it doesn't come off. If your bike had a front derailleur then you probably never had this happen because the front derailleur holds the chain on. Without the front derailleur you may find your chain frequently or infrequently coming off of the chainring. This is no fun. Some bikes never have that problem. We sometimes advise that want the size of chainring that comes with the motor to just run with the stock chainring to start out and then if they have their chain coming off they can upgrade to a narrow/wide tooth profile chainring to help solve the problem. Chainguides can also be used and if your rear derailleur has a clutch that will also help to keep the chain from popping off.
What about IGH hubs? All of the above applies to your chainring consideration except if your chain is properly tightened it won't ever pop off. You may still want a chainring upgrade to get higher or lower overall gearing or to trim weight and have a better looking bike.
If your bike originally had 3 gears up front and they were 52 tooth, 42 tooth, and 38 tooth, you might want to pick the middle or gear or 42 tooth chainring as the best all around. If you still want a wide range of gears, especially low gears then you can trade out your rear cassette for a wider range cassette and have the full range you need. You can read more about that here.
As it turns out most newer mountain bikes and now many city and road bikes have only a single chainring up front and a wide range cassette in the back. So adding a mid-drive doesn't require any of the trade offs mentioned above. In fact if you have an older bike you can look at going to a mid-drive to be a drive-train upgrade as well.
If you really want more than one chainring it is possible. It is actually common with the TSDZ2 motor in fact we sell dual chainrings for that motor. It is less common with Bafang but is still possible. The problem is many front derailleurs won't go out far enough to reach the outer chainring. Since the TSDZ2 doesn't stick out quite as far as the Bafang motors more front derailleurs will work with the TSDZ2. If you just want to have it on one or the other based on city or mountain riding then you can move it by hand before you start out.
Why are some mid-drive motor chainrings offset? Each mid-drive motor comes with a chainring, usually steel and between 42 to 46 teeth. This is usually a good size for all around riding and also 42 teeth is the smallest you can go and have the chainring offset to return your chainline as close as possible to your original chainring(s). This simply means that the motor pushes your chainring mount point to the outside and by dishing or offsetting the chainring they can move it back inboard closer to where your original chainrings were. Chainrings smaller than 42T can't be dished because they would hit the motor housing so they are further outboard and the chainline will be off. This is not a problem on many bikes but you want to try to keep the chain as straight as possible. 42T is simply too big for many mountain bikers so they get a smaller chainring for overall lower gearing and the chainline is still fine through much of the range but is more cross chained in the lowest (large) gears on the rear wheel.
What size chainring is ideal? The ideal chainring size can be illusive because you are making tradeoffs. The Bafang motors want to run fast and perform at their best with smaller chainrings while the TSDZ2 motors tend to top out at a cadence of 90 to 100 so a somewhat larger chainring for riders that like a fast cadence can be better. If you just want overall lower gearing for mountain biking a 30-38T chainring is ideal. However, if you have chainline issues then you may want to go with a 42T and make sure you have ultra-low gears in the back in the 40-46T range. If you are a speed demon and want to feel like you are contributing and getting a good workout at higher speeds you may want a 48-52T chainring. I say "want to feel like you are contributing" because even if you are pedaling very hard the wind resistance is so significant that the motor will be doing the lions share of the work but you will still get a good workout.
Should I upgrade my chainring? This question may be answered for you if you choose a different size chainring than the one that comes with your motor. If you want higher or lower overall gearing you need an upgrade. Even if you decide you actually want the size that came with your motor, you may still want to get an upgrade. The upgrade chainrings made by Lekkie and others are typically CNC 7075 T6 hardened aluminum and are lighter, better looking. They also have a significant advantage by using a narrow/wide tooth profile. This means that every other tooth is wider or narrower to fill the entire space in the outer and inner chain links. This has the advantage of holding the chain onto the chainring so that it doesn't come off. If your bike had a front derailleur then you probably never had this happen because the front derailleur holds the chain on. Without the front derailleur you may find your chain frequently or infrequently coming off of the chainring. This is no fun. Some bikes never have that problem. We sometimes advise that want the size of chainring that comes with the motor to just run with the stock chainring to start out and then if they have their chain coming off they can upgrade to a narrow/wide tooth profile chainring to help solve the problem. Chainguides can also be used and if your rear derailleur has a clutch that will also help to keep the chain from popping off.
What about IGH hubs? All of the above applies to your chainring consideration except if your chain is properly tightened it won't ever pop off. You may still want a chainring upgrade to get higher or lower overall gearing or to trim weight and have a better looking bike.
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Choosing Other Options
Other things to consider in your e-bike conversion. Click on the following buttons to dive in to these important options and things to think about for your ultimate e-bike.
Other things to consider in your e-bike conversion. Click on the following buttons to dive in to these important options and things to think about for your ultimate e-bike.