Adding battery power inexpensively - How?

[C70R]

So, my folks are in their 70s and have always enjoyed a few cycle rides a year - usually along lovely, flat coastal pathways etc.

However, with increasing age has come my mother's inability to ride up a gradient of any sort. They are loathe to give up something they enjoy, but some of the prices they've seen for adding battery power to their bikes have been ludicrous (3-4x what they paid for their, fairly basic, bikes).

I know nothing about this, being a London cyclist who rides to stop being fat. However, I've seen a load of Deliveroo types running around my area with battery-added bikes - so I assume that the kits can't be prohibitively expensive.

Given that my Dad loves a little project, I think he'd be quite comfortable to do this DIY (provided no major risks). But I don't even know where to start for a kit to recommend him. Given the short distance and frequency that it would be used for, I really don't think there's any need to overspec the kit - but again, I don't know what 'overspec' looks like at the moment.

Any help or links to appropriate kits would be hugely appreciated.

[okgo]

There's a shop near me that does just this, maybe worth a call in from yourself? They have many deliveroo riders outside at all times...

Or this looks useful - https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/best-electric...

[Mammasaid]

Swytch or Cyclotricity, both front wheel conversion kits that are simple to add on.

Or a prebuilt e-bike from Halfords?

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/electric-bikes/assi...

[C70R]

Thank you both.

okgo - Where is the shop?

[okgo]

C70R said:

Thank you both.

okgo - Where is the shop?

https://www.robustebike.co.uk/

[yellowjack]

I looked at this shop... https://www.cytronex.com/ ...in Winchester a good while ago. They were making the kits and building the wheels with the motors in on site. Not sure how good the kits are because my leg healed better than was forecast and I didn't need power assistance in the end. Which was a relief because I couldn't really afford it. This one is about £995, but I think you're looking at "reassuringly expensive" at a minimum to get a decent e-bike kit from anywhere really..

They way Cytronex worked when I spoke to them was that you could either buy a bike from them with the kit already installed, or they'd build a wheel for your existing bike - either a new wheel and retain your original wheel for non-assisted rides, or a rebuild of your old wheel with their electric motor hub and new spokes. Then you can choose between riding your favourite bike as an ebike with assistance on. Ride it with assistance off but the battery and motor still on the bike, or whip the battery and the motorised wheel off and put the ordinary wheel back on to ride a bike that's almost exactly the same weight as before the conversion. Just the wiring and sensors stay on the bike. Seems like a pretty flexible solution, if a little pricey for me...

[C70R]

yellowjack said:

I looked at this shop... https://www.cytronex.com/ ...in Winchester a good while ago. They were making the kits and building the wheels with the motors in on site. Not sure how good the kits are because my leg healed better than was forecast and I didn't need power assistance in the end. Which was a relief because I couldn't really afford it. This one is about £995, but I think you're looking at "reassuringly expensive" at a minimum to get a decent e-bike kit from anywhere really..

They way Cytronex worked when I spoke to them was that you could either buy a bike from them with the kit already installed, or they'd build a wheel for your existing bike - either a new wheel and retain your original wheel for non-assisted rides, or a rebuild of your old wheel with their electric motor hub and new spokes. Then you can choose between riding your favourite bike as an ebike with assistance on. Ride it with assistance off but the battery and motor still on the bike, or whip the battery and the motorised wheel off and put the ordinary wheel back on to ride a bike that's almost exactly the same weight as before the conversion. Just the wiring and sensors stay on the bike. Seems like a pretty flexible solution, if a little pricey for me...

So that's the sort of money that they were being quoted, and it doesn't really stack up for them to use the bikes for a few outings a year.

[yellowjack]

C70R said:

So that's the sort of money that they were being quoted, and it doesn't really stack up for them to use the bikes for a few outings a year.

It's big bucks isn't it? I looked into it when I broke my leg. I suffered massive muscle wastage under a cast for six months, and though I might need some assistance to get me back on a bike again. In the end hospital physio were great and I managed to build myself back to "fit enough to pedal a bicycle" through a lot of walking and 'ankle classes' at the physio department before my consultant was prepared to let me ride again anyway. But as you say, if you're either not using it regularly, or only want assistance to boost recovery back onto an ordinary unassisted bike, then the sums just don't add up...

[Mammasaid]

yellowjack said:

C70R said:

So that's the sort of money that they were being quoted, and it doesn't really stack up for them to use the bikes for a few outings a year.

It's big bucks isn't it? I looked into it when I broke my leg. I suffered massive muscle wastage under a cast for six months, and though I might need some assistance to get me back on a bike again. In the end hospital physio were great and I managed to build myself back to "fit enough to pedal a bicycle" through a lot of walking and 'ankle classes' at the physio department before my consultant was prepared to let me ride again anyway. But as you say, if you're either not using it regularly, or only want assistance to boost recovery back onto an ordinary unassisted bike, then the sums just don't add up...

The two I mentioned above come in at half that price, as was the Halfords ebike, so it can be done cheaper.

[C70R]

Mammasaid said:

The two I mentioned above come in at half that price, as was the Halfords ebike, so it can be done cheaper.

The challenge with the kits you shared is that they are £4-500 for the basics, which is going to be significantly more expensive if my Dad somehow isn't able to fit himself.

With a new bike coming in at £900-1000, it feels like a bit of a false economy.

[Mammasaid]

It's not that complicated if you can wield a spanner. The hardest part for me was organising the wiring, plenty of zip ties sorted that, apart from that it's straightforward.

It was replace old front wheel with new front wheel and swap tyre over.

Mount battery onto bottle rack mounting points.

Mount control box to downtube.

Replace brake levers with new ones with auto-cutoff.

Mount display to handlebars.

Clip pedal assist to crank and mount sensor.

Plug everything together and off you go.

[waynecyclist]

Well worth remembering that it is not as simple as just bolting on the electric kit, yes kits are available but a proper factory bike is designed to take electric power.

I have seen frame and fork failures from electric conversions.

Much safer to a ready built bike

[stargazer30]

£400 Yose kit off ebay. Comes will the battery, tools and everything needed to do a legal hub conversion.

[stargazer30]

waynecyclist said:

Well worth remembering that it is not as simple as just bolting on the electric kit, yes kits are available but a proper factory bike is designed to take electric power.

I have seen frame and fork failures from electric conversions.

Much safer to a ready built bike

Assuming its not a front hub and the kit is 250w legal and not some daft 1000w job, then it exactly is that simple. There's very little difference in the frame or parts on normal vs ebikes too.

[duckwhistle]

Take a look at https://wooshbikes.co.uk/ in Southend on sea. Lots of kit stuff & bikes plus advice and importantly good after sales care, help and spares. Nice guys to deal with too. Join Pedelecs uk for good forums on all aspects of ebikes. Usual disclaimers.