Science and Tech

Tips and guide to buy a kit to convert your bicycle into an electric bicycle (e-Bike)

folding bike

It may be that at some point it has crossed your mind to change your bicycle, the one that you have stored in the storage room and that you do not use, for an electric one. What you may not have known is that with conversion kits you can turn it into an e-bike for a substantially lower price. We tell you everything you need to know about it.

Electric bicycles are extremely attractive devices that are increasingly popular. The main problem faced by this type of device is its price, since it is difficult to find any that is of a certain quality for less than 1,300 euros. If we already want mountain bikes or trekking, the prices are going to skyrocket to more than 2,000 euros.

The other solution is the one we are going to tell you about today, which is nothing more than conversion kits so that our normal bike ends up being electric.

I agree that buying a bicycle already manufactured in this way from the factory is an advantage, but it is equally true that prices are skyrocketing right now, so this type of conversion kit is a good idea for those who cannot afford the values. so high

So to pay less money and make our bike modern, we are going to find out everything necessary to make this happen.

conversion kits

As we have already mentioned, these conversion kits have the great advantage of price compared to buying a bicycle new electrical, since we are talking about vvalues ​​that move between 400 and 900 euros well below what an e-bike is worth.

In addition to this substantial difference, there are other advantages to mounting such a kit on a regular bike:

  • the ability to do the bike you want with the motor and batteries you want to choose, without anything being imposed on you.
  • Are compatible with almost any type of bike From the market.
  • The quantity of spare parts that you can find now to replace any component that is damaged. You won’t have the slightest problem.
  • If you decide to change your bike you will not lose the electrical system. namely. you just have to remove it and install it on the new that you buy

As in life, not everything is positive, but there are also some disadvantages in this type of kit, such as the fact that you must have some prior knowledge to be able to install it or, if not, take it to a specialized workshop.

The other main disadvantage is that when mounted, they lose a lot aesthetically. As usual, they are not as perfectly integrated as in a bike that already comes from the factory with the electric motor.

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kit types

These conversion kits can be divided into two types depending on the placement where we put the engine.

We are talking about some with a central motor and others with an in-wheel motor.

Mid-Motor Kit

In this case the motor goes on the bearing shaft or next to it. This type of assembly has two main advantages, that the engine is more powerful and that the weight is better balanced of the bike

These kits can be installed on any type of bicycle, regardless of its size, as long as the width of the drive shaft is between 68 and 73 mm, although in some cases they reach 100 or 120 mm.

It can be said that this type of kit is the one recommended for mountain bikes.

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In-Wheel Motor Kit

As its name indicates, this type of kits are installed on the front or rear wheelwith the great advantage that they are very easy to install, since you only have to remove the original wheel and put the new one with the motor already mounted.

Although it is valid for both wheels, it is normal to install it in the rear having kits that adapt to bikes from 20 to 28 inches. There are also those that are mounted on 29-inch wheels but they are more difficult to find.

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Conversion kit parts

In any conversion kit there are certain parts that are common to all. Obviously, as happens in almost everything, the better it is, it will bring or not extra options, which will also lead to an increase in price.

What these conversion kits usually bring is:

  • Engine: as we have already seen, it can be central or wheel.
  • Cabling: obviously it is needed for the installation and it already comes with the necessary pins to make this happen.
  • Drums: in the vast majority of kits they bring us the battery, but it must be clear that in some it does not come. This is not a problem, since they can be purchased from different autonomies in many stores.
  • Others: we will also have at our disposal an odometer, a pedaling assistance system and sensors that help the engine.
  • Additional features: Depending on the type of kit we buy, we can have one or more extra controls or even a screen.

What should we consider?

We must always try to choose the best conversion kit for our bicycle and for our needs, that is why there are certain aspects here that we must take into account before buying any device of this type.

Let’s see what we should pay attention to:

  • We must look at the power of the engine Bring us the kit. Said power is measured in Watts and we can find from 250 W to even 1500 W. The more powerful the more it consumes, but also the faster it reaches.
  • Battery power is measured in amps per hour. Keep in mind that the more battery capacity, the more autonomy is achieved, the more distance is traveled, but the more weight this component will have. The normal thing is to move between 8 and 20 Ah.
  • It must also be very clear that the Ministry of Industry establishes that electric bicycles must be approved according to the UNE-EN 15194: 2009 standard, which establishes 0.25 kW as maximum power and 25 km/h as maximum attainable speed. .
  • This standard also establishes as mandatory and approved that the motor must assist pedaling. This system is known as PAS or pedelc. If the kit you buy has an accelerator, that is, the engine can work without pedaling, you should know that it would not be legal on public roads.

Now you have all the data and all the information to be able to mount a conversion kit on your bike without having the slightest problem.

If you have decided to do it, you can tell us the result on our social networks, we want to know your experience and your opinion.

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