Hello all, this is my second post here after browsing about for a few days.
I am planning a ride all the way up the west coast of the US (San Diego-Vancouver) for a few months from now. I have done almost this exact ride before several times, but never with a motor on my bicycle!!! I have also never put together a motorized bike, and am therefore a noob in this hobby.
I want to start shopping around for a bike for this adventure, and would love to get started taking advantage of all of yours' expertise in this matter with a few basic questions.
1.) The bike must be reliable, because I can't go spending days at a time in the middle of who knows where shopping around for new wheels because the one I have broke or mounting the engine on a new frame because the one I have cracked. SO the question: what should I look for in a frame? Based on reading many posts, I take it road bike wheels are out of the question because they are too flimsy and won't stand up well to consistent pressure from an engine. Are road bike frames out of the question? I was thinking of using a mountain-street hybrid, because these still allow for efficient pedaling (a cruiser is out of the question because it doesn't). What size wheels should I look for? What I want out of it is mostly reliability, but speed and looks would be welcome bonuses. Keep in mind I will be loading about 50lbs worth of supplies via front and rear panniers, and I myself weigh 150lbs.
Also: the road is paved 99% of the way but there are areas where its very cracked/poorly maintained
2.) I have read conflicting things about the cheaper chinese "80cc" engines-- some say they aren't reliable, others don't seem to have problems. I would REALLY like to do this as cheaply as possible, and was considering something like the Jet or the Grubee 66cc/80cc engine kit. This is a nearly 2000 mile, 1 month-long (maybe a bit less) journey; I would hate to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a non-working engine and few mechanic skills (which I will certainly be learning more of these next months).
Thanks for your input!!!![zpt zpt zpt](https://motorbicycling.com/images/smilies/zpt.gif)
I am planning a ride all the way up the west coast of the US (San Diego-Vancouver) for a few months from now. I have done almost this exact ride before several times, but never with a motor on my bicycle!!! I have also never put together a motorized bike, and am therefore a noob in this hobby.
I want to start shopping around for a bike for this adventure, and would love to get started taking advantage of all of yours' expertise in this matter with a few basic questions.
1.) The bike must be reliable, because I can't go spending days at a time in the middle of who knows where shopping around for new wheels because the one I have broke or mounting the engine on a new frame because the one I have cracked. SO the question: what should I look for in a frame? Based on reading many posts, I take it road bike wheels are out of the question because they are too flimsy and won't stand up well to consistent pressure from an engine. Are road bike frames out of the question? I was thinking of using a mountain-street hybrid, because these still allow for efficient pedaling (a cruiser is out of the question because it doesn't). What size wheels should I look for? What I want out of it is mostly reliability, but speed and looks would be welcome bonuses. Keep in mind I will be loading about 50lbs worth of supplies via front and rear panniers, and I myself weigh 150lbs.
Also: the road is paved 99% of the way but there are areas where its very cracked/poorly maintained
2.) I have read conflicting things about the cheaper chinese "80cc" engines-- some say they aren't reliable, others don't seem to have problems. I would REALLY like to do this as cheaply as possible, and was considering something like the Jet or the Grubee 66cc/80cc engine kit. This is a nearly 2000 mile, 1 month-long (maybe a bit less) journey; I would hate to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a non-working engine and few mechanic skills (which I will certainly be learning more of these next months).
Thanks for your input!!!
![zpt zpt zpt](https://motorbicycling.com/images/smilies/zpt.gif)
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