Motor on expensive road bike?

[thepetester]

I am checking if anyone has done this with good results from what I understand most expensive road bike are light because they aren't built like a MTN to withstand lots of weight and such.

I really want a road bike to train with but I'd like to put a motor on it and ride up the west coast.

I'll probably get a touring bike but I thought that I would check on this first.

 

[wheelbender6]

The wheels are the main problem when motorizing a light road bike. They are more prone to broken spokes.
I would buy an inexpensive mountain bike or beach cruiser for motorizing. Save the road bike for training.

 

[Otero]

[QUOTE They are more prone to broken spokes.
I would buy an inexpensive mountain bike or beach cruiser for motorizing. Save the road bike for training.[/QUOTE]
I agree, I've 2 nice road bikes, & also a Juiced Bike's electric CCS and a custom mtn.
gas bike with a Tanaka/G.E.B.E. belt drive. Either one will smoke any road bike made.
Unless you can find 11g spokes for your roady, don't even think about a gas bike.
You could put on an electric kit I suppose, but a purpose built ebike is a better idea.
Anything with more than a 500 watt motor really should have suspension.

 

[Miscellonymous]

I'm currently in the works in putting an engine on a cannondale quick 8. I had to customize the front mounting bracket, the spoke on the wheels are 32s but I ordered a rear 36 and sprocket adapter on eBay. I had to use metal straps for the fuel tank.

Still a work in progress but it's getting there.

 

[bobo60]

not a road bike, but a real light aluminum mountain bike. I have put over 2,400 miles on it and it runs great. I also ride it on trails and in the dirt, never had a problem or crack. I got tired of the tank being in the way and sliding around, so used a lawnmower tank, works perfect.

 

[Otero]

Actually there's one outfit that specializes in kits for fast electric road bikes, Calibike*
The improperly laced spokes on my Juiced CCS wore out the spoke bores,
The motor still worked but began to butcher spokes on every ride. I bought a Calibike
kit for $250 that came with everything but cutoff brake levers. As luck would have
it, I all i needed to do was plug in the wheel to my existing setup. It was a much
superior wheel with stronger spokes. They also sell very reasonable battery packs,
but i used what I already had. For a bit more money, I could have bought a kit that
turns a road bike into a 40 mph monster, Kits are simple to install & that wheel &
motor has out lived the Juiced CCS,(now a parts bike)
Since then, I purchased a NCM Moscow e- mtn bike that is far better for 1/2 the
price. In spite of the name, it's made in Germany. I guess the idea was to market
it in Russia. Anyway, just because of the name, they haven't sold well here.
They are presently going dirt cheap for $1059, absolutely the most bike you can
buy for the price. I paid $1300, still a bargain. It arrived from LeoncycleUS in
Seattle the day after I ordered it. (I live on the 'other' side of Puget Sound).
This bike will climb a tree.

The Germans are
finicky about engineering & use, be sure to read the manual carefully if you buy.
At this price there's plenty of wiggle room to personalize the bike.( see the EBR
review for spec, etc)

 

[MoonLitCreeper]

I am checking if anyone has done this with good results from what I understand most expensive road bike are light because they aren't built like a MTN to withstand lots of weight and such.

I really want a road bike to train with but I'd like to put a motor on it and ride up the west coast.

I'll probably get a touring bike but I thought that I would check on this first.

I used an older Fuji mtb and ive had only 1 problem so far, which was the tensioner pulley coming loose due to a smaller than usual lower bar. Fixed it with a piece of thick rubber around the bar that i mounted the pulley to,

Zero problem since.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

By road bike do you mean a department store imitation or you talking about an actual bicycle shop road bike? A department store road bike will cost around $300 or less. A bicycle shop road bike used by serious cyclist will cost at least $1200 or more. It sorta defeats the purpose of spending that much money for a high quality bike if you're just going to put a motor on it.

On Yahoo Answers Cycling section I often tell questioners that unlike the pedal only world a tick tube heavy steel frame in the motorized bicycle world is a good thing.