deacon
minor bike philosopher
In the ebike section we have some unique challenges but we also have a chance to see the basics that the kit guys miss. You buy your kit you bolt it on and basically it's gonna do what it was designed to do. Not that there isn't a real sense of accomplishment and a lot of Improvements possible with them. They are a never ending challenge.
But with ebikes you have to do a lot more thinking initially. The field is newer than the gas bikes, so its still shaking out. So I was thinking this morning If you are looking at a china girl kit you don't have to do a lot of thinking about what to buy. Sure you want the best kit for your money but they are all about the same in reality. Not so with ebike kits. It's still a lot about the best kit for your money but you have to weigh a lot more personal variables at the moment. Someday there may be a standard but for now there isn't. Knowing that every factor has multiple answers on an ebike it is a truly confusing issue.
How fast do I really need to go. First of all you have to understand you are not going to be able to run with the traffic. At least I'm not going to be able to, so that is a non issue. How fast can I personally go and feel safe. From having ridden a china girl bike I can tell you over 25 and I personally get hinky. So anything that goes over 25 mph is a waste for me.
Hill climbing is an issue as well. I have no problem with pedal assist up hills but some hills can get long. I don't want the assist to be a struggle, just a gentle pedaling I think. So I need about middle of the road power as a minimum I think.
Again from riding my ebikes, both a hub motor kit and pushers that I built, I have determined that a minimum for a truly successful ebike kit for me would depend on the motor style. I have a 250 watt hub motor, a 350 watt pusher, and a 450 watt pusher motor. I would expect the Izip type bike with a 450 watt motor would do about anything I need doing. A little more motor might be nice a 600 watt for instance but that is a guess. I am pretty sure that a 600 watt hub motor would be a good compromise size as well.
Now you get into battery configuration. More power is a good thing, except that in the sla batteries it is more weight. In the lith it is more money for sure. I personally only have 24volt systems. I think 36 might be ideal though. It should give a little more beef for those hills that are the bane of my existence. After all I live in a town called HIGH POINT for a reason.
Anyway the point was there is a lot to consider when setting up an ebike that just isn't an issue with the china bike. Dare I say it, Ebikers are a different breed of cat... Explorers of the new frontier even.
One day someone will decide that xyz is the most efficient size for a hub bike.... (cost vs benefits) and there will be a one size fits all kit like in the China girl kits. I think Izip has done that already with their bike. And now the currie kit as well.
Now someone needs a hub kit of about 600watts with a price tag of about 300 bucks as well. A good one and those two will probably be the standard. Everything else would be like accessories. I would like to see the kits at $199 without batteries. I would like to see the Currie kit drop those proprietary battery packs as well.
This is not an endorsement of any kit or product just some observations. PLEASE add yours since guy who are just thinking about ebikes read this forum. The more information they have the better.
But with ebikes you have to do a lot more thinking initially. The field is newer than the gas bikes, so its still shaking out. So I was thinking this morning If you are looking at a china girl kit you don't have to do a lot of thinking about what to buy. Sure you want the best kit for your money but they are all about the same in reality. Not so with ebike kits. It's still a lot about the best kit for your money but you have to weigh a lot more personal variables at the moment. Someday there may be a standard but for now there isn't. Knowing that every factor has multiple answers on an ebike it is a truly confusing issue.
How fast do I really need to go. First of all you have to understand you are not going to be able to run with the traffic. At least I'm not going to be able to, so that is a non issue. How fast can I personally go and feel safe. From having ridden a china girl bike I can tell you over 25 and I personally get hinky. So anything that goes over 25 mph is a waste for me.
Hill climbing is an issue as well. I have no problem with pedal assist up hills but some hills can get long. I don't want the assist to be a struggle, just a gentle pedaling I think. So I need about middle of the road power as a minimum I think.
Again from riding my ebikes, both a hub motor kit and pushers that I built, I have determined that a minimum for a truly successful ebike kit for me would depend on the motor style. I have a 250 watt hub motor, a 350 watt pusher, and a 450 watt pusher motor. I would expect the Izip type bike with a 450 watt motor would do about anything I need doing. A little more motor might be nice a 600 watt for instance but that is a guess. I am pretty sure that a 600 watt hub motor would be a good compromise size as well.
Now you get into battery configuration. More power is a good thing, except that in the sla batteries it is more weight. In the lith it is more money for sure. I personally only have 24volt systems. I think 36 might be ideal though. It should give a little more beef for those hills that are the bane of my existence. After all I live in a town called HIGH POINT for a reason.
Anyway the point was there is a lot to consider when setting up an ebike that just isn't an issue with the china bike. Dare I say it, Ebikers are a different breed of cat... Explorers of the new frontier even.
One day someone will decide that xyz is the most efficient size for a hub bike.... (cost vs benefits) and there will be a one size fits all kit like in the China girl kits. I think Izip has done that already with their bike. And now the currie kit as well.
Now someone needs a hub kit of about 600watts with a price tag of about 300 bucks as well. A good one and those two will probably be the standard. Everything else would be like accessories. I would like to see the kits at $199 without batteries. I would like to see the Currie kit drop those proprietary battery packs as well.
This is not an endorsement of any kit or product just some observations. PLEASE add yours since guy who are just thinking about ebikes read this forum. The more information they have the better.
Last edited:
