E-Bike Kits and Companies: Too Many Secrets?
The 1992 Hollywood film Sneakers focused on an advanced decryption device that could access secrets and big data. It was a box-office success grossing more than $105 million and was the first of its kind to take on government cyber programs. The cast included Robert Redford, Dan Akroyd, and more. Our favorite cheeky character “Whistler” played by David Strathaim worked to decode the device using a series of 14 scrambled letters. Then, he typed “TOO MANY SECRETS.”
Today, we as consumers have access to the largest amount of information in the history of the world. We don’t need a code. We have Google.
ELECTRIC BIKE INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Consumers have two options for electric bikes:
OPTION #1: Buy new and expensive electric bikes.
OPTION #2: Convert all types of bikes to electric with less expensive electric bike kits.
Let’s focus on OPTION #2 and save you money by investing in a high quality electric bike conversion kit.
When you begin researching websites about a motorized bike kit, you may find that the challenge is not a matter of “too many secrets.” Instead, there is “too much information.” Too many bike options, too many e-bike kits, too many companies, and too many opinions.
GOOGLE SEARCH “E-BIKE CONVERSION KITS”
According to Google, there are more than 4,500 websites that provide information on e-bike conversion kits. There are also hundreds of companies that offer electric bike kits. Some companies have excellent information on their websites and offer electric bike conversion kits. Some do not.
Why is there so much information about e-bikes and kits? The reason is electric bikes are very popular now and have been around for a long time. In fact, electric bikes have been around for more than a century!
The great news is that electric bike kits have fairly recently emerged as THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE to spending a lot of money on a complete electric bike. Conversion kits are the way to go. Kits turn any old bicycle into a brand new electric piece of joy! They save you money and still offer the high performance and quality you are looking for in an expensive electric bike. And at a fraction of the price! So now you just have to find the right kit for you.
THE ELECTRIC BIKE KIT GUIDE
So where do you begin? Begin Here. We broke-down the questions about a motor bike kit in order to guide your thought process a little. It’s no surprise that we hear these questions every day from our awesome customers. This quick guide will help you research your options in order to better understand what we as companies have to offer in the era of “information overload.” Here, we’ll explain the decisions you should focus on and the companies that offer solutions.
SIMPLE or COMPLEX E-BIKE KIT?
First, we recommend that you decide if you want a simple-to-install and easy-to-operate electric bike kit or if you want a more complex electric bike kit with extra features. These features can really add to the fun of riding and enhance user experience, but may also require a bike technician to install as well as additional maintenance. Extra features include a Pedal Assist Sensor (PAS), LCD Computer, USB port, and more. On the other hand, a simple e-bike kit will cost you less than a complex kit, but may not offer all the bells and whistles.
SIMPLE (LEFT) vs. COMPLEX (RIGHT)
SIMPLE E-BIKE KITS
COMPANIES:
Clean Republic
COMPLEX E-BIKE KITS
COMPANIES:
Dillenger
Ebikekit
ELECTRIC BIKE MOTOR POWER?
Second, we recommend considering how much power you want or how fast you want to go. The electric bike motor’s Watts determine the power that the hub motor provides. Therefore, more Watts equal more power. Your choice of power may be determined by your reason for converting to an electric bike, which may help you narrow your search for your electric bike wheel.
250 WATTS (LEFT) vs. 500 WATTS (RIGHT)
250 WATT ELECTRIC BIKE MOTOR HUB
Think of 250 Watts as doubling your pedal power or about 1/3 horsepower. 250 Watt bicycle motor kits keep the bicycle a bike, but allow you to ride in your highest gears with ease. It’s just enough to keep you from breaking a sweat on your way to work and make your bike just fast enough to pass weekend warrior cyclists in spandex. 250 Watts is also enough assist to help you climb hills in the lowest gears without excessive effort, but is not sufficient to climb hills as fast as you’d regularly ride on the flats. One of the benefits of 250 Watts versus higher Watt bicycle motors is the weight. Generally speaking, more Watts equals more weight. 250 Watt kits provided by Clean Republic and Leeds are also simple to install.
The batteries for 250 Watt ebike kits are usually the lightest weight li-ion systems because they only require 24 volts. Additionally, the motors for 250 Watts are the smallest and lightest, but again, 250 Watts does not make your bike a super fast motorcycle.
COMPANIES:
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
Clean Republic
500 WATT ELECTRIC BIKE MOTOR HUB
500 Watts is considered to triple your power. About 2/3 horsepower. This puts you right at the legal limit in the USA and most other countries in Europe at 20 MPH without pedaling. 500 Wattts is great for climbing steep hills. Commuters like the faster 500W kits because they can get to work quickly or climb hills fast without arriving to work with a sweat.
This much power puts bikes at the threshold for stressing bicycle frames, so steel is always recommended, but aluminum frames are still most often compatible with 500 Watts. The torque created by a 500 Watt motor is also at the threshold for beginning to stress bicycle forks. It is recommended that you install torque arms on forks at 500+ Watts
COMPANIES:
Dillenger
Ebikekit
750+ WATT ELECTRIC BIKE MOTOR HUB
This is the realm where the bike is classified as an off-road vehicle by federal laws. This is a lot of power and feels similar to a scooter or even a motorcycle. These systems are incredibly fun off-road and are great for climbing steep terrain. They also put a lot of stress on bicycle frames, so be sure to use steel forks and frames with these systems. The company Ebikekit is great for these higher-power off-road kits.
COMPANY:
Ebikekit
ELECTRIC BICYCLE BATTERY CAPACITY?
Third, it is important to determine how far you want to be able to ride on your electric bike on a single charge. Remember, the greater the capacity the heavier the battery gets and if the battery is lead acid, it is going to weigh your bike down like a cinder block. Li-ion batteries are the best option because they can last 1,500+ charges and are lightweight. All the companies listed below offer li-ion and Ebikekit offers both lead acid and lithium.
LONG DISTANCE E-BIKE KITS (40-50 MILES)
COMPANIES:
Clean Republic
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
MID DISTANCE E-BIKE KITS (20-40 MILES)
COMPANIES:
Clean Republic
Dillenger
Ebikekit
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
SHORT DISTANCE E-BIKE KITS (4-20 MILES)
COMPANIES:
Clean Republic
Dillenger
Ebikekit
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
FRONT or REAR ELECTRIC BIKE WHEEL ?
Fourth, do you have a standard bicycle or do you want to convert a trike or folding bike? If you have a standard bike, then we recommend a front wheel conversion. If you have a special need because your bike or trike is unique, for example a tadpole trike or a folding bicycle, then we recommend a rear wheel conversion. Front wheel conversions are great for riding, easy to control, and simple to install. Rear wheel conversions are also excellent, but require more installation time since they are more complex.
FRONT WHEEL (LEFT) vs. REAR WHEEL (RIGHT)
FRONT ELECTRIC BIKE WHEEL ONLY KITS
COMPANY:
Clean Republic
FRONT AND REAR ELECTRIC BIKE WHEEL KITS
COMPANIES:
Dillenger
Ebikekit
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
GEARED or GEARLESS BIKE MOTOR?
Fifth, consider the two types of motors: Geared Vs. Gearless
GEARED ELECTRIC BICYCLE MOTOR (PLANETARY MOTOR)
The geared bike motor is also called a planetary motor because it is free spinning without any friction. It is the preferred electric bicycle motor by those who want to keep their bike a bike and ride with or without power. Whether you are throttling or not, you can still ride your bike like you normally would and the geared electric bike wheel is the lightest of the two options.
The best geared motors are sealed and use steel gears, however, many bike hub motors use gears made of nylon or other composite materials. Steel gears can last forever and rarely if ever need any maintenance, whereas nylon or plastic gears often break quickly. Nylon gears are commonly found in the inexpensive motors offered on eBay and Amazon by overseas sellers. The gear motor companies listed below offer steel gears in their bike hub motors.
GEARLESS ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR BICYCLE
The gearless bike motor uses magnets to power the hub motor. When this bike motor does not receive power, it is very difficult to ride and challenging to pedal without significant effort. On the contrary, when the gearless motor is receiving power, it can be very powerful and they can go very fast. They are a lot of fun, but unfortunately, the gearless bike motor does not give you the ability to ride your bike as you normally would without power. Essentially, it turns your bike into a scooter or moped. Another negative is that it is heavier than the geared motor.
GEARED BIKE MOTOR KITS ONLY
COMPANIES:
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
Clean Republic
GEARLESS AND GEARED BIKE MOTOR KITS
COMPANIES:
Ebikekit
Dillenger
ELECTRIC BIKE CONVERSION COMPANIES
Sixth, research the company that sells the electric bike conversion kit in order to determine the quality of the kit, the warranty available, competitive pricing, and how good the customer service is. Customer reviews are a great place to start and are available if the company uses a trusted third-party review service. A list of the most popular e-bike kit companies are listed below.
Clean Republic
Dillenger
Ebikekit
Leeds 250 Watt Kits
ELECTRIC BIKE KIT QUESTIONS?
We are available 24/7 by email. For immediate questions, please contact us at sales@e-bikerig.com or call us at (866) 933-8716 between 9AM and 5PM MDT. Send us your interrogatives anytime and review other electric bike options. “TOO MANY SECRETS” or information overload no more!
