Bicycle Electric Conversion
Electric bicycles can be a clean and green method of transportation, and building your own ebike is not only possible, but is also affordable. Micah Toll, the author of a popular DIY electric bike conversion book offers us 6 tips for getting started with building your own electric bike.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with using a conventional manually-pedaled bicycle, as they're fun, inexpensive, simple to work on and maintain, and about as low-carbon of a transportation option as you can get. But an electric bicycle offers some advantages over a standard bicycle, including speed and convenience, and require significantly less effort to get from one place to another. However, before you lay out a big chunk of cash on a readymade ebike, consider doing a DIY electric bike conversion.
I've previously covered Micah Toll's electric bike conversion video course, but because he's now going to have his ebike book printed as an actual physical book, I asked him if he could offer us some insight into why building your own ebike is not only possible, but is also desirable.
Q: Why do you think people are switching to commuting with an ebike?
Toll: I've actually seen a wide variety of people switching to ebikes for many different reasons. A large group consists of college students and young professionals, especially those living in cities, who use ebikes as an alternative to buying a car or relying on public transportation. The main benefits for this group include being able to commute on their own schedule, not paying for a car, insurance, parking or a yearly bus pass, and being able to beat traffic in crowded cities. I also see a lot of eco-conscious adults in cities and suburbs who use an ebike as a second vehicle, allowing them to leave their car in the garage for many of their 'around the town' trips that don't really require a 3, 000lb gas guzzling machine. Lastly, there are many people who would like to get into cycling, but due to their age or previous injuries, haven't been able to succeed. With an ebike, they can get back on two wheels and have total control over how much they are pedaling and how much the motor is assisting them.
Q: What are the benefits of building a DIY ebike versus buying a retail ebike?
Toll: The two main benefits are price and custom specifications; you can save a lot of money and get the exact speed, range, power and other parameters that you are looking for. By not buying a retail ebike, you aren't paying for all the R&D, markup and overhead that goes into selling those bikes. Instead, you can buy the same parts online for much less than the cost of retail ebikes with those same parts. Because you are buying the parts yourself, you can cherry pick from among hundreds of different types of batteries, motors and speed controllers to get the exact specifications you are looking for.
You can also start with a much better quality bike. Ebike manufacturers often skimp on the quality of the bicycle frame and components to make the whole package more affordable. Since a DIYer is already saving a lot of money, he or she can either use a bicycle they already have, or put some of those savings into a better quality bicycle.
Q: What does an ebike conversion involve?
Toll: To convert any standard bicycle into an ebike, four parts need to be installed: the battery, controller, motor and throttle. Most ebike parts come packaged together with those four crucial parts (though many come with accessories for things like regenerative braking, cruise control, etc), and everything is designed to attach easily to the bicycle. The battery and controller simple bolt onto the frame or bicycle rack using the supplied hardware. The motor is encased in the hub of a wheel, so you simply replace one of your bicycle's wheels with the new hubmotor. Finally, the throttle just slides over the end of your handlebar. People are always surprised by how simple the actual conversion process is. The hard part is probably choosing from all the ebike kits and parts out there, making sure you get exactly what you're looking for.
