Originally Posted by
shelbyfv
You probably should have this moved to ebikes but I'll throw in my 2 cents first. I helped a friend install a Bafang on a nice Bianchi steel cross bike. He rides it but I wouldn't. The conversion is heavy. That means the canti brakes are marginal. It was fun cruising up a hill but terrifying on the descent. The max 32mm tires are inadequate w/o enough pressure to make them rocks. The battery attaches to the bottle cage bosses but it is too heavy and was ripping them out. He had to move the battery to a rear rack which made the contraption unstable. IMO, if you need an ebike, spring for a purpose built one. Fat tires, disc brakes, hefty frame. The weight constraints of a pedal bike don't apply.
Thanks for the advice. Those are the kinds of things I'm thinking about.
After doing a little more research, talking to some folks, I think I have eliminated the possibility of converting my drop-bar steel-framed commuting bike. Tires too small (32c), I don't think I want drop bars on an e-bike, and rim brakes.
Am still considering a conversion on my old steel mountain bike, which was converted to a commuter. It's an older model, but in good shape; the frame is really more like a modern gravel bike or hybrid, and it has flat bars and fat 26-inch tires. The shop that does conversions here lets you test ride an equivalent bike, and if you like what you ride you can either buy the kit, or leave it for them to do the conversion. I still have concerns if this is the right move but I am thinking about this as a one-year trial to figure out whether e-biking is in my future.