DaveQ24

I would like to convert one of my road bikes, 700 x 23/25c tire size - I've got a couple of choices that have rim brakes, which seem to be easier to fit with a wheel conversion kit than a bike with disk brakes.

Another possibility is my Specialized Crux gravel bike, 700x38c tire size, but it has disk brakes - not many kits seem to fit bikes with disk brakes.

I am a complete idiot when it comes to mechanical issues - I freely admit it - and even looking at some of the simpler e-bike conversion kits and wheels out there makes my head spin after a while. So, I would really like something that is truly "plug and play" or as close to that as possible. Pop out the current wheel, pop in the e-wheel, hook up a control panel/display if necessary, and ride.

I don't need a dramatic amount of range, or a dramatic amount of assist. Just something to add a little fun to a bike I currently have, maybe give me 15-20 miles of range, and help me up the bigger hills (which aren't very big in my area by most standards, maybe something like 300 foot gain in elevation in a mile).

Finally, I see a lot of products that are "Kickstarter" or similar campaigns - which I want to avoid unless it's something that is going to be imminently released - I'm not too keen on the concept of paying for something that could take months to get, and may or may not ever arrive.

linberl

Options with good instructional videos and good phone support include: Leed's, Diliinger, Hilltopper. There are others like Luna, etc., but install I believe is a bit more complex.
https://www.e-bikerig.com/products/1...ng-li-ion.html

https://dillengerelectricbikes.com/e...dillenger.html

https://www.electric-bike-kit.com/hill-topper.aspx

FrenchFit 

I used the Hilltopper on my wife's bike many years ago. Worked great for about two years, then I killed it fooling around.. https://www.electric-bike-kit.com/all-products.aspx

2old

Good choices above as many will attest. Might also look at Superpedestrian for possibly the easiest conversion.

tegnamo

Superpedestrian wheel is quite amazing actually. But it's rear wheel only. Still, a very nice experience. But you'll notice the heft in the back and it might make the handling feel a little off...if you have a lighter road bike.

slomoshun

+1 for Leed https://www.e-bikerig.com . Good gear and very responsive customer support system.

Nelson37

Don't know where you are looking, but almost all kits offer a disk-compatible option. Can be a tight fit, sometimes necessary to use spacers on calipers or a larger disk, depends on the bike and the kit. Rim Brake is a simpler install, BUT, there are very, very good reasons to go disk.

Electric motors operate in a fairly narrow band of speed and torque. For more of one, you get less of the other.

More information about both current and desired performance needed to recommend a particular kit. More information about road conditions, particularly surface and bumps, needed to advise on a particular motor or bike. More information about usage as-is, unpowered, and what you wish to achieve is necessary to point you in the right direction.

If I wanted to buy a truck, you would need to know if I want to haul a couple chairs, 10 kids, or 50 pianos. Or panes of glass over cobblestone roads.

If I wanted to buy a hammer, you would need to know if I wanted to pound in a few brass trim tacks on antique furniture, or pound in railroad spikes, or something in between.

To get the right tool for the job, you need to define the job.

WilliamT

I have the Dillenger street legal kit (v4) for a non disc brake bike. I liked it so much I purchased a second kit (v5) for a disc brake bike. I've had the kits for 2 years now and both have been reliable and I put them through bumpy mups, heavy rains, and freezing temperatures. It's a geared hub so it has pretty decent torque. It has no problems hauling a 70+ lb cargo bike. At level 3 assist, I can comfortably go 17 mph with pedaling, at level 4 around 19-20 mph. On that cargo bike with a full load (130 lbs + my weight 145 lbs), I can do 35 miles easily

2old

My first conversion was a Dillenger 350w kit too and it has been reliable for three years. Sorry about the Superpedestrian suggestion; thought I saw a front conversion at Interbike, but must have been incorrect. Tegnamo, thanks for pointing that out.

Doc_Wui

I have owned road bikes when I was younger, but never had a really good one. I would think the characteristics of a road bike are lightness, free rolling, and ability of rider to accelerate it up speed.

The lightest motor/battery combos are around 8 pounds (and they don't go too far), but many motors are 6-8 pounds by themselves, as are most batteries Those cheap 1000W ebay kits start around 14 pounds for a motor alone. Imagine that on a light weight road bike. The other complication is the high stress a motor will put on the front forks. Distressing to us engineering types. I avoided front motors until recently.. It's a tech issue. Don't use carbon or suspension forks, and add bracing to aluminum/steel forks.

I don't think there are many off the shelf kits that will serve your purpose. I believe Hilltoppers are either push button or throttle, but they are somewhat heavy and I don't know if their 36V will kick in at road bike speeds. One probably has to select parts ala carte and put together one's own kit.

You can get geared motors that are between 3,0 and 4.5 pounds and have them laced into a front wheel with 14G spokes. I know that I cannot feel any drag from my 4.5 pound motor, but I'm a plodder, not a road biker. You guys can reportedly tell when there's a smear of tar on the sidewalls, no?. Battery is one issue. A 36V battery won't spin the little motors fast enough, but I don't know of many small 48V batteries. Might have to have a battery builder make you one. I would make this a throttle only bike and not connect up pedal assist. You'll mount a throttle on an extension bard to your drop bars. A simple LED display would suffice. This way you only use power as needed on hard hills, and if you run out of battery then you need a bigger one,

Ebrake levers for kits are so crappy, you'll want to mount a magnetic switch on your existing levers. Relatively easy for a tech. Needed for safety in case of throttle failure. I had that happen a few weeks ago (wires pulled out under my seat).

momsonherbike

Nothing is out there to plug 'n play convert a road bike. Believe me - I've looked.

For a hybrid or a mountain bike - for Plug'N Play - you want the Hilltopper. It is the only honest "easy to put on and go" conversion kit that requires nothing more of you than to take the wheel and throttle and battery out of the shipping box, change your front wheel to the ehub wheel, strap your 20 mile battery to wherever you want on your bike, then run your throttle wires along your frame from battery to handlebar and wheel. Instant e-bike. Everything comes ready to go.

My vintage hybrid with 250w Hilltopper front ehub and 20 mile lithium battery strapped on back rack. Here bike is attached to a modified child carrier that now carries litter bags for road clean up.


Again, however, you need a hybrid or mountain bike. You can get the 700 wheel with the ehub, but the tire width is wider than a road bike width.

I have the 250w hub and it works perfectly for me. It comes with a simple thumb button to engage/disengage the motor just with a slight pressure of your thumb. Very, very simple. Does well on small to medium hills to help the ascend. Great for jumpstarting your speed, too, when you first start pedaling your bike from a standstill. No "levels of assist" to bother with. If you need an assist, you touch the button. When you don't the bike is just a regular bike.

If you get the 350w you get a variable throttle to vary the amount of assist.

The Hilltopper website has all the weight specs for the wheel and battery/batteries.

PS. I have clocked my top speed at 23.5 using JUST the e-hub on my bike. (Dropping myself as low as possible to reduce wind resistance and running on flat smooth pavement - just some fun trials by myself for the giggles and laughs). The wheel is supposed to be governed to 20mph tops, but mine clearly demonstrates it can book almost 4mph faster in the right conditions carrying a lightweight rider.