Anybody convert bike to electric

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outermostsoul

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Hey people I have a really cool recumbent bike my daughter found for me but it is really heavy (compared to road bike) and I wish I could add some battery assist for hills.  Has anyone done this?
 
I have not done it but a friend wants to do it to my trike. There is actually a kit being sold to convert my model of trike. You should try to see if there is one available for your specific trike as that makes the job go more quickly.

Just remember there are a number of styles of recumbent bikes some are two wheel and there are two style of the trikes, the tadpoles have two wheels in font and one behind. So for your search you would want to first try using the name of your recumbent to see if there are threads about converting it and also to see if there is a kit available. There might even be a youtube film where someone has converted your exact model into an Ebike.

By the way, the conversion is not inexpensive and that is because the motors and batteries are not inexpensive items.


Oh and then there is the issue of charging it. If you are going to charge it with a solar panel then you will also need a compatible charger for that voltage. Most of the kits are designed for charging from a 110v outlet.
 
I converted my wife's 1 speed cruiser bike to have a front wheel assist 250W 36V throttle controlled electric wheel made by IMortor. Not sure they still make this one, it has a 3.2 amp battery that last about 20 miles. I have maybe $400 total into her bike conversion.

I bought a new 29" mountain bike that has full suspension, dual disc brakes, and 24 speeds. I bought an EBikeling 500W 36V kit that I put a 10AH bottle battery on. It is fast, and will go about 30 mile on a charge. Along with a new $300 bike, I spent another $500 on the conversion...but it is better than any other Ebike for the price. This bike is still very usable without using the battery.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/ebikeling-...var=442057554146&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
 
I have both a cargo bike and a recumbent bike running self installed electric for many years now, and have several friends running various motors on recumbents. Post a picture or name and model of bike here and I can give you some knowledgeable advice.

Info mainly need is rim diameter, number of speeds in geartrain, 2 or 3 wheeler (if 3 wheels is it single or dual front wheel)and is bike going to be for distance riding with mild to moderate hills or steep hill riding. I can offer you some good charging solutions depending on your battery/solar/generator setup.
 
I haven't done it with a recumbent but I've done it with a Fat Bike. I used a BBSHD I got from Luna Cycle. Luna has a forum page as well Electicbike.com
 
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