Electric bikes are tremendously popular, but do you need a new bike to enjoy the benefits of riding electric?
Want an Electric Bike?
A lot of people do. Electric bikes have recently surged in popularity and are showing no signs of slowing down. Whether used as a car replacement, recreation, or exercise (yes, you still get exercise), electric bikes can take you farther, faster, and make cycling fun again.
But electric bikes are expensive. The average e-bike goes for $1,600 or more. Of course, there are cheaper ones on the market, but they often use lower quality components to hit that lower price point.
So how can you get an electric bike without breaking the bank? Well, there is a solution.
Many people don’t know that If you have a bike in reasonably good condition, you can convert it to electric — and for a lot less than a new electric bike. Not only is this option less expensive, but “upcycling” your bike to electric is better for the environment too.
In the past, converting a bike to an electric was quite a project. It required lots of planning, fitting components, running wiring, and troubleshooting. Definitely not something the average person would want to tackle. Today there are a number of products that take the work out of making your bike electric. They are far easier to install and much simpler to operate. Some require no wires at all…
So in no particular order, let’s take a look at the top 5+ ways you can easily make your bike electric.
1. SmartBikeWheel
SmartBikeWheel is a wireless all-in-one electric bike kit. All-in-one means all of the electrical components that make an electric bike are housed in the hub of a wheel. Wireless means that you don’t have to deal with any wires or cables to make it work. They claim you can install it in 3 minutes by just replacing your front wheel with a SmartBikeWheel.
SmartBikeWheel uses Bluetooth to communicate with a phone app, an optional wireless pedal assist device or an optional wireless handlebar throttle. Both the pedal assist unit and the throttle are optional, which makes you wonder: how does it work?
It has something called SmartAssist that allows the wheel to automatically adjust its speed to match your terrain. It uses a gyro to determine if you are going uphill or down and a speed sensor to know if you’re braking or struggling up a hill. Pretty smart.
Learn more about SmartBikeWheel here: smartbikewheel.com.
2. Swytch eBike Conversion kit
Swytch is a little closer to a traditional electric bike kit, but they do package it up nicely. They have a pretty standard front hub wheel for the motor and a battery pack/controller in a unit that mounts on your handlebars. There is a wired pedal assist sensor that needs to go on your crank so the Swytch knows how much power to provide. They offer an optional wired thumb throttle too, but no app. Weight is pretty low and they do claim to fit most bikes, so if you don’t mind doing a little wiring, Swytch could be a nice option.
Find more information on Swytch here: swytchbike.com.
3. Rubbee
Rubbee is a friction drive eBike kit. It mounts on your seat post and houses the battery, controller, motor and a roller (more on that later) all in one removable unit. The roller in Rubbee makes contact with your rear wheel to power your bike. It uses a wireless pedal assist unit and a phone app for control. They claim fast installation and removal for when you’d rather not have Rubbee’s help. And they claim it will fit most bikes — even with suspension, though I don’t imagine it working with rear suspension or bikes with a rear fender or luggage rack.
Learn more about Rubbee here: rubbee.co.uk.
4. iMortor 3
iMortor is another all-in-one ebike kit. The battery here is removable, unlike SmartBikeWheel. It’s that large horseshoe shaped plastic apparatus hanging off the side of the hub.
iMortor 3.0 is offered as wired and wireless, plus an app for controlling the wheel — though the packaging I’ve seen shows it comes with a wired throttle or wired Pedal Assist Sensor. Installation is simple and fast according to their literature, though it looks like a tight fit against the front fork and will conflict with front fender mounts.
I should also note that the literature on iMortor looks to be translated to English and is a pretty hard read, so please do your own research before purchasing. iMortor is sold in the US through a lot of dealers each with different price points, packaging and shipping options.
Learn more about iMortor 3 here: google.com/search.
5. Gboost
Gboost is another friction drive ebike kit. It mounts under your crank rather than off your seat post like Rubbee. The battery pack is housed in a water-bottle-like unit mounted on your downtube and a magnetic pedal assist sensor is incorporated into the motor unit. A wired display/control unit sits on the handlebar for adjusting power and a cable and thumb lever mounted on the handlebar control if the Gboost makes contact with the rear wheel or not — this allows you to completely disengage the system while riding. A wireless app seems to be a new addition which might eliminate the need for the display/control unit. Gboost would seem to require a traditional bike frame and there are some wires and cables needed, so not the easiest option on our list.
Learn more about Gboost here: gboost.bike.
Bonus Number 6: Zoomy
Zoomy uses a front hub motor with the controller and battery pack housed in a water bottle-like unit. There is one wire to connect from the motor to the battery pack. You can order additional battery units to extend your range. They use a “micropower system” which offers intelligent assistance and induction braking. An app with 5 different power modes is also included. A wireless throttle is listed as an option.
Learn more about Zoomy here: zoomybike.com.
So there you have it — 5+ easy ways to make your bike electric. All for a lot less than a new e-Bike.
By Karen O’Connell oconnellkp@yahoo.com
