How To Build An Electric Bike For Less Than $100

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• Materials
|
• Wheel Replacement
|
• Final Installations

An electrical bike is a lot easier to build than you might recollect! All you need is a bike in practiced working lodge, a conversion kit, and a battery. Using a conversion kit makes the procedure super simple and fast. And if y'all store online to observe the all-time deal on the kit and repurpose a wheel you already ain, this tin be an cheap project.

1. 1

   Select a mount bike front end disc brakes and broad handlebars. If you don't own a cycle already, search online or in your local area to find a second-hand bike at a proficient price. Luckily, y'all can apply just about whatever bike y'all have on hand, though certain features will yield the best results:^[one]

   • Cull a bike with wheels that are 26", 20", or xvi" as these are the nigh common off-the-shelf bicycle sizes. The smaller the wheels are usually found on folding bikes and will advance more speedily, be bumpier, and be less efficient at cruising speed.
   • Mountain bikes are most commonly converted to electric bikes, though you could use a dissimilar type equally long equally information technology has a potent frame and standard bottom bracket. Don't use a bike with a carbon cobweb frame or forks, as these aren't strong enough to back up the extra weight or handle the extra torque.^[2]
   • Wider handlebars are best as they requite you lot plenty of room for all your accessories and lights.
   • Front disc brakes will brand information technology easier for you to stop on steep hills.

2. 2

   Pick up an electric bicycle conversion kit. If you lot've never built an electric bicycle before, a conversion kit volition make the procedure much simpler. These bolt-on kits contain a throttle, speed controller, and a wheel with a hub motor. Some also come up with gauges, displays, and brake levers, though these are not strictly necessary.^[3]

   • Ensure the kit comes with a cycle that is the aforementioned size equally the existing wheels on your bike! It's much easier to supervene upon the front wheel than the back, due to the position of the gears, so opt for a kit in which the hub motor is on the front wheel.
   • In about cases, the battery doesn't come with the conversion kit. For ease of installation, though, it's best to buy the bombardment and the conversion kit from the same manufacturer.

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3. 3

   Choose a 36- or 48-volt battery with a capacity of 10Ah or 20Ah. Choose a battery designed for utilize on an electric cycle, as it will come up with a charger and be much easier to install. Brand certain the voltage and capacity of the battery y'all choose are compatible with the conversion kit you lot purchased. The higher the voltage of your bike'southward battery, the more powerful your cycle volition be. When edifice an electric wheel, choose a 36- or 48-volt battery to allow for speed and comfort.^[4]

   • The capacity of the bombardment defines how long it'll concluding. If yous'll be taking short trips, a 10Ah will suit you well, while a 20Ah battery volition provide you with extra capacity for slightly longer journeys.^[v]

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1. 1

   Remove the cycle you lot need to replace. Begin by opening the rim or cantilever brake using the lever (if applicable). If the wheel has disc brakes, remove the retaining or cotter pin or the clips or springs that hold the pads in place. Pull the pads out with needle-nose pliers and set them aside.^[six]

   • To remove the front bicycle, turn the bicycle over so it's sitting on the seat and handlebars, and so flip the quick-release lever over to the "open" position. Then, simply lift the front end cycle off of the bike.^[7]
   • To remove the back wheel, hunker behind the bike. Hold the frame with your non-dominant mitt and use your ascendant hand to pull the derailer backward. So lift the cycle frame up and off of the rear wheel with your non-dominant manus and unhook the chain with your ascendant hand.^[viii]

2. ii

   Transfer the tire and inner tube from the old wheel to the new bicycle. Permit the air out of the old tire and use a tire lever to separate the tire from the bike. Pull off both the tire and the inner tube. Opposite the process to install the tire and inner tube on the cycle that came with the conversion kit.^[nine]

3. 3

   Put the bicycle with the electric hub on your cycle and connect the restriction components. Simply contrary the process you used to remove the wheel in order to reinstall it. Be sure to adjust the chain so information technology fits properly if you're replacing the back wheel. If the cycle has rim or cantilever brakes, simply close them over the new cycle using the lever. If the bike has disc brakes, put the pads back in place and secure them using the clips, springs, or cotter or retaining pin.^[10]

   • Arrange the brakes equally needed, either by aligning the calipers (for mechanical brakes) or pumping the brake lever (for hydraulic brakes).

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1. ane

   Attach the speed controller and the throttle. Follow the directions in the conversion kit for installing these 2 parts using the included hardware. Employ the provided bolts to secure the speed controller to the frame of the wheel to a higher place the chain. So, attach the throttle to the handlebars so it's easy to achieve.^[11]

   • If yous have any other accessories, attach them equally well. Secure the speed sensor to the back bike and connect any displays and gauges to the handlebars with the included hardware.^[12]

2. 2

   Connect the bombardment to the speed controller and the throttle. Follow the instructions included with the kit to connect each part. Typically, you lot'll just need to plug the connector on the speed controller into the connector on the battery, and then echo the procedure for the throttle. Be sure not to touch on the battery wires together, as this could create a dangerous spark! ^[xiii]

3. 3

   Mount the battery onto the bike. Most e-bike batteries are designed to fit on the frame in place of a water bottle holder. This is the ideal placement since information technology keeps the center of gravity low. Use the included hardware to attach the battery to the frame as indicated past the instructions that came with the battery.^[xiv]

   • Alternatively, you could place the battery in a box or basket on the front or back of the cycle, particularly if it is likewise large to fit well on the frame (such equally if it's more than sixty volts).

4. iv

   Secure any loose cables. Use null-ties to attach any loose parts to the frame. Continue rubber in mind as you don't want any cables to go caught while y'all're riding.^[15]

5. five

   Ride your electric bike. That's it! Y'all tin now cruise around on your due east-wheel. But press downward gently on the throttle when you're fix to ride. Go for a exam drive in a less populated surface area so you lot can become used to it earlier you take it out on the road.

6. half-dozen

   Charge the bike when necessary. The east-bike bombardment comes with a charger, making the process super elementary. Follow the instructions for connecting the battery to the charger and plug it into a compatible outlet whenever you need to.^[16]

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Add New Question

• Question

  What's the best kind of motor for a DIY electric bike?

  

  This answer was written by 1 of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Mid-bulldoze motors are lighter than hub motors and make information technology easier to climb hills or start from a stop. They also make it easier to change your tires. Yet, hub motors are a lot less expensive, sturdier, and less hard on your chains. It all depends on your needs and preferences.

• Question

  Can I get an electric bike kit?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accurateness and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Reply

  Yes, there are lots of kits on the market that allow you to easily convert a regular cycle into an electric bike. You tin get them online, from department stores, or from stores that specialize in DIY bike supplies.

• Question

  How practise you make an electric bike with a drill?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated information technology for accurateness and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  You'll need to secure a cordless electric drill to the bike frame so that the chuck is in contact with the rear tire, so connect a bike hand restriction to the trigger on the drill with a cycle cablevision. Install the mitt brake on the handlebars. When you squeeze the hand brake, the cablevision will pull on the trigger of the drill and actuate it, causing information technology to move your bike frontwards (at a very slow speed!).

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• You can too build an e-bike past adding a mid-drive motor, though this option is more expensive and much more involved.^[17]

• Hard acceleration will use upwardly the battery the fastest, especially from a dead stop.

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Things Y'all'll Demand

• Wheel
• Battery
• Conversion kit
• Needle-nose pliers
• Tire lever
• Null ties

About This Article

Commodity Summary 10

To build an inexpensive electric bicycle, you lot'll need a bike with front-disc brakes and wide handlebars, an electric bicycle conversion kit, and a 36- or 48-volt battery. Once you accept your supplies, showtime by putting the tire from the former bike wheel on the new bike with the hub motor that came with your conversion kit. And so, adhere the speed controller that came with the kit to the frame of your bicycle above the chain, and attach the throttle to the handlebars. Finally, connect the bombardment to the speed controller and throttle and mount the battery on your cycle. To learn how to ride and charge your electric bicycle, scroll downwards!

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