E-Brompton Banter: Great E-xpectations
By Turbo Bob
Bob riding his non eBrompton in anticipation of the big day.
What a great time it is for electric bikes. The quality and ride keep getting better, as the weight and inefficiency gets trimmed. I just got the thumbs-up to be involved in an extended test on one of NYCeWheels’ E-Bromptons and I couldn’t be more excited. As Izzy builds this great converted Brompton for me, I will spend some time to think and dream about the pleasures to come.
You may have read my ’Boy Gets Brompton’ series of articles on one of the NYCeWheels’ sites. I got to spend three months with a Raw Lacquer M3L and came to understand it very well. Some of the stories were a little whimsical, but overall, I really got to dive deep into all the plusses and the few minuses of this great folding bike. Bottom line is, I love Bromptons.
As too, I love E-bikes. The electric-assist bike has been carving out its place in this world, and the word keeps getting spread. Great for so many people and reasons, adding a electric motor assist to a bike can make all the difference for utility and recreation riding. So what better combination then the ultimate folding bike, paired with an electric-assist system? It would seem to be a match made in heaven.
So let’s talk about the bike headed my way. First off, the base bike will be the new H3L. This brand-new version has a longer stem that allows the handlebars to sit two inches higher than the original layout. This will not only lend to my comfort (my 6’ 2” frame), but to the comfort of all riders who desire a more up-right seating position. This up-dated model still has the same super small folded size, and every great feature the L model offers. That includes fenders too.
An e-Brompton near NYCeWheels in NYC
You must know by now that you can get your Brompton bike in the most cool selections of colors. You can mix and match, or have yours in all one color. NYCeWheels offers their basic E-Brompton in black or white, but for a little extra, the color palette is wide open. They can also convert your existing Brompton to an E-bike so your color style doesn’t have to change. My new H3L E-Brompton is going to be the ‘in-your-face’ white. Talk about standing out in a crowd. It should be awesome.
The E-bike conversion is one that they have perfected to a ‘T’. With quality pieces from twenty different sources, Bert and Peter (Izzy too) have gone far out of their way to make sure this bike is right on the money. I’ve seen the videos and poured over the specs, and I am sure this E-bike won’t disappoint. My desire for the increased capacity 10 Ah battery was oked by the shop, so my fun rides will be extra long.
The battery will fit into the included ’C’ bag that impressed me so much on my last Brompton bicycle test. It has many pockets, is water-resistant, and comes with a water-proof cover bag just in case you want to ride in wet and wild conditions. There will be plenty of room to keep the battery charger in the bag so it will be handy when I am out-of-town. And believe me when I say, I plan on taking this bike to some far-away places. That is just one draw of a folding bike like this.
With a strong 250 watt front hub motor, I expect to have all the power I need. It will be a brushless and gearless motor. That means it will be quiet and efficient. With virtually no moving parts, it should last longer than who knows what. A thumb throttle will allow me to use the power when I like, with none wasted. That should net me some long rides with an easy way to the top of any hill or grade I encounter.
The whole conversion will add about 18 to 20 Lbs to the overall weight. It might make carrying the bike a little tougher, but almost half of that will be in the detachable carry bag, so I don’t expect it to bother me too much. And any weight penalty will be more than overcome by the power which the motor will add to my legs. If you have ridden E-bikes, you fully know what I’m talking about.
So, as I wait for the delivery driver to make his way to my house, I know that this E-Brompton will make it all worthwhile. Expect to see a flurry of articles about my new folding bike hit these pages. Take this time if you will, to read the ’Boy Gets Brompton’ stories to find out more about my take on Bromptons. Also, I hope you get a kick out of my E-titles for each post.
Thanks for reading, Turbo Bob.
Of course, you could always just order your own E-Brompton and find out for yourself... 
or an convert your current Brompton to an eBrompton.
“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”---Ernest Hemingway, By-Line.
Electric Bike Motor Kit: Front or Rear Wheel Drive?
Biking across the country with an eZee conversion kit
Picking out the best electric bike motor kit can be difficult if you're not really sure how an electric bike operates. There are electric bike kits with different kinds of batteries, controls, and motors. Picking out the best kit requires a basic knowledge about how each component works. Getting past the quality of each part, there are certain aspects of an electric motor kit that depend on the preference of the rider. For example, is an electric motor better in the front wheel or in the back wheel of the bike? Neither choice is better than the other, but there are certain advantages to each one.
Front Wheel Electric Bike Motor Kit
The front wheel motor is a common piece of the electric bike motor kit, because of the ease of installation. Just remove the front wheel and pop on the new motor wheel and you're finished! Usually, these types of motors work with a throttle-based electric bike motor kit, such as the eZee Bike Conversion Kit. It feels a bit like getting "pulled" by the bike, rather than "pushed," but with the weight of the rider and battery in the back, it's a nice equal weight distribution.
Another advantage of the front hub motor is the ability to install internal hub gears inside the back wheel. This type of low-maintenance electric bike, with a front hub motor and rear hub gearing, has practically no problems as an everyday commuter bike.
Rear Wheel Electric Bike Motor Kit
A Trek bike with a BionX electric motor kit
The rear wheel motor is a great choice for electric bike motor kits that utilize a pedal-assist mode. Since the motor is attached to the gears, a torque sensor can actually measure how hard the rider pedals the bike. This is utlizied in the versatile BionX electric bike kit. With a pedal-assist bike, the added pedal power takes much of the strain off of the battery, and the bike can travel much further on a charge. On a BionX bike, there is an option to push a throttle for an added speed boost.
Rear wheel motors tend to feel like they're "pushing" you, rather than "pulling," which doesn't change the feel of the bike too much, but tends to be easier to power around sharp turns.
Ultimately, the location of the motor is up to the preference of the rider. Some people enjoy the front wheel for its easy installation and ability to work with a rear hub, while other people like the torque sensitive rear wheel and "pushing" sensation.
Both options are available at NYCeWheels as electric bike motor kit options.
Building an Electric-Powered Bike
This is all it takes to build an electric-powered bike
It's not rocket science to tell the difference between an electric-powered bike and a regular bicycle. For one, the guy riding the regular bike is working a lot harder to pedal, while the electric bike rider is smiling and cruising along. Of course, electric bikes are much quieter than gas-powered bikes, so at a glance, it's hard to tell if a bike is even electric at all! The average person, unless they have a background in electronics, probably isn't aware of how easy it is to convert a regular bicycle to an electric-powered bicycle. Believe it or not, there are only three primary components needed to have a fully-functional electric-powered bike. If you can change a flat tire, you can turn your bike into an electric bike. Let's get to it!
Electric Bike Motor
The muscle behind the electric bike is the motor. Ranging anywhere from 200 watts all the way up to 1000 watts, this is the large rotating device that helps the wheels to spin on their own. Modern electric bikes have the motors built into their wheels, like the Sanyo Eneloop electric bike or the eZee Torq electric bike. Older bikes used to have an external motor that powered the wheel using a chain, like a scooter. These older motors also used magnetic "brushes" which would wear out over time. Newer electric bike motors are "brushless," and have a much longer life expectancy.
An alternative to the brushless hub motor is the bottom bracket motor, featured on the IF Reach DC folding electric bike. This motor actually cycles through all of the gears, making it slightly more efficient than a hub motor. It also turns the pedals instead of the wheel, so the rider feels a little more in tune with the motor, rather than feeling pushed or pulled by an external force.
Most electric bikes don't need a bigger motor than 500 watts, especially for commuting. The US law sets the maximum speed at 20 mph for electric bikes, so any motor that is bigger is sort of pointless. Smaller motors tend to conserve battery life a bit better. How long should a battery last anyway? Well I'm glad you asked...
Electric Bike Battery
Over the years, there have been many different types of batteries for electric bikes. The most common battery in the last ten years is a Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery. This is the same battery used in a lawnmower, golf cart, or go kart. You've seen these at any local hardware store - they're heavy, black, rectangular batteries. On an electric bike, they don't go very far. Depending on the bike, they have about a ten mile range. Luckily, technology has improved in recent years, and there are now much lighter batteries that have a much better range.
The most recent chemical of choice for electric bikes is Lithium. A bike running on Lithium batteries can run for 20-30 miles on a single charge, and some bikes even have the ability to recharge the battery while riding. The BionX motor kit Lithium batteries even have protection circuitry built in, so it's almost impossible to damage them from extreme motor power. Lithium batteries tend to be more expensive than SLA battreries, but the life span is also two or three times as long. There is no better battery on the market today.
Electric Bike Control
How does it work? Well you've attached a battery to a motor, so we're almost there. Now you need a way to control the whole contraption. Want this thing to move without pedaling? Just add a throttle. This is referred to as an "ebike," which is practically a moped. Ebikes are nice if you don't want to ride a bike, but they tend to drain batteries quickly. The most efficient electric bike utilizes pedal-assist, or pedelec, technology.
A pedelec bike works by measuring the rider's pedal power, and then spinning the motor at a corresponding speed, based on a preset on the handlebars. Plainly, if you select "MODE 3" you'll get 50% power from the motor, while if you select "MODE 4" you'll get 100% power. No throttles to worry about, it's all automatic. Pedelec bikes are also called Hybrid bikes because they are a "hybrid" of human power and motor power. The best part about pedelec bikes is that you feel like you're still riding a regular bike, just getting a gentle push as you go.
That's it! Just three components and you can turn a bike into a full-blown electric-powered bike! There are a bunch of different electric bike motor kits on the market, and each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Make sure you check out the motor, the battery, and control system before buying one, because you don't want to be stuck with something cheap!
Electric bike kit | the guide
Electric bike kit
NYCeWheels just added an electric bike kit guide to their website.
They walk you through all of the important questions step by step. I wish they had it around when I first picked out my folding bike and equipped it with an electric bike kit. It'd have saved me some time during my research. The electric bike kit guide appears to be an ongoing project. I encourage all of you to look it over and see if you have any questions that aren't answered on it. The more feedback you give them, the more they'll improve and add to the electric bike kit guide, and the more useful it will be to everyone.
I always get excited by resources such as this, especially when they are dynamic and respond to the needs of the user with new updates and information. It just makes me feel like part of a community. The electric bike kit community grows more and more every day, so it's good to see resources for that community, with it in mind, that respond to the needs of the community.
Pick the ultimate electric bike kit.
Electric bike motor, electric bike kits
Electric bike kits are comprised of an electric bike motor, a battery pack, throttle, and charger. The electric bike motor kit should (and most do) include everything you need when you want a conversion kit for electric bike.
It is a good idea to make sure that the electric bike motor kit you are buying does include everything you will need to convert your bike to an electric bike. If the retailer does not indicate that the electric bike kit includes everything you need than you may want to ask the question before buying.
An electric bike motor kit is a great investment if you already have a quality bike that you are comfortable with and is compatible for an electric bike motor kit.
This is when it becomes really important to choose your retailer carefully. The reality is that some online retailers are just looking to make a profit and will sell an electric bike kit to anyone that wants one, whether or not it will work with their specific bike.
A reputable retailer will make sure your bike is compatible first or they will advise you before you buy your electric bike kit.
The electric bike motor and the full electric bike kit can also give you the best of both worlds when it is combined with a folding bike. A folding bike is a great way to minimize the storage space needed while maximizing your ability to obtain all the benefits of a great bike.
Some retailers offer folding bikes that are already electrified – the retailer adds the electric bike conversion kit to the bike for you. Finding a retailer that can do this is great because then you can be assured that your electric bike conversion kit is installed properly and will operate when you receive it.
Though it is relatively easy to install an electric bike motor kit on your bike, if you have the ability to hire a retailer to do it for you than you are better off. For those that cannot, you can probably install your electric motor bike quickly and easily.
BionX electric bike kit
Again, the most important thing to remember if you are considering buying an electric bike kit is to make sure your motorized bike kit includes everything you need to convert your bike to an electric bike – and, of course, that your bike can be converted with an electric bike kit.
More and more retailers offer custom made electric bike kits. If you are considering buying a custom electric bike conversion kit you again want to make sure that you are buying from a reputable retailer. We found a great electric bike motor kit at a shop in New York City called NYCewheels. Click here for details on the BionX electric bike kit.
