Before taking your shiny new e-bike out for a spin, you need to spend a little time adding the powered parts to your existing bicycle. Luckily, this simple process shouldn’t require any stress or aggravation. Read on to learn the four steps to a hassle-free e-bike assembly. Mid-Drive vs. Hub The age-old debate among e-bike enthusiasts is whether to choose a mid-drive or hub motor for your ride. At a glance, hub motors cost less money, but they don’t perform as well on steep hills. Mid-drive motors will run you a higher price tag, but there’s almost no limitation on where you can take a mid-drive bicycle. If you want to go mountain biking or off-roading in addition to commuting, a mid-drive kit is your best bet. However, if you’re only planning to use your bicycle for leisure rides and your daily commute, there’s no reason a hub motor can’t get the job done. The final substantial difference between these setups is the ease of installation. Hub motors install quickly, and a replacement is a simple matter of swapping out one wheel for another. Mid-drive kits, however, require a more in-depth process with your nose in an instruction manual. The result is worth it, but a mid-drive kit does call for a little more work. Hub Installation First, let’s discuss the simpler installation of a hub motor. You may want to pick up a set of bike tools before you start the process—these can help you avoid needing to stop and start to find the right tools. To start, remove the rear wheel of your bike. Loosen the rear brake cable to disconnect it, then use the wheel’s quick-release lever. Your wheel should lift free easily. Once the wheel is off your bicycle, it’s time to install the rubber tire on your new electric wheel. If you’re using the tire and tube from your old wheel, remove them now. Then, attach the tire and tube to your new wheel (you’re almost done)! Refer to your instruction manual to ensure that you install the correct number of washers with your wheel to prevent binding and reseat the wheel. Mid-Drive Installation Mid-drive installation is a bit trickier, so make sure you refer to your manual for exact details. We can provide a general process that gives you a good installation idea for most mid-drive kits, but not all kits are exactly the same. We’ll kick things off with some important removals. Take the pedals off your bicycle with a 15mm wrench or a pedal wrench. Next, remove both the crank arm bolt and the crank arm (do this on both sides of the bicycle). Continue removing pieces until you’ve taken off the bike chain, front derailleur, derailleur cable, bottom bracket, front brake cable, and the grip, shift, and brake assembly from your handlebars. Now it’s time to install your motor. Insert the motor assembly into the bracket shell and secure it with the mount bracket. Then install the M6 bolt and washers with your Allen wrench—be careful not to overtighten it. Next, install a locknut on the exposed threads (ensure the arrow faces right). Moving right along, let’s talk about installing your speed sensor! Take off the adhesive backing from the sensor and attach it inside the chainstay. Place the sensor magnet on your spoke—make sure it faces the sensor and rests between 1 and 1.5mm away. Secure the sensor with cable ties and connect the speedometer cable that comes out of your motor. Now you should work on the sprocket and drivetrain. With five M5 bolts, attach the sprocket to your bicycle. You should also be able to add a chain guard with screws that come in your conversion kit. Next, reattach the crank arms with an 8mm Allen wrench, then repeat this process on the other side of the bike. Finally, reinstall your pedals and chain—we know it takes a few steps, but you’re almost ready to enjoy your new e-bike! Display and Controls Whether you’re installing a mid-drive or a hub motor, don’t forget to install the display and controls on your handlebars. The display (with information like your miles per hour) goes right in the middle of your handlebars, while the throttle and e-brake connect to your left handlebar. Depending on the kit you purchase, you may also get features like cruise control. These extra gadgets go on the right handlebar along with the other e-brake. Install a Battery There are several options for mounting your battery, so you should choose the one that works best for your needs. The most common choice is mounting the battery on the rear cargo rack. While this is a common choice due to the ease of installation, it does pose a few problems. First, it takes up cargo space! If you’re planning to commute from place to place with your bike, you don’t want a battery wasting space. Additionally, consider other options if you have a rear hub motor. This setup will put a lot of weight on the back of your bike, which will make it cumbersome and a bit off-balance. If you can swing it, mounting your battery in the center of the frame is the best option. Luckily, there are a few ways to accomplish this. First, you can use a triangle bag. This setup places your battery (and the bag containing the battery) in the center triangle of your frame. You can also choose a water bottle battery, which is exactly what it sounds like. You install this bottle-shaped battery right where a water bottle would usually go. This keeps the weight of your bike balanced, it doesn’t take up cargo space, and you can find some high-quality batteries in this configuration. If you’d rather make things a little simpler, consider a one-stop shop for everything. We have a 1000w e-bike kit with a battery that gives you all the components you need to convert your bike and start your journey. Now that you know the four steps to a hassle-free e-bike assembly, start converting your bicycle and get ready to ride!
