Electric bikes are undoubtedly one of the most beneficial inventions of our time. With the growing environmental concerns and depleting fossil fuel resources, electric bikes have offered an excellent alternative to traveling.
By making everyday commutes more convenient and cheaper, the popularity of electric bikes continues to grow. However, not everyone can afford an electric bike. The second-best option is to invest in an e-bike conversion kit.
How Do I Pick an Electric Bike Conversion Kit?
An electric bike is designed using the same blueprint used for traditional bikes. Apart from the obvious differences in components and usage, a traditional bike is very similar to an electric bike.
This is primarily why one can transform their regular bikes into electric bikes. All they need is the right electric bike conversion kit.
When it comes to selecting the appropriate kind of electric bike conversion kit, it is important to pay attention to certain details.
Failure to do your research, you could end up with a kit that is unreliable, inefficient, and dangerous.
Hence, before investing in an electric bike conversion kit, you should do the following:
Contact an Electric Bike Expert for their Opinion
Before you get right into investing in an electric bike conversion kit, always begin by consulting an electric bike expert or a bike workshop mechanic.
They can tell you whether your bike is capable enough to be converted into an electric bike.
Why is this step so important? This is because electric bikes are generally designed to be stronger and more reliable than traditional bikes.
While a traditional bike is only supposed to travel while carrying the rider’s weight, an electric bike is expected to carry the rider’s weight and perform while also carrying the bike’s electronic components around.
In order to ensure that the electric bike is able to withstand the push of electrical assistance and maintain its quality and performance over high speeds, an electric bike’s frame is built using stronger and more rigid materials.
Moreover, since an electric bike can go much faster than a traditional bike, its tires are made from stronger rubber and are thicker to carry the weight of the rider while maintaining the quality of the high-speed ride.
Hence, not every traditional bike can be converted into an electric bike as not all bikes will be able to endure the high speed, uninterrupted momentum, and the overwhelming pressure of electrical assistance.
Consulting a bike workshop mechanic or an electric bike specialist before proceeding with buying a conversion kit will help make sure that the bike you have is capable of being converted into an electric bike.
This step will protect you from the dangers of riding a newly converted electric bike that is incapable of carrying your weight under the influence of electrical assistance.
If the electric bike expert tells you that your particular bike does not have a strong enough frame to be converted into an electric bike, you can either purchase a stronger bike or save up for an electric bike.
Moreover, consulting an electric bike’s expert for their professional opinion will also help you make the right selection while choosing a suitable electric bike conversion kit.
Read Can You Charge an Electric Bike with Solar Panels?
Select an Electric Bike Conversion Kit According to Your Bike
Once you get the green light from an electric bike expert, you can proceed to selecting the electric bike conversion kit; however, the process is not this easy.
When selecting the electric bike conversion kit, you cannot simply go and choose any kit that you like. Instead, you need to take some factors into consideration in order to make a wise purchase.
Some factors that you must consider before selecting an electric bike conversion kit are as follows:
- The size and weight of your electric bike will determine which conversion kit you need. For instance, if your bike is relatively lighter, then you do not need a massive electric bike battery.
- Instead, a smaller electric bike pack will do a great job of pulling your weight and providing you with the needed electrical assistance.
- Similarly, if your bike frame is too narrow, larger battery packs and electric motors will not have the space required for a proper installation. Instead, you will need a conversion kit that comes with a smaller battery and a smaller motor.
- The design of your bike’s frame will also influence the selection of the electric bike conversion kit.
- For instance, if your bike’s frame is designed to not have the space for a rectangular or longer battery pack, you would have to invest in a conversion kit that comes with a differently shaped battery pack that would fit more easily.
- This is also important as installing a battery pack that does not fit properly or has to be positioned awkwardly will expose the sensitive conversion kit battery to potential damage while you’re out and about.
- Moreover, if the conversion kit components have to be positioned awkwardly due to their size and shape, they can affect the rider’s ability to pedal and ride smoothly.
- The display screen that comes with the conversion kit should be able to fit perfectly onto your bike’s bar handle.
Read How Much Does It Cost to Rent An Electric Bike In the United States?
Scout the Market for the Best Conversion Kits Before Finalizing Your Purchase
Once you have figured out which kind of electric bike conversion kit is ideal for your particular bike, the final step is to scout the market for the best conversion kit options.
Due to the massive size of the global electric bike conversion kit industry, one can find thousands of conversion kits to choose from.
While some do manage to deliver what is required of them, some are simply poorly manufactured scams that will waste your money.
Some of the most popular and well renowned electric bike conversion kit brands are as follows:
- Swytch
- Rubbee X
- Bafang Mid-drive Motor Kit and Battery
Read on to learn about the benefits of investing in an electric bike conversion kit.
Moreover, the article will also elaborate on the different features and benefits that come with the different electric bike conversion kits mentioned above. Let’s get started.
Read How To Adjust Electric Bike Brakes
What Are the Benefits of Purchasing an Electric Bike Conversion Kit?
Ever since its commercial launch, electric bikes did not take too long before becoming one of the hottest selling products across the globe.
Not only did electric bikes make everyday commuting much more affordable, but they also managed to reduce people’s dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuel reserves.
Many countries in the world, such as China, the USA, and Japan now have millions of electric bike owners who use their futuristic bikes to travel across town in a timely and less costly manner.
However, the only major problem that could keep an interested person from purchasing an electric bike is its high market price.
In general, all electric bikes are significantly much more expensive than regular bikes. They could cost almost double or triple the price of a regular bike, and could even be more expensive than a small car.
Read How Steep A Hill Can An Electric Bike Climb?
What Makes an Electric Bike So Expensive?
The different components and parts of an electric bike individually contribute to its high market price. These components are as follows:
- The electric bike’s battery pack is its most expensive and integral component. Without a fully functional battery pack, the electric bike will be nothing more than an expensive traditional bike.
- The electrical motion sensors that pick up on the rider’s pedaling motion and run the electric motor.
- The electric motor that uses the energy from the electric bike’s battery pack and converts it into kinetic energy.
- The electric bike’s display screen allows a rider to remain notified regarding the bike’s battery charge, remaining range, distance traveled, and calories burnt.
- The electric bike’s energy transmitter that carries the kinetic energy to the electric bike’s tires
- All the connecting cables complete the electrical circuit and allow the rider to enjoy a ride using pedal assistance.
As a result of the addition of these different electrical components, an electric bike’s high purchase price and high maintenance costs make it unaffordable for many consumers who would otherwise love to own such bikes.
Hence, the greatest benefit that a conversion kit could offer is making an electric bike much more affordable and attainable for the common consumer.
Investing in a conversion kit and paying for its installment requires significantly less money than purchasing a brand-new electric bike.
While a new electric bike could cost anything between 1500 USD and 10,000 USD, the price of a good quality conversion kit would range from 250 USD to 700 USD.
Hence, for people who cannot afford an electric bike, investing in a conversion kit for their regular bike is a great way to benefit from the use of a modern electric bike, and decrease their dependency on gasoline-powered personal cars and public transport.
Continue reading below to learn about how a person can truly benefit from using a conversion kit to transform their bikes into electric bikes.
Read Why Electric Bikes Are So Expensive?
How Can You Benefit from an e-Bike Conversion Kit?
Apart from making a motorized electric bike much more affordable for a larger consumer audience, the use of a conversion kit manages to bring many additional benefits to the consumer’s life.
Some of the benefits that come from converting a regular bike to an electric bike are as follows:
- With the reduced dependency on gasoline-powered personal cars and public transport, a consumer can reduce their individual carbon footprint.
- A person can travel quicker on an eBike as compared to a traditional bike.
- The rider will be able to benefit from a great daily cardio workout and burn calories without having to pedal their converted electric bikes as aggressively.
- The rider will no longer have to pay the rising costs of gas and will only have to worry about recharging their battery, which is significantly cheaper in comparison.
- While not many people have the physical capacity or health to continuously pedal a regular bike, the newly converted electric bike will allow such individuals to travel without exerting excessive physical effort.
- As a result, people of all ages and physical conditions can commute with great ease and independence.
Read Can You Take an Electric Bike on a Train?
Top Three Electric Bike Conversion Kits of 2022
Swytch
The Swytch electric bike conversion kit comes with a 250-Watt battery pack and a display screen. Some pros of the Swytch conversion kit include:
- The rider is able to track their mileage, assistance mode, range, and battery charge on the LCD display screen.
- The battery is easily detachable and hence can be protected from theft.
Some cons of the Swytch conversion kit include:
- Installing the conversion kit’s motion sensors can be really difficult and will require the help of a professional mechanic.
Rubbee X
The Rubbee X is one of the best-selling electric bike conversion kits at the moment. It comes with a 250-Watt battery pack that needs to be positioned near the bike’s rear tire.
Some pros of the Rubbee X conversion kit include:
- Comes with an easy-to-install and highly sensitive pedal motion sensor.
- Come with a regenerative braking system that helps save battery charge.
- Is one of the easiest conversion kits to install and remove.
Some cons of the Rubbee X conversion kit include:
- The motor can be very noisy.
Bafang Mid-drive Motor Kit and Battery
The Bafang conversion kit is one of the most positively reviewed kits in the market. It comes with a 500-watt battery pack.
Some pros of the Bafang Mid-drive conversion kit include:
- Has a lot of options for a range of different bikes.
- Made according to American standards.
Some cons of the Bafang Mid-drive conversion kit include
- Lacks sufficient installation and usage instructions.
Final Thoughts
Affording an electric bike is not possible for everyone; however, this does not mean they do not deserve to enjoy and experience the many benefits of riding an electric bike.
If you cannot buy an electric bike, use a conversion kit to build one. All you need is a durable and sturdy traditional bike along with a well-reputed conversion kit. And voila, just like that, you will have an electric bike of your own.
You may like the following electric bike articles:
- Can You Ride an Electric Bike on Beach?
- How Easy Is It to Ride an Electric Bike
- Can You Ride an Electric Bike on the Sidewalk?
- Are Electric Bikes Allowed on Bike Paths?
- Can You Use An Electric Bike Without A Battery?
My name is Matthew, staying in Seattle, Washington. Electric Vehicles (Electric Cars & Electric bikes) caught my attention for the last few years and my love for electric cars and bikes is everlasting. I spend many of my weekends traveling to various places all over various cities with my electric vehicle (e-bike and electric car). Here I am sharing my expertise, experience, and invaluable information about electric cars and electric bikes. Check out more.