Fossil Free Friday: $500 Simple DIY Electric Bike Formula (Intro)

Here at Mesquite Hugger, the goal is pretty simple - to encourage people to make more earth-friendly choices without going bankrupt. When it comes to low-carbon transportation, almost nothing beats the efficiency and affordability of an electric bike, but not everyone has the money in their budget to run out and buy a $1000-$4000 e-bike.

 

Inexpensive electric bikes get a lot of web traffic around here. Anything under $1000 starts a feeding frenzy. The least expensive complete bikes I've found that I am comfortable recommending are the two bottom-of-the-line Sondors bikes -  the Original and the Thin. They both go for $499 + $150-ish shipping. And they are pretty basic:

• single speed (can be upgraded for $100)
• 350 watt powertrain (rear, geared hub motor)
• no suspension (can be upgraded for $100)
• no pedal assist (PAS) or LCD screen (can be upgraded together for $100)
• medium sized 36 volt battery (can be upgraded for $100)

It's pretty easy to end up with $1000 in a Sondors bike.

By the way, if you are less than 5'6" tall, the Sondors bikes are too tall for you (and there is no step-through version available so far.)

So, what's a cheap budget-minded e-bike customer to do?

Build your own e-bike!

 

The challenge - to build a very capable e-bike with more features than a bottom-of-the-line Sondors for $500 or less.

We'll use the Sondors Thin as our measuring stick.

 

Before you get intimidated by the thought of building your own, answer one question - do you (or someone you are close to) have the skills necessary to change a rear bicycle tube? If the answer is yes, then YOU CAN DO IT!!!

So, let's lay out the parameters we'll need (and want) to build a solid e-bike in the projected price range. We'll start with a simple and inexpensive bike. It will need to have:

• a steel frame
• 26" wheels/tires
• multi-gear capability - preferably seven-speed
• cable-operated brakes
• it needs to be comfortable (for you)

Now, let's lay out the electric components/abilities you will need to match or exceed what the Sondors Thin offers:

• 500 watt, 26" rear hub motor (more powerful than the Sondors)
• pedal assist (not included on the base Sondors)
• an LCD panel (not included on the base Sondors)
• a throttle (matches the Sondors)
• brake levers with a motor cut-out switch (matches the Sondors)
• a 36 volt, 8.8 amp-hour battery (matches the Sondors)
• a 36 volt, 2 amp charger (matches the Sondors)
• a bag, box, or basket to house the electrical components (It'll be hard to match the Sondors on this one, but it can be done with a little creativity.)

So there's the plan. In the next two posts, we'll cover more detail and see if we can create an electric bike worth having for less than $500.

 

Please stay tuned!

 

May you be encouraged to make more earth-friendly choices without going bankrupt, and may you have a great time doing it!

Fossil Free Friday: E-Bikes &Cargo Bike Updates Summer 2017

Yep, it's summer time and there's a lot of bike activity from some of the Mesquite-Hugger-favorite electric and cargo bike builders. Enjoy!

Just an appetizer image

Juiced Bikes

You got it, there's another (mostly) new Juiced - the CrossCurrent S. This one is the standard CrossCurrent with some nifty upgrades, so now there're three Crosscurrents to drool over. (Me, I'd be happy with the $1100 CrossCurrent Air for my daily commute.)

Karmic Bikes

Koben V2 with fatter tires

Karmic hasn't really put out new bikes - but they do have significantly updated versions of the Koben and Koben S on the way. The Version 2 models see some distinct changes. The most noticeable on the $2000 Koben is fatter tires. The most noticeable on the $2500 Koben S is the Gates belt drive. Much like the CrossCurrents, these two bikes offer a whole lot for the money. I want a Koben S, snagit!

Xtracycle Cargo Bikes

Ross Evans and the crew continue to expand and evolve their cargo bike offerings.

Find the EdgeRunners here

The EdgeRunner Swoop is a new evolution of the EdgeRunner, and I like it! Be sure to check out their $1800 folding cargo bike and their $600 DIY cargo bike!

Yuba Cargo Bikes

Interesting things are happening over at Yuba. With the recent introduction of the front-loader Supermarché you can see cargo-hauling wheels in motion. They've put out a more impressive version of the Spicy Curry (Bosch motor) and just introduced a non-electric (Sweet Curry) version too. I can't help but think that the writing is on the wall for the Yuba Mundo, especially the bottom of the line Mundo V7 Classic that stays high on the MH list of desirable and attainable cargo bikes. (Where else are you gonna find a $1000 bike with a 400 pound hauling capacity?)

Sondors Electric Bikes

Since our most-recent Sondors posts, Sondors hasn't announced any new products, but I have to give them a high five for their email marketing. Check it out!

Find them here and here

Now, if Sondors will put out a more eco-friendly lawnmower for young entrepreneurs like Zechariah and his brother (not pictured), I will give them a high ten! (Maybe someone needs to put out lawn equipment that can swap batteries with an electric bike. Daymak, it sounds like a job for the Beast!)

RadPower Bikes

Nothing really new at RadPower that I know of, but they still have free shipping and now that we are a single-car household, more than ever, I want a $1600 Radwagon, so I had to throw them in the mix.

May you have happy pedaling, happy hauling, and happy giving up the gas!

PS. If I missed any of your favorite updates to electric or cargo bikes, feel free to comment or shoot us an email!

What Sondors has been up to (Electric Bikes)

One thing I've enjoyed watching with Sondors is the hop-up culture that has risen with it.

Take my friend Grizz and his two Sondors. They arrived as single-speed, 350 watt bikes with 36 volt batteries but without LCD screens. He immediately ordered aftermarket controllers and LCD screens and he has been making plans for more powerful motors, 52 volt batteries, and seven-speed running gear. And a lot of Sondors owners follow similar paths.

That's just not the case with most other electric bikes. There are now companies that offer exclusive lines of products dedicated to the Sondors e-bike.

The Sondors North American Line-Up

Having grown up around old cars and motorcycles, I recognize it - a new extension of the hot-rod culture. If it keeps people interested in green vehicles, I am all for it. But let's get back to what's been up at Sondors. They've introduced lots of new-ish products lately.

The Sondors 7

Now they offer all of the upgrades Grizz has been hoping to make - seven-speed bikes, 48 volt batteries, and 500 watt motors in several variations.

The 7-speed versions, the Sondors 7 ($699)  and the Sondors Thin 7 ($599) retain the 36 volt battery and running gear but now offer some upgrade options like larger batteries, front suspension, and LCD screens. Each upgrade will add $100 to the final price.

The Sondors X

The Sondors X ($899) is same as the Sondors Original ($499) but it upgrades the running gear to a 48-volt-17.5-amp-hour battery (!) and a 500 watt motor and controller. Optional upgrades include front suspension, an LCD screen, AND 7-speed gearing. A fully loaded Sondors X will cost you $1199 (plus $150 shipping).

Sadly, there is no Sondors Thin X. :-( (If, like me, you want a Thin X, check out the Juiced CrossCurrent Air - $1095 shipped).

 

 

[For those of you wondering about the Sondors Fold, check out our previous post to learn more.]

 

 

[And for those of you who just can't get excited about electric bikes, you might want to check out the Sondors electric car.]

Hopefully, this will help you satisfy some of your Sondors curiosity.

May you find the perfect fossil-free ride for you, and may it be your ticket to good clean fun, even if you have to hop it up a little!

Simplification (Almost) Railroaded by DIY Electric Truck

[Blogger warning: this one's a rambler.]

I fell off the wagon this week. I may need a new 12-stepper.

Proof that there are people who complete EV Truck Conversions

The summer of 2017, for me, is to be the Summer of Simplification. What that means is LESS by whatever means necessary. I scaled back on the gardening this year. I've been blogging less. I have lots of stuff up for sale. (Let me know if you're in the market for an old Vespa or two, an electric convertible, a half-finished electric truck project, a bicycle or several, my old high-school hot rod, or a whole bunch of Star Wars toys I've had since 1978.) It's a year to clear out the garage, get rid of some debt, and to try to find a way to stress less and live more.

A really big part of the SoS plan is to not acquire or create any new projects. (We all have our vices, and dreaming up and investing in new projects seems to be mine. Completing projects - that's not my vice.)

So, I've quit buying parts, bikes, and how-to manuals. I've quit going to swap meets, flea markets, and garage sales. I spend less time on Instructables. I try to shop only in places that offer food and the absolute necessities. I've even been steering clear of construction dumpsters. I've been really good up until a few days ago...

I was riding home from work on the mountain bike Tuesday and I wanted to add a (very) little terrain to the commute. I rode down a few alleys. And there in the middle of town sitting in the weeds outside of a backyard fence - a little 1939 Dodge pickup. Drool. Slobber. Yearn. Back when I was looking at vehicles to convert to electric, early American pickups made a lot of sense, and snagit, they're so cool!

So I remembered this electrified Dodge truck:

Click here to check it out

 

All I'd have to do is steal the motor and transmission out of this unfinished project I have lying around (and should probably sell).

Then I hopped on Craigslist to see if anything similar was for sale. Nope. But I did find this little guy:

 

The little Courier would make a great electric truck, it's here in town, and it costs about the same as a Sondors electric bike (which is still not in the Mesquite Hugger SoS budget).

 

While I had $800 1974 Ford conversion candidates on the brain, I went back and checked out the 1974 Econoline:

 

 

But I talked myself back out of it pretty quickly and moved on to early International Scouts and then back to the Courier and then back to the old Dodge and back to my original unfinished Mazda project which then brought to mind the unfinished Silver Pigeon scooter projects...

 

And now, I am worn out, but I'm back on the wagon and trying to get rid of stuff, ride the bike, and get life down to a simpler place.

 

May you finish what you start and may your wisely-chosen green projects benefit us all.

Fossil Free Friday - A Sondors Bike that Folds (and a RadMini) [Updated with video]

Happy Friday, y'all!

 

Sondors appears to be rocking and rolling again. They've completely sold out of the last round of bikes and now they are rolling out (taking pre-orders) a new product - the Sondors Fold. (It folds.)

 

[And I have to admit, it's pretty cool, but a big part of that is the big battery (on the Fold X) combined with the low cost.]

 

If you want one at the introductory price, you will have to act soon (like within-this-month soon).

 

Website here

Base Model

 

The Sondors Fold base model is very similar in running gear specs to the previous Sondors bikes: 350 watt geared hub motor, 36 volt/8.8 Amp-hour battery, and single-speed running gear. The upgrades available are a bigger battery (36 volt/17.5 amp-hour) and a Shimano 7-speed gear addition. Each upgrade will cost you $100, so you can get the base model for $899 fully loaded. But that is...

 

...the same price as the Fold X. If you're gonna spend $899, you should get the Fold X. Seriously.

 

 

Why should you get the Fold X? Because it's more powerful and comes with a big battery as standard. Yep, the X is a 500 watt 48 volt/14 amp-hour setup. (For $100 more it also comes with a 7-speed Shimano setup.) For $999 you can get the whole shebang with more speed and more range and all kinds of fun.

 

 

Did I mention that it folds? (Video Here)

 

So, Mesquite Hugger, what's the catch?

 

The catch(es) are nothing out of the ordinary. They won't ship until late summer/fall, and Sondors usually charges a standard $175 shipping fee. Also, the price will go up 30% if you don't order soon.

 

What's that? You don't want to wait? You want it to enjoy this summer? You still want it to fold and have big honking 20" off-road tires? Well, here's my suggestion for you - the Rad Power Bikes Radmini.

 



Find it here

 

This thing has a couple of virtues that might entice you: cargo racks and even more power than the Fold X. The Rad has a 750 watt motor and FREE shipping! Woohoo!!!! And it's in stock and ready for shipping now! At $1499, you could have some instant gratification and ride it all over the place while your smart-aleck brother-in-law is still waiting around for his Fold to arrive.

 

May your eco-friendly ride fold up into tiny places (and keep you from burning more of that nasty fossil fuel crap).

 

In case you want more Fold specs, here you go:

The Fold

The Fold X

You can't be too cheap or too skinny? Two $800 (shipped!) commuter e-bikes

So, let's say that

• you're cheap
• you're broke
• you live in a not-too-hilly place
• you just can't imagine paying $1000 for any bicycle

(Check, check, check, check. Yep, I fall into all four! If you do too, welcome to the club, my frugal amigo!)

Do I have two bikes for you? Do I have two bikes for you!

So, let's check out the first bike:

Lately we've looked at the Populo, and the before that the Propella. I even got to pick up (it was very light) an Easy Motion EasyGo Race at an electric bike shop in Dallas back in December. And I have to say that they are all gorgeous. I love the look (but not the reality) of a fixie, and these bikes have brought that sleek minimalism into the e-bike world (and have done it at very low prices.)

The Vilano Core

So, let's look at one more -  the Vilano Core. Besides the sleek looks, this bike has one really compelling reason to buy it (price) and one surprisingly upscale and trendy feature (belt drive). You can get one (delivered to your house) for $800 and it has belt drive instead of a chain. Other than those, it is extremely similar to the Populo and the Propella. Strangely, the Vilano seems to be very widely available. I was surprised to see that you can order one from Newegg.com:

See how I managed to squeeze the price, the vendor, the belt drive, and the no-name and slightly underpowered motor all into one pic? (I have mad blogging skills like that.) [Cursor drop and walk away, Mesquite Hugger]

Other than lots of identical vendor sites and the product site itself, I haven't found much online presence or review for this bike. I do wonder why it has a 220 watt motor rather than the industry standard 250 watt and I'd sure like to know who makes the components used in the bike, but hey, it's hard to get too picky at $800, right? So, I am not recommending it (or not recommending it) - just letting you know it's out there. (Me, I would not be brave enough to order one until Pete, Court, and a passel of youtubers checked it out.)

Actually, I do find it a little disturbing how widely available it is:

Yep, you can even order one from Wally World.

On to the other $800 (shipped) bike

This one, on the other hand, I feel qualified to endorse (with a few caveats) even though I've never seen this particular model in person.

Sondors still keeps sending me emails, and each time they make me ponder. I have to say (after getting to know Grizz's sondors Originals) that Sondors offers an impressive bike (for this price range.) The Sondors Thin has me intrigued.

What's red, white, blue, and black all over?

You see, I'm a street commuter, and I just don't feel any need to have the big honking tires. And I would not want to pay for their replacements when it's time. So the Thin makes sense to me. It's 10 pounds lighter, it's thinner, (Duh!) and it has a decent reputation. And this may or not appeal to you, but it has a cult following that can offer lots of tech support and/or hop-up advice. And, it has a 350-watt motor from a well-respected manufacturer. Also, similar to the little speedsters listed above, it's a pretty simple machine. And, of course, you can have one delivered to you for $800.

Grizz's Sondors - in stock form - surprised us both. We did not get to test it with pedal-assist, but we had no problem reaching 17mph (throttle only) and 20mph was attainable with some hard pedaling. For most bike commuters, this machine is plenty powerful, and with pedal-assist installed you should be able to get some fairly impressive range.

One other thing to consider, if you are less than 5'6", this bike will be a stretch for you. The Sondors bikes are tall.

LunaCycle (pictured) and Velomobile Shop offer Sondors aftermarket parts

[A little Sondors aftermarket sidebar - Sondors is the only e-bike I know of that already has brand-specific aftermarket stuff availability, but be careful, most of the aftermarket parts are designed for the fat-tired bike. Threads where Thin owners are frustrated with aftermarket upgrade parts are very common.]

Image from OverVolted

[Another little Sondors Thin/Belt Drive sidebar - when the Thin was originally offered, there was an option to order one with a belt drive, but it added close to $100 to the price. But I have not seen that option available these days. So, if you want one with a belt drive, you may be able to pick up a used one. But be careful, I often see used Sondors bikes for sale at prices higher than the new prices. It pays to do your homework.]

To be honest, in my quest to give up petroleum I have given serious consideration to purchasing a Sondors Thin. If you're looking for a no-frills e-bike on a very low budget, this thing could cover a lot of bases. With the addition of a rear rack, a suspension seatpost, and some lights, it would easily cover my commuter needs.

May you find petroleum-free transportation that covers your needs and does not empty your bank account.

And two more low-cost e-bikes for those of you who like to hang around and watch the credits:

For those of you who want to go super-low price, check out this Treehugger article about the Stark. (Thanks, Derek!)

For those of you who want a high-quality and very capable cargo/commuter for not much more money, check out a refurbished U-350 from Juiced bikes. (If you're gravitationally challenged like me, pony up the extra $70 to go 500 watts.)

Electric Bike Buying (and Building) Advice

Is this you?

If you're thinking about (or dreaming about) purchasing an electric bike, the choices can be a bit overwhelming. So, before you go buy one, let's look at some components you're going to want to know a little more about. We'll start with the motivation.

Hub Motors

Photo from Electric Bike Report

The biggest question on hub motors is whether to go GEARED or DIRECT DRIVE. (The second biggest question is front-motored or rear-motored,)

Geared  Hub Motors

The Vanmoof Electrified S has a tiny geared hub motor in the front wheel

The biggest advantage of a geared hub motor is that they can freewheel when there is no power being applied. In other words, you can (mostly) pedal it just like a regular bike. (If you run out of battery power on a geared hub motor, you can pedal it home. If you run out of battery power on a direct drive motor, two city blocks will wear you out!) Geared motors are also smaller, lighter, stealthier, and a tiny bit noisier than a direct drive. One thing that is not possible with a geared motor is regen (power regeneration - where the bike actually recharges the battery {a little bit} when slowing down or coasting downhill).

Direct-Drive Motors

The Radwagon (of my dreams) uses a direct-drive rear hub motor

For bicycles, I am not a big fan of direct drive motors, but that is because they are heavier, less stealthy (because of their size), and because I can't coast with one. But those same drawbacks become virtues when you want your bike to behave more like a motorcycle. If you want to go really fast, carry heavier loads, or use regen, you want a direct-drive motor. They are a great choice for people who don't want to pedal and for people who want their bikes to be workhorses.

Mid-Drive Motors

Bafang BBS Mid-Drive Kit (photo from Lunacycle)

The Oh-so-sexy Karmic Koben S

with a 350-watt Bafang Max mid-drive motor

I have no real-world experience with mid-drives, so I won't weigh in much, but I'd sure like to try out a BaFang BBS mid-drive set-up. Mid-drives are awesome hill climbers but they are much harder on chains, gears, and derailleurs. Their three big advantages are that they allow you to better utilize your bike's gear range, flat tires are much easier to change, and the motor weight is located in the center of the bike.

Lots of high-end (expensive) e-bikes are running mid-drives these days - the Bosch motor is the most well-known of the pricier mid-drives.

Battery Size

(For reference: a very common e-bike battery is a 36 volt, 8.8 Amp-hour)

Battery Voltage  (V)

Higher voltage means higher power and more speed.
If you are tiny and not in a hurry - 24 volts is great
If you are 200 pound or less, 36 volts should be enough
I f you are over 200 pounds or plan to carry extra weight - go with 48 volts
If you want to rock n roll, go for 72 volts! (Definitely not for beginners)

Juiced Bikes Batteries for their ODK U500 cargo bike

(Compare their Amp-hours per distance and power consumption.)

Battery Amp-Hour (Ah)

Amp-hours is a measure of how long a battery can deliver power - so the higher the amp-hour number, the farther your e-bike will travel. Juiced (in the diagram above) offers some very large amp-hour batteries, which is why they can offer ranges over 100 miles, but very few of us need that kind of range in our daily rides. Figure out what range you do need before you go shopping. While you can always upgrade, batteries are the most expensive component on most e-bikes.

Dash/Display Readouts

LCD Readouts - so much better!

Having a read-out that tells you what is going on is great!!! Most LCD dashboards will tell you how fast you're going, how far you've gone, (roughly) how much further you can go, how much power you are using, how much power you have left, and what assist level you are using. LED indicators, on the other hand, will give you a vague knowledge of how much power you are using and of how much you have left. They will also let you know what assist level you are using (if that applies to your bike.)

LCD displays keep you very well informed. LED indicators are pretty vague and less helpful, but they are much cheaper.

Seats

Just a general note, if you plan to pedal a lot, you will probably like a skinny seat more; if you plan to pedal very little, get something big and cushy.

Pedal Assist, Throttle, or Both?

This one also depends a great deal on how much you want to pedal and how much you want to sit back and cruise. I like pedal assist because I like to pedal and I like that pedal-assisted models give you the option of more efficiency which increases a bike's range. On the other hand, it's sometimes nice to have a throttle to help you take off more quickly when you are dealing with traffic. (It's really nice to have both.)

Multigear or Single Speed?

Single speed is not bad if you live in a flat place or are not planning to pedal. The bigger your hills, the more you need multiple gears, but electric bikes in general don't need as many gears. Anything over nine tends to be overkill.

Grizz's single-speed Sondors is great here in Lubbock

where you can watch your dog run away for three days

before he's out of sight. (Man, I miss that dog!)

Weight Distribution

The Prodeco Phantom Series 

Whatever keeps the weight low and spread out (or centralized) makes a better e-bike. Placing all of the weight (battery and motor) on the back wheel is a bad idea that leads to bent rims, loose and broken spokes, and awkward handling. Having the weight up high leads to the bike falling over a lot while parked. If you plan to add a rack for cargo, keep that extra weight in mind when shopping or planning a build. (By the way, it's much more comfortable to let the bike carry the weight rather than your body. Panniers beat backpacks!)

A Final Piece of Advice

Before you decide completely what you want, sit down and make a list of what you need. How far will you travel? How fast will you need to travel? Are weight and size a consideration? Do you need an easily removable battery or wheels? What terrain will you travel? What's your budget? Most important, which bike will make you look truly cool?

I hope this makes your search easier and that your wheels tread lightly while your face smiles all the way to your destination.

May you be the change and encourage others to do the same.

E-Bikes Under $1000: Add Populo to the List

This is the Populo Sport.

I love me some free e-bike shipping!

Let's just get all of the stats out of the way first:

8 levels of pedal assist -  no throttle

free shipping (for the U.S)

20 miles per hour

30ish mile range

36 volts, 8.7 Ah

3 frame sizes

37 pounds

single gear

250 watts

3 colors

$999

This one popped up on Electric Bike Review this week and it's worth checking out if:

you are on a budget

 you keep it on the street

you like to keep things simple

you have to haul your bike upstairs

you dream of having two USB ports 

you are looking for a way to drive less

you like the Propella or the Sondors Thin

Digging the polished frame!

Stealthy!

Nice dash!

Are you intrigued? Tempted? Insanely in love?

Find out more at the Populo website.

May you be tempted away from the gas station!