Retro E-Bike conversion.

[Spankyfart]

Hold your horses, I was talking about cheap e bikes you buy on the interwebs.
Clearly anyone that builds bikes can build an ebike and service it.

 

[Russell]

And this is why the LBS is disappearing.

“You didnt buy it here so we’re not willing to service it”

 

[highlandsflyer]

It's a DIY conversion, why would the LBS even get involved for servicing it. If you can buy it DIY fit it, you can probably fix it or look for DIY parts yourself.
It's the main point of DIY, you Do It Yourself.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be DIYing it..

I'm pretty sure Trebz, who has been on RetroBike for ages, even on retro rides, who builds and changes parts and even thinks about doing dodgy crossbar welding conversion and ebike conversion for fun, can fix the brakes on the bikes, mend a puncture, tweak the mechs or follow the Chenglish instructions to tighten a few bolts on the wheel and battery holder.
It would probably be cheaper to buy a new kit that have LBSs service a bike nowadays. ;-)

100% I rewired a few electric assist bikes quite a few years ago, and found nothing too taxing. I would imagine, if anything, things are a little simpler in terms of replacement rather than repair. At the end of the day it's a bicycle with bells on. I am always happier once I know what's going on in the guts, and putting it together certainly gives you some idea.

 

[highlandsflyer]

And this is why the LBS is disappearing.

“You didnt buy it here so we’re not willing to service it”

I remember when electric cars were dealer only servicing/repair. That has changed!

 

[Trebz]

It's a DIY conversion, why would the LBS even get involved for servicing it. If you can buy it DIY fit it, you can probably fix it or look for DIY parts yourself.
It's the main point of DIY, you Do It Yourself.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be DIYing it..

I'm pretty sure Trebz, who has been on RetroBike for ages, even on retro rides, who builds and changes parts and even thinks about doing dodgy crossbar welding conversion and ebike conversion for fun, can fix the brakes on the bikes, mend a puncture, tweak the mechs or follow the Chenglish instructions to tighten a few bolts on the wheel and battery holder.
It would probably be cheaper to buy a new kit that have LBSs service a bike nowadays. ;-)

Why thank you sir. Also i'll add to this, do you or anyone else for that matter know of an LBS in Hull that would do ANYTHING to an old bike and not get arsey with you. This is why I do it all myself. Remember when I walked into the LBS near us with my Pace frame? That was hilarious. I needed them to loosen or remove the stuck Royce Titanium Bottom Bracket for me, they told me they didn't have a bottom bracket tool and that I should try and knock it out with a hammer and chisel.

Erm........... Rare 1995 Pace Frame.....rare Titanium bottom bracket.... hammer and chisel......

 

[Old Crank]

Why thank you sir. Also i'll add to this, do you or anyone else for that matter know of an LBS in Hull that would do ANYTHING to an old bike and not get arsey with you. This is why I do it all myself. Remember when I walked into the LBS near us with my Pace frame? That was hilarious. I needed them to loosen or remove the stuck Royce Titanium Bottom Bracket for me, they told me they didn't have a bottom bracket tool and that I should try and knock it out with a hammer and chisel.

Erm........... Rare 1995 Pace Frame.....rare Titanium bottom bracket.... hammer and chisel......

Steve's cycles on Bev road has repaired a few ebikes for people I know. He's a very helpful chap.

 

[Trebz]

Noted Crank and thanks ;-)

 

[MSYT]

Swytch seem to be the best-rated kits and are one of the few ones where you can have some confidence in a warranty. Most of the rest seem to be bits assembled into kits by small players. Some may be good, but it's hard to know.
I do business in electronics in China and personally wouldn't touch the AliExpress stuff with a bargepole. There is too much energy stored in a battery to cut corners.

Ahhhh they're ok. I have one in the garage that I useed for a while after they reached out to a bunch of us folk making videos and gave the old kits away. The old big batteries give you the best range but the high up handlebar mount is a bit of a downside. You can deactivate the speed limiter pretty easily in the menus The cadence sensor is a pretty generic item which has a tiny bit of a delay when you start/stop pedalling. Its a very expensive kit though.

As for the new smaller batteries they're doing - I wouldn't bother. I had one of those too and the lightest version barely made it to work for me on moderate power - that's around 6 miles.