[PJ McNally]

I saw this recently while out shopping. I’m sure the owner won’t mind me posting a photo – it was in a public place.

The thing is – WTF is going on here? Has this person done what i think they’ve done? That is, taken a basic modern road bike (which happens to be the same model as my training bike!), and botched a motor onto it? It looks like the guts of a cheap e-bike. And, front wheel drive – is that a good idea?

Genuinely interested – when i saw it i couldn’t stop staring.

Topic

[OldRidgeback]

Nice concept and a good deal
Nice concept and a good deal less ugly (and heavy) than 99% of the e-bikes that mainstream manufacturers produce. I bet it’s a lot cheaper too, so what’s not to like?

It looks very much as if the battery can be removed for home charging, another neat touch. In China a lot of commuters whizz around on electric scooters that are available fairly cheaply. The batteries of these Chinese e-scooters look very similar and can be removed at night to charge in the home, while the scooters are generally parked in bays outside.

I don’t feel the need for an e-bike just yet, but if I did I’d rather have one of these than most of the heavy, expensive, aesthetic horrors that are on the market at the moment.

[dodgy]

Thought it was a hub dynamo
Thought it was a hub dynamo on first sight.

[Author]

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