Being a Gary Fisher and Trek brand fan, my search is a bit easier than most, but let me reiterate what’s most important when considering using your existing bike or purchasing a used bike for your e-bike build.
- Look for sufficient space between the horizontal (top) and down (between the headtube and bottom bracket) tubes for your battery. And while you’re here, it’s a good idea to know the bicycle size (measured from the center of the crank axle to the top of the seat tube) so you know the frame’s not too short or tall for you.
- Look for usable/reusable components. The better the bike’s condition, it makes sense that your build should cost less to complete. Also, be sure you’re buying a bike that you e-bike kit will work with. My builds have all been on bikes with 26″ wheels. Be sure your kit matches the specs of the bike you’re going to use.
- Consider what upgrades you’ll want to invest in and how much that will cost above the bike’s purchase price. On the average, your e-bike kit will add 20 lbs or more to the overall weight of the bicycle. Add your weight, and consider that you might be riding at speeds slightly higher than you would without a motor, and now you might need to think about installing better brakes. I prefer disc brakes on my builds, so I make sure the bike either has disc brakes installed, OR has the fork and frame hardware that makes a conversion to disc brakes possible.
- Once you have made your bicycle choice and have a rough idea what you want to do and how much it’s going to set you back, it’s time to start preparing for your build. Next, I’m going to talk about some tools you’ll definitely want to invest in to help make your e-bike dream come true.
PS – I just went through the exercise of locating a suitable e-bike on Facebook Marketplace (my favorite place to shop for used bicycles). Here’s what I found (date 1/9/2022) for example:
Mens Trek 820 26″ Mountain bike 21 speed 19.5″ ($125)
I spent about this much just for a replacement front fork for my 4500 build, so at this price point, this could be a good platform to start with if the frame is straight and the bike has been taken care of. I would definitely check this bike out if I was in the market for another rear-hub build…