This is where things start to get interesting!
First, why RAT (not RAD, and certainly not RED)?
We’ll start with RED (retired & extremely dangerous) – already taken…
RAD then? Well, for anyone shopping for a new e-bike, RAD Power Bikes would be right up there at the top of the list. They make an excellent product and should be on your short-list if you’re buying new!
So what’s with the RAT? RAT has two meanings. The first is ‘retired, active, & technical’. The second is more relevant to my mission, and that is the notion that RAT vehicles (best example being the ‘rat rod‘) is a “custom [vehicle] with a deliberately worn-down, unfinished appearance…”, and that “uniquely conveys its builder’s imagination.”
Applying this concept to electric bikes, I believe that building an e-bike from the ‘frame up’ not only gets you on the road for a lot less money than a sparkling new factory e-bike, but also minimizes your stress level regarding scratches and dents (kind of the same mentality I use with new cars – life is so much better after the first door ding, or in my case, a deer kicking in my quarter panel…).
As you’ll see in a while, my very well used and abused $80 Trek 4500 purchase will morph into an amazing 48v 1000w rear-hub e-bike. I’ll cover all the parts and costs for this build, as well as for a previous Trek e-bike build. I’ll also direct you to resources that I used along the way. In addition, there will be some effort to educate the e-bike newbie to the various choices one has when embarking on a DIY project like this, and on the legal issues one might encounter.
So, this is November 5th, 2021 and I’m just now putting this site online. Please be patient as I have a lot going on right now.
Thanks for checking in. I wish you all the best!