- Blog entry posted in 'Uncategorised', July 31, 2011.
Well, I took my 18-speed mountain bicycle out of the storage shed this spring and realized there was a lot to be desired--The chain was somewhat stiff, the rear brake was completely frozen, and the chain derailer was in terrible condition, along with some other minor issues. When I was thinking about everything that had to be done to it, I decided that while I was fixing it up, I'd might as well make a few modifications to it, as well.
I always thought it would be fun to put an electric motor on a bicycle. I decided that if I was ever going to try it, now was my chance.
Throughout this blog I will be posting my progress on my DIY electrical motorized bicycle, including individual steps, the necessary parts and their sources, and photos of the bike so far.
As with most of the things I build, this is a very low-budget project intended for someone with little money who wants something fun to work on. Most, if not all, of the parts can be scrounged up for very cheap (usually free) from a home, recycling center, or a scrap yard.
When the bicycle is finished I will post videos of it in operation. Please feel free to comment on the entries--any suggestions are very much appreciated. Thank you for reading, and as always, I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do :D
Der Strom
Resistanceisbutyl, July 31, 2011
Looks like a fun build! :envy: I do have a rather odd suggestion/question, do you plan to try to reduce the rolling resistance of the tires at all? I have heard of this done, with "great stuff" polyurethane foam, but the only time I've tried it failed. I guess rolling resistance isn't that big of a deal anyway, if the tires stay pumped up. I am also interested, if you are planning any sort of regenerative braking, but I'm sure you've already thought of this, and I will wait patiently and see. Best of luck on the build! -Resistance is butyl
DerStrom8, August 01, 2011
Hi there :) As a matter of fact, I had thought of putting some road-bike tires on it, but they are much narrower than the wheels I have. If I can find a set the right size (if they exist) it would reduce the friction and allow the bike to move much more easily. On the other hand, the tires I have will probably still work, so it is not a priority ;) Someone suggested to me that I try regenerative braking, but when I talked to several more people and did some research on my own, I decided it was not right for this project. There were just too many things that could go dangerously wrong. Perhaps I can try it on a go-cart sometime :D Thanks for the comment! Der Strom
Hong Bin, August 23, 2011
Hi Der Strom, Great idea. Just one comment, I think you should put a photo here to show the bike looks like now. you know it is easy to compare. Cheers,
DerStrom8, September 27, 2011
That is a good idea, Hong Bin. Unfortunately, by the time I wrote this I had already taken my bike apart =P I will see what I can do to find a photo of the bike before I started working on it. Thanks for the comment! Sorry I didn't see it earlier ;) Der Strom
