Electric bike conversion in Canberra?

LEADWAY AUSTRALIA is a Gungahlin based E-bike converter based in Gungahlin ACT. We will convert your bike for you but any system over 250w you will have to sign a legal waiver that you will not ride it on the public paths.

More information available at http://www.leadwayau.com

Have a read of this:
http://www.autospeed.com/A_111535/cms/article.html
there’s a part 2 as well.

Hi this is Simone from Switched on Cycles – we sell kits and service kits. You can fit it yourself or our mechanic can fit out. The cost for fitting tends to be between $100-$150. We can also fit other kits if you buy elsewhere and get stuck. We can also fit a pedal assit device & display with a kit. The limiting factor on fitting kits tends to be the taper of the forks (whether the motor fits) and the condition of the forks (we won’t recommend fitting to a bike if the forks are damaged in anyway). Hope this helps if you haven’t already brought a kit. Our number 02 62626234

Very glad to have come here for help – lots of very useful information. I didn’t even know there was a hackspace – I mean other than Ikea hacking, which I’ve seen before. I hadn’t quite thought of converting a bike as hacking but I guess hacking is just the new way of saying tinkering with things, which is a skill I dearly wish someone in my family had helped me develop when I was younger!

Also sent an email to the Eagle Bikes people and heading off this weekend to talk to some bike places here in Canberra about conversions and bikes.

I’m definitely just in this for the losing-the-car angle – I don’t have any kind of super-cyclist barrow to push or self-worth to prove, just looking for an easy way to get around without a car when most of the places I need to go are too distant to make a bike, without some kind of help, a practical option. It’s funny, when I put this post up I had absolutely NO idea that this was such a thriving industry with so many options. Makes sense really, I guess!

Hi,
You have received a lot of advice, some of which is accurate and helpful. Some note so good. Here are some pointers for you…
You can use your existing bike – a good idea if you are happy with it – and convert it economically to an e-bike.
The process is simple and you do not have to be workshop savvy. If you are intimidated by it, a friend/handyperson, local mechanicc, bike shop or auto-electrician could instal a good e-bike kit in less than an hour. If you have any doubts, get a professional to do it to avoid future problems.
You must buy the highest-quality kit you can find. El-cheapo kits will cause you major pain and fail in the worst circumstances. They will end up costing you much more.
You must not buy an over-power kit. Firstly it is illegal, and authorities can easily check your bike. Secondly there is absolutely no point – you can get a high-speed or more acceleration but you will need massive battery power to go the same distance. Yoiu can get 25-30km/h out of a legal e-bike and that is plenty.
You need a company that can supply you a kit AND a compatible high-quality battery. the electricals and the controllers are not all interchangeable.
A legal kit can provide you with a 200-250watt motor that complies with both legal Australian systems – that is 200-watt twist-and-go and 250-watt Pedal-Assist. The controller automatically selects the appropriate one. You then have the choice to use pedal-assist (more exercise) or throttle-and-pedal-option.
Do not take any notice of ‘cycling snobs’ who insist you must pedal. There are scores of reasons to use an e-bike, including lack of mobility, injury, arthrititis, lack of fitness etc. In your case you suggested you wanted to replace your car – this is an admirable sentiment that should be embraced by the community. You can use your e-bike as a viable substitute and you can utilise it to also get fit by pedalling when you are able.
We purchased a number of e-bike kits for friends, family and staff members. In the end we found that Eagle Electric Bikes in Sydney produced the best and most cost-effective kit – and it comes with the most advanced Lithium-Polymer battery – light weight, powerful, quickly charged, good range (30-50km on the flat without pedalling) reliable, well-supported.
We had owners in various states and country towns and they shipped the complete change-over kits and in most cases arranged a suitable installer or someone to check the installations.
You can find them at http://www.eaglebikes.com.au but they don’t seem to have their kits on the website (they have an advanced Harley-style E-bike). So you may need to contact them through email at info@eaglebikes.com.au or phone (02) 9986 3776.

Mordd said :

What I want to know is can anyone convert my very old Flying Furniture original recumbent with an electric assist device added to it for long range commuting – I would be willing to pay good money for anyone able to tackle such a job!

Pretty sure flying furniture would be a good place to start… ohhh I see what just happened, that was a good way to slip their name in here!

The conversion kits now mostly seem to have the motor in the wheel, either front or rear. So change a wheel, add the battery and throttle handle and away you go.

Might be worth waiting a few weeks though, apparently the law is about to change to 250W instead of 200W.

You could drop into the hackerspace on a Tuesday or Thursday night and ask around. Most folk there would be more than happy to help you put a conversion kit.

makehackvoid.com

What I want to know is can anyone convert my very old Flying Furniture original recumbent with an electric assist device added to it for long range commuting – I would be willing to pay good money for anyone able to tackle such a job!

Just buy the parts online, very easy to install. Most expensive part is the battery.

Recommend one of these:

http://rev-electricbikekits.com.au/shop/product.htm?pid=K-pushit-GM

Motor is programmable, can be restricted to 200 watts for legal road riding, or bumped up to 1kW whilst riding off road.