Converting a 'vintage' SCOTT Octane fx-1 to e-bike

[Scott D]

    Bike has been stood idle for far too long. Spent all of my youth and 20's on a bike every spare hour of every day.
So...want to do a mid or rear conversion on my bike. Really don't want a SWYTCH front wheel as useless on loose ground.

Has anybody ever successfully done one on these odd frames...for Bafang drive or even the seemingly simple task of battery placement. About £700 budget... And no, a Halford e-bike for a grand doesn't really cut it.

Thanks for any input.

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

You want to convert this to an ebike and remove all the fun of biking?

No, sorry, I don't know anything about ebikes.

[Scott D]

(08-08-2021, 08:45 PM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  You want to convert this to an ebike and remove all the fun of biking?

No, sorry, I don't know anything about ebikes.

Quite the contrary.

I have zero biking fun right now... I'm not after an e-motorbike just an assist so I can get out socially with my old 90's (race) crew... who now have e-bikes as we're all no longer 'lads' and carrying a bit more ballast than we should. Worries such as saving 8 grams off my bike is no longer a priority...

[Jesper]

(08-08-2021, 11:44 PM)Scott D Wrote:  

(08-08-2021, 08:45 PM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  You want to convert this to an ebike and remove all the fun of biking?

No, sorry, I don't know anything about ebikes.

Quite the contrary.

I have zero biking fun right now... I'm not after an e-motorbike just an assist so I can get out socially with my old 90's (race) crew... who now have e-bikes as we're all no longer 'lads' and carrying a bit more ballast than we should. Worries such as saving 8 grams off my bike is no longer a priority...

I don't know squat about ebikes either. Some of my older (in their 60s, I'm inching towards that age myself) relatives have recently converted from standard bikes to pedal assist ebikes with 3 "power" modes, but I have no idea as to how much or how little pedal assist is required since I have yet to ride one. Apparently their bikes can get up near 30 mph in the 'turbo' mode highest setting, but still require pedalling to do so. They did tell me that on their bikes YOU MUST PEDAL in order utilize the power modes. I believe the bikes can still be ridden as standard bikes, but I don't know what the difference is between having some assist on none at all; and if there is any drag created by the power system when off (aside from the additional weight). If you have ever tried to pedal on a moped you no what I'm talking about.
If your crew is tooling about at 20 mph or higher you will probably need a an ebike of some sort whether requiring pedal assist or not; or get back into a physical condition that would allow you to keep up with the pace. I ride regulatly and I would have trouble maintaining a plus 20 mph continuous pace for much over 3/4 of an hour if no stops, but I can do 17-18 mph for 2-3 hrs without much difficulty (on a road bike). How fast are they going and for how long? Are you on the road, off-road, or mixed? You might be able to just get a front motorized wheel/hub and depending on the wattage it might be enough to keep pace at the higher speeds, but not have to be utilized during lower speeds allowing you to keep the same drivetrain and get some non-assist pedalling in for part of your ride. You may end up gaining some conditioning which will let you use less and less motor assist over a period of time and maybe even remove the motorized hub and put your original wheel back on full time for some real biking. I have trouble saying that riding an ebike is cycling (to me it is just a low power motorcycle/moped, be it gas or electric), but if you need the power than I guess its better than just jumping in the car.
Have you bothered to test any of your friends' rides? Are they pedal assist or not?
I don't know what a "Swytch" wheel is, but any wheel should not feel useless on loose ground given the proper tire for that terrain be it powered or not; unless possibly the power is too much and can't be 'throttled down' to control the power properly. I can still kick up dirt when pedalling depending on my gearing and riding surface, but that is due to the power I'm applying not the wheel being useless on that surface. Any wheel can slip under the right conditions depending on power applied and riding surface.

[Scott D]

In the UK. Max wattage legally for any on-road is 250w and MUST require pedalling to be an assist only system up to 15mph then no input from motor.
Sure, there are 1500w monsters out there but nobody on these rides is doing more than 15mph un-assisted.
Fitness level is OK, but riding fitness is a different thing, gone are my days of 60 miles mixed terrain and coming back fresh or beasting technical climbs. I'm a slightly overweight 47 year old who walks 3 hours a day with his husky/collie offroad.

I posted in this section to see if I could get help as frankly I know I'll either end up dropping £2 or 3k (UK) or a bike that may/will be underutilised or spend sub £1k on a perfectly good XC bike conversion...which will keep the wife happier.

Anthing I've tested has been mid drive... Meridas or Giants... £5k bikes... Well, the guy owns the bike shop!

Don't really care about the purist aspect any more...left all that snobbery back in the 90's when a full suspension (GT Team RTS) replaced my rigid KHS Montana Comp(s). I want a modicum of enjoyment and will build riding fitness back up.

[Jesper]

(08-09-2021, 06:46 PM)Scott D Wrote:  In the UK. Max wattage legally for any on-road is 250w and MUST require pedalling to be an assist only system up to 15mph then no input from motor.
Sure, there are 1500w monsters out there but nobody on these rides is doing more than 15mph un-assisted.
Fitness level is OK, but riding fitness is a different thing, gone are my days of 60 miles mixed terrain and coming back fresh or beasting technical climbs. I'm a slightly overweight 47 year old who walks 3 hours a day with his husky/collie offroad.

I posted in this section to see if I could get help as frankly I know I'll either end up dropping £2 or 3k (UK) or a bike that may/will be underutilised or spend sub £1k on a perfectly good XC bike conversion...which will keep the wife happier.

Anything I've tested has been mid drive... Meridas or Giants... £5k bikes... Well, the guy owns the bike shop!

Don't really care about the purist aspect any more...left all that snobbery back in the 90's when a full suspension (GT Team RTS) replaced my rigid KHS Montana Comp(s). I want a modicum of enjoyment and will build riding fitness back up.

I'm only a purist when it comes to keeping a bike in a more original set-up; I doubt that I would ever modify an existing bike to power/power assist. I have no problem with any bike powered or not; I know they can all provide enjoyment depending on your needs.

Are there not any used bikes in the style you want? I regularly see them on Craigslist in my area for $500-$600 in excellent condition (they are not the "Walmart ebikes" either). I live and work in a college community so students are always getting rid of bikes/ebikes since the gas powered scooter craze has hit the area; or when they graduate and move, it seems like nobody wants to move their bike to a new location. I've gotten some great deals on bikes and equipment due to those facts.

Good luck, hope you find something satisfactory that doesn't break the bank and keeps the wife happy!

[JR Namida]

(08-08-2021, 08:41 AM)Scott D Wrote:  Bike has been stood idle for far too long. Spent all of my youth and 20's on a bike every spare hour of every day.
So...want to do a mid or rear conversion on my bike. Really don't want a SWYTCH front wheel as useless on loose ground.

Has anybody ever successfully done one on these odd frames...for Bafang drive or even the seemingly simple task of battery placement. About £700 budget... And no, a Halford e-bike for a grand doesn't really cut it.

Thanks for any input.

Tis funny, that bicycle must weigh near 40 pounds (18.14kg) or more with all the down hill suspension parts and extra frame attachment locations. Add a mid mount motor and 14 Ah battery and you will probably be near 55 pounds, before you sit on the saddle.

I have an original mongoose Hill Topper that weighs more and ride it less and less each year because it is getting a bit heavy to carry up and down the stairs as I age. I did do a 50 mile ride earlier this year on that bicycle, all on pavement as I never go off road any longer. Swytch front wheel with the right tire would be fine for pavement & gravel, if the bicycle you used for conversion did not weight more than 20 pounds, but you are determined to do a lot of off road riding with your conversion kit and current bicycle.

I watched a youtube video a while back of a hybrid build and it might assist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJ2u-aaUNQ I believe a Torque Sensing is required for all eBikes unless you use a powerful motor for hills and long gentle inclines where a riders cadence automatically slows down.

Another conversion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4tfNUnyNLs

JR