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In this Bafang BBS01 250w review, I will be going over the pros and cons of this popular mid-drive conversion kit – this is the only variant I can recommend for road legal use in the UK, EU and Australia. The more powerful variants of the Bafang motor are covered in separate articles.
The Bafang BBS01 has been with us for a few years now and continues to be popular with DIY e-bike builders the world over. It’s particularly popular in the UK and EU countries, where e-bike laws are more restrictive (than in the US). I have personal experience installing dozens of these motors over 5 years, and I still think it’s one of the best road-legal options for converting your bike to electric assist.
Bafang BBS01B Specs
| Motor Position | Mid-Mounted (Bottom Bracket) |
| Motor Compatibility | 68-73mm BSA Threaded Bottom Bracket |
| Rated Motor Power | 250-watts to 350-watts |
| Motor Peak Power | 540-watts to 648-watts |
| Max Torque | 120Nm |
| Motor Rated Voltage | 36-volt |
| Controller Current | 15-18-amps |
| IP Rating | IP65 |
| Motor Weight | 3.8 kg |
| Price | $350 – $450 |
| Availability | Various online retailers |
Pros
- Road legal in the UK and EU (if the speed limit is set)
- Plus and play design
- Very smooth and quiet
- Can be programmed (with optional USB lead)
- Efficient
- Good parts availability – easily serviceable
Cons
- Lacks the ‘get up and go’ of the more powerful variants
- Only compatible with 68-73mm bottom brackets
- Controllers can be unreliable
- Not completely waterproof
Summary
Bafang is currently the global leader in plug-and-play mid-drive electric bike conversion kits and has been for several years. Earlier versions were plagued by reliability issues, and although these can still be an issue, the problem isn’t as bad as it was four or five years ago.
I have personally installed over a hundred of these kits on various bikes, ranging from low-step commuter bikes to full-suspension mountain bikes.
The main criterion for installation is the size of the bike’s bottom bracket. It needs to be a standard 68 mm-73 mm wide bottom bracket with an inside diameter of approximately 33.5mm. It must be noted that these kits are not intended to be installed on bikes that use a pressed-fit bottom bracket, as the dimensions are not compatible with the motor unit. There can be a way around this if a special shim and mounting plate are machined by a professional engineer.
If your bike has an eccentric bottom bracket as fitted to tandems and bikes with internally geared hubs like the Shimano Nexus, installation is still possible but may be problematic.
What’s included in the Bafang BBS01B 250w Kit?
- The motor unit with integrated controller
- LCD Display
- Wiring loom
- Inner and outer lock-nuts
- Chainring
- Chainguard (BBS01 and BBS02)
- Thumb throttle – I do not recommend fitting this, as it is unnecessary and will increase the risk of controller failure if used inappropriately.
- Brake levers with cut-off sensors (only compatible with cable brakes)
- Speed sensor and wheel magnet
- A bag of various Allen bolts and screws
Is the Bafang BBS01B 250w Legal to Ride in the UK and EU?
Unlike the Bafang BBS02B 750w, the 250w version would be perfectly legal to use in the UK, EU (and Australia). But, you will need to check the speed limit is configured out of the box to no more than 25km/h (15.5mph). Some sellers in the UK and EU do this by default, but you will need to check beforehand if you’re concerned about legality.
Most displays have an advanced settings menu which can be accessed via a 4-digit pin code. It is possible to alter the speed limit, but this would render your bike illegal to use – Please consider the laws in your country before changing the speed limit.
Is the Bafang BBS01B Easy to Install?
If you’re looking for a nice and easy conversion to do yourself, but you have little or no experience with bicycle mechanics or using tools, I would recommend getting a friend or bike shop to help with the installation.
Certain aspects of installing the BBS01B can be challenging and it’ll help if you are mechanically minded. See my guide on how to install a Bafang BBS02 This also covers the BBS01 which is physically the same. The installation will need to be carried out by someone who is fairly competent. Removing the bottom bracket can be a right pain, and you will require a lot of patience!
Motor Technical Data
These motors have an internal cadence sensor, and give assist based on pedalling cadence. The controller will reduce the power at any given power level based on pedalling rpm. This is called the keep current, and depending on the way your particular controller is programmed, this can reduce the power by up to 60%. The logic behind this is the higher the cadence, the less help you need, this is somewhat counter-intuitive as electric motors work best when spinning at a high rpm.
One great thing about these motors is they can be programmed with a Bafang programming cable and software (which you can download for free here). I will be writing a separate post about programming the Bafang. PLEASE NOTE: Reprogramming the 250w motor to any higher than 15A and 15.5mph (25km/h) would make it illegal for road use in the UK / EU / AU.
The motor itself works through a series of gears and drives the rear wheel directly through a single front chainring. The benefit of this is the motor is using the bike’s gear ratios for maximum efficiency and torque. The downside of this is you have to make sure you are in the right gear when hill climbing as excess load on the motor can cause controller failure.
The 250w motor is very quiet and smooth, and you have up to 9 levels of pedal assist to choose from.
Is the Bafang BBS01B 250w reliable?
As with all things electric, problems can and do occur from time to time. I have installed many BBS01B 250w Bafang motors and to date, have only had a handful of issues reported – these are mainly confined to the more powerful variants. Having said that there are several things to consider.
- Controller failure is rare on this model nowadays, especially since Bafang upgraded the MOSFETs in the controller.
- You will need a Bafang lock-ring spanner – these motors do sometimes need to be re-tightened periodically.
- The speed sensor can be easily knocked out of alignment with the wheel magnet – this will throw up an error code and the pedal assist will stop working.
- In my experience, the C965 display is the most reliable but has limited functionality. The available colour displays are great but I have had the occasional fault with these in the past.
- Increased wear and tear on the bike chain and gear components – this can be mitigated by fitting a Bafang gearshift sensor.
Riding a Bafang-Powered Electric Bike
The 250w motor is very quiet and smooth, and you have up to 9 levels of pedal assist to choose from, so you really can fine-tune the power output to suit your needs. When climbing steep hills you will need to make sure you are in a low gear (as you would be in a car or on a motorcycle) this is especially important as trying to climb a hill in a high gear will put the motor under excess load and could overheat, causing controller failure.
The pedal assist is responsive, and works well, although, on some of the older units, there was always a slight over-run noticeable when pedalling stopped. This was down to one of the controller programming parameters being set too high. I always reprogrammed the unit to stop this issue.
The main downside, in my opinion is the extra pedalling resistance this motor has when the power is on ‘0’ or the motor is switched off altogether. It is not too bad on the flat, but it is noticeable when going up a slight gradient. This is the main reason, I tend to prefer small geared hub motors.
If your bike has a double or triple front chainset, then you will be sacrificing that for a single steel chainring. Bafang only offers 44t, 46t and 48t options. This in my opinion is high gearing, especially if you are climbing lots of steep hills. There are however a couple of alternatives – you could fit a 104BCD chainring adaptor or buy one of the many aftermarket chainrings available.
If you want to fit the brake levers with cut-off sensors, then bare in mind these are only suitable for cable-operated brakes. If your bike has hydraulic brakes, you may want to purchase hydraulic brake cut-off sensors or completely new hydraulic brakes with the sensors already built in.
The Verdict
The Bafang mid-drive motor is not for everyone. Installation can be challenging and the motor will need periodic maintenance. It is nonetheless an excellent option, and the result will be a bike that looks more like a factory-produced e-bike.
For a 250w motor it produces a lot of torque, I have done a side-by-side hill climb comparison of the Bafang 250w vs a 1000w hub motor and the Bafang outperformed the larger, more powerful hub motor. The large direct drive hub motor was only rated at 35Nm of torque compared to the Bafang’s 80Nm.
If you are comfortable with your ability to install it, and you have an appropriate donor bike, then as long as you can live with some of the compromises, this is still one of the best electric bike kits available.
Where can I buy the Bafang BBS01B 250w?
The Bafang BBS01B 250w is available globally through e-commerce websites like eBay, Amazon and Aliexpress. The latter is usually cheaper, but returning a faulty item isn’t always so straightforward. My recommendation would be eBay or Amazon as the returns process is usually more straightforward, although the initial purchase price will be slightly higher.
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions please leave a comment below – I usually reply within 24hrs.
![Accolmile Electric Bikes [Range Overview and Specifications]](https://www.ebikechoices.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Accolmile-electric-bikes-768x341.png "Accolmile Electric Bikes [Range Overview and Specifications] 10")
Hej Tony
Min mand og jeg har ved en fejl købt og fået monteret en 350watt bafangmotor i stedet for 250watt på en nihola family. Kan den gøres juridisk lovlig ifht bl.a. forsikringsdækning ved at vi installerer en ny controller som passer til 250watt? Vi ved ikke selv særlig meget om det her, så du må gerne skære det ud i pap for os 🙂
Eller skal vi købe den lille motor for at gøre cyklen lovlig og sikre os at forsikringen dækker ved uheld?
Hvis du ikke ved det, ved du så hvem der ved noget om det her?
Mvh. Emilie
Hej Emilie,
Hvis du køber et USB-programmeringskabel og downloader den gratis software, kan du ændre den maksimale effekt ved at tilslutte motoren til en stationær pc. Alt du skal gøre er at reducere den maksimale strøm (ampere) til 15A (350W er indstillet til 18A). Dette vil bringe den vedvarende magt inden for loven. Om dette vil tilfredsstille et forsikringsselskab vil jeg ikke sige, da motoren stadig vil have 350w stemplet på den. Jeg vil anbefale at skifte motoren til en 250w hvis det er muligt for at være på den sikre side.
Venlig hilsen,
Tony
Hi Tony,
I’ve been looking into buying a Bafang conversion set for some time now and then I saw your very interesting website.
I found a set but the wiring puzzles me, perhaps you can help me: it’s a BBS01B with a Das-kit L6 display.
The main cable from the motor ends in a Julet 8 pin male connector that goes into the display. The brakelevers are connected to the display.
If I want to program the controller I have to modify the available USB-5 pins Higo programm cable with a Julet 8 pin female connector, or use a Julet type 1T4 cable:
https://elecbikeparts.com/collections/electric-bike-wiring/products/1t4-julet-type-main-wiring-harness-cable
Now it looks like that cable has a male type main connector as well, so that would not work.
I’m still looking for the pin assignment of the Julet 8 pin connector.
The number of assists on the L6 display is 5. Is the number of assists determined by the display or the controller?
Thanks in advance, Peter
Hi Peter,
I’ve never come across the L6 display being used in conjunction with the BBS01B before – it’s usually used on the Leon Cycles DAS-Kit Bafang hub motor conversion kit. I would personally stick with a kit that uses one of the recommended displays like the C965 or DP-C18 which use the original Bafang wiring harness and make programming straightforward. The number of assist levels can be changed on the standard Bafang displays – usually 3, 5 or 9 levels are available.
Regards,
Tony
Hello Tony, I recently bought a Bafang 250W, 36V, 36v battery, 17.4 ah sensors on chamulce and gear shift sensor. When the engine stops working and starts under load, it makes a short screech. The engine does not heat up, I select the appropriate gears for the terrain, apart from these squeals, the engine seems to be working properly.
Hi Marek,
It’s not an issue I’ve come across before, but I would definitely keep an eye on it. Is it installed on a mountain bike? I have found on some MTB installations you need to use a 2.5mm spacer on the drive side as the housing can be too tight against the chainstay (when the lockring is fully tightened). This may account for the noise, but if not I would recommend contacting the supplier to see if they can offer a solution.
Let me know how it goes.
Cheers,
Tony
Tony
Thanks for a great website and review, this actually helped me decide to fit a Bafang mid-crank kit to an old 1990’s racing bike I have. I’d had some ebike conversion experience by fitting a front hub motor to a tandem but fancied trying a mid-crank for a different challenge. The installation was pretty straightforward with the correct tools which apart from the essential Bafang spanner I’d pretty much accumulated over the years. I was wondering with your huge experience of conversions whether you have a view on where to source a decent quality 36v battery maybe around the 14AH area?. My current experience with batteries is 1)The original tandem battery of claimed 13AH new. This is well past its best as its five years old but I’m currently using it on the racer conversion but its pretty weak to be fair. 2) Probably a couple of years ago I bought a replacement 36v battery from ‘an auction site’ which claimed to be 18AH and contain LG cells. However I’m firmly convinced it never had anything like this capacity and now I doubt if it holds 8AH to be honest (have crudely tested it with a power plug that records energy usage).
I bought the mid-crank kit from Eclipse bikes and their customer service was excellent so I’m tempted to buy a battery from them. They sell batteries manufactured by EM3ev which apparently use Panasonic cells, I was wondering if you have any experience of these?. The cost of a 36v 14.5AH battery is about £320 which would be OK if the quality was good. Reviews of this manufacturer are not easy to come by. Also readily available online are batteries from a company called Yose but these are cheap enough to raise a few concerns.
Anyway I love the racer conversion, so pleased I went for it. The tandems simple hub motor (bought elsewhere) has now done 4500 miles which I think is brilliant. I did have to have a new wheel built around the motor after about 300 miles, the motor is great but the wheel quality was dire!.
All the best and many thanks
Richard
Hi Richard,
EM3ev have a very good reputation and an ultra-modern production facility, the company is run by a British guy in China. I’d have no qualms buying from Eclipse – I’ve had a few batteries off them over the years and never had any problems.
It’s also worth having a chat with Jimmy at ebikebatteries.co.uk – he custom-builds batteries from scratch. They’re generally more expensive but their built to a very high standard also using Panasonic NCR18650GA cells.
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Tony
Tony, many thanks for the quick reply. Very unselfish of you to put the time in sharing knowledge in this way. I think I will swerve towards the EM3ev battery. In time I intend to replace both the batteries I have and I believe the EM3ev can be used successfully in parallel (well so the info suggests) which will add another option. The batteries on ebikebatteries site really look top end, I’d really like to splash out on one of the higher capacity ones but the cost as you mentioned is a bit higher. Thanks again!
You’re welcome?
Hi Iam a healthy heavy rider.25st..have made several changes to my 90s steal frame MTB .to carry my Weight.better stronger wheels and alike.. would it be worth fitting a 250w motor.as the law requires.or would I be wasting my time…. only for commuting 7miles to work.thanks Danny..
Hi Danny,
If there are some steeper hills on your commute it would definitely help. If it’s fairly flat the electric assist will make things easier going into a headwind. But the weight penalty of around 7-8kg (including battery) and slightly increased pedalling resistance from the motor will take the edge off the bike if you ride it beyond the assist level.
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi Tony,
Many thanks for writing such a detailed and informative article it has been really helpful in my research.
I have just bought a Pashley load star tricycle and am hoping to fit the BBS01B 250watt kit to it. The tricycle will be used to move heavy tools around london and I was wondering if you think it would be powerful enough? (The tricycle claims to be able to carry upto 200kg on the rack) Would reprogramming help with this?
Also if you think it is worth fitting a 3 speed Sturnley Archer hub gear? Or perhaps a 28T Lekkie ring?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Tom
Hi Tom,
I think as long as the gearing is right and you’re not planning on tackling very steep hills regularly, the BBS01B should be up to the job. I reckon a 48v version would be better for load lugging, as it will achieve the same peak power output, but with lower current. This will result in the motor running a bit cooler. The 48v version as available from eBay UK.
A Sturmey 3-speed hub gear would work fine – if the Pashley trike doesn’t have horizontal drop-outs for chain adjustment, then you’d need to fit a chain tensioner. You could also fit the a Lekkie ring to keep the gearing nice and low.
If you have any more questions, please let me know.
Cheers,
Tony
PHEW what a web site truly awesome
Here I am trying hard to make a sensible decision on converting my what must be my 20+ year old Cannodale Mountain bike to electric power
Use is going to be Sunday or sunny day rides probably the longest ones are going to be 20 miles or less
Also,I am going to convert my partners bike as well
Options to me seem like the Tongsheng tsdz2 250w 36v mid drive and the Bafang BBS01 and BBS02 both either 36V or 48V
I am in the UK sunny Scotland with a few hills on our normal ride out routes we are both in our 70’s so need some assistance to get up the hills doubly so as my partner will get off and push rather than drop the gears and keep on peddling.
BIKES are this very old Cannondale MTB with no suspension and a triple front crank with oval cranks with a 5 speed rear cassette. Brakes on the Cannondale are quite different from anything I have ever seen before having the cable pulling on a curved wedge in between two rotating wheels that move outwards as the wedge moves upwards forcing out the top of the brake levers which then pivots and forces the brake shoes on the bottom end of this lever onto the rims
My partners bike is slightly more recent being a Claud Butler MTB but also has a triple front crank but an 8 speed rear cassette more normal old style brakes and front suspension
So the question is should we bin (sell) both of the bikes and get something more modern with disc brakes and suspension at both ends
Also, of course no matter what bikes we eventually have what do you think the sensible option for powering our bikes should be. We are not speed freaks and just want some good assistance. I understand that I can probably tune the Bafang ones to make the assistance smooth and user friendly but I am wondering of torque sensing is a more sensible route to go to power our bikes I am not thinking of using a throttle nor brake cut off levers just having a nice sensible simple rider assistance.
OF course maybe we should consider buying an electric bike to make things simpler.
I am a RR engineer and electrical and electronics engineer, so I don’t see the conversion as something beyond me. Also my son-in-law is a keen cyclist as is my eldest son, so there is available some good knowledgeable cycling/biking assistance if I should need that
Hi David,
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with converting older bikes especially if they’re in decent, serviceable condition. In my experience older bikes are usually easier to convert. I have converted old Cannondale MTB’s from the 90’s before without any issues. The Claud Butler should also be straightforward.
Regarding the brakes I’m having trouble finding them online, are they the old Shimano XTR v-brake? If so I would leave them in situ as they should work very well. If you wanted to upgrade your brakes to modern v-brakes I find the latest Shimano Deore rims brakes work very well (I use these on my touring bike).
Both the Tongsheng and Bafang would be good options, I would rather use one of the higher voltage (48v) and higher power versions but with the peak current limited – this would mean the same power can be achieved using lower current and would help the motor to run cooler and be more efficient. Unfortunately there are legal implications for anything above 250w.
If I had to choose between the Bafang and Tongsheng my preference would be the Tongsheng as the pedal assist is much more natural and intuitive. The Bafang has more of an on/off feel to it.
Both the Tongsheng and Bafang can suffer from reliability issues and it’s really luck of the draw if you get a good or bad one. I’ve personally been very lucky with these motors and have covered quite a few miles on both without problems.
I now ride a factory built e-bike – Vitus Mach E, and I’m very impressed with it. It has been totally reliable, it’s smooth, quiet and I can get nearly 100 miles out of a charge using eco mode. If I was faced with the choice now of buy a conversion kit or factory e-bike I would go with the latter, although you don’t have the customisation options and if they eventually do go wrong (outside of warranty) it can cost a packet.
I hope this information helps, if you have any more questions please let me know.
All the best,
Tony
Hi,
Thank you for your information.
you report having had multiple color displays: “Some of the color displays can be unreliable – I find the black and white C965 display to be the best, I have had several issues with the color display.”
What are the references of the screens you had problems with?
what were the problems?
I am looking for a “reliable” display providing a USB socket, with 9 levels of assistance:
https://bafang-e.com/en/products/displays/
DP C27X
DP C25X
DP C24X
DP C23X
DP C181
DP C18
DP C10 / C171
DP E12 (6 levels of assistance)
850c
P850C
P860C
DPC18 (5 levels of assistance)
do you have any advice on these references?
I am only interested in the authorized version Bafang BBS01 36V 250W 25Km / h.
but I would like to put the biggest battery possible to have as much autonomy as possible (it climbs around my home and I prefer that the bike remains a pleasure).
I found these batteries with Samsung cells:
Is 36V 30AH 1500W (5A) battery compatible with Bafang BBS01 36V 250W built-in controller?
if not, what is the largest compatible battery on the list?
I understand that the (5A) version will accept a faster charge than the (2A)?
this without affecting the battery life?
I specify that I will not make any modification.
Thank you
Xavier
Hi Xavier,
The displays on your list I’ve had issues with are the P850c and DPC18, although these have been isolated incidents and I haven’t had any issues since. The C965 is very basic but does seem reliable (and cheap to replace if it fails). If I had to recommend a display, I would go with the P850c or P860c – both displays are very similar in functionality.
Regarding battery, the 36v 30Ah will give you a massive potential range and will be compatible with the BBS01B – the Ah (amp hour)rating refers to the energy capacity (36v x 30A = 1500 watt hours total capacity), it doesn’t matter if the continuous discharge rate is 30A or 40A – the motor controller will only draw its maximum current at any given time (e.g. 15A for the BBS01B 250w).
It is fine to charge a 30Ah battery at 5A – faster charging can have a negative effect on lower energy capacity batteries but anything over 20Ah is okay to charge at the higher current.
I hope this info helps if you need any more advice, let me know.
Regards,
Tony
Hi Tony have you had any dealings with boardman Fazua ebike ,if you look at the web site you can tailor assistance to your needs ,i am not very fit so i would need little effort but plenty of power ,what would be best settings for me .Lawrence
Hi Lawrence,
Yes I’ve ridden the HYB and ADV, both bikes are really good value for money. The Fazua motor is great and you can tune the power delivery using their customizer. For maximum assist I would set the ‘performance’ parameter and ramp-up to ‘reactive’ this will give you the most responsive and useful boost in ‘rocket’ mode. This will be fine if you’re only covering shorter distances as you will deplete the battery much quicker with these settings. If you require assist over greater distances then you’d need to get a range extender battery which will effectively double your range. I did have a look on their website and it’s out of stock at the moment.
All the best,
Tony
Hi Tony thanks for your prompt reply ,i will give that a go ,when the weather improves ,you may remember you helped me with a Bafang ,Top Man Cheers Lawrence
you’re welcome?
Hi Tony,
I’m considering converting my MTB to an electric bike using the Bafang BBS01B or BBS02B. You mentioned in the pros/cons section of your review that these motors need regular maintenance. Can you explain what kind of regular maintenance is needed then.
BTW great website and advice!
Thanks much,
Freddy
Hi Freddy,
Generally speaking the Bafang motor itself is relatively low maintenance, however you will need to accept that these motors don’t have the long term reliability of factory e-bike motors like the Bosch or Shimano Steps. In my experience you get good and bad motors, it’s luck of the draw. I have customers who’ve put 4-5k miles on these motors without a single issue and I’ve had others that pack up after 100 miles.
The extra maintenance will involve reduced service life of chain, derailleur, cassette – this is due to the extra power being put through the drivetrain and the offset chain line. It’s always worth cleaning this regularly (degreasing and chain lube). Inside the motor the primary nylon gear will wear over time and the bearings in the axle can also need replacing after a lot of miles. Another component that can wear out is the sprag clutch which is a ‘one way’ bearing. As far as electrics are concerned, controller failure is not uncommon, and other things like hall sensors (inside motor) and pedal assist circuit. You may also need to tighten the motor lockring from time to time, although there are stabiliser bars available separately.
Thankfully there is a wealth of information online regarding serving and repairing the Bafang, and there are a lot of companies who sell all the spare parts you will ever need. You need to be a bit of an enthusiast and tinkerer to use a Bafang long-term, or it would help if you have a local bike shop that doesn’t mind doing the servicing.
I hope this info helps, if you have any more questions please let me know.
All the best,
Tony
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your very helpful review.
I am thinking of getting a BBS01B to convert my current bike to electric as it is the Granite 3.0 which has through-axles front and rear ruling out hub motors.
I am quite fit but planning to use it for commuting to work in sometimes 30°C heat (Adelaide) without arriving hot and sweaty. I see your repeated advice to go low on the chainring, not more than 46T, to prolong the life of the motor, but I have a 50T (double) chainring on currently and I do occasionally use top gear (11T rear) so I’m concerned I will be limiting my top speed if I step down at the front and was looking at the 52T bling ring.
How major a concern is it to use the BBS01B with a larger chainring?
The rear cassette has a 34T lowest gear.
I will not be letting the motor do all the work on hills I may encounter..
Thanks again for the article and any advice you can offer.
Hi Rob,
I don’t see there being any problems with a 52t chainring as long as you keep your pedalling cadence in the upper ranges on the climbs – I would say 70rpm and above would be ideal. The main problems seem to occur when riders put the motor under load by using a higher gear and lower pedalling speed on steep climbs, it doesn’t seem to be too much of a problem on moderate hills.
I hope this helps, if you have any more questions, please let me know.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi Tony
Thank you for your most informative reviews and comments. You are doing the biking fraternity a great service by your dedication! My best friend (also in his mid 70s) knows more on this subject than me and says I really ought to take the Bafung mid drive option. Your reviews seem to back him up, especially for my ageing knees. He has fitted two or three of these and has agreed to help me. I was going to get the kit on Ebay via an outfit called Cyclemilers. I clicked on your affiliate link for Ebay but it came up with ‘page not found’. I can get to the right website from there but don’t want you to miss your little payback. Will you get it anyway once I have clicked your link? My bike is a Halfords Carrera Subway very standard hybrid mens’ bike with 27 1/2 wheels. Can you advise me on chainwheel size? I would appreciate any other comments you might have.
Regards Robert
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your positive comments, much appreciated. Your Carrera Subway should be a fairly straightforward conversion. I’ve converted a whole range of Carrera bikes in the past (using the Bafang) and they are generally easy to convert. The only problem I have come across is the bottom brackets can sometimes be a pain to remove.
Cyclemillers seems to be a decent enough vendor. I haven’t personally purchased from them, but their feedback looks good enough, plus you have the eBay / PayPal buyer protection to fall back on. Here is the link to their eBay page.
As far as chainring size is concerned, it depends on how hilly the terrain is where you live. If it’s fairly undulating then a 44t or 46t will be fine. If you live in an area that has lots of very steep hills, then ideally you would want to go lower – possible a 36t Lekkie Bling ring which are available from Brighton e-bikes.
If you need any more advice, please let me know.
Regards,
Tony