Converting a road bike into an electric bicycle
This is the guide I wish I had when I was researching how to convert a 2013 Giant Defy road bike in to an electric bicycle using a Bafang centre drive kit.
When I started I knew converting a road bike to electric wasn't too common and that there would be difficulties. I had to read heaps of different blogs and watch lots of videos to figure out how to convert the bicycle. I managed to get it all working in the end and thought this retrospective might help others out!
Everything I needed for the project
Components
- 1 Giant Defy 2013 road bike - bottom bracket removed by bike shop
- 1 BBSHD Bafang motor
- 1 52v Panasonic 13.5ah GA Shark Pack
- 1 Lekkie BBSHD Bling Ring 42T Red
- 1 set of Bafang disc brake sensors
- 1 custom bottom bracket adapter
- 1 pack of bottom bracket spacers (variable widths combined to 10mm)
- 1 Bafang gear change sensor
- 1 DPC-18 colour display
Tools
- Pedal wrench
- Bike tool (Allen keys)
- Chain breaker
- Power drill (or Dremel if you have one)
- Pliers
- Snips
- Metal file
- Hacksaw
- Bafang installation tool
Consumables
- 80 grit silicon sandpaper
- Cable ties
- Epoxy for connecting the brake
- Black electrical tape
- Cable tidy
- Blue Loctite
- Plastic bumpers
The Bike
I've recently upgraded my 5 year old Giant Defy bicycle to a beautiful Cannondale Synapse. I have some great memories on the Defy cycling around New Zealand and Europe fully loaded as a tourer and I've gotten some serious use out of it but it is quite beat up at this stage.
I have 15 km bike commute here in Auckland. Lately I see more and more folks on electric bikes whizzing past me on the way to work not even breaking a sweat so I built an electric bicycle to replace my motorcycle for commuting on the days I don't feel like riding a standard push bike.
Instead of just selling it on TradeMe for $100, I thought I could get a few more years out of it with an upgrade to an electric bike and save some petrol money this year too.
