Hi everyone. Cargo bikes seem to be all the rage these days. I decided to make an electrified one for my wife. The bike is inspired by Bilenky cargo bikes. It’s a little heavy, I used straight gauge .035” 4130 chromoly for everything except the rear triangle (Columbus stays) and the downtube (1.625” .058”). The headtubes are 44mm. Bullmoose bars are .875” .049”. Also installed a Bafang BBSHD mid drive motor.
Overall the bike rides well and the BBSHD mid drive is more than adequate.
Out of curiosity, what made you go with the Bafang motor over any other option? I am new to e bikes and don’t really know anything about the various drive units.
I have installed a bunch of front and rear hub motor kits in the past but never a mid drive. The BBSHD gets a lot of good reviews so I was curious to try one. The next Ebike I make will be with a hub motor. The BBSHD is great but expensive as far these DIY kits go.
Other than looking a little weird it does not take any getting used to all. The bike handles normal, although the steering has a limit due to the linkage. It was a fun project.
As far as mid-drive units go I know a few shops doing e-conversions who’ve been very impressed by the latest CYC PHOTON drive unit. Not sure how they compare to the BBSHD directly but might be worth a look if you make another bike like this. Personally I would love to see V2.
There will be a much lighter V2 eventuall but without the electric motor. For my purposes, an ebike is unnecessary. I ride for recreation and to fetch groceries while getting some exercise. The Ebike thing is fun but adds extra complexity and expense that I do not care for. My wife has knee problems (I made this bike for my wife), adding an electric motor makes our family ride less painful and more enjoyable for her. She would have been happy with a 300 watt rear hub motor for less than half the cost of the BBSHD.
This is why I prefer the DIY Ebike kits over the built in Shimano and Bosch motors. I like pedaling so when the Ebike thing wears off, I can simply turn it back into a regular bike.
