We’ve seen plenty of electric bicycle conversion kits around these parts, but rarely is there one that strays as far from the pack as the Skarper. This novel e-bike kit sports a unique look and claims that it can convert just about any bicycle into an electric bike – as long as it uses a disc brake.
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Ever wonder what a DIY electric camper with tank tracks would look like? You probably didn’t expect something quite like this.
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Last month we featured an awesome DIY solar cargo trailer that an Electrek reader built for his electric bike. Just in case you needed any more proof that our readers are some of the handiest and most clever eco-DIYers on the planet, we’ve got another impressive solar-powered electric bike to show you. This time it does double duty as a school drop-off vehicle for the kids and a grocery getter.
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Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’d love an electric bicycle, but it’d be even more convenient if the battery fit into my pocket?” OK, fine, but lots of people actually have. And the UK-based e-bike conversion kit company Swytch made it happen with the newest edition of the brand’s easy-to-use electric bike conversion kit.
I got the chance to see the new kit in person at Eurobike a few days ago and even take a couple of quick test laps on a bike equipped with the updated kit.
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Here at Electrek we love DIY projects. And solar power. And electric bikes. So when those three can be combined, that’s pretty much a trifecta in our books.
In this case, we got the chance to chat with the builder of an awesome solar charging utility trailer that the industrious e-bike owner built to upgrade his ride.
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If you know anything about me or the topics I cover, you’ll know two of my biggest hobbies revolve around electric bicycles and DIY projects. So combining them has always been a natural conclusion for me – to the point that I even wrote the book on the subject.
With so many great electric bicycles already available at your local bike shop or from direct-to-consumer online companies, some people may wonder why it could be worth performing your electric bike conversion anymore. But the ability to repurpose that bike gathering dust in your garage or build the exact e-bike of your dreams means that a DIY option is a still a great choice for many riders. Plus, being able to do it all for just a few hundred bucks helps sweeten the pot!
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Each year on November 11, China celebrates a national holiday known as Singles Day. It began as a holiday for single people, but has morphed into the largest shopping holiday in the world. And if you know where to look, you can find amazing deals on all sorts of products from China.
And fortunately for you, we’ve found the best e-bike-related deals and compiled them below.
I’ve seen and played around with a lot of DIY electric bicycle conversion kits. Hell, I even wrote the book on the subject. But the Swytch kit is something unlike any other conversion kit I’ve seen. It’s an interesting new take on the classic e-bike conversion problem.
Electric bicycles is a booming industry. It seems like every week we hear about another new model entering the market. Outside of a few exceptions, most electric bicycles fall in the 15-28 mph (25-45 km/h) range. That’s fine for pleasure riding, but it leaves many enthusiasts looking for more speed.
With so many people commuting on electric bicycles, the extra speed of a fast electric bicycle is a nice addition for many, allowing them keep up with traffic. However, there aren’t many commercially available options for fast electric bicycles. That’s why I decided to build my own, with the goal of reaching 40 mph (64 km/h). Read on to see how to build your own DIY fast electric bicycle.
Update: While we originally featured Mongoose brand bicycles in this post for their low price and wide availability, their lawyers responded indicating that their bicycles are not tested for the added load of a motor and batteries and should not be used for e-bike conversions. We have replaced these bicycles with good alternative options, but which are slightly more expensive.
Update 2: We did it – here’s our $700 DIY Fat Tire Ebike
Electric bicycles are great for recreation, allowing you to take in the sights and explore trails without working up a sweat. If you want to ratchet up the fun even more though, you’ll definitely want to try a fat tire electric bicycle. With their exaggeratedly wide tires, these bikes open the door to a wider ranger of terrain and an even more comfortable ride. From beaches to muddy trails and even snow, fat tire electric bicycles can conquer nearly any type of riding.
While there are a number of commercially available electric fat tire bikes to choose from, you can actually save money by building your own. By going the do-it-yourself route, you can also choose the exact components that are right for you. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can build your own custom fat tire electric bicycle.
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Electric bicycles make commuting around cities and urban areas much easier, but the good ones can be quite hard on your wallet. High quality electric bicycles by top brands like Trek’s Super Commuter 8s or Raleigh Redux IE offer both high performance and high quality in a sleek package. However, with top-end electric bicycle prices from $3,000-$5,000, that extra quality does not come cheap.
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For DIY enthusiasts in the green energy community, homemade lithium-ion battery packs have long been a holy grail. For everything from home solar energy storage to garage-built electric bicycles, go-karts and full-size EVs, lithium-ion batteries were once one of the most limiting factors for hobbyist and makers.
However, the last few years have seen an impressive upswing in availability of parts, tools and knowledge in the DIY lithium-ion battery pack space. This has led to increasing opportunities for creative DIYers to shuck the bonds of traditional suppliers of expensive Li-ion battery packs and instead develop their own custom batteries for a variety of projects and applications.
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