How to convert your Bicycle to an Electric Bicycle – Pedal Power is an amazing resource

“It's a very simple process that can be done in under an hour, no soldering required. Everything just plugs into the controller and you are ready to go. The major benefit is that you can really customise your e-bike and save some huge money versus commercial offerings. You can choose from many different kits or mix and match to get the perfect battery, motor and controller for your speed, range and power needs”

Mr. Micah Toll, builder of Electric Bikes as listed on his website Ultimate Bike Ebook and Kickstarter on a book about making your own Electric Bicycle

One of the really big trends this Summer of 2014, at least in the Golden Triangle in Kingston, Jamaica is Electric Bikes, or E-Bikes. Mostly models made in China, I’ve already seen a couple where I’m staying in Swallowfield and I must say I’m envious of these super silent e-Bikes. They move gracefully, silently and swiftly and have incredible range for a 2 Wheeled vehicle using electricity.

These are basically Motorcycles or even Bicycles that have an Electric Motor Strapped on an connected to a Motorized Control Wheel that usually the rear Wheel. During restful periods when you’re riding, you can switch on the Electric Motor and have the Bicycle carry you. And yes, I want one like really badly, as they are a means of swift motorized transportation around Kingston!

Best of all, you can build one yourself, with the added advantage of being able to customize your super-silent Electrical Ride as Micah Toll as stated in “Want an e-bike? Build your own!”, published May 26, 2014 10:51 PM PDT by Michelle Starr, CNET News. In fact, Mr. Micah Toll, an e-bike enthusiast with his own website on Electric Bike construction, Ultimate Bike Ebook has started a Kickstarter for his book on How to Build your own Electric Bicycle, which is in *.PDF and only costs US$10 (JA$1000).

Pretty cool huh?

We’ll if you want a quick taste of how to build your own Electric Bike, his words offer a lot of hope for DIY (Do It Yourself) enthusiast folks in Jamaica. Very little specialized knowledge is needed, especially here in Jamaica.

You just go to any Bicycle shop, preferably on in Cross Roads and purchase an Electric Bicycle as a complete kit or already pre-built. If you’re not into Chinese Electric Bicycles, you can purchase a kit online on E-Bay or even Amazon and have it shipped down to install on your own Bicycle.

Yes, that’s right. If you opt for the REAL DIY, you’ll have to have your own bicycle and be ready to modify it with the conversion kit to make it an Electric Bicycle. Information on Kits is available on the Ultimate Bike Ebook Website, but I urge you to scope out offers on E-Bay and Amazon.

How to convert your Bicycle to an Electric Bicycle – Pedal Power is an amazing resource

That’s right! The Typical Electric Bicycle Kit is pretty self-explanatory.

1.      Battery

2.      Controller

3.      Motorized Wheel

4.      Throttle

Once you unbundle the kit when it arrives in Jamaica, simply begin by reading the instructions if you're a first-timer. Basically you'll typically have a Battery whose current is monitored by a Controller Circuit Board that sends current to the Motorized Wheel. That's the Wheel at the back, which will usually come in the Electric Bicycle Kit and may require you to replace the Back Wheel or add on an additional component onto your Bicycle's existing Back Wheel.

You may need assistance from a certified Bicycle Maintenance Technician. But once you've replaced the Bicycle Wheel with the Motorized Wheel Assembly, you can finally connect the Throttle control, which you place on the handle bar. This allows you to not only dial the speed up or down but also give you information on the Motorized Wheel in terms of:

1.      RPM

2.      Torque

3.      Tachometer

4.      Battery Charge

5.      Speed Control

In some more advanced kits, it may even display the amount of Joules of Energy generated by Pedalling as well as Braking Kinetic Energy used to trickle-charge your Bicycle every time you are applying your Brakes. Some may even have a GPS and may even have Bluetooth connectivity to connect to your smartphone to give you this same information via a health and fitness App tailor made for the Bicycle.

Not satisfied with my explanation? Check out Mr. Micah Toll Kickstarter page on How to Build your own Electric Bicycle and support the conversion of his *.PDF into a hardcover that’ll be a great resource if you’re planning to build your own Electric Bicycle. In the meantime check his website Ultimate Bike Ebook for details!