FOG eBike: Make Your Bicycle an E-Bike

I have tried out three e-bike kits that turn a bicycle into an e-bike. The first two contained the motor and the battery in the front hub,which as you can guess, was rather large. One was pedal assist and one was throttle only and the weight produced a rather squirrely front end. Both worked reasonably well on an old Fuji hybrid but both companies are now out of business. Both were good for short neighborhood trips but I didn’t try them beyond a 10 to 12 mile radius.

In a continuing quest for e-bike knowledge I found a company on IndieGogo (a Kickstarter competitor) called Swytch. The campaign is closed after they raised over $1 million. The motor is in the front hub and the battery hangs from the handlebars. I ordered a $624 kit in November 2019 which contains the complete front wheel, battery and accessories. It arrived in September because covid-19 wrecked their supply chain from China. An unofficial Facebook group for owners is full of complaints about the lengthy delivery times.

https://www.swytchbike.com/

I placed the kit on the Fuji without too much trouble and I can assure you I am no bike mechanic. The kit includes the complete front wheel so you install a tire and then place it on the front fork. Then you must install a circular pedal sensor on the pedal crank and a wired pickup on the frame next to the sensor. You install the battery mount on the front bars and complete by connecting the wiring which is color coded. The battery is easily lifted from the mount for charging. The instructions are pretty straight forward and I was able to complete the task by being very deliberate. There is a YouTube video that is somewhat helpful.

https://youtu.be/Bg1gOLZXD1g

The kit worked as advertised and actually has more power than I expected from a 250W motor because my Trek Class 3 with a Bosch mid-drive is 750 watts. Riding on flat surfaces I will sometimes stop pedaling because the speed is greater than l want. The motor was not a great deal of help on fairly steep hills but I made it up all of them. I have not ridden far enough to really test the battery but 15 miles on a charge should be easy enough but beyond that I’m not sure. One optional accessory is a twist throttle which I installed after a couple of weeks. I have not really used it that much but is helpful from a standing start.

In my continuing quest for e-bike relevancy I decided the Fuji hybrid was not the proper platform for a full experience. I found a Linus Roadster 7i that seemed to be an interesting hybrid city bike that was reasonably priced ($829) and utilized a Shimano Nexus internal 7 speed hub. I’ve never had one so the experiment was broadened. I pre-ordered it online last fall with a promise of delivery in the spring. It was delivered to the local Linus dealer Green Fleet Bikes in January and they assembled the bike. After a few unpowered rides I installed the Swytch kit.

The Linus is a nice looking bike and it’s a pretty typical aluminum framed hybrid but it came with fenders and a rack which I would have installed anyway. The metal fenders are not really high quality and a short ride on the cheap saddle convinced my sore butt that a Brooks is called for very soon.

https://linusbike.com/products/roadster-7i

The riding experience on the Linus is superior to the Fuji and the Nexus hub shifting is very smooth if a little slow. More miles may lead to a different conclusion but I think this combination will work. I found that I used the old Fuji to ride the around the neighborhood rather than the Trek which I use for longer rides.

I think the Linus and Swytch combination is a good way to start in the e-bike world although it’s a lot more trouble than just buying a Trek or Specialized at the dealer. I’ve noticed that Rad Power e-bikes, sold on line, are becoming popular. The price is comparable to the $1,400 I have in the Linus + Swytch. I dare say that the Linus is a comparable if not a superior bicycle. Only time will tell and I may come to a different conclusion after a thousand miles.

Carey Rogers