I am new to ebike building but am coming from a surron-x. sadly I got rid of that bike due to it not really looking like or being an actual ebike. Now I need to scratch the itch again. :)
I am considering a 19” motobecane HAL 5.5 Recon with 27.5” wheels from bikes direct. Here is a link to the specific bike.
it visually looks like a battery pack will fit inside the triangle. I want to get a BBSHD mid drive, and whatever battery will give me the most power (I am 6-1”/230lbs).
I will mostly use the bike for commuting and some easy trail riding and single track with my kids. Not competing or doing anything advanced.
guidance and feedback is very much appreciated!
looking at that bike its honestly a great choice. full suspension, compatible BB, good triangle space, really cant go wrong on this one. I would suggest a Larger frame, like the 21" and the 29er version - 29" seems to be the new sweet spot wheel size for XC, commuting, long trail rides, and tackling large obstacles. also a slightly longer frame adds more handling stability for an ebike, since your taller I see no issue with the 21" frame. keep in mind youll have to check that battery dimensions fit inside the triangle space dimensions, many batteries are too large. I went with a custom samsung 40T cells slim pack 52v12 ah (640 watt hours or about 20-30 miles of range depending on your riding efficiency) which is 12 x 3 x 3.x5" and 8 lbs roughly, which would fit in that frame fine by the looks of it. I have a spare samsung slim pack for sale in case you cant find a suitable battery. all easily DIY doable. with the black color frame you can do a blacked out stealth theme. good choice. feel free to check out my victory posts for bikes ive converted, cheers.