I’ve been cycling for years, and I enjoy it as a mode of transportation, as well as the fact that it’s pretty much kept me fit over the years.
Didn’t stop the usual hordes of friends and family telling me to buy a car.
My interest in ebikes started a few years ago, with me browsing forums, You Tube videos, and looking at different models of bikes online.

Never really took the plunge, as I am relatively fit, and was well used to cycling long distances.
As well as the general opinion that this form of cycling was somehow cheating. But more of that in a later post.
This year, I gave serious thought to buying a conversion kit for my Carerra Kraken (pictured below), bought from Halfords some years ago.

I was fully aware I could have bought an off the shelf ebike, but didn’t like the idea that while most of these bikes are for the most part well-built and functional, you are pretty much locked into that particular manufacturer.
I looked at the Carrera Crossfire E (from Halfords), but after hearing the comments of a lot of the owners (intermittent cut outs, frequent torque sensor failures and replacements), quickly backed away from that idea.

Also considered that when my nicely integrated battery (or other part) on my shop bought ebike inevitably needed replacing at some point down the line, I’d be at the mercy of the maker of that particular ebike, with the hope they are still producing that battery (or part) at reasonable cost. For the most part, they wouldn’t be, as their overall sales strategy is to get people to buy their latest model.
Additionally, in a lot of ebike builds I’ve seen, many are a mass of wires, with the motor controller (typically a large silver box) either mounted on the frame, or tucked into a bag. I really wanted a cleaner look than that.

I watched a LOT of YouTube videos, and joined a lot of ebike forums and Facebook groups, and eventually settled on Grin Technologies (www.ebike.ca) who have some excellent kit.

Grin Technologies stuff is a little pricey, and I’m fully aware I could have bought some less expensive gear online (Voilamart, Ebikeling, Reasejoy, Yose Power, Hallomotor, to name a few) – but you get what you pay for.
The kit I looked at had the motor controller (a baserunner) hidden in the battery cradle, a Cycle Analyst, one connection from battery to motor, without the typical bundle of wires.

So this week, I selected my kit, paid my money, and when it gets delivered, I will document everything on YouTube – installation, real-world testing, and overall thoughts.
Watch this space…

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