Mudguards

Whilst the frame has mudguard eyelets, the rear ones are taken up with the torque arm so I looked for an alternative that still offered near full wheel coverage.

I selected a set of Zefal Classic MTB plastic guards that mount on the brake bridges.

Front Mudguard
Rear Mudguard

The supplied mounting bolts are rather long so I shall replace them in time with a shorter pair.

With all the recent rain they have gotten a good workout and have significantly reduced the road spray.

Brake upgrade

The original cantilevers would have been sufficient if they were not broken. The plastic collars hold adjusters which soon crack when exposed to the elements.

Cantilever Brakes

I looked for a modern alternative but after learning about brake pull ratios I decided the new levers would work better with Shimano ‘V-brakes’.

V-Brakes

These were fitted without issue and provide significantly better brake feel.

Brake Pivot
Fitted V-Brake

1st Road Test & Weights

The first road test was a success with nothing getting caught up or falling off. Next task is to fine tune the brakes and saddle height etc then take it for a longer ride.

Weights:
Orginal Bike = 14 kg
Electrified Bike = 23.7 kg
Electric Rear Wheel (inc tyre etc) = 7.8 kg
Original Rear Wheel (inc tyre etc) = 2.5 kg
Battery (inc mount) = 3.9 kg
Controller = <500g

Cable routing

A typical conversion kit comes with meters of cable for the various sensors and a frame bag to store the motor controller within.

I’ve done a quick cable tie job to keep everything out of way but in time I shall cut down the cables and use waterproof quick release connectors.

A quick tip for when fitting the rear wheel is to make sure that the cable is not facing upwards like this.

If I leave it in this configuration it will provide a nice channel for water to run in into the motor so I shall flip it next time the wheel is removed.

Brake & gear levers

Brake Levers

The conversion kit came with new brake levers that contain microswitches for cutting out the motor when you brake. The original brake levers were the one-peice type that is integrated with the gear shifters so I had to buy separate shifters to use the new levers.

Basic Shimano triple levers with rapidfire triggers.

Battery Mount

Downtube Battery

The 15Ah battery comes with a rail for mounting on the downtube in place of a bottle cage. However none of the precut slots matched the screw bosses on my frame so I had to drill an additional hole. Due to the tradiational bottle cage bolt spacing this leaves the top of the battery without a firm mounting so I shall 3d print a clamp.