Bike conversion suitability
There are of thousands of different makes and models currently on the market and many thousands more circulating around the world.
First time conversion kits customers may have reservation in buying a conversion kit because they are worried that it will not fit there bike.
Hub motor conversion kits
The simplicity of the hub motor conversion kit means that it is also our most popular style of conversion. Across the many different makes and models of bicycles there are some significant similarities which make it possible for us to manufacture universal electric bike kits.
The important features that make this possible are
The hub width for the front and rear wheel hubs – The hub is the center part of the bicycle wheel where the spokes attach.
The hubs, front and rear, rotate on a shaft and allow for the smooth rotation of the wheel.
The front and rear forks are the left and right parts that hold the wheel in place. The part of the bicycle fork that holds the axels is the drop out. Imagine loosening the front wheel and the axels ‘dropping out’ of the dropouts.
Hub motor style electric bike kits are a common design and work very well for all electric bike applications. They offer super smooth power, strong design are 100% sealed and therefore have excellent reliability.
Because normal bicycle hubs happen to be a standard size, it means that our universal conversion kits are able to fit onto almost any bike. Almost, because we cannot guarantee that in the thousands of types of bicycles produced, at some point a manufacturer wanted to be difficult. Having sold over 5,000 hub motor conversion kits, it has not happened yet!
You can check if your bike is 100% compatible by measuring the clearance between the inside of the dropouts. You need 100mm for the front and 135mm for the rear. Due to small variations in bicycle design, these may be slightly different. If the measurements are within 5mm either way, it will work!
The size of the bike wheel is the next consideration. Dillenger keeps up with all the current trends and we offer our most popular conversion kits in popular sizes (20, 24”, 26”, 28”, 700C, 29er, 650B, 27.5”). Some of these sizes use the same kit.
Bafang mid drive conversion kits
The Bafang mid mount electric bike conversion kit is a new addition to Dillenger range in 2014/2015. Growing popularity among electric bike enthusiasts prompted us to offer the full range of Bafang kits at competitive prices with a range of battery options, all coming preconfigured in our most popular ‘stealth’ electric bike battery system.
Whilst they are more time consuming to install, they offer some low speed torque gain over the hub motor kits if you plan on riding up Everest. Using the variation of your bikes gear system, you are able to achieve much higher low speed torque and sometimes a higher top speed with the same power, depending on your gearing.
The kit suits the most common type of bottom bracket, which is the internal bottom bracket. Some newer high-end bikes have external bottom bracket. If your bottom bracket measures at normal internal distances between 68mm and 73mm in width this kit is compatible.
Unlike the hub motor conversion kits, you are required to remove the bottom bracket on your current bike, which can be potentially more time consuming.
If you are not a bike shop, we recommend buying a toolset, like the one Dillenger offers, that contains the tools commonly required to do this.
It ultimately comes down to personal preference which style of electric bike kit you decide on. Both types of kits are universal in their compatibility and you will end up with a brilliant looking electric bike that usually outperforms a bought one!
You will have gained a great deal of knowledge about how the electric bike components function, and based on previous testimony you will have gained a life-long passion.