Electric Avenue Bicycles is located in NW Oklahoma City, OK where eBikes are practically nonexistent. We have decided to kick off the eBike revolution in Oklahoma by catering to the large numbers of students, environment conscious residents and of course those tired of the outrageous cost of gasoline!

 

At EAbikes we build custom electric powered bicycles based on an almost unlimited array of configurations. From single speed low power yet efficient neighborhood grocery getters to all out beasts capable of extreme amounts of power and speed.

 

The process is simple. Here are the decisions you will need to make.

 

Choose a bicycle or supply us with one you already have to save on cost.

 

When picking the right bicycle you have several things to consider. First you need to decide on the type of bicycle you want based on it's intended use, i.e., Mountain bike, Hybrid, Urban Commuter, Suspension type, Disc brakes or V brakes, etc. We have shown some locally available bikes of each type HERE.

 

Second decide on a frame size. HERE is a link to a sizing chart but is no substitute for actually test riding one at the local bike store. (we do business primarily with Al's Bicycles). Be careful to consider things like the size of the triangle, if the frame and forks have mounts for disc brakes and quality of the components. If the triangle is big enough you will have the option for mounting a large capacity battery in it which is especially nice for balance in off-road situations. We are happy to meet you at Al's to help you decide on one and we can help get a lower price as well!

 

Choose a motor.

 

The first consideration when choosing a motor is what type. The options we build are Hub motors and mid drive. We use Crystalyte Hub motors and they come in various power levels from a small 250w to the monster “The Crown” beast. (we will use a different brand if you desire but recommend X-lyte due to their quality). Hub motors are available in front or rear wheel drive. We prefer the HT35 or HS35 rear wheel Hub motors and use them personally. Mid drives are more expensive, more complicated and more efficient. The only options we offer of this type are the Bafang 35ow and 750w. You can see all of our motors on the Motors Page of the site.

 

Choose a battery.

 

Battery selection is complicated and very important part of designing a great system for your needs. The chemistry we use is LifePO4-lithium due to it's safety, long life and high energy capacity. (if you want something like Li-poly we can do that but you will need to contact us). When choosing your electric bike battery there are generally two figures to consider which describe the capacity; Voltage (V), and Amp hours (Ah). Both of these contribute to the overall capacity of the battery, so higher voltage or a greater number of amp hours, translates to larger capacity and a greater distance you can travel on a single charge. In fact, the best way for you to get a “feel” for the capacity of a battery is to multiply the two numbers together which will give you the Watt hours (Wh). For example:

 

Battery A: 24V * 10Ah=240Wh

Battery B: 36V * 8Ah=288Wh

 

So Battery B has a total of 288 watt hours, providing it with a larger capacity that will take you further on a single charge than Battery A. It’s impossible to exactly say what distance a battery’s full charge will actually cover, there’s too many variables such as hill conditions, amount of pedaling, outside temperature, total weight, wind etc. As a very rough guide, a 36V 10Ah battery powering a 250W motor and ridden under standard conditions will cover 30-35 miles. That includes light pedaling and few hills. In tough and hilly conditions that distance can easily half.

 

Ebike battery capacity is not the only important aspect, it’s also worth paying attention to voltage options.

 

Sticking with our no-nonsense explanation, voltage can be thought of as the ability for the battery to provide energy over the shortest period of time possible. Basically, it affects the max power which the battery is capable of providing. Batteries and motors work their hardest during hill climbs, and an electric bike with a 24V battery may not climb as fast or as well as an identical electric bike with a 36V battery. What is crucial here is to match the battery to the motor. A powerful electric motor will require a relatively higher voltage battery to perform at its best, while on the flip side a weak electric motor with a high voltage, high capacity battery, is not getting any performance advantage from the higher voltage (although the capacity is obviously better).

 

Which e Bike battery should I choose?

 

In Oklahoma the maximum legal motor size is 1000 watts and 750 watts for most states (we’re talking about the motor not the battery) provided you want to be able to ride your bike on the road and have it treated as a regular bicycle under law. From personal experience when riding up hills, a 36V battery will outperform a 24V battery slightly. There are 48V batteries available but they are costly for the added capacity and are basically overkill for a 250 watt motor. For a high power motor such as the HT35 48V is a good match. If you decide to purchase an ebike which is overpowered and illegal for road and bike path riding, then this might be the best choice and of course it adds to the total range you can expect on a single charge. One of the big reasons most manufacturers don’t exceed 36V is because human skin usually does not conduct electricity below about 40V which makes these batteries extremely safe. When it comes to deciding on how much capacity you want, bear in mind that larger capacity eBike batteries are more expensive and if you’re only planning on taking short trips without too many hills, you may find a smaller battery to be totally adequate. That said, if it’s within budget a larger capacity battery is always better than one with smaller capacity.

 

Choose a controller.

 

Once you have decided on your motor and battery next comes the controller. Fortunately the parameters are set based on the other decisions you made so the only issue is expensive and modifiable or standard and economical. Below is a diagram that shows you the purpose of the controller. We will give you some options for this once you have gotten to this point.