The Latest e-Bike Project - the Electron-Klunker
Yep, I'm a can't-leave-well-enough-alone kind of guy when it comes to bicycles. The body likes to ride and the brain likes to tinker with new ways of doing things. To keep it all balanced, I've been building a new-to-me e-bike to haul me to work, shopping, and coffee and to keep me from burning more gasoline.
So, let's talk inspiration: Klunker
A while back I wrote a series of articles on how to build a dependable and sturdy e-bike for $500 or less, and I wanted to take it from theory to reality. So, I'd been looking for the bike to build that would cover a lot of needs. I landed on electric cargo klunker!
In case you're not nerd enough to know what a klunker (or clunker) is, it's the precursor to the mountain bike. The old cruisers that daring pioneers (otherwise known as crazy people) turned into off-roaders to help them fly down mountains. Klunkers appeal to me even though there are no mountains to fly down around here. (Want to learn more? Watch the video below to get you started.)
So, let's talk inspiration: e-bike
Juiced Bikes' 500-watt OceanCurrent intrigues me. It's a nice balance of simple bike, solid running gear, and classic lines. Definitely a bike worth emulating. If you want to buy instead of build, this electric bike is definitely worth a look.
The Juiced OceanCurrent $1400
So, let's talk inspiration: cargo bike
Okay, I admit it. I love longtail and midtail cargo bikes, and the Boda Boda All-Terrain is one of the coolest. When you're working at living car-free (or at least car-lite) it's hard to beat a cargo bike.
My favorite Yuba bike $1800
But they don't always fit in the budget.
So, let's talk reality: the bike
I'd been looking for a cruiser frame with a built-in rack. It's pretty easy to find used step-thru frames for sale, but the step-overs don't pop up on a regular basis. When this one popped up on the local CL for less than the cost of a dozen roses - and just a few blocks from my house - I jumped at the chance to buy it.
Straight outta Craigslist - Huffy Nel Lusso
Nope, it's not quite the Yuba, but it klunkerish, oceancurrentish, and it's already black. And steel frames are really good candidates for going electric. Big score!
About half-done
It's coming along nicely and is now very rideable as a non-electric bike. It's taken a little longer than expected - I ignored my own advice by not holding out for a bike that already had a few crucial components like good brakes and multiple gears. The conversions are always more complicated and expensive than you think they'll be, but I do like how it's turning out - it's a comfortable ride and doesn't look too much like I stole it from PeeWee Herman.
The home-built battery pack (about 2/3 done)
If you want to learn more about building a battery like this,
check out Micah Toll's videos.
The next big step is electricfication. It'll be 36 volts at 500 watts. I built the battery with 40 salvaged lithium-ion cells. Now it's time to install the controller, battery, pedal assist sensor and wiring.
And I'm excited! I'll keep you posted!
May you find your own klunker, whatever it is, and get about cleanly and joyfully!
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