The best electric bicycle conversion kits can be used to attach a motor on your existing bike quickly and cheaply. There are more ebike conversion kit options available. They are easier to install and use than ever before, making them an affordable alternative to purchasing a new, purpose-built electric bicycle.
A conversion kit for an electric bike includes the motor to propel you along as well as the battery to charge it. You will also need the control device to regulate power output. This usually comes in the form of a bar mounted display.
The kit will also contain sensors that measure your speed and input pedal force to ensure the power is sufficient to meet your needs.
All electric bike conversion kit must cut out when the pedal is not being used. Also, they can only travel 25 km/h in Europe, Australia, the UK and most other parts of the world. That figure is 20mph in the USA.
BikeRadar tested a few conversion kits for electric bikes, but there are many more that we haven’t tried yet. You can check back soon to see a complete test of the top electric bikes conversion kits.
Our explainer below will give you a better understanding of the different types available.
Top electric bike conversion kit 2022:
Swytch electric bicycle conversion kit
Pros : Easy to install and compact.
Cons: The 100mm threaded axle on the front is not compatible with thru-axles.
Swytch, located in London, produces a kit for conversion that weighs 3kg. It can transform any bike into an electronic bicycle.
The kit includes a 40Nm, brushless hub-based motor as well as a replacement wheel. The lithium ion pack is attached to your handlebars. It also acts as the LCD display and system controller. You can attach a crank-mounted cadence sensing device to your bike.
Brompton also offers a Brompton-specific Kit, including an adaptor that fits the Brompton’s front luggage mounting.
Depending upon the range you require, there is a choice of three battery sizes that can be used. These packs have a range between 35km to 50km and 100 km.
Swytch’s new kit is even smaller and lighter, weighing in at just 700g. The battery gives Swytch 15km range. The new kit will be launched in May. Preorders will open shortly. However the Swytch original kit will continue to be available until the end of summer 2022.
Cytronex kit for electric bike conversion
Pros : Good range and clever sensor tech
Cons: Very little information available on the battery level and range on the board.
The Cytronex Cytronex conversion kit is another frontwheel conversion to house an electric hub motor. The battery is made to fit in a standard glass bottle cage and weighs in between 3.2kg-3.6kg.
The kit converted a Cannondale Quick hybrid in around 30 minutes. The LEDs located on the battery display the current charge level. They also house the controller. It was able to go 48 miles on one charge.
We have also tried the kit on a Brompton P Line lighter folder. The weight of the kit is less than the C Line-based Brompton Electro. It’s cheaper than the Brompton Electrical if it is fitted to a C Line.
Electric bike conversion kits: different types explained
There are several ways to electrify a bike that you already own for assistance on the hills.
No matter what type of bike you have, you should be able to convert it.
Many of them can even be fitted by a professional home mechanic, if you have the time and are handy.
What are your options now? Let’s have a look at all the possible ways to turn your non-assisted biking bike into an electrical bike.
Powered ebike wheels
It is possible to install a powered ebike wheel. Simply swap one of your regular wheels for one that includes a motor. Add a battery to the hub and you can turn it. The bike’s hub is large and the strap-on battery pack powers it.
It may sound simple, but this adds rotating mass, which makes it feel harder to accelerate than the non-rotating.
Rear-mounted friction motor ebike conversion kit
Older readers might be able to recall an earlier version of this device in the 1980s/90s. A box that fits on your rear wheel and drives it via friction with rubber flywheels driven by a motor.
It’s not dead. The Rubbee promises bolt-on electrical assistance for any type of bike.
Rubbee’s base model weighs just 2.8kg and has a 16km range. This can be extended up until 48km by adding the top-spec 4kg version.
It will work with any size wheel, 16in to 29in. There is an integrated carrying handle that can be clipped on to your seatpost. Prices start at EUR579.
Concealed Ebike Conversion Kit
The Vivax Assist concealed a small motor in the frame seat tube and applied power to the crank’s axle.
Vivax
The low-key approach is to hide the motor from others.
The Vivax Assist was perhaps the most widely used device, but the company has ceased trading. Femke Vand den Driessche was a Belgian pro cyclocross and used this system to power her win in the home championships. She was caught out in a race and banned from racing for six years.
Although Vivax Assist may have been discontinued, we still believe that this idea is viable – at least for budding cyclocross riders.
Mid-drive conversion kit for ebikes
Many ebikes available in the marketplace are powered by motors placed around the bottom bracket, near to the pedals.
These have the advantage that they lower the weight of the bike, making it more stable.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all option. However, you can purchase aftermarket conversion kit with mid-drive engines.
Bafang is a brand that has been focusing more on complete electric bikes, but it also offers a middrive conversion kit, and wheel motors.
Bafang estimates that the conversion will cost around PS360.
As before, avoid throttle-controlled units that aren’t compliant with UK ebike regulations. These kits will legally be considered mopeds.
Amazon sells many other mid-motors, such As the TongSheng one, which can fit 95 percent of standard bike frames, and 30 percent lighter than a Bafang.
It is equipped with a torque sensor and should fall within the ebike regulations. Prices start at around PS350, although it does not include a batteries.
Folding ebike conversion kit
Brompton electric converter from Electric Concepts can be used to power an existing Brompton.
Electric Concepts
What can you do when you have a folding bike but want to take part in the electric revolution
Good news, Brompton owners! There are many ebike converter kits. They are usually equipped with a motorized hub in the front and a battery in a bag on the back.
Cytronex or Swytch are both available to convert a Brompton. Swytch’s Brompton Kit is priced at PS999. Discounts up to 50% are sometimes offered on the site.
It also has a clip-on battery, a front wheel motor and a torque sensor in the bottom bracket. Maximum range quoted is 50km.
Swytch will also manufacture wheels for folders in other sizes and with different fork blade widths (e.g. Dahon’s).
