377: eBike Project - The Build

377: eBike Project - The Build

Author: Tim Mooney September 19, 2024 Duration: 1:34:31

In this episode, follow an in-depth, step-by-step journey of transforming a surprisingly decent Ozark Trail mountain bike into the first Pedalshift e-bike (n=3 or 4 if you're counting). This mega-pod takes you from the initial setup to final tweaks, including component replacements, brake and pedal adjustments, and install of a mid drive motor. I'm hardly a bike mechanic, so will things to go sideways at least once like my typical bike adventures?

eBike Project - The Build

  • Hey I got an ebike! Where did I end up?
  • Decided on build over buy - more flexibility
  • Decided on new over used - couldn't find a good used one that wasn't $$$
  • Went with a Bafang middrive motor and a 52v 20Ah frame mounted battery - smaller than Brian's, but still pretty big.
  • Watched a ton of YouTube videos and bought some tools!
  • This took me several weeks because the bike lived at the cabin and I was back and forth a bit as I built it
  • This was a journey… and the episode is a little long, but definitely brings you along tour journals style for how it went…

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

01:54 Choosing the Right Bike for the E-Bike Conversion

05:52 Initial Setup and Component Replacements

10:56 Challenges and Adjustments

18:05 Programming and Configuration

28:45 Battery Insights and Expectations

41:03 Assembly and Troubleshooting

48:11 Rear Brake Discovery

48:27 Chain Installation Challenges

48:30 Nighttime Reflections

49:27 Final Adjustments and Cable Management

50:51 Chain Sizing Tips

51:47 First Ride Impressions

52:32 Handlebar and Screen Setup

52:51 Rear Brake Issues

55:28 Pedal and Crank Problems

58:54 Cable and Sensor Installations

01:01:44 Tire Upgrade

01:04:14 Battery and Range Concerns

01:04:53 Shakedown Ride Plans

01:07:23 Final Preparations

01:16:47 Shakedown Ride Execution

01:25:48 E-Bike Confidence Boost

01:30:36 Closing Remarks and Future Plans


There’s a particular kind of freedom that comes from traveling by bicycle, where the journey itself becomes the destination. The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures, hosted by Tim Mooney, delves into that experience through a mix of personal stories, practical advice, and wide-ranging conversations. Rather than just a how-to guide, this podcast feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend after a long day on the road. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from fellow bike tourists, each with their own unique tales from the pavement and gravel, alongside Tim’s own reflections and experiments in bicycle touring. The discussions naturally cover the logistical tips and tricks that make trips smoother, but they also explore the cultural and educational aspects of moving through the world at a human pace. It’s about more than gear and routes; it’s about the connections made and the perspectives gained when you embrace a slower, more engaged form of travel. This audio companion to Pedalshift.net aims to demystify bicycle adventure, making it feel accessible and deeply rewarding. By sharing these stories and ideas, the hope is to inspire your own two-wheeled explorations, proving that a bicycle can indeed shrink the world in the most wonderful way. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded take on seeing the world from the saddle.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 101

The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
Podcast Episodes
Best of Pedalshift 015: Critter Protection and Gearing for Dummies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:00
Hey we have some production delays on the latest episode, so look for that within the next few days... but to ensure your earballs get a regular Thursday listen, here's a special best of that goes ALL the way back to the…
Best of Pedalshift 340: Staying Safe on Bicycle Adventures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:04
Look, we all know there's some inherent risk in bikepacking, bike touring and even bike commuting. Between bad infrastructure and inattentive drivers, we assume some degree of risk every time we're in the saddle. But as…
Minimalist California Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:09
A fun night adjacent to the Happiest Place on Earth, but work to do on the final day of the adventure. A scouted ride to Orange County airport seemed easy, then challenging, then maybe easy again. But there's been a pecu…
Minimal California Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:48
A flight to San Diego and operation get my bike to Seattle begins! Sunny Southern California lures me in with perfect… wait, what's that? Rain all day? In San Diego? That tracks. Day 1 of the experiment that is Minimal C…
Minimal California Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:25
Welcome back from Winter Break! I was busy while we revisited some classic adventures, and went off and had a brand new one. On this edition, we preview Minimal California, a pared down adventure with a purpose, a destin…
The Jalapeño Popper Tour (Feat. Brock Dittus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:11
Enough of my tour journals, let's shake it up and bring in special guest star and longtime friend of the show, Pedalshift Society member Brock Dittus in on a tour of not the Oregon coast! Brock travels solo through some…
Winter Break: A Brompton Stealth Overnight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:17
With my proper trail bike in the shop but a real need to get out for an overnight, I turned to a C&O newbie… my trusty 12″ wheeled, very orange Brompton as my chariot to an urban(ish) stealth camping overnight. Would the…
Winter Break: Olympic Peninsula Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:22
In the second of a two-parter, it's Pedalshift Tour Journals: Vol. 9: Olympic Peninsula! Join me and my trusty Brompton for 4 days of transit-aided bicycle touring from Washington, DC to Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula…
Winter Break: Olympic Peninsula Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:17
In the first of a two-parter during winter break, it's Pedalshift Tour Journals: Vol. 9: Olympic Peninsula! Join me and my trusty Brompton for 4 days of transit-aided bicycle touring from Washington, DC to Seattle to the…
Winter Break: Evolution of Bike Adventure Gear [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:52
Every once in a while it's nice to look back on where it all came from – on this edition, we explore the evolution of bike touring gear from the beginning of the modern era in the 1970s through today's high tech enhancem…