Perhaps I’m just getting old, but I’m really intrigued by the notion of an electric bike: we’re just hilly enough here in St. Louis that you have to pump hard at certain points in a ride. At this point, though, I definitely can’t afford an “off-the-rack” e-bike – they’re pretty pricey. So, as I’ve done with rocket stoves, soil blockers, and other available products, I checked into options for a diy electric bike.
Unlike some of the other lists of plans I’ve made, I couldn’t find much to recommend on this front (and, yes, this is a sponsored post, but I mean that regardless). You’d think there might be all sorts of interesting, useful information out there on converting a pedal-powered bike into one with electrical assist, but pretty much all I found was the shaky video, the way-too-vague directions, the instructions for a kit product (for which I’d use the kit’s instructions), and the instructions that aren’t really instructions. If I were going to take the diy route for an e-bike, I’d almost have to go with Micah Toll’s Ultimate Do It Yourself Ebike Guide.
Why Micah’s the Man When It Comes to the DIY Electric Bike
Truthfully, I haven’t read Micah’s book, so you could fairly ask “Why should I trust you on this, Jeff?” In short, Micah brings a ton of credibility to the building of an electric bike:
- He’s a trained engineer;
- He’s built hundreds of ebikes for others;
- He’s founded a startup company that builds electric bikes, and
- He’s received lots and lots of praise for his book, and his work overall.
Up until now, you’d need to purchase an ebook or paperback version of Micah’s book, but he’s crowdfunding a hardcover version through Kickstarter. Take a look at his pitch video to learn a bit more about him, and how you can save money by buying his book through this campaign:
Credible enough? This guy’s made electric bike conversions his professional life since college… were I going to buy instructions, this would be the route I’d take.
Should you choose to make a purchase through Micah’s campaign, let us know what inspired you. If you’ve used his book before, let us know what you thought of it.
Image credit: Learn How to Build Your Own Electric Bicycle – The Hardcover Kickstarter campaign
This post was generously sponsored by Micah Toll