ELECTRIFY YOUR BIKE WITH A CONVERSION KIT

CASSETTE, RIM, SPOKES /

The Bafang G310 replaces the rear hub on your bike, so you’ll need to integrate it into your bike’s rear wheel and drivetrain.

The motor has a Shimanocompatible freehub body that fits a 10-speed cassette, and you’ll want appropriately sized spokes to lace the hub into the rim. Alternatively, you can buy a pre-laced G310 that’s already integrated into the wheel.

BATTERY /

The lithium-ion battery is the most expensive component in any e-bike build. A $538 (±R8 000) battery houses 40 Panasonic cells – smaller batteries with fewer cells are cheaper, but have less range.

The motor controller takes input

MOTOR CONTROLLER /

from your pedal-assist sensor or throttle and tells the battery how much power to send to the motor. This one fits neatly within the battery’s base plate.

PEDAL SENSOR /

This sensor doles out e-assist by measuring your pedalling cadence. It uses 12 magnets that surround the spindle (between the cranks and bottom bracket) and an adjacent frame-mounted sensor: When you pedal, the magnets pass the sensor, giving you e-assist.

THROTTLE /

You don’t need a throttle, but it presents an alternative to pedal-assist that’s convenient for getting you off the line or just cruising along without pedalling. You activate its boost from a lever mounted on the handlebar.

E-BRAKE /

When you squeeze these brake levers, they send a signal to cut power to the motor, ensuring that the motor isn’t driving you forwards as you brake for an intersection. The safety feature ensures the brakes and motor don’t work against each other.

DISPLAY UNIT /

This is essentially your dashboard. By talking to your motor controller, it gives you information about your speed, distance and battery level.