Building An Electric Bike
During a business trip to Shanghai, I was amazed by the abundance of electric scooters and bikes throughout the city. Inspired by what I saw, I started searching for one as soon as I returned to the United States. I eventually discovered several eBike kits for sale on eBay and other platforms. Instead of purchasing a ready-made bike, I decided to build my own using a 1973 Schwinn Tandem bike I had received for free. This project marked the beginning of my journey into electric bike building.
I bought a 48-volt eBike hub motor for the front wheel and a 48-volt, 20-amp-hour battery pack and got started. These bikes can hit speeds over 25 mph and cover more than 20 miles on a single charge!
One bike led to another and now I have a website for the hobby/business called oxfordebike.com!
These bikes have taken me to many places, including my 12+ mile work commute each way to the Chrysler Headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. To add a bit of humor, I often parked my bike alongside the Harley Davidsons in the lot. Even after years of use, I still enjoy riding them, thanks to the reliability of the lithium iron phosphate batteries, which have lasted well with proper care. Along the way, I learned the importance of installing additional brackets around the forks to keep the hub motor secure under high torque. Exploring and improving these bikes has been an incredibly fun and fulfilling hobby!
