Project Mixt-E: Part 2 – The EBike Parts

An ebike wouldn't be an ebike without the electrical bits and pieces that assist in pushing bike and rider along. After all, it’s the electricity that puts the 'E' in ebike.

An ebike wouldn't be an ebike without the electrical bits and pieces that assist in pushing bike and rider along. After all, it’s the electricity that puts the 'E' in ebike.  At this stage of the project Mixt-E build I have been able to source the majority of parts that would normally go into a bolt-on DIY kit. But instead of simply buying a complete off-the-shelf kit, I did it the way any unorganised person would - one piece at a time. There was reason behind this round-a-bout way of cobbling together a kit. Put simply, the specific electric motor for the build wasn’t available in any off-the-shelf kit - or at least I couldn’t find one… However, while my erratic stockpiling of parts wasn't the way a sensible person would have gone about it, it did give me an opportunity to gain an understanding of all the componentry that makes up the electrical system of an ebike.

Project Mixt-E: Part 1 – Intro

Balancing a classic style with modern ideas is tricky to get right and something not everyone can pull off. When I started the rebuild on this neglected Raleigh Sprite 5, with the intention of turning it into an ebike, I was hoping not to fall into the same trap. Starting with just a bare frame, everything would need rebuilding from the ground up. There are many steps in the process and many square pegs that would need fitting into round holes. While in my mind I could envision something wonderful, would it turn out this way in reality?

Balancing a classic style with modern ideas is tricky to get right and something not everyone can pull off. When I started the rebuild on this neglected Raleigh Sprite 5, with the intention of turning it into an ebike, I was hoping not to fall into the same trap. Starting with just a bare frame, everything would need rebuilding from the ground up. There are many steps in the process and many square pegs that would need fitting into round holes. While in my mind I could envision something wonderful, would it turn out this way in reality?