Costco Northrock xc00 fat bike $300 with 100mm bbshd

[Dinged]

I've seen two user's do 120mm bbshd builds but wanted to know if anyone had done 100mm and what their challenges were and chain ring size choices were that worked ?

Who make's the better frame...motebecane boris aluminum or northrock ? The welds seem to look much better on the northrock.

Anyone have comments about quality based on gallery pictures below and the following out of box specs:
chain ring: 36t
rear:7 speed, 14-28 shimano altus
160mm mechanical disc Brakes

https://photos.app.goo.gl/IIPul1Z04GW0fRBn1

[pspider]

Hi Dinged,
Did you ever end up getting the Northrock XC00 from Costco and do a conversion? If so, I am interested in knowing which bottom bracket size you went with? When I measure it appears to be exactly 100mm and am interested in knowing which bottom bracket would work best. I did find a post by searching google where someone went with the 100-120mm Bottom Bracket size and they said that they wish they would have went with the 73-100mm bottom bracket size. Also, I am interested in knowing what other decisions you may have made such as Chainring, battery size and what type of performance you are getting?.

[Dinged]

I ended up going with a 120mm bbshd to be safe. It works well and em3ev provided all the spacers needed (requested at time of order)for free for a perfect fit for both the lock nut and the 2 hex screws. I believe the 100 could have fit with other articles I found ()https://www.google.com/amp/s/electri...hainstays/amp/) , but I wanted the bbshd to be possibly compatible with another donor cargo bike I had in mind in future. Overall the extra spacers, don't bother me. The only regret I could see in the future, is if I go for another bike that is significantly less than 100mm.

Since my purpose was to haul my kids around onboard and with attached trailer I opted for a lekki 36 tooth chain ring. My chain line works for all cogs in the rear including when I changed the rear free wheel to a 14-34 setup instead of the default 14-28. I'm 220lbs and my max speed throttle is 28mph(14/36) and 17mph(34/36) with this combo.

If you want more exercise and faster speed, the 42 lekkie chain ring as others had posted in reddit would be more ideal since the cadence is too fast with the 36 at top speeds. I'm sticking with 36 though since the default chaining of the bike was 36; I don't want to tax engine; I wanted a good setup if the battery died and I was pedaling on own; my primary purpose was to haul extra weight; and the performance was what I wanted for single track and the hills I encountered when solo.

I ended up going with a 17.5ah 52v triangle battery from em3ev since their hard case design, smartphone bms management and cell selection were top notch plus they included a triangle bag.I'm very happy with the battery instead of going with the 13ah shark or Wolf packs since 2 hours of riding for me @90+% throttle, 22 miles(mixed paved and single track riding with some very steep grades), ended up using 50 percent of pack. With that distance test combined with the fact that batteries store best and have greater life span when stored at 50%. I can store/charge to that level without worrying about too small battery capacity. And when I know I have an all day or multi day event, I'll charge up to 90% , so perfect.

I also opted for black white display versus color since I wouldn't have to worry about the sun washing things out. At first, I thought I would miss the techiness of color, but I don't at all.

I've upgraded the northrock with the following for better performance or practicality:
- upgraded from 160 to 180mm brake rotors front/rear
- Jones h bar 2.5 raised with ergon grips- for more upright position, to fit more gadgets and drink holder(since triangle battery takes up space)
- Serfas gel cruiser seat
- Chester pedals
- Big green button(instead of auto shift cutoff) for emergency power cutoff and shifting (if under load); honestly at low speeds, shifting under engine power doesn't cause crunchiness on flats.
- bbshd programming cable to hotrod it to 30 amps and smooth out throttle response upon talking to reddit user and ordering as street legal version.

Overall I am happy with setup versus the off the shelf ebikes since:
- you aren't going to get screwed on battery replacement costs in future
- you can move your engine investment to a different donor bike in future
- you have mid drive with throttle control - this is huge and can't be found on most mid drives. I had to walk my plus weighted bike over some very steep unrideable terrain and the throttle saved a lot of effort while walking the bike
- you don't have to worry about over powered hub motor/cheap wheel combinations breaking prematarely or being safety concern
- I have no regrets over the choice of donor bike or components I selected
- never had chain line, chain ring or derailing chain issues with project as I originally feared
- you, the consumer, have choice of speed and the responsible use of it
- complete control of what money would go towards

Cons of project:
- a lot of unknown variables and anxiety over purchasing decisions at start of project. Because of that, too much time researching.too much time waiting for parts to order from different vendors. Order a bbs socket tool that is torque wrench compatible so you can torque the thing down properly to spec. I wasted a lot of time waiting for this part before I could complete project.
- not the cleanest/modern looking ebike, but excess wires can be braided for cleaner look
- because of triangle battery, upgraded to platform car bike hitch rack(thule sx pro: $300 Craigslist) from hanging bike rack so that it was infinitely easier to travel with bike.
- since it is an ebike and a fat bike, I can't find any double kickstand that is compatible with weight and frame: tried the ursa jumbo and it was a fail ; the default kickstand works but I'm worried it will fail one day and my bike and battery will suffer as a result.
- I spent more money on this project than I originally budgeted because I wanted it close to perfect for me.

The more mid drive bikes I test that are $3k+ off the shelf, the more I smile about my decision. The class 1, 2, 3 laws are really impeding ebike development and value to the consumer imo.

When you consider the used moped/motorcycle market in the $1-4k range, all the $3k+ ebikes,value wise, seem absurd.

I'll post pics soon.

[artdrectr]

Dinged: regarding kickstand, have you tried the Pletcher Double? Works perfectly on my bike w bbshd. Crank arms don’t hit it when rotated (in parked position), so it’s also great for doing maintenance on drive line.

[Greeno]

The Northrock works very well as far as converting to an E-bike. Went with a BBSHD (hot rod) and the 13.5ah shark pack along with the Luna Lander fork, gear sensor, color display to monitor voltage for battery state, 36t chainring (soon to be 30t) and have about 400 miles on it so far and only issue was a couple of flats. Changed out the stock tires to some Panaracer Fat-B-Nimbles and got better traction on the corners and zero flats in the last 100 or so miles. Ordered a larger disc brake for the rear as the existing one gets pretty hot on some of the downhill sections. Overall for a buck fifty you can't beat it.

[Dinged]

Pics of 120 bbshd installed with spacers, triangle em3ev battery, chainring/chain line clearances with 36t

added pics of axiom fatliner rear rack and collapsible milk crate

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5nUU1jU9ETZn8NvD8

[Greeno]

Good job on your build it looks great. In the process of building my own 31ah battery that will fit inside my triangle as the 13.5ah battery doesn't give me adequate range for my rides. Here is the bike now.

[Dinged]

Good job on your build it looks great. In the process of building my own 31ah battery that will fit inside my triangle as the 13.5ah battery doesn't give me adequate range for my rides. Here is the bike now.

Nice!

Are you happy with the luna fork? Did you compare it with the bluto?

What rear rack did you end up going with? I was thinking of a rack too, but didn't know if it would be secure when trail riding.how is it? I can't tell if it is a seat post mounted or "seat post rack adapter" mounted?

[lewdDude]

Hey I just ordered the Northrock fat bike and plan on getting a BBSHD for it.
I'd like to use the smallest size possible though, can someone confirm if the 100mm BBSHD will work?

Thanks

[Greeno]

Yes you will need the 100mm kit and get the 30t chainring for the front, gear sensor, and upgrade to the color display DPC-18. Currently using a 7 speed cassette in the back (14-34) and everything works great. Did a few mods on the bike. Hydrolic brakes front and back, 180mm front rotor, Wider Spank bars, Fat-B-Nimble tires, Thudbuster seat post ( worth the money and cheaper than a dual suspension). Currently are using a 27.5ah battery that fits inside the main triangle. Ride the bike hard 3-4 days a week. Love it.

[lewdDude]

Yes you will need the 100mm kit and get the 30t chainring for the front, gear sensor, and upgrade to the color display DPC-18. Currently using a 7 speed cassette in the back (14-34) and everything works great. Did a few mods on the bike. Hydrolic brakes front and back, 180mm front rotor, Wider Spank bars, Fat-B-Nimble tires, Thudbuster seat post ( worth the money and cheaper than a dual suspension). Currently are using a 27.5ah battery that fits inside the main triangle. Ride the bike hard 3-4 days a week. Love it.

Awesome, thanks.
I ended up going with the 17.1Ah triangle battery, hope that's enough.
How much range are you getting?

[Greeno]

Currently running a 28ah battery using the Vruzend lego kit installed inside the mid triangle area. Battery voltage at start of ride 58.8v and run 30 miles in level 2 and 3 all offload single track and finishing with around 53.1v. Had bike for about 8 months or so and can't find one better. Easy build with the 100mm BBSHD and 30t chainring. Using a 7 spd in the rear and usually running in the 28, 24, or 22 cogs and heavy on the thumb when needed.My Buddy just dropped a Stermy Archer 3 spd IGH in the rear of his Northrock XC00 and loves it. Using a 30t in the front and a 16 cog in the rear, chainline is perfect. He's going to try an offset 22t cog in place of the 16 to see how that goes. He needed an offset in the cog because of the rear frame support interferring with the chain. Going to try out a heavier 1/8 chain also instead of the standard 3/32" to see if it makes any difference.
Seems like a lot of builds I check out end up using a spacer on the drive side and have to use the Eclipse Chainring in the front, 48t or 42t kinda big when crawling up a hill. I built up a few skid plates for the bottom of the motor to help protect the wiring coming out and it's came in handy on more than one occasion.

[SimonLeLoup]

Yes you will need the 100mm kit and get the 30t chainring for the front, gear sensor, and upgrade to the color display DPC-18. Currently using a 7 speed cassette in the back (14-34) and everything works great. Did a few mods on the bike. Hydrolic brakes front and back, 180mm front rotor, Wider Spank bars, Fat-B-Nimble tires, Thudbuster seat post ( worth the money and cheaper than a dual suspension). Currently are using a 27.5ah battery that fits inside the main triangle. Ride the bike hard 3-4 days a week. Love it.

Hello! New to the forum. I will convert a Northrock soon too. Why do you suggest upgrading to the color display DPC-18? Is it a preference thing, or is there really a good reason as to why not to just get the standard grey display? Thanks!

[SimonLeLoup]

The Northrock works very well as far as converting to an E-bike. Went with a BBSHD (hot rod) and the 13.5ah shark pack along with the Luna Lander fork, gear sensor, color display to monitor voltage for battery state, 36t chainring (soon to be 30t) and have about 400 miles on it so far and only issue was a couple of flats. Changed out the stock tires to some Panaracer Fat-B-Nimbles and got better traction on the corners and zero flats in the last 100 or so miles. Ordered a larger disc brake for the rear as the existing one gets pretty hot on some of the downhill sections. Overall for a buck fifty you can't beat it.

I think I'll install a suspension fork on my new Northrock XC00 too. The Luna looks great. I read on some other forum about installing forks in the tapered headset, and they made it sound very complicated. Can you please provide just a bit of detail on how the Luna Lander install went? Any adapter or crown race or other pieces required for the install? Any difficulties at all?

[Greeno]

The Northrock comes with a tapered headset. You have to remove the bottom piece that is pressed onto the stock fork and install on new fork. On the Luna it's a straight 1 1/8" steerer tube. you will have to press in a star nut into the top of the fork tube to connect into the stem mount on top. you will have to cut the tube to fit the height you need. Good luck.

[SimonLeLoup]

The Northrock comes with a tapered headset. You have to remove the bottom piece that is pressed onto the stock fork and install on new fork. On the Luna it's a straight 1 1/8" steerer tube. you will have to press in a star nut into the top of the fork tube to connect into the stem mount on top. you will have to cut the tube to fit the height you need. Good luck.

Thanks Greeno! I'm in the thick of it right now actually, and today I had a bit of a surprise that I haven't read about in the forums, so I thought I'd post.

First of all, I'll say that I swapped out the old crank and bottom bracket, and put in the motor all by myself. I also wanted to add a new fork, but I got stuck trying to remove the crown reducer, so that's when I decided to bring the bike in to the local shop to get some help. They were able to get the reducer off (by sawing an indent into the base of the crown of the old fork for greater leverage). The fork I wanted to install is the RST Guide sold by Biktrix. It is a straight steerer tube, and similar dimensions to the Luna Lander which I've read a couple of others have used on the Northrock XC00. The RST Guide and the Luna Lander are both 135 mm wide at the hub.... and apparently the stock Northrock fork and hub is narrower (I think they said 100mm?)... others who swapped forks didn't mention having to get a new, wider wheel, which is what the shop is telling me I need. It makes sense to me, the Northrock fork is definitely narrower... I wonder what others who swapped forks ended up doing... swapping for new wheels too? Surprise for me...

[jrushford]

I've just bought a Northrock XC00 from Costco and have been reading through this thread. How is the stock fork? Is an upgrade to a suspension fork quite an improvement?