Parts List
Cannondale Hooligan bike $500 used craigslist
BBs02 68mm - $520 luna cycle
48v 10ah 26f battery - $400 Luna Cycle
Total Spent: $1500
Chain ring- Stock (see notes below)
Transmission- Stock IGH Sram Smotion 3 speed (see notes)
Accessories
None
Wish List
IGH that works (nexus 3 speed or alfine 8)
High tooth custom chain ring
Custom built luna cycle 18650 triangle battery (coming soon)
Triangle bag that fits this special triangle
thicker tires
Estimated build time 3 hours
Glitches in Building
I was really nervous to take apart this beautiful bike and because it uses a unique bottom bracket and i had no idea if the BBSo2 would fit.
IT turns out the BBS02 or the BBSHD ended up fitting just fine without the need of any special spacers.
The hardest part was getting the old bottom bracket off. We entertained taking to the local bike shop and having them take it off but we ended up using our Luna Big Gun Wrench to take it off ourselves.
The job would have been much easier if we had the bafang tool kit in stock. Half the time on building this bike could have easily been taken up trying to remove the old BB. We really recommend if you dont have a Bafang tool kit or a bad ass wrench or some specialist bike tools...to take it to the local bike shop and spend $15 bucks to have them remove the old bb in 15 minutes.
After the BB was off the BBS02 bolted right on in less than an hour.
Electricbike.com rating:
Overall rating: 5
Ease of build: 5
Stealth Factor 5
Coolness factor: 5
Usefulness: 5
Performance 4
Safety 3
Total weight with 480 watt hour battery: 38 pounds
Total weight without battery: 31 pounds
Why i chose this bike and this motor
I have owned many electric bikes and my most ridden and favorite bike ever was my folding bike. I loved this bike because of its manueverability and its practicality. I love a bike that is easy to get on and off of, it reminds me of a kick scooter. Here is a link to an article i did about my folding bike on a ride in SF. https://www.electricbike.com/sunday-...ate-park-ride/
When that bike eventually just fail apart (i snapped the suspension forks 2x) I decided to build a new bike. I bought a used Cannondale Hooligan but never got around to building a hub motor into the wheel. The wheels on the stock hooligan just look to delicate for a hub motor. I did not have the heart to tear out the IGH for a rear hub motor and because of the unique single arm fork a front hub motor did not work.
The BBS02 ended up being the perfect solution and finally transformed my Hooligan into the electric bike i dreamed. I really thought about putting on the BBSHD becaause i really like that unit more for its extra power and reliability.
However on this particular bike the small size of hte BBS02 was a real necessity to try to keep the clean look of this amazing bike.
Why I chose the batttery
A bbs02 leaves my options for battery pretty open. Of course i am going with a Luna Cycle battery. Unfortunately the triangle space is limited on this bike. This bike really begs for a custom made luna cycle battery and i am considering building a few for this bike and future Hooligan builds...however Luna Cycle has a great solution already for this bike.
The problem with the Hooligan is fitting a battery on the frame. OF course it would be easy to install a rear rack but that would compromise the incredible looks of this bike. Another easy solution is a backpack battery which is how we first rode this bike....and that was a pretty cool option. But i really prefer frame mounted batteries because i don't like to deal with a chord dangling off of me and i want a bike i can just turn on and jump on and forget about it.
Although I really wanted to fit a shark pack in this frame it did not fit anywhere on this bike.
I got real lucky that i was able to mount a 48v 26f 10ah pack inside the triangle. The fit is so nice that it needs no triangle bag to hold it. IT is pressure fit and it is just enough pressure not to damage the battery and hold it in firmly.
This 480 watt hour battery is just about perfect if you do not need over a 25 mile range. Of course it would be awesome to fit a 20ah battery in this triangle...but if you dont need it then it is just wasted added expense and added weight.
Ride Report
I love the way this bike looks and rides. It has quickly become my favorite ebike for reasons i predicted it would. It is small and manueverable and at the same time it is very quick.
It has an ultra short wheel base so you need to be careful not to wheelie....but then again if you like to wheelie this thing is a wheelyiing machine!
The tires are very thin and this bike is a bit dangerous riding off road. This is a road bike only. If i change the tires this will change. On the road however the thin little tires look awesome and are good enough.
Of course a bike this small and nimble is gong to have drawbacks obviously. The small wheels i think are enough for most street riding so that does not bother me. I wish they were just a little thicker so i could take the bike on fire roads etc. But then again i love the way the stock thin tires look enough to where i will keep them until i wear them out.
The riding position is not ideal but i dont think riding position is as important on an ebike since the motor is doing most of the work. I can pedal this bike and contribute to the motor. I do not need a 100 percent efficient ergonomic position like i would if I was doing 100 percent of the work.
Of course this bike is not as cushy or as comfortable as most bikes. But comfort is not a big deal to me when riding on the street. Too me its comfortable enough.
The cool factor of this bike and the small factor of it make any discomforts felt when riding well worth it.
The Small Factor
Its hard to describe how cool the small factor of this bike is. The smallness of it makes it look like an awesome bmx bike, but still it somehow is comfortable to ride and pedal. The smallness of it makes it nimble and small perfect for getting around in a big city.
Because it is so small it is easily transportable in even a trunk of a car. You could carry 10 of these in a mini van and have an ebike riding party on the beach somewhere.
Problems i Encountered after riding
I was really hoping the Sram S-motion 3 speed transmission would be enough but it isnt. I am not sure if the transmission blew or not but the shifter fell apart after just a few uses. For sure the shifter is delicate and the entire unit looks delicate. The first day riding this bike with a working 3 speed was a dream. But after just one day the shifter and/or the IGH has fallen apart and we are stuck with a single speed. I am not one of those believers in a single speed mid drive and really miss having gears.
When our shop has time i want to put a transmission in the wheel that has proven to take the power....either a nexus 3 speed with roller brake, or I will spend the money and put a Shimano Alfine 8.
When making a decision between the cheap nexus and the alfine 8, of course it seems like the cheaper Nexus is an automatic choice. However i love this bike and feel I will ride it a lot so don't mind spending a few extra dollars on it to make it perfect. High quality gear hubs like the Alfine 8 and the Rohloff have the advantage of offering high gear ratios. For example the Rohloff offers a 450 percent gear ratio. The higher the gear ratio the better the bike experience...meaning better hill climbing and most important higher top speed ;)
On a small wheel bike like the Hooligan having high gear ratios are very important because it does not have big wheels to help achieve high gearing. For that reason small 20 inch bikes like this should have a large chain ring up font and a nice transmission on the back...and then they become just as good of performers as big wheeled bikes (believe it or not).
A Note About Weight
This is a skimpy looking bike. It has not fancy thrills in terms of big tires or suspension.
It has a 10ah 48v 480 watt hour battery.
It has a BBS02 motor system that weights in at 10 pounds.
The entire ebike ended up weighing in at 39 pounds...which seems like a lot for such a skimpy bike...but that is realistic. The fact is its hard to find an electric bike that weights under 40 pounds when all the cheap talk is done and you put it on a scale.
When you pick this bike up it feels light. That is because it is perfectly balanced and because it is so small it is not cumbersome and easy to throw around.
In the picture you see my 105 pound girl friend easily chucking the bike over her head. The bike feels as light as it looks.
Perfect "Chick Bike"
I am always looking for an excuse to build a bike and a "chick bike" is a noble cause.
This thing is so small and cute looking its hard not to get a smile from the girls.
Because it is so small it is un-intimidating to get on and ride.
It is offered in very trendy girl- like colors like lime green.
This is a very cuddly cool looking bike.
Because it is so small it is easy to have around without taking a lot of space.
Resources
Awesome endless sphere build post by master builder Mat t Schumaker
Cannondale information on Hooligan
review on hooligan as a bike
another
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