Geeko eBike conversion kit review: It's really good.
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- 00:00 Research
01:36 Ordering
03:10 Assembly
07:05 Climbing test
08:39 Battery and App
09:58 Range test with default settings
12:01 Ride quality
13:51 Range test with my preferred settings
14:32 Summary
I want an eBike so I can tour extended distances. After a year of research, looking at eBikes and conversion kits, I decided to convert my old Trek 520 touring bike into an eBike using 100g's Geeko rear-wheel conversion kit. They also offer front wheel and dual conversion kits.
In this video I go through the ordering process, installation, and several test rides including pure climbing, rolling, and flat routes. I really put the kit through its paces and the result was even better than 100g claimed it would be.
Updates:
The charger gets up to 140°F when in use. About the same as warm water.
If your rear dropouts can't be adjusted to 135mm spread, you can order a customized kit on the 100g website www.100g.tech/product-categor...
Corrections:
The 'secret app page' isn't really that secret. It is mentioned in the app documentation at www.100g.tech/app-manual/ under section 5:Advanced settings mode.
I thought the rear wheel nuts were 19mm but they are actually 18mm. The 19mm wrench worked though.
I read somewhere that the max torque from the 350W motor is 60Nm but the spec sheet on their website says it's 40Nm.
I gave it four stars but in retrospect that's a little harsh. Perhaps four and a half?
The 100g site www.100g.tech/
Pure climbing ride with 1800' climbing at level 5 assist with 53% battery remaining at the end ridewithgps.com/trips/140997302
Flat 60 mile ride at level 1 assist limited to 15mph with 77% remaining battery ridewithgps.com/trips/141054219
Rolling 20 mile ride with 1000' climbing at level 1 assist limited to 25mph with 72% remaining battery ridewithgps.com/trips/141295754
Flat 80 mile ride at level 1 assist limited to 25mph with 27% remaining battery ridewithgps.com/trips/141429374
Take a look at this video from Cade Media discussing some of the problems they had installing the Swytch cadence sensor • Putting A Swytch Kit O...
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Hello Terry, thank you for your detailed introduction and testing. I have a Brompton C line 6-speed, and half a year ago, I also purchased the Geeko front wheel electric assist kit to convert my Brompton into an electric-assist bike. The process of modifying the front wheel is even simpler than your rear wheel solution; you just need to replace the front wheel from the kit with your tire. Since Brompton's front wheel is narrower than a regular bicycle's, custom service is needed when purchasing the kit. Regarding battery selection, since I mount the battery on the rear side of the frame's crossbeam, the 10Wh model, which is shorter and thicker, might be the best choice for the Brompton. Because Geeko's battery holder integrates the controller inside, wiring the battery to the front wheel motor is all that's needed. When I placed my order, I also chose front and rear lights. However, I find that it would be better without lights. Originally, having such a large battery mounted on the crossbeam already compromises the aesthetics of the Brompton. Additionally, the front light is not very bright and positioned lower, nowhere near as effective as a bicycle front light mounted on the handlebars. As for the rear light, since it remains constantly lit without flashing and its brightness is average, I feel that having a standalone blinking rear light would be better. As for the throttle, I found it completely unnecessary for daily use. Next, when I have a chance, I plan to open the controller and completely remove the wiring for the front and rear lights, as well as the throttle, so I can have the cleanest wiring possible. For those who are considering purchasing from Geeko, I'd like to share an additional point: the price you pay directly from Geeko is significantly higher than buying from their official store on Taobao in China (plus shipping costs). I regret not checking Taobao before buying from their official website. Of course, Taobao is primarily aimed at the Chinese domestic market, so there may be some language barriers, but if you can overcome them, you can find the same items much cheaper. Lastly, I'd like to share that there is still some noticeable rolling resistance in the front wheel. Even when turned off or set to level 0 with no assistance, there is significant rolling resistance. I've looked at various third-party brands' front wheel solutions online, and it seems that they all significantly increase the rolling resistance of the front wheel. Currently, it seems that the rolling resistance of the front wheel in Brompton's official solution is noticeably lower than that of third-party front wheels on the market. However, considering that the cost of the official electric assist version is nearly $2000 more, I feel that some additional rolling resistance is acceptable, especially since I rarely use the bike without assistance in daily life.
Thanks for the input on the Brompton version. That was on my short-list. I agree the throttle is very much optional. I wanted it because in the 250,000 miles or so I've cycled I have had a few accidents that made getting back to my car painful. It would have been really nice to have a throttle so I didn't have to pedal. I hope I never have to use it.
Hi Asgardtous, would you be willing to share the taobao store with me? thank you!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us on the Brompton. Any reason why you chose the geeko instead of Swytch? It seems Swytch has a better higher quality in terms of parts but I've heard the range is terrible even with their largest MAX battery. Your thoughts?
@@reempire888swytch parts aren’t great quality. I would check out the ebike subreddit
@@reempire888 Swytch mainly has a strong online presence, relying on RUclips and other online media for video marketing, which has made it more well-known. In terms of quality, I personally think these brands are quite similar. The components are sourced from China, and since these types of ebike components have been on the market for many years, they are quite mature, and quality control should not be an issue. Swytch stands out with its cleverly designed controller and battery mount, making the ebike conversion look very neat, but it also has obvious drawbacks: the brand premium is too high and the battery capacity options are limited. In fact, the most fatal flaw of Swytch is its supply speed-you have to wait a long time.
Geeko's main advantage is its integrated design of the controller and battery mount, with control buttons integrated into the mount as well, resulting in a very clean look after the upgrade. If you don’t need front and rear lights or a throttle, there are actually only two cables from the integrated controller and battery mount to the front wheel motor and cadence sensor. This is especially suitable for folding bikes like Brompton, as fewer cables make folding easier. Moreover, Geeko offers options for motor power (250w, 350w, 500w) and hub motor/wheel/spokes color (black or silver). The battery capacity, shape, and color are also customizable, and the price is much lower.
That is one of the best reviews I have ever wat,hed
Wow - thank you
Meditation, your voice is so soft *calm. Thank you for this video, always good to know technicality around bicycle. Myself, I’ve got an electric Brompton and 25km (speed average) is good enough for me. 😊
If I didn't already own a Brompton, I would probably have got the electric one. It's the best folding electric bike out there IMO
Thanks for sharing Terry. Very interesting. My wife has an electric Brompton. They’ve got that mostly right…
Interesting that the electric Brompton was high on my list but I already have a regular one that I love and I saw no reason to own two. The 25km/h limit was an issue for me and you can't override that and the range is slightly less than I was looking for. Overall, the electric Brompton is a really good option and definitely the best folding ebike.
Electric Brompton is really good, for regular one we also has the kit to convert it to ebike. The folding won't be affected any. And the conversion looks harmony and nice.@@terry_hutt
Have you checked out the Zehus all-in-one hub motor/battery that's used in the Hummingbird? It's very lightweight. The only negative seems to be that it's limited to 15.5 mph, following UK laws.
I did look at that but the range and max speed were not adequate for my needs. There are several similar kits that look like they would work if you just want to pootle over to the shops or if you have a short commute, but I was looking for a larger battery capacity and a top speed that matched my local laws in SoCal.
@@terry_hutt Yes, it seems like many e-bike conversions come from Europe and they have low maximum speed laws. Doesn't seem to be optimum.
I had never thought of keeping the battery while charging in a fireproof bag, good ideia since I have read a lot about batteries bursting into flames while charging.
I've seen more RUclips videos on the problem since I got the bag and I'm thinking an empty metal ammo box would work even better. The battery is well made and I don't expect problems, but you never do until they happen.
@@terry_hutt I also read that a barbacue could work or even an oven!
Hey Jerry!
I have also thought that it would be enough with a 350W motor and then with the largest bottle battery.
I have a Principia Rex CC, which has been my forest bike for the past several years and it has a relatively light aluminum frame with a combat weight of 8.7 kg. then we'll have to see how it turns out before I dare to upgrade one of my carbon bikes.
Thanks for your advice on fitting an extra torque arm, I will follow that!
It has been a pleasure to follow your videos with the calm and well-considered approach
With best regards and respect
Michael
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Hi Terry, thanks for the review! Towards the end you say that you found you were doing 20mph when it felt like 15, but I thought it cut out and didn't give assistance over 15mph? Am I misunderstanding something? I seem to have similar requirements as you but I'm leaning towards the tongshen mid drive motor and wondered if you looked at that and if so, why you decided against it?
You are correct. By default the motor provides no assistance over 15.5mph but you can configure it to limit at any speed, ideally based on local laws. Where I live there is a 28mph limit so that's how I configured it. That's done through the application. I did look at mid-drive motors, but they look far more complicated to install and maintain. One of the things that attracted me to the Geeko was the simplicity of design.
@@terry_hutt thanks for clarifying, happy riding!
How can the limit be adjusted?
It's in the application manual in section 5. www.100g.tech/app-manual/. Basically you install the app, connect to the battery, press the settings icon until prompted for the password which is "1010". That takes you to a page that allows you to change many things including the maximum assist speed.
Does this mean that the maximum
Speeds on the website are restricted to the country law where I live? I.e. England..,
Hello Terry,
Thank you for those explainations and video.
I bought and set up the same kit than you, 350 W motor and 10 Amp/Hour Battery. I really appreciate.
However I don't really feel difference between level assistance 3 to 5. I mean maximum speed seems the same.
Do you have the same feeling ? Shall I access the secret page in the app ? Could you explain me how to reach this page?
Thank you in advance.
Yoann
Did you increase the default speed limit? Use the app to pair to your battery, press and hold the settings icon. Enter the password "1010" and change the speed limit on the settings page.
👍 review
I’ve now received my kit m. I haven’t built it yet but I hear of people having problems with the battery or controller after riding in rain… have you had any issues so far.
I haven't ridden much in the rain, maybe 30 minutes of light rain, but I've not had any problems
Hi Terry I finally have my rear wheel kit but am having problems seating my tyre.. did you have any issues while fitting yours
I have Schwalbe Marathon 40mm tires and they are a fairly loose fit but, once inflated, they are good. I pumped them up to 60psi and I've ridden several hundred miles on them without anything popping off. I think the rims have a 21mm internal width so they're ideal for wider tires.
Well I put my old marathon same 40 width from my replaced rear wheel, but the tolerance on the new hub wheel is off. The tyre won’t seat on all of the line, some parts stay under the rim line so the wheel is spinning unevenly
@@terry_huttI was thinking maybe it’s because the tyre has been on the old wheel so long. I was thinking of trying a marathon plus 47mm
how is very low speeds in more technical mtb single tracks...?
I would say it's not designed for that scenario.
@@terry_hutt Why? it do not work on very low speeds?
I found it does not give assistance at very low speeds < 5mph. I found this to be a good thing when maneuvering tight corners but maybe not so great when trying to pull away on steep hills. It may be configurable in the app. I would contact 100g customer service. They are very helpful.
Does this mean that the maximum
Speeds on the website are restricted to the country law where I live? I.e. England..,
No you can set it to whatever you want.
What is the secret page in the app you used to unlimit the speed?
@@terry_huttthanks for your reply as I don’t feel comfortable purchasing without your knowledge.
@@chrispark5795 Take a look at the app's manual. It's full of useful information. The 'secret app page' isn't really that secret. It is mentioned in the app documentation at www.100g.tech/app-manual/ under section 5:Advanced settings mode.
@@terry_hutt this is what you are talking about .
5.1.3 Speed limit
By default, the speed limit is 25 km/h.
Please take care to set it appropriately according to the regulations in your area.
If the speed limit is higher than the maximum speed of the motor, then the actual speed limit will be the maximum speed of the motor.
What was the maximum speed it allowed you to select on your 350w motor.? As I remember you mentioning in your video that it had cut out of assist at 15mph pas but after using the app you reached 20mph on pas
That will be the last question 😅
You have been such a help. Looking order mine tomorrow..
Hey Terry!
Many thanks for a very fine and balanced introduction to your E-bike Geeko conversion kit review. I, like you, have been looking for a way to update one of my racing bikes with a little assistance on the hills now that I'm in my 80s.
I think I will use a Geeko kit, but am in doubt about which motor to buy and would therefore like to know which one you chose, as after watching several of your videos, I sense that we have the same opinion on it cycling for pleasure.
With best regards and respect
Michael
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Hi Mike, I chose the 350 Watt motor because it comes with a non-pedal option (so does the 500 Watt). I have had a few rides in the last 40 years where I have crashed. One wrecked my knee, another cracked my hip, and a third dislocated my shoulder. I wanted the ability to get back to my car without pedaling when this happens next time. So the thumb control that runs the motor without pedaling looked like a good idea.
Your frame would 135mmm..not 137mm,
You're correct, they support shimmano
135mm would be the expected width, but mine measured at 137 so that's what I went with. The important thing is that not all frames are the same width so this needs to be taken into consideration. For example, this wheel would not have fitted my friend's fixie.
@terry_hutt My frame measures 135 mm, on the website it says 135mm is the correct distance, if 130mm they can do something to the motor ,but charge you to do it.
I've ordered from them and quite excited, I'm in UK
Price!!! Please!
After the $50 discount and $50 rebate for posting this video I paid about $800 but it totally depends on the options you chose. It's all on their website.
so you like saving on a motor and risk with a non certified battery. good luck :(
It is CE certified and the EU's rules are just as strict as the US rules for batteries. I would prefer it to be UL certified especially if US home insurance companies start adding rules about e-bikes. They won't care that it's CE certified. I think it's as safe as any other e-bike battery. For all batteries you need to
1. Use original charger,
2. Don't physically damage the battery,
3. Stay in the room while it is charging.
@@terry_hutt Oh I see, thanks for the clarification
Over-priced
Lame...
.