I converted a cargo bike to an e-bike — here’s what I learned

For about seven years in my 20s, in the midst of a crisis of self, I abandoned my nerdy predilections and picked up a new hobby, cycling, which ultimately turned into a lifestyle.

During what I now think of as my time in the wilderness, I sold my giant game console collection (I have regrets), stopped buying computers, got rid of my car, and quit my data aggregation job to become a pedicab driver — a gig job before gig jobs were cool — and eventually a guide at a small bike tour and rental company.

One of my duties between tours was bike maintenance, and our mechanic taught me some neat tricks like wheel truing and how to build a bike up. I would never call myself a bike mechanic, but it did make me comfortable wrenching on the basics.

One day, a retiree who liked showing off his toys brought in a Copenhagen Wheel — a self-contained e-bike kit that puts the batteries and motor all in the rear hub of the wheel. When he let me ride it, the little bit of extra acceleration in each pedal stroke flipped a switch in my skeptical brain.

A few years went by, and I ended up with my own e-bike. They’re just so fun and convenient and may even fully or partially replace a car for some. They’re certainly easier to park, making e-bikes perfect for quick jaunts. And if the battery runs out, well, you’re still riding a (heavy) bicycle.

An electric cargo bike is an even better car replacement, but the good ones are so pricey that I never considered it. Never, that is, until an uncommon opportunity fell in my lap.

The build

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine who works for a nonprofit bike company in Chicago called Working Bikes offered me a 1,000W Bafang motor in exchange for my partner’s rarely used e-bike. I’d be able to convert the cargo bike she prefers to ride, and the shop would get something it could sell much easier. In my hubris, I thought this would be a two-hour job — boy, was that a deeply flawed assumption.

Last year, my partner bought a 2015 Xtracycle Edge Runner 24D cargo bike, the only brand anyone cared about in my hipster circle in the late aughts and early teens. It’s nice but not geared to be very fast, and the basic components that came with the bike needed replacing. Since it required work anyway, why not add a motor and electrify things?

Generally, there are two kinds of e-bike motors: mid-drive and rear-drive. Front-drive exists, with VanMoof (RIP) being one of the most high-profile proponents, but the vast majority of e-bikes use the former options. The Bafang motor I traded for is a mid-drive motor.

Despite some surprises along the way, the conversion went about as well as can be hoped for, given my level of experience. I mean, at the end, we have a functional electric cargo bike, so who’s complaining?