We are a full service electric bike repair center
LET US CONVERT YOUR BIKE TO AN ELECTRIC BIKE
Electric Bike Conversions, service and repair
Dr. A.L. Carpenter CEO
Did you know the best electric bike in the world is already sitting in your garage?
Did you know the best electric bike in the world is already sitting in your garage?
Hello and welcome to Island City Bikes.
At little bit about who we are: We are an electric bike repair center that operates out of a warehouse in San Leandro. If you visit our facilities would see a warehouse filled with electric bikes, four heavy lift repair stands, four separate repair stations, and a complete inventory of motors, batteries, electric bike parts, and a complete machine shop. In other words, when you bring your bike to us for conversion to electric, or when you bring your electric bike in for service or repair, we have to tools, inventory and personnel to get the job done to your satisfaction.
It has been a very difficult year for all of us. Our challenge has been the constant increase in cost of all bicycle parts, motors and batteries, and the scarcity of many bicycle parts. Because of the massive shortage of parts we are often forced to make purchases at retail, instead of wholesale, just to have all of the necessary parts for converting bikes to electric.
We are often ask if we have the requisite parts to continue to do conversions. The simple answer is yes and we hope that we will continue to be able to stock are shelves with the necessary parts. Shipping, as we all know, is notoriously slow and that is expected to grow worse with the upcoming Holidays.
We are very busy at the shop and everyone there is working on bikes. With that in mind, here are a few of the questions that are common and perhaps that can help answer your questions.
Do you convert carbon bikes to electric? No
What are your hours? 10-4:30, Closed Sunday and Monday
What kind of range can I expect with your battery? See article on range.
How much does the motor weigh? Eight pounds
How much does the battery weigh? From 6 to 9 pounds, depends on size
My bike does not have disc brakes? See article on Disc Brakes
My bike is old, can it be converted? Yes.
How long does it take to convert a bike? Approximately 7 days.
How much does it cost? Depends on your choice of motor and battery
Do you convert tandems? No
Do you sell prebuilt electric bikes? Yes
Do you convert fat bikes? Yes.
Do you have a warranty? Yes, one year on both motor and battery. See our article on warranties.
Thanks and let's all hope for a bright future for all of us!
Did you know the best electric bike in the world is already sitting in your garage?
Did you know the best electric bike in the world is already sitting in your garage?
Did you know the best electric bike in the world is already sitting in your garage?
The best electric bike in the world is sitting in your garage and all it needs is a motor, battery, and assembly by the most experienced team of mechanics and technicians in the Greater Bay Area.
1. All electric bikes are simply bicycles with motors and batteries.
That's it in a nutshell. The frameset, fork, wheels, tires, stem, chain, derailleurs, bars, grips, shifters, brakes, brake levers, seatpost and saddle are exactly the same on an electric bike as they are on a standard bike. The only thing unique to an electric bike is the motor and battery. There is no need to buy a new electric bike...just add the motor and battery to the bike you already have. Makes sense when you think about it. Your existing bike fits you, you like it (that is why you bought it in the first place), and it repurposes a product that eventually would end up in a land fill.
2. Electric bike conversion costs 1/3 of a pre-built electric bike.
By way of comparison, were you to purchase a bike similar to one of our standard conversions it would cost between $5,000 and $6,000. In addition, the motor that we use has more power, is simpler to use, and is maintenance-free.
3. Service of your converted electric bike
All of the bikes we convert to electric we service "in house." We never send anything back to the factory for service because we are the factory. In addition, we provide lifetime safety checks of your bike for as long as you own it.
4. All of our conversions use the Bafang Mid Drive Motor*
The Bafang BBS02 750w mid drive motor is the most popular electric bike motor in the world. Bafang Industries produce and sell over 1,000,000 of these motors every year. They are maintenance free, reliable, lightweight (eight pounds), simple to use, and have incredible hill climbing torque.
5. All of the batteries we use are non proprietorial.
That means that at any time in the future you can order the same battery from just about anywhere from any battery supplier. Many electric bikes are built around a battery that is proprietorial and a replacement can only be purchased from them at an often exorbitant price.
6. We have the best warranty in the business. As of this writing, I do not believe anyone has a better warranty than we have on our motors and batteries. We have a one year warranty on both the motor and the battery. We have over 2700 converted bikes on the road with Bafang motors and UPP batteries. We know how good they are and therefore have no reservation warranting their use.
*Our view on warranties: When is a warranty not a warranty
Electric Bike Conversion
What is the cost of our conversion?
All of our conversions meet Federal Guidelines
All of our conversions meet Federal Guidelines
The average cost of conversion is round $1899, depending on choice of motor, battery and upgrades. We have everything in stock to convert you bike to electric including motors, batteries, extension cables, displays, throttles, crank arms, chain rings, and many accessories.
All of our conversions are done by mechanics that are trained by certified LEVA electric bike technicians, or are certified electric bike technicians. When we install batteries we always use Riv Nut threaded inserts when required. Threaded inserts is the industry standard and the only method we use when installing batteries. When attaching the power cable to the motor we shorten the cable to fit the bike and use only genuine Anderson Powerpole connectors. To insure our Anderson connectors are genuine we only purchase them direct from the Anderson company.
Our batteries come from UPP, a company that has been in business for many years and is well known for their well built batteries. We have purchased thousands of these batteries and have never had a single battery fail to function as designed. As a general rule we periodically choose a battery from our stock and completely disassemble it for inspection of cell quality, build quality, and type of BMS and have yet to be disappointed in UPP batteries.
The Bafang motor: A visitor to our shop in November 2021, was a salesman from China whose company makes motor controllers. I ask him, "Who makes the best mid drive motor." He replied without hesitation, "Bafang, by a wide margin, makes the best mid drive motor and there is no other motor even close." I already knew that but I always like to hear it from someone who works in the manufacturing industry.
All of our conversions meet Federal Guidelines
All of our conversions meet Federal Guidelines
All of our conversions meet Federal Guidelines
Here are the three classes of electric Bikes
Class I: A class I electric bike is a bike with a motor that cuts off at 20mph and does not have a throttle. Class I electric bikes are allowed anywhere a standard bike is allowed. Class I one bikes are accepted on most bike paths, century rides, and Grand Fondo's.
Class II: A class II electric bike is a bike with a motor that cuts off at 20mph and has a throttle. Class II electric bikes are allowed anywhere a standard bike is allowed. Class II electric bikes generally are not allowed on bike paths, century rides or Grand Fondo's. However, every city/county makes its own determination on what is allowed on bike paths. The same may be said for cycling events such as century rides and Fondos.'
Class III: A class III electric bike is a bike with a motor that cuts off at 28mph and does not have a throttle. Class III electric bikes are allowed anywhere a standard bike is allowed. Class III electric bikes generally are not allowed on bike paths.
It is very important that all electric bikes conform to the laws that govern them in order to insure you will be protected in case of an accident that may result in the injury of others or property damage. All electric bikes that are used on public roads must have an electric motor no larger than 750 watts. Electric bikes that are used off road or on private property have no restrictions.