2551 Williams Street
San Leandro, CA
(510) 969-4143
Electric Bike Conversions
Electric Bike Sales
Electric Bike Repair
2551 Williams Street
San Leandro, CA
(510) 969-4143
Electric Bike Conversions
Electric Bike Sales
Electric Bike Repair
Alvin Carpenter
CEO, Island City Bikes
We are the only electric bike manufacturer that specializes in converting standard bikes to electric bikes. We have converted over 2000 bikes to electric and to date we have only encountered two that we could not convert. We have converted tandems, recumbents, road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, cargo bikes, city bikes, cruisers, folding bikes, carbon fiber bikes, adult trikes, adaptive bikes, chopper bikes, titanium bikes, and even vintage bikes. When we convert a bike to electric each one will always be a custom build. We machine all of our own parts and adapters so matter what size or type of bottom bracket your bike may have, we have the adaptor to make it work. Of course, we build with the best motors in the world, the Bafang BBS02b 750 watt and the Bafang BBSHD 1000 watt mid drive motors. Our batteries come from UPP, one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world. When it comes to batteries the first and last rule is always purchase your batteries from a trusted source. We exclusively use batteries manufactured by UPP and have yet had a single failure. When you are ready to convert your bike to electric, give a call or drop us a line and we will be glad to accommodate.
You might have noticed we are now carrying pre-built electric bikes. Our goal is to make available to everyone an electric bike that is reliable and affordable. Conversions can be expensive and may stretch the budget of some buyers. So we decided to sell the electric bikes that are built by the same company that provides our motors. We have known the owner of BTN since we opened our doors for business. His company is one of the largest electric bike manufacturers in the business with warehouses overseas and in Las Vegas. There bikes are as good as they get and at a better price than you will find anywhere.
Here are our most common questions:
Do you convert carbon bikes to electric? Depends. See article on carbon bikes.
What are your hours? Every day from 10-5:00
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
Who makes your battery? See article on batteries
My bike does not have disc brakes? See article on Disc Brakes
My bike is old, can it be converted? Yes. We do a complete safety inspection
How long does it take to convert a bike? Approximately 7 days.
How much does it cost? $1,799
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.
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.
*Note; We do use hub motors on bikes that cannot use a mid drive motor.
5. Our batteries are manufactured by the largest Lithium Ion battery factory in the world: UPP Unit Pak Power
Of the over 2000 batteries used on our conversions, the failure rate has been zero. UPP batteries go through a thorough testing protocol and carry several certificates of safety and compliance including UN38.3 compliance. Please read our article on, "Who built your battery?" for more information.
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 2000 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
The cost of converting your bike to electric is $1799.
This includes the most popular, powerful, reliable, maintenance free motor in the world and a long range 48v battery. We also include a one year no fault warranty on the motor and the battery. "No fault" means you do not have to fill out reams of information to explain why the battery is failing to charge or the motor to run, just give us a call to set up an appointment and let's get you back on the road.
What it includes: For the best explanation of what it includes see our next page on the conversion process. The entire process can take up to three days as it is very labor intensive. Each employee is trained in bike mechanics, and the installation methods of motor, battery, cabling, and instruments of the Bafang motor system.
We have developed proprietary methods of both motor and battery installation. In addition, we have our own machine shop that allows us to mill custom bottom bracket adaptors, and battery spacers for electric bikes. If we we do not have a part we make it ourselves to insure your bike is finished on time.
Our consultants include a Senior Engineer at Tesla Motors, a Professor of Federal Law at Golden Gate University, a Professor of Engineering from California University and a Senior Electrical Engineer from Stanford (retired). Our employees are former road bike racers, old school mechanics, new to the field mechanics, in training mechanics, and a CEO who has over 50 years of experience working on bikes.
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.
