If you don't want to be permanently tinkering, there's a whole range of e-bike conversion kits which work well. I've got a Tongsheng TSDZ2. You remove the peda

If you don't want to be permanently tinkering, there's a whole range of e-bike conversion kits which work well. I've got a Tongsheng TSDZ2. You remove the pedals and chainring and slot it in place, and your bike is electric. It's got built in torque sensors so pedalling is amplified - a very natural feeling. There's a range of similar motors made by a company called Bafang (BBS02, BBSHD) which generate more power and are more robust, but don't have torque sensing. For a bike in the EU, where you don't really want more than 250-300W anyway, the TSDZ2 is fine. There's cheaper kits which use hub motors. Often you get the wheel pre-built so you just remove your existing wheel and insert the one with the motor. The bike conversion kit is fairly straightforward if you're mechanically minded / have done any bike maintenance before. Sourcing a battery is actually the hard part - good batteries are expensive, and shipping from China is complicated. Once you have the battery it mounts where a water bottle would go. Mounting the kit and wiring everything up took an afternoon. All in, the equipment cost me around £500. I already had the bike. [1]: https://ebikechoices.com/tongsheng-tsdz2-review/ https://ebikechoices.com/tongsheng-tsdz2-review/