E-Bike Conversion
This project involved taking a donor Priority Bicycle—equipped with a Gates belt drive and an Enviolo Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) hub—and converting it into a high-performance mid-drive electric bike using a CYC Proton motor system. Combining mid-drive power with a belt drive required overcoming significant component compatibility challenges, necessitating custom machining, precise tolerance management, and electrical wiring.
Project Scope & Skills Demonstrated
Mechanical Design & Machining: Milling, precision drilling/tapping, custom component design.
Drivetrain Integration: Belt drive alignment, CVT hub interfacing, mid-motor packaging.
Electronics: High-current soldering, battery sourcing, wiring harness fabrication.
Because mid-drive motors like the CYC Proton are designed natively for traditional chain chainrings, fitting a Gates Carbon Drive™ sprocket required custom machining:
Milling Motor Drive Ring: Mounted the stock chainring on a vertical mill and removed all chain-style teeth to create a precise, flat mounting flange.
Drilling & Tapping: Calculated offsets and precision-drilled/tapped bolt patterns into the modified ring.
Custom Adapters: Designed and machined custom mounting attachments to interface the modified drive ring directly with an off-the-shelf Gates belt drive chainring while maintaining proper belt alignment and chainline.
Drivetrain Adapter & Machining
Drive Alignment & Tolerances
Unlike traditional bicycle chains, belt drives require near-zero lateral tolerance and precise axial alignment to prevent belt walk and pre-mature wear.
Verified chainline geometry relative to the rear CVT hub to ensure smooth power transfer across the full shift range.
Battery Integration: Sourced and mounted a high-capacity battery pack matched to controller voltage and power demands.
Electrical Fabrication: Custom-soldered all power, sensor, and motor controller connections into a clean wiring harness, ensuring low resistance, secure weatherproofing, and clean frame routing.