[T.Pekoe]

I really wanted a folding bike, but was put off by the high price of a lot of them -- especially for e-bike models. The Schwinn Loop is available on ebay for under $200 delivered. I ordered one, and a Hill Topper Pro Pack for 24-inch and smaller bikes.

Unboxing and setting up the Loop only took a few minutes. The Hill Topper motor requires a 36-spoke rim, so I bought a set of inexpensive 20-inch Avenir wheels with black rims and silver stainless steel spokes to use as replacements for the Loop's stock 24-spoke wheels.

The project got a bit labor intensive because I decided I didn't like the black rims. Rather than buy more wheels, I used a power sander and wet-dry sandpaper to remove the anodizing. I left the bevel on the rims black, in part because it adds a nice pinstripe detail, and in part because I got tired of sanding and it saved some work.

(I've read that anodizing adds strength to alloy, so I'm sure the rims are a bit weaker after removing it. But this isn't an offroad bike and it's unlikely it will ever see any use severe enough for that to make a difference.)

I reused the Avenir wheels' 14-gauge (2mm) spokes to lace in the Hill Topper hub motor. I reasoned that since the spokes are so short, 14-gauge is strong enough. I cut them to 141mm and rethreaded them with a Hozan threader. (The trick to using a Hozan on blank spokes is to make several passes -- open the rollers and emboss threads lightly to start, then tighten the nut and make additional passes until you get the proper depth of thread. And use plenty of cutting oil.)

I laced a 1-cross pattern, and definitely did over-under so the spokes would be held tightly against the Hill Topper hub motor flange, reducing chances of metal fatigue at the spoke elbows. I cut and threaded a few extra spokes to keep in the toolbox just in case I need a replacement or two in the future.

I had to make one minor alteration to the Loop -- I had to file a small, shallow notch in the right fork to clear the motor. After filing, I sprayed the notch with some brown rust-preventive paint. I didn't bother to mask it before painting, since it's on the inside of the fork and the motor covers it nicely.

For the rear wheel, since the original Avenir hub was steel and black, I didn't think it would look good paired with the Hill Topper hub motor. So I bought a used alloy freewheel hub on ebay (around $10 delivered) and laced it to the Avenir rim. The Loop's original rear wheel is offset, so I added a millimeter in length for the left side spokes and deducted a millimeter for the drive side spokes. This worked out to the correct amount of dish.

I reused The Schwinn Loop's freewheel cassette. It removes with an FR-1 freewheel remover. I also reused the Loop's rear axle because it's longer than the one in the Avenir wheel. The extra length is needed to accomodate the derailleur protector bracket.

I reused the original tubes and tires too. I ditched the fenders -- didn't like them.

The only other change I made was to get a different saddle (for about $20), since the stock Loop saddle was very uncomfortable. I stuck with the Schwinn brand though, just for appearance.

Even unpowered, the wheel upgrades make a big difference in the Loop's ride.

As far as Hill Topper performance, the top speed is a little slower than the one on my 700c bike. But that's to be expected -- the wheel diameter is smaller. The upside is it has even more torque and hill climbing power.

I think it worked out great!

[Mike]

Yo, Pekoe,

That wheel build and red folder look fantastic! Nicely done, and thanks so much for sharing with the forum!

Sincerely,

Mike

[elcaro]

Hi Pekoe,

I had to comment; Your bike looks great! Nice job, well done and great explanation of your detail of work.

In Kindness,
elcaro

[T.Pekoe]

Thanks, elcaro! I've had a few days to ride it now and I have to say it's a blast!