Matt is awesome! I'm glad I found this guy! He did an Ebike build for me and just did an amazing job. Always kept me updated on the progress and offered suggestions on most cost effective components without sacrificing quality. Thanks Matt! read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Ebike Enduro - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Matt is the man! Thanks for making my life sooo much more fun! Matt communicates well through phone and email. Was able to get my bike over to him and upgraded all within one week! His attention to detail and craftsmanship on my upgrade is stellar. I had to take a second look at my bike cause when I gave it to him it was a mess. I asked for alll the bells and whistles, which may have been over kill on my bike. Matt talked me down to earth and I got what I needed. Love his installs almost one month in on my bike and it's pushing like a champ. I'm about 40 miles on the bike since the upgrade and I'm still in love. I'm planning on upgrading my wife's bike which is super small, Matt has been very open to ideas on making the upgrade fit on the bike. By the way Matt reminds me of Matt Hughes from the UFC! Thanks Matt for your awesome work! read more

If your looking to convert your regular bike to an ebike this is the guy to take it too. I was looking for a 750watt bafang mid drive conversion kit online for awhile seems during the covid-19 pandemic everyone purchased them all models, all modes. Amazon listed available late August and from other bike shops they stated they have been on back order for more then few months even before March. Started calling around to different bike shops to see who does conversion kits, surprisingly all of the 20+ I called just do regular maintenance on regular bikes and are on 2-4week waiting list. I was able to find Matt's business online thru yelp with ebike as the search option, few spots in SF and then some way farther out. Called and emailed Matt for some info, he was very responsive. I asked him some about what was better hub motor or mid drive, he gave me information about both pros and cons, I also asked which mid motors he had in stock he had 1000w motor in stock and a shipment of the 750w motor for mid week. He asked if he was do the instal to bring the bike over so he can gage where everything will go. I asked for few modifications, new holes on the frame for new area to put my water bottle since the battery will sit where the old location of the water bottle was, any adjustments needed, if I needed a new chain, brakes, anything else I mentioned just let me know if it need to be replaced I would pay. Recently replaced my old chain with a new one so no chain had to be replaced. On a whole just the walk through was fun, requested switches to be put here, why would it be beneficial to be on left if not right, Matt explained everything on why it is best to be on left instead of right, where the main unit that states battery life, speed and miles is set to the middle, reconfigurations of wiring if needed and neatly tied down. The pick up was very professional, test it out take your time, before you do here is a breakdown of how everything works. Took about 30min spin in and around his neighborhood got to say it was night and day difference on the bike. Definitely recommend Matt for any future projects I have in regards to bikes. Very professional, courteous and informative. EBikes conversion ***** Price $$$ depends on motor and battery Service ***** perfect Ambiance ***** home garage shop, very clean, organized Definitely big recommendation for this guy, seamless with everything read more

I had a chance to work with Matt on a Sunday. I purchased a Bafang BBSHD kit from him and it was installed on a 2014 Nukeproof Pulse DH MTB. The Bike came out awesome! I couldn't be happier. Matt answered all my questions (I had a million of them) and made sure I understood what was being done from start to finish. I am totally satisfied with my purchase and would highly recommend anyone thinking of doing an Ebike conversion give him a call. Thanks Matt! read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I've had such a great experience with Empowered Cycles, they're a gem to the eBike community. This was my first eMTB build and Matt walked me through the entire process from start to finish. Being an ambicious tinkerer, I attempted to complete the build on my own but got stumped around the 80% mark. I was able to meet up with Matt on a Sunday and he was able to help me complete the build and tought me some tricks along the way. I'm completely satisfied with my decision to convert a bike I already love vs purchasing another one. I'll convert my wife's bike in the near future and I'll be sure to purchase from Empowered Cycles once again. read more

Definitely recommend if you're interested in getting an e bike but have a nice mountain bike you dont wanna put down. Doesnt matter if your young, old, outta shape or in shape this takes things to the next level and gives you more freedom and options to go faster and further than ever before. Definitely recommend! read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - E bike conversion - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

All I can say is the service is amazing! Matt is a great guy and explained the process along the way. I had him install a bbshd on my whyte t130 rs and it's great! Empowered cycles is about the only game in the bay area that installs bafang mid drives. You could spend thousands on a big name bike brand and not get even close to the performance of a bbshd. My suggestion is to buy an older high end bike and then have Matt throw on a bafang motor and still be paying half of what a good high end bike would cost. Couldn't be happier with my choice! Thank you Matt! read more

Highly recommend checking out EMPowered Cycles if you're looking to install a BBSHD or BBS02 motor onto your bike. I was thinking about installing the kit myself on my Giant Anthem, but Matt charged a reasonable price for installation. The results were professional and well built. Much better than what I would've done. He is extremely knowledgeable and professional. Had a great customer service experience. read more

Back in September, I took my Fezzari dual-suspension bike to Matt for conversion. He was great to work with and installed a Bafang 1000w BBSHD mid-drive motor with gear sensor, an EMP full color display DPC-14, a Samsung 48v 13aH battery with charger, and a Lekkie 36T chain ring, all for about $1,500. Now I can ride this bike up any hill - highly recommend EMPowered Cycles. read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I just worked with Matt at Empowered to turn my mountain bike into a 1000w ebike commuting machine. It was definitely the coolest experience of my year so far. He's a joy to work with, and runs a clean/honest operation. The bike performs like magic, and I just placed a follow-up order for a family commuter that can fit several kids on the back. If you're looking to convert just about any bike into an ebike, you'll be in GREAT shape working with Matt, either sourcing parts through him, or having him to the build. read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This is the best bike shop for ebike ever. Imagine I still use the same ebike that Matt for me for MTB in 2016 without hassle, without problems (a 1000W Bafang) Mid Drive. I can ride any uphill without problem. Now I bought manufactured ebike from someone else, the controller dead on second day after a steep uphill. read more

I came from sf. Just a little warning. This an apartment complex. So the owner may or not be home. This is not a retail store with normal hours. Email matt before you go. he does have a shop in the garage area. i got everything i needed. read more

Great customer service! Not only Matt is knowledgeable, he is very customer-oriented. The experience he provided was top notch! He listened and offered professional expertise on my bike needs and questions. He has a passion for providing insight into your unique physiology and how it interacts with the bike and it pays off in a better ride. Highly recommend EM Powered for all kind of e-bike conversion. 5 stars and beyond if I could. read more

I found Matt online when I was looking for some better and bigger ebike brakes for my Yuba. I was originally going to get the E-710 but Matt suggested I get the newer E-725. They worked out great. I got the 203 mm rotors as well. They take a couple of miles to break in but after that they stop on a dime. I use the bike to commute and take my kids around so brakes are super important with the extra weight. Matt help guide me thru some installation problems that I was having and it all worked out. He is very professional and courteous. I would recommend him to anybody interested in purchasing an ebike, ebike kit and parts. read more

Haven't even received my bike back yet and Matt already earned a 5 star rating based on his knowledge, quality of products he uses, turnaround time and pricing. I have no doubts this will be the best investment I make in 2021. If the bike works half as well as we both anticipate, his rating will increase to 7 (out of 1-5) stars..... read more

I worked with Matt Hughs, owner of empowered cycles to install a Bafang BBHD MID DRIVE electric motor on my HP Velotechnik scorpion FS 26"recumbent trike. I just picked it up today on 2/25/18. Matt was so awesome to work with. He promptly answered my dozens of questions via text during the days leading up to the installation. I can't believe how generous he was with his time answering my myriad questions. He quoted a fair price to uninstall the OEM hub drive then install the new one. He turned the work around in about 24 hours this was an amazing feat for Matt. He is a one man operation. He tackled a number of nuanced issues related to this unorthodox build. It was not the typical installation, but he got it done on time & on budget. If you've been thinking about turning your old bike into a MONSTER commuting machine, this is the guy to come to. Seriously, Matt is "da man." read more

Excellent electric bike repair! Very experienced work! Turn my regular Bike into electric, and repair my other electric bike, GOOD Job read more

Matt and EMP are awesome. Matt is super knowledgeable and helpful, and goes out of his way to support his customers (including answering a million questions over the phone before ever going to his shop). He has all the lastest and greatest ebike motors, firmware, accessories and installation tools, even stuff not showing on the website like the Bafang 500c display. Highly recommend getting your BBSHD kits here or having Matt complete the whole conversion if you don't want to do install. He has a few of his own personal builds at the shop that are really cool/clean. read more

Just got my mountain bike converted.. great company and great service. I look forward to having another bike done soon. Don't look elsewhere for a conversion.. this is the best place!!! read more

My old electric bike was stolen last year. Looking for a replacement I had a lot of questions about mid drives. I'm glad I found Matt as he has all the answers. His install price is so affordable I had him do the work instead of trying to figure it out on my own. That was 9 months ago, I'm still super stoked on my new electric bike. Very reliable, fast, efficient, and fuuun! The older hub motor bikes were heavy and slower, this mid drive is quick and a blast to ride. I ride it everywhere and on any terrain in all conditions, fun and practical. read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I read the reviews and decided to go to Matt for my conversion. Matt was great! he walked me through the differences in the batteries and spent time explaining how the kit should be installed since I was doing the install myself. I can say that if you are interested in a conversion, go see Matt read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Successful conversion, up to 30mph. using the smaller 54V battery, I'm able to easily make a 34 mile RT with power to spare using level 5/6 - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

It all started when I decided to buy a 2017 Motobecane Sturgis Bullet fat bike online and have it shipped directly to Matt Hughes at EMPowered Cycles to have it converted into an e-bike (electric). I have very little knowledge about e-bikes and depended on the knowledge and experience of a couple of close friends as well as Matt Hughes to guide me on this. Mind you I was very apprehensive to send a brand new $1500 bike to someone I don't know but my friend who has done business with Matt assured me that there would be no problems. When the bike store sent me confirmation that my bike had just been shipped I contacted Matt to discuss the details of what was going on and how I wanted my bike set up (he had no prior knowledge that I ordered the bike and that it was on its way). Matt was very pleasant and very easy to talk to, so far so good. Throughout the entire build process, Matt stayed in touch with me via text messages which I appreciated very much. Matt even sent me a picture of my bike still in its shipping carton on the day it arrived at his shop! Matt received my bike on a Friday and asked if I wanted to pick it up that weekend, but I live close to a hundred miles away and told him I would pick it up the following weekend as I already had plans for that weekend. So the build was on. I had many questions and requests of Matt during the build time and he was very responsive with the many text messages I sent him asking about changes or upgrades to my order, Matt remained very pleasant and patient with me throughout the whole process. On the following Thursday I contacted Matt to see if my bike would be ready the coming Saturday and he replied "Yes, absolutely"! He then followed that up with a picture of my bike being completed! Through all the changes in components and upgrades, I was still able to keep the build right on budget. Way to go in being competitive with pricing Matt! That even included the fact that my bike didn't come with pedals so I bought a set of inexpensive pedals from Matt. Saturday - pick up day! Matt's shop is a little tricky to find if you have never been there before, but when I found my way to the general area, Matt was there to greet me and point me in the direction of where to park. First impressions - Matt's shop is well lit, very clean and nicely organized! In my book, that is a very good sign. If Matt has the time to take care of his shop in such a positive way, you can tell he would do the same for your bike. Matt and I talked awhile and he answered all my questions and concerns. He even took the time to show me what he did and how all the components of the electric conversions are and how they work. Matt encouraged me to take a test ride on my new e-bike but I declined because there was limited room to ride and since I had zero experience riding an e-bike and I had no idea how well it could handle or how powerful & fast it could go I opted to have him show me. Matt was happy to oblige so he took it for a spin around the parking lot. The bike not only looked awesome, it looks like it handled like an extension to the rider! I sat on the bike and to me the bike felt a little too high so Matt told me the seat post was already at the lowest, so he asked me if I wanted him to cut the seat post down for me, which I had him do. I did take a tentative ride around the parking lot too to make sure everything felt alright and there were no problems. I did however take the bike out later that afternoon to the Alviso Marina County Park with a friend that has a similar bike as mine that Matt also converted into an e-bike. We test rode it for a quick 8 mile ride (it was getting dark) and my bike handled really well! I had a grin on my face wider than the Joker from the Batman comics! Yes, I LOVED IT! Jump forwards about a month: I have ridden my bike over a few more miles and still love it. However I do not like the handle bar grips that came with the bike so I am upgrading those (bought new grips yesterday!) and having another minor modification done to my bike. I am making the 100 mile drive down to see Matt and have him take care of it (on my way to see my friends again for another ride). Matt said he would take care of the installation of the grips and modification (readjusting the bike rack so my bike bag will fit properly) whenever I can stop by - for FREE (my local shop wanted to charge me $5 just for the grips alone!). Customer service is tops at EMPowered Cycles, you gotta love that! Final thoughts: Matt is a consummate professional, patient and is pleasant to do business with. Matt is meticulous with his shop as well as with his customers. Matt's customer service is awesome and I'm sure you will find doing business with Matt a very good experience. I did and I would highly recommend Matt and EMPowered Cycles to anyone looking for this kind of service! Two thumbs (AND two big toes) way up! Thank you Matt! read more

I could not be happier with my Bafang 1000W eMTB conversion EMPowered built for me. Originally I bought a kit and was going to install it myself, but my hardtail Specialized Fuse Expert wasn't the perfect platform I was hoping for. I went back to Matt's and he did an exceptional job installing everything for me. The service is absolutely top notch, couldn't find a nicer person if you tried. Matt is also a true expert with a decade experience building e-bikes and working directly with manufacturers. I am so glad I didn't order a kit from Amazon or AliExpress, there's no way I would have been able to complete this project alone, even with the website that's full of great information and support. Support local businesses! Thanks, Matt!! read more

This company is great- they've helped me out with my bike and my daughter's as well! I recommend them to all my friends and family. Super professional and they know what they are doing- not to mention warmhearted and friendly. read more

EMPowered Cycles Electric Bikes - Bikes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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He's one smart informative fellow of you ask me. Very helpful even if he can't help he'll point you in the right direction!!! Bought bafang bling ring same price as online!! Wish he built my set up but he only works on kits he purchases, which I understand! Awesome dude, have him built your bafang. You won't regret it!!! read more

This is a long overdue review. Like everyone says, Matt is wonderful to work with - professional and very knowledgable. He installed the BBSHD kit on my mountain bike last December and it is a beast. It zips up the hills and is fun to ride. Highly recommend EMP if you are looking to convert your bike! read more

Matt is awesome! Straight forward, honest, loyal to his customers and has the knowledge to direct you down the best path! Stands behind his work and backs his products long after the sale! You won't regret working with Matt! read more

Great Guy! Matt did a fantastic job with my build and delivered the kind of exceptional and individualized customer service that I was looking for and that others could not or would not. Matt also offers a longer warranty on your customized build than you will find elsewhere; no surprise as his work is first rate. If I build another ebike I will definitely return to Matt. He was able to do everything that I asked and his prices were so reasonable that it made the thought of doing it all myself seem truly foolish. He also accommodated all of the crazy and last minute times I needed for drop off and pick up. He was really flexible and kept me posted on progress during the build. I highly recommend EMPowered. read more

Did the 1000watt mid drive with all the add ons for my 2018 Trek Fuel EX29er. Can't say enough what a life changer it is. Do you like struggling up hills and killing yourself? Me neither. If you're thinking about doing it, just know that the bike will not pedal itself up a hill, but it does enable you to keep a nice steady cadence and ride a hell of a lot more than you would with no motor. I know after riding sixteen miles over crazy hilly terrain I'm exhausted. No motor on that particular ride would have been half that and just miserable. Love it, NEVER going back to a non drive for mountain! Oh yeah, Matt is Hella cool and knows his stuff. read more

Best place in the Bay Area to get setup with an electric bicycle. Matt did a mid drive motor and battery kit on my full suspension mountain bike and it has changed my life! Amazing customer service! Highly recommend. read more

I am so glad I was referred to EMPowered Cycles. Matt Hughes is the owner/mechanic/computer wizard and an all around awesome human. After several weeks of my bike being out of commission and waiting for repair at a specialty e-bike shop and Premium Yuba Electric Cargo Bike Dealer in San Francisco (San Francyclo), I was relieved that Matt was super quick to help me get my Boda Boda back up and running. He was quick to respond, easy to work with and even made some additional suggestions to ensure my bike would ride better than it's ever operated before. Matt is also incredibly trustworthy and runs a very ethical business. He not only returned the malfunctioning parts he replaced but he also reconfigured the settings in my LCD to ensure my bike would run more effectively/efficiently so that all the expensive parts on my bike would not fail due to stress from it being setup incorrectly in the first place. I will travel to Castro Valley from now on to get my bike serviced. Thank you Matt for being a e-bike rockstar! I've been spreading the good word since I found you! read more

Wow, amazing - pretty much how I'd describe Matt's customer service. I stopped by Matt's shop unannounced and he dropped everything to help me out. He spent two hours getting me acclimated with ebikes and hooked up my battery without charging me a dime for his labor. To top it off, Matt was able to give me a better deal than the quoted price on his website since I paid cash and he didn't have to deal with visa merchant charging him a percentage. I ended up paying less and getting the kit much quicker than I would ordering from other vendors. Plus his warranty is unprecedented. Matt sent me packing with my BBS02 kit and a huge smile that same day. Support your local shop and call up Matt for your ebike needs! read more

Best service and product hands down! I was looking for a way to leave my gas guzzling truck at home and commute to work on my bike when I learned about the possibility of converting my bike to electric. After doing lots of research I figured a mid drive kit was the best option for my full suspension mountain bike. I saw the good reviews for Empowered Cycles and decided to give a call. Being completely new electric bikes, Matt was extremely patient and thorough; I called several times as new questions/concerns came up and he was a true professional and never made me feel like I was bothering him. He is quick to answer the phone (every time) and is super friendly and knowledgeable. It's clear that Matt loves what he does! The motor: As soon as I tried out the system (Bafang bbs02 750) on Matts bike I was sold. Total game changer! Unbelievable power and speed. The best thing is that you can choose how hard you want to work (if at all). Matt knocked out my bike in one day and I was able to pick it up that same day. As soon as I got it home I couldn't resist but give it a go. The thing jammed up hills with ease and flew down flats. The bonus is that I was still able to get a great workout by adjusting the power accordingly. One of my concerns before purchasing was that I'd lose the option to use my bike for exercise....totally not the case! Now I can get a great workout or just chill and cruise! If you are considering converting your bike, go to Matt. You won't be disappointed. He guarantees his work for two years....you'll never get that through eBay or some other site. Thank you Matt!!! read more

Matt installed a Bafang 1000 on my mountain bike. He will also do installations on road bikes. He knows what he's doing and his prices are reasonable. I highly recommend him. read more

Matt was very knowledgable and does great installations. I live on top of a steep hill and was skeptical of other ebikes I had demoed and their ability to climb the hill consistently. Matt did not pressure me at all to choose his products, but he clearly sells only products he believes in and does a great installations. This bike has been my commuting vehicle daily for 2 months now, climbs the hill great, no issues. Very happy read more

I purchased a plus size tire Specialized Fuse Fattie bike 2016 brand new. I was set on buying a rear hub motor until I started to research mid-drive motors. I came across Empowered cycles and started reading about all the options and performance one could get with the 1000 watt motor. After talking with Matt, I was sold on purchasing the 1000 watt Bafang motor. Well, 2 weeks ago I had Matt do the install. My best purchase ever. What is so great about the Bafang motor is that you can reprogram your power curve. If you are someone that likes to fiddle with changing your power band, for more aggressive riding, you have the option of changing it at will. I have ridden motorized dirt bikes for many years and trying to tune a carb by changing the needle size is a pain when it came to changing the power band. Changing the parameters on the computer takes less then 5 minutes and your done. Matt, is great to work with. Very knowledgeable and honest. I look forward to buying more bikes and having him add additional Bafang motors onto them. Thank you Matt. I love my bike. read more

Hey shoutout for Matt! I forgot to plug my Bafang electric motor battery pack for my bicycle in during rainy season and the battery discharged completely. He tore the battery apart and recharged it for me for no charge! Now I can get back to running around the hills of the Redwood City again without killing myself. I'd recommend his system to anyone who loves riding bikes, but hates the hills around here. read more

I don't usually write reviews. Actually, this is my first one. It was such a great experience, that I felt like I just had to. If you are in the market for an electric bicycle, please hit up Matt. I spent about two months researching various forums and various electric bicycle makers. He answered all my questions, dumb and otherwise. He even helped me select the right bicycle even though he made no money on the time spent or the advice given. Matt also did the install of the system. This system will beat and outperform pretty much all "cookie cutter" or pre-made "box" electric bikes. There aren't that many custom electric bicycle builders to begin with, but it is extremely lucky that EMPowered Cycles is one that has great service and a great product. You totally get your money's worth. read more

Matt was extremely knowledgeable and helpful to me while I decided if to buy one of his kits. He allowed me to test drive his bike twice. The conversion of my bike was kind of difficult (in fact it's not done yet) but Matt is working with me over several visits to get it right. Great service! He was also very fair with his pricing. As for the kit, it is really great. I'm climbing hills like crazy and he has adjusted the pedal assist just right. Overall I couldn't be happier, thanks read more

The short version: Matt Hughes with EMPowered Cycles is an incredible resource in the world of electric bikes. Matt's professionalism, commitment to service, and deep knowledge of optimizing electric bikes to suite a rider's needs make having a relationship with his shop almost as valuable to a rider as her/his electric bike. Matt's expertise helped me achieve my goal of riding my bike to work, and on the weekends get out more on the beautiful trails in the East Bay. Thank you Matt! The full version: My goal was to drive one day less per week, by riding an e-bike from my Bay East home to my South Bay office, a distance of 43 miles I'd like to complete in about 2 hours. While I researched on-line endlessly for a few weeks, the goal started to become real when I had my first conversation with Matt Hughes of EMPowered Cycles. Matt took the time to speak with me to learn about my expectations from an e-bike, and what are even some fun things I'd like to do with it. Matt's approach to consulting with customers felt great. He made solid and clear suggestions, while allowing me to learn from our conversation and make the final decisions. During the two weeks that Matt and I were planning and putting the bike together we exchanged 20 email messages. I was, once again, incredibly impressed that Matt was able to respond to all of them in a timely manner and with concise information. The pace and helpful information allowed me to continue moving forward towards my goal. Not only was able to begin riding weekly to work with my new ebike, but Matt stayed the course and helped me continually tune and adjust the bike's configuration. The results were amazing! Riding the 43 mile route began to be incredibly fulfiling and engaging, and I quickly saw improved results. My first ride took 3 hours and 15 minutes, and two rides later I was completing the same route in 2 hours and 20 minutes. I'd shaved an hour off and was having great fun along the way! I have high hopes that completing the ride in 2 hours is right around the bend. If you're interested in an ebike, have a bike in your garage you haven't ridden in a while and want to (convert it to an ebike), or are looking for a more easy, fun, and engaging way to complete your daily trips I'd recommend visiting EMPowered Cycles or giving Matt a call. There's a great chance you won't regret it. read more