Front or Rear Drive??

[coldfusion594]

I'd say rear
Just gotta make sure that your spokes are perfectly tensioned...
if you buy a motor that is already laced (from china especially) take the time to make sure that the spokes are exactly how they need to be

[bdc43]

I went with a rear setup and I also carry my battery pack in a trunk bag on my rear rack. I could have used the huge triangle on my bike, but I needed to be able to remove the pack easily for carrying the bike in and out of my duplex (both the front and rear of the bulding have stoops with 4 steps each). As far as handling, the bike performs just fine....I don't even notice any difference with the extra weight over the back wheel. if anything, it seems to improve traction.

[kevo]

[quote]Russell wrote: Also with a low power motor the strength of the dropouts isn't as big of a deal. If I were building a high power ebike of course I would choose rear...or 2wd.
[/quote]

Got to agree with Russell here. Advantages to both, but high power versus low to medium power dictates my decision

[kmxtornado]

Perhaps the preference may also have to do with how often you go down hills. I find with a rear while hub, the weight of it allows me to comfortably use my front brake fairly aggressively while going downhill. The rear balances it out quite well. I would imagine riders with front wheel hubs would have to be more delicate on using front brakes while going down a steep grade. Something to think about.

[RTLSHIP]

I have only front hubs because it was what was a good deal at the time. Also, it seems to me that a rear hub installation is more complicated than a front hub. Going above 48v, I'd recommend rear or else you have focus on holding handle bars steady.