Chalo
100 TW
I guess you only know how to do it wrong. That's fine, but don't stand in the way of folks who can do it right.
New to this forum and new to E-bikes.... HELP
- Thread starter Remps
- Start date
A hub motor can be great off road if correctly specced. The only real problem is the unsprung weight factor.
I had no problem going up a sustained 7% grade for a few miles at 50mph with a hub motor, and mine got warm, but felt like it could do that for another 5 miles before melting. Is that enough power for your offroad?
I had no problem going up a sustained 7% grade for a few miles at 50mph with a hub motor, and mine got warm, but felt like it could do that for another 5 miles before melting. Is that enough power for your offroad?
I think you must be the the guy that do it wrong,there is a reason that all quality emtbs are mid drives.Which I understand you alway have problems with your mid drives and do not recomand them.It might be your mechanical skill and understanding level.
Chalo
100 TW
The problems I had with my own mid drives are just the problems they all have: using up bike parts like that's their job. That can be worth it if your bike is only for jollies rather than regular transportation. And yes, MTBs that sell deep in the multi-thousand dollar range are for jollies-- to load into your offensive truck and carry like a little helicopter princess to some playscape where you "shred".
My point is that you can put together a hub motor drive to go 5 mph under heavy load until the battery runs out, without overheating. You just have to do it right, and not use the same configuration and battery that someone would use to chase 30 mph on pavement. It won't be good for both, like a mid drive can be.
On the other hand, it will keep doing whatever it does day after day, without a basket of knackered chains and sprockets to show for it. And on that rare occasion when either the hub drive or the pedal drive suffers an issue, you can keep going instead of having to get off and push your crippled bike.
DanGT86
100 kW
As stated earlier you arent going to get an ebike without learning about working on bikes. Installing a hub motor involves a bit of messing around with aligning the brakes and a lot of times taking a file to the rear dropout to fit the hub motor axle all the way in there.
For hauling loads I think the BBS is the way to go. I would recommend you get the smallest front chainring you can get and keep the RPM of the motor and chainring as high as possible by using your large rear cogs. I would try to get your front chainring as far inboard as possible so the chain line is the straightest when using the large cogs.
If its a dedicated hauling machine and you really don't care about speed you could swap out the whole rear cassette for a single large rear cog. It would be very reliable but you are never pedaling again above a walking pace.
If it were me I would butcher a rear cassette such that I could only use the 3 or 4 biggest rings and space them away from the hub to keep the chain straighter. I get that this is not avg bike mechanic stuff. You might have to interview a few bike shops until you find one that wont run screaming from a custom mid-drive.
People gear these mid-drives down so they can overvolt them to get the speed back. Ending up with a 3000watt mid drive that goes 25mph on the largest cog with an extreme cross chain angle is going to be brutal on drivetrain parts pulling 400lbs uphill. If you keep the power reasonable and plan your shifts well when climbing with loads I think it could be very reliable.
The point is the mid-drive gives you tons of options. with gears you can make any torque you want. With a hub you get one shot at getting it right. Its like Archimedes said "Give me alever long rear cog big enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world"
Mid drives are hard on stuff but IMO the advantages of gearing adjustability are well worth it. Microshift rear cassettes are super cheap such that you can justify them as a wear item. Maybe carry and extra chain or some quick links with you if being stranded is not an option.
I would probably steer clear of the CYC stuff. Its really expensive and seems to be more appropriate for hotrodders that like to tinker. The Bafang mid drives seem to be the most reliable way to mid-drive.
Again I totally understand that most of this is not beginner bike mechanic stuff but the moment you put a motor on your bike you have left the original design limits of your parts behind.
For hauling loads I think the BBS is the way to go. I would recommend you get the smallest front chainring you can get and keep the RPM of the motor and chainring as high as possible by using your large rear cogs. I would try to get your front chainring as far inboard as possible so the chain line is the straightest when using the large cogs.
If its a dedicated hauling machine and you really don't care about speed you could swap out the whole rear cassette for a single large rear cog. It would be very reliable but you are never pedaling again above a walking pace.
If it were me I would butcher a rear cassette such that I could only use the 3 or 4 biggest rings and space them away from the hub to keep the chain straighter. I get that this is not avg bike mechanic stuff. You might have to interview a few bike shops until you find one that wont run screaming from a custom mid-drive.
People gear these mid-drives down so they can overvolt them to get the speed back. Ending up with a 3000watt mid drive that goes 25mph on the largest cog with an extreme cross chain angle is going to be brutal on drivetrain parts pulling 400lbs uphill. If you keep the power reasonable and plan your shifts well when climbing with loads I think it could be very reliable.
The point is the mid-drive gives you tons of options. with gears you can make any torque you want. With a hub you get one shot at getting it right. Its like Archimedes said "Give me a
Mid drives are hard on stuff but IMO the advantages of gearing adjustability are well worth it. Microshift rear cassettes are super cheap such that you can justify them as a wear item. Maybe carry and extra chain or some quick links with you if being stranded is not an option.
I would probably steer clear of the CYC stuff. Its really expensive and seems to be more appropriate for hotrodders that like to tinker. The Bafang mid drives seem to be the most reliable way to mid-drive.
Again I totally understand that most of this is not beginner bike mechanic stuff but the moment you put a motor on your bike you have left the original design limits of your parts behind.
The only problem with a mid is you'll need to purchase a couple of tools to remove the current bottom bracket and install the motor. Otherwise, IMO, the mid is the far better choice for off road. You can fit it with a smaller chainring (as small as 30 teeth) and with the rear gears have a virtual stump puller. Also, a flat tire won't be a critical concern.
I wrote this while the above was being loaded, but agree wholeheartedly with DanG. I've been riding a Bafang BBS02 mid-drive equipped hardtail off road for the last eight years without maintenance or problems. As suggested above, I use three rear gears 11-17-28 spaced 8-speed in order to have a straight chainline and wear problems don't exist. The front chainring is 30 (or 32?) teeth which reduces the top speed to 20 mph or so, but that is all I need, and this facilitates ascending markedly.
I wrote this while the above was being loaded, but agree wholeheartedly with DanG. I've been riding a Bafang BBS02 mid-drive equipped hardtail off road for the last eight years without maintenance or problems. As suggested above, I use three rear gears 11-17-28 spaced 8-speed in order to have a straight chainline and wear problems don't exist. The front chainring is 30 (or 32?) teeth which reduces the top speed to 20 mph or so, but that is all I need, and this facilitates ascending markedly.
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Yo 'C'...
I'm personally not in either camp, so perhaps I error in posting here, but...
I don't see this as... "ultimately, one is superior to the other".
A wise CWI stunned me when he said, "Wisdom doesn't come from words"... "only dirty hands". Kinda like the man who carries a cat by the tail... learns something he can learn in no other way.
I'm personally not in either camp, so perhaps I error in posting here, but...
I don't see this as... "ultimately, one is superior to the other".
A wise CWI stunned me when he said, "Wisdom doesn't come from words"... "only dirty hands". Kinda like the man who carries a cat by the tail... learns something he can learn in no other way.
Chalo
100 TW
It's true that both methods work great at what they're for. I just found by experience that hubs are for getting places, and mid drives are a hobby. (Like most hobbies, they're more fun than getting to work on time.)
Which side of that line the OP's project falls on is up to him. But it can be done either way.
999zip999
100 TW
Don't buy CYC mid drive. Even with the ASI BAC 855 BT that they did know would break up and be of no use they kept giving me QR codes links to download telling me to put a paper clip in the display the short circuit it over and over again. Then after a year and 10 months they would send me a working controller if I paid for a controller and shipping controller at their cost I guess.
Then e-bikling I bought a kit for $700 the rim was bent it had other problems too but I did send it back and they did send take it back and give me my money back.
Then e-bikling I bought a kit for $700 the rim was bent it had other problems too but I did send it back and they did send take it back and give me my money back.
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