Opinions on a MAC 29er please.

[Ch00paKabrA]

hello, I currently have a MAC 6T in a 26er. it is good. and gives me around 27 to 30 mph on 36v. The issue is that it is currently in my favorite trail bike that I want to convert back to pedal only. I have a 29er that I had a 175rpm bafang clone in that gave me around 19 mph on flat ground at 36v.

Here is the deal. When I can get a ride to the parks, I will use my pedal only bike. Since I no longer drive, if I want to ride around the parks, I have to get there and pedal only take too much out of me to get there. I have no energy left to have fun on the trails.

The riding at the park will consist of hilly terrain with deeply rooted sections as well as some small drops (no more than 2 feet). I currently have 3 batteries that I just freshly built. 2 are 4p 10s Samsung 18650 29E, and 1 5p 10s of the same batteries. They do great at 25a and don't even get warm even when used individually. So even though it is over 36ah total, I will be using either 12 or 15 ah at a time.

I want to put a MAC on the 29er. Will I fry a 10T riding the rough terrain and should I go for the 12T? I would like the little bit of extra speed that the 10T would give me but I would gladly sacrifice a few mph to get a reliable ride to/from/in the park. the bike that I will be putting it on is the bike in my avatar but it has since been significantly upgraded.

Thanks.

 

[Raged]

The weight of a MAC on the rear just made technical stuff too hard. I didn't even need to use the motor for most of the trails I did (pedal only) but getting to the top of the run on juice meant I was already fresh while my friends rested. I'd say change your idea to a BBS02 750w and run a small battery pack for better balance. This way you can swap wheels / cassettes / brake pads easily as well (I'm on 3rd set of pads in under 6 months).

 

[melodious]

Techy trails are not geared hubbie territory. DD or middie. Too many risk factors in stripping the clutch.

 

[arkmundi]

...I want to put a MAC on the 29er. Will I fry a 10T riding the rough terrain and should I go for the 12T? I would like the little bit of extra speed that the 10T would give me but I would gladly sacrifice a few mph to get a reliable ride to/from/in the park. the bike that I will be putting it on is the bike in my avatar but it has since been significantly upgraded..

If the question is 10T versus 12T - Check our John in CR's excellent diatribe on windings on the MXUS 3000 Hub Motor thread. Long & short, John would recommend getting the lowest wind possible, even the MAC 8T as the delivered torque is marginally different, but the lower wind is likely more power efficient. The MAC is a very hardy motor. Be aware that the gears can wear down & may strip, so just get a set of extra gears for that possible situation. FYI, I'm loving my MAC 10T on a Trek Shift 3.

 

[DAND214]

10T
I have 3 8t and a 12t big differance. Wish I had a 10t. The 12t on 44.4v does a little over 22 mph, will be faster come the summer. Big differance on the bottom end from the 8t but it appears the amp draw is still close.

Dan

 

[Raged]

I run my MAC 10T as a commuter/all rounder on a 29er, and at 14S it will cruise at 50km/h which is waaaayy too fast for a trail. Great for commuting on roads though.

Heres my vid of a MAC 10T on 12% incline on a 29er. Power isnt an issue with a 12FET (40a controller)... about 2.2kw

[youtube]pn9OPYqDvtA[/youtube]

 

[Raged]

And yes... I do have front suspension.

 

[Ch00paKabrA]

Raged and every one else, thank you. 10T it is!

Raged, that is an awesome video and was very helpful. The trail you are riding is a bit wider and less primitive but I am encouraged. I have 2 of Lyen's metal mac gears so I guess I will save one for the 10T build.

Your comments were all appreciated

Thank you.

 

[Raged]

Raged and every one else, thank you. 10T it is!

Raged, that is an awesome video and was very helpful. The trail you are riding is a bit wider and less primitive but I am encouraged. I have 2 of Lyen's metal mac gears so I guess I will save one for the 10T build.

Your comments were all appreciated

Thank you.

WAIT WAIT!!! I actually recommend a mid drive like a BBS02 750! The MAC10T is capable as a commuter, but on the trail you are constantly reminded you have 4kg on the back wheel. And as others have said, it doesnt like large jumps. A mid-drive is more suitable for what you want IMHO.

I have other video's but it's pretty boring until I hit a tree or log too fast... You can see that I hardly touch the throttle for semi-technical stuff (nothing beats pedal control).

 

[Ch00paKabrA]

Sorry, I took that video as an endorsement. I hadn't really given a mid drive much thought. They are a bit more expensive. I had a brushed version of a mid drive and it was so loud, there was no way I could use it. Also, since these are state parks, I am really not supposed to use a motorized bike so I wanted to stay as incognito as I could.

Also, they are drops, not jumps. I am 50 so there is no "getting air" for me. basically the drops are a tree root in a decline that the lower section has eroded away. 2 feet is the largest I have seen but most are 6" to a foot.

Like I mentioned before, I had a small bafang type on it previously but it didn't help much in the 29er wheel off road. That motor is now on a specialized Enduro Expert in a 24" rim with a 3" wide tire and it is much happier and helpful on the trails. It is not a motorcycle, and that is not what I am looking for. I just want some help on the inclines and pedal on the flats and declines. I am not looking to go dirt-biking.

Each 4x10 pack of batteries weighs just over 4 pounds and the motor weighs about 7 pounds. Basically what it did was take the light Enduro and and make it weigh about the same as my DH bike. That is a build that I did for my brother and it came out excellent. I wanted to replicate it on my bike, only with a little more oomf.

Instead of a throttle, I intended to use a PAS. Am I still barking up the wrong tree or would this work. Up until now, I have focused mainly on my ebikes for paved roads and they have been good. This is new territory for me. I guess my worst case scenario is to get another smaller motor and put it on a 26er bike and replicate what I did for my brother; but I do like the MACs.

I think I need to look at some video for the Bafang mid drive. I was excited to see them when they first came out but I need to know the noise level.

 

[melodious]

My Bafang BBS is as quiet as my hubbie. My concern with it though is how long the mid drive spindle will hold up over time. One side isn't nutted in. I can see some issues with it "traveling" into the BB if you're pounding the shit out of the pedals & causing crank alignment problems. But, the product has gotten attention on ES and many of us are using them, in various situations, with fairly good results. I'm still a newcomer in its use so take my comment with some degree of skeptitude please. :lol:

Here's the order I'd go for your application:
#1 middie. Quiet, effecient as you can change gears, rear tire changes are easier (you could have different sets of rear wheels for different terrain challenges), better weight placement,
#2 Rear DD or 2WD small geared hubbies.

I just can't recommend a single rear geared motor for trails. I've had clutch failures 2x. It's from excessive rear weight (rider + motor + heavy bike). Any rut in the ground is a concern.