What's a good 700C bike for a front hub motor?

[dgk02]

I'd like to put at 250-350W hub motor on a nice hybrid type bike. That means that I'll need to replace one brake so I think that a joint brake/shifter is out. I hear that it should be a steel front fork, and most are aluminum. Price range should be around $500 I guess, enough to have decent components, I put a lot of miles on my bikes. And I know that I'll need torque arms so those need to fit somewhere. Can it have a front shock or is that just going to get ripped apart and dump me on my head? I thing that V-Brakes should be ok - I've had some problems with disks - I can't figure out how to keep them working well.

There was a commercial ebike that I just saw on the street with a front hub motor that had a very nice fork where it met the axle - very thick metal, not the usual spindly looking type that most other bikes have.

I think the Trek FX 7.2 is steel, at least so my LBS says. Still, it does look a bit thin to have a motor pulling that wheel. I don't us the motor too strongly - I rarely go over 20 and usually more like 15, and I weigh around 190.

Thanks for any pointers. I could go with a 26 wheel I guess but I'm getting old and like the hybrid-type body positioning.

 

[chvidgov.bc.ca]

Norco Yorkville is a cheapish hybrid, with aluminum frame and steel front fork. I've built a couple of those up with Cute 100s. They probably can be found for 200 dollars.

 

[ammodave]

I'm running a front Q100 on a Jamis Commuter (700Cwheels) and it's working fine except the ride is a little rough at speed. I went for the 328rpm motor even though it's not recommended for the big wheels. My 36v battery gets me to about 22mph with a combined bike/rider weight of 190lbs.

 

[migueralliart]

I keep voting for the Origin 8 CUTLER 7.

Front crank is 1 speed rear 7. Which leaves you room to put a throttle and then some more. The oem freewheel bolt right into new hub motors.

Frame is steel FTW

 

[dgk02]

I keep voting for the Origin 8 CUTLER 7.

Front crank is 1 speed rear 7. Which leaves you room to put a throttle and then some more. The oem freewheel bolt right into new hub motors.

Frame is steel FTW

Isn't 7 speeds a bit too few for an ebike that can go over 20? It does free up some space on the handlebars though.

 

[dgk02]

I'm running a front Q100 on a Jamis Commuter (700Cwheels) and it's working fine except the ride is a little rough at speed. I went for the 328rpm motor even though it's not recommended for the big wheels. My 36v battery gets me to about 25mph with a combined bike/rider weight of 190lbs.

I read somewhere that the 328 doesn't like lower speeds - since I run around 15 would that be too slow for that motor?

 

[migueralliart]

Well it depends on what you really want. For me 7 speeds is plenty since I tend to cruise more at 25mph+ and I am a firm believer that pursuing high speed pedaling on an upright position is worthless and not efficient. Trikes thou are WAY better since you have less resistance so you can pedal better at higher speeds. Also the front crank ring can be customized to a way bigger size than a bike can handle.

1x7 speeds it is for me!

 

[dgk02]

Well it depends on what you really want. For me 7 speeds is plenty since I tend to cruise more at 25mph+ and I am a firm believer that pursuing high speed pedaling on an upright position is worthless and not efficient. Trikes thou are WAY better since you have less resistance so you can pedal better at higher speeds. Also the front crank ring can be customized to a way bigger size than a bike can handle.

1x7 speeds it is for me!

My only problem with that is that I bike in NYC and getting seen is a priority. I think being too low not only stops others from seeing you, you also can't see over cars and stuff.

 

[dogman dan]

If you prefer front hub, then just look for steel forks. Most will not have problems with a fairly low powered motor like you plan on using.

 

[docnjoj]

Even with steel front forks I would use 2 torque arms. Your life could depend on them. Cheep insurance.
otherDoc

 

[ammodave]

I'm running a front Q100 on a Jamis Commuter (700Cwheels) and it's working fine except the ride is a little rough at speed. I went for the 328rpm motor even though it's not recommended for the big wheels. My 36v battery gets me to about 25mph with a combined bike/rider weight of 190lbs.

I read somewhere that the 328 doesn't like lower speeds - since I run around 15 would that be too slow for that motor?

If you don't have any desire to run 20+mph, I'd recommend the slower motor. My area is fairly flat so I don't really need the extra torque for hills. Also the 328 motor is apparently a little particular about which controller you use. Mine wouldn't run smoothly with the KU65 controller provided by BMS Battery. I ended up using an inexpensive controller from Greentime.

 

[dogman dan]

It will also be more sluggish away from stop signs and lights than a slower motor. It won't do starts and stops as efficient as a slow motor, or smaller wheel.

 

[dgk02]

One of the top mechanics at Bicycle Habitat said that a hub motor on the front wheel is very hard to control in a curve. Apply power and the wheel wants to go straight. I figure that might be a problem with a more powerful motor, but a 350 with the slow windings? Any reason to worry here? Lots of folks do have front hub motors so I assume this isn't a big problem.

 

[Ykick]

One of the top mechanics at Bicycle Habitat said that a hub motor on the front wheel is very hard to control in a curve. Apply power and the wheel wants to go straight. I figure that might be a problem with a more powerful motor, but a 350 with the slow windings? Any reason to worry here? Lots of folks do have front hub motors so I assume this isn't a big problem.

It simply behaves like a front wheel drive car. It can "wash out" if leaned too far in a turn but that's more likely with higher power stuff over 1kW.

 

[melodious]

One of the top mechanics at Bicycle Habitat said that a hub motor on the front wheel is very hard to control in a curve. Apply power and the wheel wants to go straight. I figure that might be a problem with a more powerful motor, but a 350 with the slow windings? Any reason to worry here? Lots of folks do have front hub motors so I assume this isn't a big problem.

I slid out my 20" 350W rated hub motor on 36V & KU63 controller (at most 12-15 amps). It was raining. Even the battery weight is positioned on the front giving me some leverage on corners. Didn't help at all as the oil from the street kept my tire from grabbing any surface. On dry days (95% of the time), it's no problem and a non issue. Then again, I'm only going 18 mph+. It's definitely not a speedy vehicle as far as ES is concerned. The more you have performance in mind, you really really need to have the motor in the back. Better yet, in the middle (aka mid driven).