I have learned a great deal on these invaluable Pedelecs forums in a very short time from the many knowledgeable contributors who know a lot more about electrical bikes than me. I am extremely grateful to all those who have helped me and I would now like to return the favour for those planning to purchase an electric bike.
I realise that a lot of this has been covered previously, but I can tell from the forums that there still seems to be considerable confusion in the minds of some potential electric bike purchasers as to what exactly they should look out for in a new machine.
I hope that they find this post useful.
For the purposes of this thread I am going to take a closer look at my own bikes, the Tonaro Bighit (crank-driven) and the FreeGo Eagle (hub-driven).
They are both superb electric bikes and they both perform brilliantly. They just happen to behave differently, that's all.
Firstly, the key issues for a new buyer to consider are:
1) Your personal level of fitness and general health.
2) The type of terrain on which you are mostly going to ride the bike and the speeds at which you are most likely to travel.
3) What specifically you want the bike to be able to do for YOU.
I would like to try and clarify, in broad terms only, the main differences between crank-driven and hub-driven machines.
It is a very important consideration and a great deal depends on the purchaser's individual circumstances and requirements.
Crank-driven versus hub-driven
Generally speaking, a crank-driven bike is better for going up steep hills. A hub-driven bike can usually only manage less steep hills.
This is because the maximum torque (twisting/turning effect/amount of rotational force) generated by the crank-driven Tonaro Bighit is more than twice that of the hub-driven motor on the FreeGo Eagle.
The reason for this is that the Tonaro's torque is being applied (via the bottom bracket) to the FRONT chainwheel and therefore the actual amount of torque transmitted to the REAR hub (via the chain) is geared up significantly.
In contrast, the FreeGo Eagle's hub-driven motor applies its torque directly to the rear hub and therefore there is no gearing effect.
Having said that, I cannot honestly say that I can presently find a huge difference between the climbing abilities of the two bikes. I probably just need to get a lot fitter!
A really important difference to note is that, in many ways the Tonaro Bighit behaves much more like a normal push bike than the FreeGo Eagle, as you will see from the following.
Riding on the flat
When ALL legal electric bikes reach 15 mph, the power is automatically switched off because of the restriction imposed by law (UK and/or EU, who knows? In any case, that is a totally separate subject).
On the flat with the hub-driven FreeGo Eagle, this means as soon as you exceed 15 mph, you then begin pedalling at fresh air, until your speed once again drops below 15 mph.
With the crank-driven Tonaro Bighit, the power is also cut at 15 mph, BUT, if you wish and you are strong enough, you can still continue to ride the bike in the same way as an ordinary, push bike.
This means that you can ride (quite legally, in case anybody asks) above 15 mph, if you wish, whilst NOT using battery power and thus effectively increasing the battery's range.
There is yet another point to consider on the flat and that is when travelling below 15 mph.
Since pedalling is generally much easier on the flat, you may decide to conserve your battery and reduce the amount of powered assistance or switch off the power completely.
With a crank-driven bike like the Tonaro Bighit, this is no problem. When the power is switched OFF, there is no additional resistance when pedalling the bike (because the motor uses a clutch) and it can be ridden in exactly the same way as a normal push bike.
With a hub-driven bike like the FreeGo Eagle, there is a problem when the power is OFF because of the high resistance or drag from the hub motor. Imagine yourself trying to cycle through very deep porridge or treacle!
Other things I have noticed on the two bikes
Saddle: As original equipment (OEM) the Eagle has a super-comfy, well-padded gel saddle, which I am sure is a Specialized Expedition Gel Saddle (currently £24.99 including postage from Evans Cycles):
Specialized Expedition Gel Saddle | Evans Cycles
I bought this to replace the Bighit's original saddle, which is hard and unyielding, even with my extra padding in that area! Most Bighit owners seem to replace the OEM saddle.
Rear suspension: No contest whatsoever! The Bighit gives a fabulous magic carpet ride, even over the roughest surfaces. No “hardtail” bike like the Eagle can compete with it.
Gear change/shifters: The Eagle's thumb shift for going UP the gears is superb. I much prefer it to the Bighit's double lever type. This is just a matter of personal preference. The latter works fine.
The Eagle displays every single gear but the Bighit only displays numbers 1 and 8.
Throttles: Both bikes have throttles.
Battery range: Too early for me to tell. However, if you travel mainly on the flat, then the Bighit, unlike the Eagle, will allow you to pedal normally with the power off and thus extend the battery's range.
Build quality: Both bikes seem to be well put together and use decent quality components.
Price: The Tonaro Bighit is £1200 and the FreeGo Eagle is £1299 with the 36v/10ah battery (£200 extra for the 36v/17ah battery)
I should also point out to prospective purchasers that the Tonaro Bighit is HALF the price of its major crank-driven competitors.
For further information visit:
FreeGo:
Electric Bikes For Sale, Ebikes and Battery powered Bikes from FreeGo Electric Bikes
Tonaro (Powerpedals):
Home Page of Powerpedals electric bicycles
I realise that a lot of this has been covered previously, but I can tell from the forums that there still seems to be considerable confusion in the minds of some potential electric bike purchasers as to what exactly they should look out for in a new machine.
I hope that they find this post useful.
For the purposes of this thread I am going to take a closer look at my own bikes, the Tonaro Bighit (crank-driven) and the FreeGo Eagle (hub-driven).
They are both superb electric bikes and they both perform brilliantly. They just happen to behave differently, that's all.
Firstly, the key issues for a new buyer to consider are:
1) Your personal level of fitness and general health.
2) The type of terrain on which you are mostly going to ride the bike and the speeds at which you are most likely to travel.
3) What specifically you want the bike to be able to do for YOU.
I would like to try and clarify, in broad terms only, the main differences between crank-driven and hub-driven machines.
It is a very important consideration and a great deal depends on the purchaser's individual circumstances and requirements.
Crank-driven versus hub-driven
Generally speaking, a crank-driven bike is better for going up steep hills. A hub-driven bike can usually only manage less steep hills.
This is because the maximum torque (twisting/turning effect/amount of rotational force) generated by the crank-driven Tonaro Bighit is more than twice that of the hub-driven motor on the FreeGo Eagle.
The reason for this is that the Tonaro's torque is being applied (via the bottom bracket) to the FRONT chainwheel and therefore the actual amount of torque transmitted to the REAR hub (via the chain) is geared up significantly.
In contrast, the FreeGo Eagle's hub-driven motor applies its torque directly to the rear hub and therefore there is no gearing effect.
Having said that, I cannot honestly say that I can presently find a huge difference between the climbing abilities of the two bikes. I probably just need to get a lot fitter!
A really important difference to note is that, in many ways the Tonaro Bighit behaves much more like a normal push bike than the FreeGo Eagle, as you will see from the following.
Riding on the flat
When ALL legal electric bikes reach 15 mph, the power is automatically switched off because of the restriction imposed by law (UK and/or EU, who knows? In any case, that is a totally separate subject).
On the flat with the hub-driven FreeGo Eagle, this means as soon as you exceed 15 mph, you then begin pedalling at fresh air, until your speed once again drops below 15 mph.
With the crank-driven Tonaro Bighit, the power is also cut at 15 mph, BUT, if you wish and you are strong enough, you can still continue to ride the bike in the same way as an ordinary, push bike.
This means that you can ride (quite legally, in case anybody asks) above 15 mph, if you wish, whilst NOT using battery power and thus effectively increasing the battery's range.
There is yet another point to consider on the flat and that is when travelling below 15 mph.
Since pedalling is generally much easier on the flat, you may decide to conserve your battery and reduce the amount of powered assistance or switch off the power completely.
With a crank-driven bike like the Tonaro Bighit, this is no problem. When the power is switched OFF, there is no additional resistance when pedalling the bike (because the motor uses a clutch) and it can be ridden in exactly the same way as a normal push bike.
With a hub-driven bike like the FreeGo Eagle, there is a problem when the power is OFF because of the high resistance or drag from the hub motor. Imagine yourself trying to cycle through very deep porridge or treacle!
Other things I have noticed on the two bikes
Saddle: As original equipment (OEM) the Eagle has a super-comfy, well-padded gel saddle, which I am sure is a Specialized Expedition Gel Saddle (currently £24.99 including postage from Evans Cycles):
Specialized Expedition Gel Saddle | Evans Cycles
I bought this to replace the Bighit's original saddle, which is hard and unyielding, even with my extra padding in that area! Most Bighit owners seem to replace the OEM saddle.
Rear suspension: No contest whatsoever! The Bighit gives a fabulous magic carpet ride, even over the roughest surfaces. No “hardtail” bike like the Eagle can compete with it.
Gear change/shifters: The Eagle's thumb shift for going UP the gears is superb. I much prefer it to the Bighit's double lever type. This is just a matter of personal preference. The latter works fine.
The Eagle displays every single gear but the Bighit only displays numbers 1 and 8.
Throttles: Both bikes have throttles.
Battery range: Too early for me to tell. However, if you travel mainly on the flat, then the Bighit, unlike the Eagle, will allow you to pedal normally with the power off and thus extend the battery's range.
Build quality: Both bikes seem to be well put together and use decent quality components.
Price: The Tonaro Bighit is £1200 and the FreeGo Eagle is £1299 with the 36v/10ah battery (£200 extra for the 36v/17ah battery)
I should also point out to prospective purchasers that the Tonaro Bighit is HALF the price of its major crank-driven competitors.
For further information visit:
FreeGo:
Electric Bikes For Sale, Ebikes and Battery powered Bikes from FreeGo Electric Bikes
Tonaro (Powerpedals):
Home Page of Powerpedals electric bicycles
