Why the Bafang mid drive has rekindled my passion for pedelecs

[Fordulike]

I suppose my MAC 10T, rear hub, throttle only bike, made me a bit lazy... not only physically, but mentally too.

No need to pedal and no need to change gears. Don't get me wrong, it was great fun, but it started getting a bit stale as time went on. I was also sceptical about it's off road robustness too, so I didn't give it a hard time off the beaten tracks.
My main concern was drop-out failure on the rear.

Bring on the Bafang mid drive kit. I can honestly say that it has rekindled my passion for electric bikes.
I haven't fitted a throttle this time, so I have to ride it like a normal bike. Yes, it has an abundance of power, which can lead to physical laziness, but the mental side plays a big part too.

I have to think in advance, Minority Report style, what gear I need to be in to tackle the more challenging terrain.
Note, I say challenging terrain, because I originally wanted a bike for riding on the rough stuff, but the MAC never gave me the confidence to do so.

The Bafang on the other hand is perfect for x-country. Better gearing than a rear hub at low speeds, so easy on the controller. No extra strain on the rear drop-out, so no little mishaps along the way, and the PAS system makes it a breeze to ride. Think Steve Austin (not the wrestler) on a bike

* Only members aged 45+ will get that last reference lol.

 

[mfj197]

Good post. I enjoy using mine on lower power settings and being free to pedal and change gear as per normal, with the swiftness of a decent derailleur setup. It's an absolute blast to ride, and although I haven't used the bike off-road I will get a set of cross tyres for bike paths. Like you I don't have a throttle on mine, and don't want one.

p.s. I know I still owe you a picture of the brake cutouts on my bike - I'm away from home at the moment but will do so when I can!

Michael

 

[Fordulike]

Good post. I enjoy using mine on lower power settings and being free to pedal and change gear as per normal, with the swiftness of a decent derailleur setup. It's an absolute blast to ride, and although I haven't used the bike off-road I will get a set of cross tyres for bike paths. Like you I don't have a throttle on mine, and don't want one.

p.s. I know I still owe you a picture of the brake cutouts on my bike - I'm away from home at the moment but will do so when I can!

Michael

Yes, on PAS 1-3, it's just like riding a bike with a huge wind pushing you. The gears change fairly normally.

No need for the piccy as I fitted my own, which I will post at some stage in a proper review thread.

 

[BAH48]

For me, the throttle on my 750 is very entertaining, it's why I bought the kit. I do have a Cube / Bosch as well and, as you might expect the Bafang seems very unsophisticated in comparison.

 

[Topdonkey]

I use my BBS02 750w as a replacement for journeys i would normally take by car or motorbike, and as such, i need to get somewhere rather than just going out for a ride around, and because of that, i nearly always use level 9 and the throttle and only assist with pedalling on the hills, i'd say my average speed is about 30mph overall, i've seen 46mph on the speedo on a downhill and about 30-34 is the sort of speed i travel at, Its fast enough that i have to wear sunglasses all the time because of the flies hitting you in the face, If it didnt look silly i'd wear my motorbike helmet !

 

[Spotty dog]

I just built a BBS 01 350w bike for my girlfriend gives plenty of assist perfect for her ride to work, she loves it.
My bike has the BBS 02 I love the extra punch it has both bikes run Nu vinchi N360 hubs with harmony electric shift so was able to drag race them for comparison on throttles only.
The BBS 02 leaves the 01 standing despite my extra weight opening up a large gap in short distances.
I find it quite nice to ride along the canal in 0 mode just using a burst of throttle for any inclines at bridges and locks, and on the bumpy rough sections just stand on the pedals trials bike style and let the motor carry me along.
Had a nice pub meal other day felt bit lazy after and rode the 2 miles along the towpath home didn't pedal at all was great.

 

[jonathan75]

I use my BBS02 750w as a replacement for journeys i would normally take by car or motorbike, and as such, i need to get somewhere rather than just going out for a ride around, and because of that, i nearly always use level 9 and the throttle and only assist with pedalling on the hills, i'd say my average speed is about 30mph overall, i've seen 46mph on the speedo on a downhill and about 30-34 is the sort of speed i travel at, Its fast enough that i have to wear sunglasses all the time because of the flies hitting you in the face, If it didnt look silly i'd wear my motorbike helmet !

Yeah God forbid you look silly, much better to get your brains smashed out. The only reason why people have to wear helmets is because the government wants to destroy freedom forever.

What country is your heroic rebellion occurring in? I'd say you're in the running for a Darwin award but chances are you'll hurt someone else first who doesn't expect you to be riding that fast. Disablement is more common than death, unfortunately for your award chances. But hey keep your fingers crossed, you never know!

 

[appyarry]

Yeah God forbid you look silly, much better to get your brains smashed out. The only reason why people have to wear helmets is because the government wants to destroy freedom forever.

What country is your heroic rebellion occurring in? I'd say you're in the running for a Darwin award but chances are you'll hurt someone else first who doesn't expect you to be riding that fast. Disablement is more common than death, unfortunately for your award chances. But hey keep your fingers crossed, you never know!

From all I've read, listened to and watched over the last >50 years of cycling most of the injuries are not to the head but hands, wrists arms etc: where a helmet would not have done any use. I don't mind riding my motorbikes with a crash helmet on however I never use a helmet when cycling, then again if I was doing over 25 mph I'd just stop at the nearest Olde Tea shoppe for a comforting T & Scones. Each to their own!

 

[jonathan75]

From all I've read, listened to and watched over the last >50 years of cycling most of the injuries are not to the head but hands, wrists arms etc: where a helmet would not have done any use. I don't mind riding my motorbikes with a crash helmet on however I never use a helmet when cycling, then again if I was doing over 25 mph I'd just stop at the nearest Olde Tea shoppe for a comforting T & Scones. Each to their own!

Most injuries, what, does your careful statistical analysis encompass intensity of injury too, and fatal ones? Could you point me to your sources? And surely your methodology is null for this very reason :the injured people were wearing a helmet... Oh btw we're not talking about cycling here: we're talking motorbike. And cyclists who get brain damage or die will tend not to have pub anecdotes for you.

I'm sorry but each to their own is a disgusting mantra. Self inflicted harm caused by doing things which are obvious lunacy isn't the sort of choice I want to protect and nor should you.

Motorcycle helmets also send a message to other road users and pedestrians that you're FAST.

 

[appyarry]

Live and let live is my motto Jonathan. I cannot be bothered to get into this type of banter, my time on Gods green earth is far too short to get into a "who said what" and "lets see the evidence" type of debate. So carry on without me, It's time for Dinner and a nice glass of wine.
Ta,

 

[Topdonkey]

I'm not getting into a debate/argument with you Jonathan, I've seen your sort of provocative behaviour on forums before, Is there a block function that i can activate for you as a user ?

In my youth, I was more than capable of over 50mph downhill and 20-25mph sustained speeds with longer bursts to over 30mph on the roads without a motor strapped to my bike !!!, and i was riding 30-40 miles every evening and 6-80 miles each weekend day and that was without a helmet !!!! and i'm still here. Now i'm a little older and travelling at 30mph with motor assist you seem to think its almost the end of the world ? and that i'm destined to die tomorrow !.

I wear a Mountain bike helmet, I was merely stating that my motorbike helmet would be better at keeping the insects out of my face, I wasn't coming from a safety angle, I've been mountain biking for 35 years and motorbiking for 30 years and am well aware of the risks thankyou, so will decide for myself what i need to keep myself safe at the speeds i'm travelling at.

 

[Fordulike]

Come on guys, my thread is titled:

'' Why the Bafang mid drive has rekindled my passion for pedelecs ''

not:

'' Let's have another moralistic slugfest ''

Kiss and make up

 

[Kinninvie]

You cant beat a BBS02 for all round riding fun.
This was todays ride round moorland roads with a few pub stops and a ride on a couple of forest tracks thrown in as well.
Check out that top speed!

 

[Kinninvie]

This is my longest ride so far.

 

[Fordulike]

This is my longest ride so far.

And there's me pootling around the local area in fear of new bike gremlins.

Looks like I've got nothing to worry about lol

 

[Kinninvie]

1700 trouble free miles so far.

 

[SpezElec]

Fordulike , will a Bafang mid drive kit fit my 29er Cube Ltd,do you think 350w will be sufficient?,eclipse stock them at present

 

[Fordulike]

Fordulike , will a Bafang mid drive kit fit my 29er Cube Ltd,do you think 350w will be sufficient?,eclipse stock them at present

I see no reason why it wouldn't fit your bike. It's better if the Cube has a 68mm bottom bracket to minimize chain alignment issues.

Saying that, my current bike is 68mm and had a chain alignment issue from the start, which is why I fitted the custom 42T with improved offset.
It's something you won't find out until you fit the kit I'm afraid.

If you're not riding stupidly steep dirt track hills like me, then the Bafang 350w may be ok for you. I believe your Sirrus kit's controller is rated at 7 amps, so the Bafang 350w with 18 amp controller will certainly feel more powerful.

You could always fit a 750w and use the lower PAS levels, but I'm not sure how you would feel about the legality of such a bike.

Edit: The 350w version is not legal either!

 

[dbar]

I have both the 36v 500 watt and a 750 watt. Both in mountain bikes. Used mainly on green lanes and bridleways they have virtually made my Yamaha Serow redundant.​

 

[Fordulike]

I have both the 36v 500 watt and a 750 watt. Both in mountain bikes. Used mainly on green lanes and bridleways they have virtually made my Yamaha Serow redundant.​

Just out of interest, do you notice much performance difference between the two versions?