Hub vs Crank Drive Hill Climb
- Thread starter Andy88
- Start date
that test isn't fair.
the direct drive setup has 500W more and the gradient is within the effective working zone of that 2000W motor.
If you lower the power of the direct drive to 1000W on the direct drive setup, it will stall on that hill while a legal Tonaro or a Bafang BBS or a woosh Krieger (TCM motor) would still climb it on throttle alone.
Direct drive motors are good for speed but not for steep hills. Crank drives are good for both but you have to select the right gear and adapt your cadence. Geared hubs like the BPM are good for keeping to the same cadence (and heart rate) on any terrain.
that is the acronym for Big Powerful Motor, a class of 180mm geared hub motors for legal e-bikes. mind you, they are not particularly big or powerful but biggest and most powerful among legal ebikes. The best example is the well respected Ezee motors. The Bafang BPM is on the Big Bears. There are about 10 other popular brands but lesser known. They run usually with 20A controllers but can easily take 30A continuously.
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Thanks for explaiming that, I note some manufacturers are introducing bikes with the Aikema motor, cycle weekly recently reviewed the juicy bike roller and commented it was the most powerful he had ridden
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/bike-reviews/juicy-roller-electric-bike
How does the Aikima stack up against the Bafang in your opinion in pulling power ?
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http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/bike-reviews/juicy-roller-electric-bike
How does the Aikima stack up against the Bafang in your opinion in pulling power ?
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dev8h has tested almost all the Chinese geared hub motors in the European market. He's the motor expert on this forum. I tend to compare motors on published data.
Climbing ability depends very much on the controller Amp rating.
On steep hills, all motors will warm up. The larger motors have an advantage here. The maximum gradient that a geared hub motor can safely climb is roughly estimated by this formulae:
Max gradient = 2 * controller Amp * battery volt / (bike and rider's weight in kg)
The crankdrive motors can climb steeper gradient because of gearing.
Climbing ability depends very much on the controller Amp rating.
On steep hills, all motors will warm up. The larger motors have an advantage here. The maximum gradient that a geared hub motor can safely climb is roughly estimated by this formulae:
Max gradient = 2 * controller Amp * battery volt / (bike and rider's weight in kg)
The crankdrive motors can climb steeper gradient because of gearing.
Now that you've asked, it'll probably be moved, by the admin, to a more appropriate section. They're pretty good like that. But it's no big thing. Eddie's just ultra organised.
I'm not that organised. I just like to ride. All the new e-mtb's are brilliant to be fair to them. Beautiful, for the best part, too.
As for which one suits you best.. The proof is in the pudding really. You would need to whittle it down to a chosen few, find who has them, and then go ride them for the most informed opinion.
I have a 1kw emtb, it can be outrageously rapid if set to be so. But I actually prefer my 250w oxydrive kit bike on the flatter-ish gradients. I like that it can be set to go a few miles faster than the standard setup.
Have you considered making your own kitbike Andy88? Here's me videoing my youngest girl riding it around the park.
Thank you very much for that, thoroughly enjoyed the video, your daughter made the ride look effortless, giving the dogs a wide berth, in Thailand a lot of the dogs will chase bikes and motorbikes but funnily enough here in the Philippines they don't.Now that you've asked, it'll probably be moved, by the admin, to a more appropriate section. They're pretty good like that. But it's no big thing. Eddie's just ultra organised.
I'm not that organised. I just like to ride. All the new e-mtb's are brilliant to be fair to them. Beautiful, for the best part, too.
As for which one suits you best.. The proof is in the pudding really. You would need to whittle it down to a chosen few, find who has them, and then go ride them for the most informed opinion.
I have a 1kw emtb, it can be outrageously rapid if set to be so. But I actually prefer my 250w oxydrive kit bike on the flatter-ish gradients. I like that it can be set to go a few miles faster than the standard setup.
Have you considered making your own kitbike Andy88? Here's me videoing my youngest girl riding it around the park.
That was a lovely ride through the park, flat enough with a few gentle inclines to stretch your legs.
Yes I have thought of having a bike built but not sure yet on crank or hub drive, default leaning towards the big bear as paying anything much over a grand or so can get a branded bike with motor to boot.
Did you build the oxydrive bike yourself or did a shop do it? What bike brand did you use?
Thanks, my terrain in philippine needs an emtb
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no. A Bafang Max powered bike costs about $850. Woosh would have to sell it at around £1,400. Not their market.
The current Woosh range uses already 5 different motors for different riders weights, Bafang 120mm SWX for lightweight, 160mm SWX02 for medium weight, 180mm BPM for the traditionally built, plus two crank motors, TCM for lightweight and GSM for heavyweight. I like crank drives but from woosh point of view, geared hubs reduce the support risks due to derestriction. The crank drive bikes can easily be abused through derestriction. a hub motor will reduce its output when you go over about 19mph.
I would rather spend the money on mechanical components.
Wow, and you are coming home Andy?! Had a holiday once a long time ago in Boracay, beautiful!
All the best, David
All the best, David
A forum member, 'SteveManfa' built this bike for his Mrs. It's a 15" Specialised 'Myka' MTB . When you build your own, you can use any bike you like. She didn't use it too much and I bought it from him. It's a ladies bike but I don't mind that, as we all use it in this household. It's done over 1k miles now.
The kit can be 'tweaked', by pushing a few buttons at the lcd screen, to do 19 mph. That extra 3.5 mph doesn't seem a lot more, compared to the street legal 15.5 mph setting. However, it gives a huge feeling of difference in the real world.
The good thing, with all the ebikes, is that they will all get you up a hill, at varying speeds, without too much of your own effort. Compared to regular bikes, that's a luxury. Eddie knows about hills. Check out his Swiss alp strava vids. Not that you could call them 'hills'!
Been in the east too long 27 years, think I'll be in for a few shocks in Blighty.
This is what I ride here
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BTW, decided to wait till I'm back in the uk and physically sit on a bike b4 buying wisper on the list of 3.
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I will also opt for a step through maybe ladies or unisex hybrid, I really can't see the point of the top bar at my age, even at 14 i used a ladies bike as I used to race cycle Speedway and it was easier to through the back end of the bike out using my butt against the saddle around the corners.A forum member, 'SteveManfa' built this bike for his Mrs. It's a 15" Specialised 'Myka' MTB . When you build your own, you can use any bike you like. She didn't use it too much and I bought it from him. It's a ladies bike but I don't mind that, as we all use it in this household. It's done over 1k miles now. [emoji14]
The kit can be 'tweaked', by pushing a few buttons at the lcd screen, to do 19 mph. That extra 3.5 mph doesn't seem a lot more, compared to the street legal 15.5 mph setting. However, it gives a huge feeling of difference in the real world.
The good thing, with all the ebikes, is that they will all get you up a hill, at varying speeds, without too much of your own effort. Compared to regular bikes, that's a luxury. Eddie knows about hills. Check out his Swiss alp strava vids. Not that you could call them 'hills'!
Those days unfortunately gone now.
You hit the nail on the head with a build, using a top brand like specialized, trek, cannondale etc needn't cost that much more and spared and repairs on the bike part ready available.
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Yeah, it make no odds really. It's still an MTB and handles well in the mud. That's what I really like about them. The fact that it's a pedelec makes going off road, off the beaten track, loaded with pedestrians, an effortless pleasure. I'm sure that you'll enjoy whatever you end up with.
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