We went for a ride in the country yesterday. A lapse in route-planning on my part meant we ended up having a couple of miles of bridleway to negotiate - with on-road bikes. Most of it was fine but there were a few rocky sections and some muddy bits. My wife didn't fancy some of the dirtier sections, so I ended up riding my bike (non-electric) through, walking back and taking her bike - which is our Marin with a Tongxin motor in the front wheel.
I used a small amount of throttle and pedalled through, and it was noticeably easier to get through the slippery mud on her bike with the additional contribution from the front wheel, than on mine. I've heard this cited before as an advantage of front wheel motors, but never experienced it until yesterday.
My preference is to stay on the road but I now feel that someone thinking of getting an electric bike to do a fair bit of off-road riding might be better served by a front than a rear motor.
I used a small amount of throttle and pedalled through, and it was noticeably easier to get through the slippery mud on her bike with the additional contribution from the front wheel, than on mine. I've heard this cited before as an advantage of front wheel motors, but never experienced it until yesterday.
My preference is to stay on the road but I now feel that someone thinking of getting an electric bike to do a fair bit of off-road riding might be better served by a front than a rear motor.