Which Do You Prefer Cadence or Torque Sensor?

[vincent]

agree with mike that for his riding it probably does not make a big difference

Also agree with what rich said about having to ride a certain way and use throttle off road with the cadence

I have both and think there are advantages and disadvantages on both

Hoping to get an ultra bike and have the best of both worlds with a mid drive torque for smooth delivery and a throttle....

 

[MikeMc]

Ebikes are evolving. I don't know what an ultra bike is. I find it intetesting to ride my bike and take it apart to see how it's put together. What makes it work. I like being able to share opinions, help and recieve help in this forum.

 

[tlippy]

"torque sensors are generally better for fit riders and cadence for unfit riders,"
This about sums it up

 

[tlippy]

IMHO cadence vs torque, is there is no difference. When I ride a cadence bike like the one I own Ride1up 500 mtb, if I experience resistance at the pedal it is no different than torque resistance. I do, however, need to shift my bike gears and my pas level to acquire resistance. I will take that incumbency with a $2000 dollar discount head over heals

Maybe it's because you have a superior ride. I have been debating whether to change my R1U order from a 700 to a LMT'D, which uses torque. With lot's of waiting time for my order, research has been my passtime. I'd pay the $300 difference if I thought torque was for me or if it had both. Since I'll never experience torque, I'll just have to learn to use what I bought and live with it's ideosynchronies.

 

[fooferdoggie]

"torque sensors are generally better for fit riders and cadence for unfit riders,"
This about sums it up

not sure if I would agree. I was pretty sick whe nI got my bosch bike. al lI could do was spin i could not put any pressure on the pedals or i would be wobbly after the ride. my heart rate was a whole 90 while riding but I could spin witn no effort and go pretty well. acceleration was slow but that was about it. plus I used a lot of battery since I was in turbo the whole time. I would get a little over 20 miles on my commute on my battery. now I get closer to 40 and I am going 22mph verses 20.

 

[vincent]

I agree with what he said and I agree that mid drives are not for everybody

there is nothing wrong with a decently programmed cadence bike and plenty of these people are happy with their bikes

 

[fooferdoggie]

I agree with what he said and I agree that mid drives are not for everybody

there is nothing wrong with a decently programmed cadence bike and plenty of these people are happy with their bikes

unless you like to spin to get your heart rate up. lack of gears and that you keep going faster till you get to the max speed the pas is set of.

 

[tlippy]

not sure if I would agree. I was pretty sick whe nI got my bosch bike. al lI could do was spin i could not put any pressure on the pedals or i would be wobbly after the ride. my heart rate was a whole 90 while riding but I could spin witn no effort and go pretty well. acceleration was slow but that was about it. plus I used a lot of battery since I was in turbo the whole time. I would get a little over 20 miles on my commute on my battery. now I get closer to 40 and I am going 22mph verses 20.

I think cadence does not require any effort - just spin?

 

[vincent]

Depends on the cadence programming but cadence Bikes should be mild power in lower levels and you can get as much exercise as you want

 

[fooferdoggie]

I think cadence does not require any effort - just spin?

there is effort but you keep your spin up and shift to keep it even. you put the effort you can sustain into it. as the terrain changes you shift to keep the effort and cadence the same. a cadance sensor wont let you do that and the limited amount of gears keeps you from finding the right gear always or at least most times.

 

[tlippy]

there is effort but you keep your spin up and shift to keep it even. you put the effort you can sustain into it. as the terrain changes you shift to keep the effort and cadence the same. a cadance sensor wont let you do that and the limited amount of gears keeps you from finding the right gear always or at least most times.

Help me! My R1U 700 has 9 cadence choices. I think 1 thru 8 depends on effort with a max speed of 20 mph each. If you want to go 28 mph shift to 9. This gets rid of 20 mph maximum?

 

[harryS]

I think cadence does not require any effort - just spin?

That would be awful. There are cadence systems where all 5 levels somehow get you to 20 mph no matter how lightly you pedal.

The more common types have each PAS level cut off at a predetermined speed. When you ride near that level, pedaling effort does control the speed of your bike. When you ride well above that predetermined speed, you get little help from a geared hub motor. Feels like a regular bike at thet point.

It's up to you. If you set a high asist level and ride slower, you can lazily spin the pedal with no effort.

 

[GenXrider]

"torque sensors are generally better for fit riders and cadence for unfit riders,"
This about sums it up

You're replying to a thread that is over a year old with misinformation. Here's a more recent thread:

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/torque-sensor-vs-cadence.35711/

Anyway, your statement is definitely not the case based on that data point alone. In fact, I can give a case for for the exact bikes you mentioned, that presently owned R1U LMT'Ds (torque PAS) will give you much less exercise than you can get from presently owned second generation R1U 700 series (cadence PAS) when using their respective PAS systems at assist level 1 and riding both bikes at the same speed. And also, my hesitation in getting a LMT'D right now is for that very reason, because I want to maximize exercise without having to ride a lot faster than I want to, but certainly not so slow as to turn PAS off completely. The upcoming shipments of LMT'D's will have some modifications, which may change this, but that is not a certainty at this point.

 

[GenXrider]

Help me! My R1U 700 has 9 cadence choices. I think 1 thru 8 depends on effort with a max speed of 20 mph each. If you want to go 28 mph shift to 9. This gets rid of 20 mph maximum?

Did you research this bike at all? I have and am still considering it. Those are not cadence choices, those are assist levels. The power output to the motor varies from one level to the next. The number of available assist levels while riding can be changed in the LCD settings, so you don't have to use all 9. For example, you could choose the 1-5 option. And they are not based on effort, only that you are pedaling. And they are not directly related to a speed metric, just power. And another nice feature of the 700 is that each assist level can have its power percentage changed in the advanced settings. The 20 mph limit is the limit of "throttle only", not assist levels.

As a side note, most new 700 customers are reporting that the throttle doesn't work when pedaling with PAS.

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/my-ride1up-700s-are-being-shipped.35874/post-312626

Edit: Ride1up is providing a fix using a USB cable and a software update.

 

[Lantley]

Very informative thread. I am a total rookie to ebikes. I have a lot to learn.
Old threads can be very beneficial to rookies. In many cases old threads are the most informative. The info is not old when your reading it for the first time!
I experienced the hard to get started issue, due to cadence sensing on my first solo ride. I figured out, I just needed to use the throttle to get started and all was good. It seems that all ebikes don't respond in quite the same fashion . I also understand not all bikes have a throttle. Would it be safe to say bikes with cadence sensors often need a throttle to power start when required?

 

[vincent]

Not really
One of the bigger issues in the past few years with cadence bikes was that the lower levels were too quick and not controlled

so like you said it depends on the bike...

 

[GenXrider]

I also understand not all bikes have a throttle. Would it be safe to say bikes with cadence sensors often need a throttle to power start when required?

That would not normally be the case, at least when on level ground in a lower gear. But if you're stopped on an incline in a high gear, it may be needed. But despite whether there's a "need", people often like to use it for a quick burst of power, such as crossing a busy street.

 

[tlippy]

Did you research this bike at all? I have and am still considering it. Those are not cadence choices, those are assist levels. The power output to the motor varies from one level to the next. The number of available assist levels while riding can be changed in the LCD settings, so you don't have to use all 9. For example, you could choose the 1-5 option. And they are not based on effort, only that you are pedaling. And they are not directly related to a speed metric, just power. And another nice feature of the 700 is that each assist level can have its power percentage changed in the advanced settings. The 20 mph limit is the limit of "throttle only", not assist levels.

As a side note, most new 700 customers are reporting that the throttle doesn't work when pedaling with PAS.

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/my-ride1up-700s-are-being-shipped.35874/post-312626

GenX, I did do a lot of research but also all the terminology was new to me. Got cadence and assist mixed up. My bad

 

[Lantley]

That would not normally be the case, at least when on level ground in a lower gear. But if you're stopped on an incline in a high gear, it may be needed. But despite whether there's a "need", people often like to use it for a quick burst of power, such as crossing a busy street.

You nailed it. I failed to mention I was on an incline in a high gear, when I discovered I needed to use the throttle.
It does make me question the idea that torque sensors are for those in good shape and cadence sensors are for those out of shape.
If I were in better shape maybe I would not need to use the throttle and I could have peddled a bit harder and started moving using my own power vs. using the throttle.
The reality was without the throttle I would have been stuck on that incline. The throttle saved the day, and showed why us older guys have gravitated to the magic ebikes

 

[6zfshdb]

The OP's post from 2014 was a simple question as to the general preference of torque vs cadence. A lot of good information has been provided since then and should be taken into account when bike shopping.

It should be noted however that every bike performs differently and every rider has different needs. What works for some, may not for all. Answer the question for yourself by test riding as many bikes as possible while comparing both sensor types. If you still aren't sure, buy a bike with both and perhaps a throttle for even more flexibility.