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The "regen" should only be turned on when you apply the brakes. However, even when regen is turned off, direct-drive motors are always connected to the wheel and thus will always have some drag. This drag works against you as you go faster, but is smaller than the drag experienced when "regen"...

Not all mid-drives are created equal. The Bosch Generation 2 Performance line ones have a reputation of being draggy, while the Active Line or the new generation (2020) Performance Line are supposed to be less so. Even so, the drag reported is often exagerated. I own one of the draggy ones...

That is mostly a political problem. Fare more radioactive waste escapes into the environment from burning coal than from nuclear power, 100x for the same amount of energy according to https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/. Yet, the...

I don't know that the belt itself loses efficiency, but the integrated hubs that go with it tend to be less efficient than derailleur setups. See https://www.cyclingabout.com/speed-difference-testing-gearbox-systems/

You can get a sense of motor reliability at https://pedelecmonitor.wordpress.com. It is in German but includes a Google translate option on the right. You can sign up on the web site and record your current drive system, motor type, and mileage (in km). The web site tracks the mileage and motor...

I bought a 2018 Gazelle Arroyo floor model earlier this year and really like it. I think what attracted me to the bike was the riding position, and the fact that you can adjust it as you ride due to the adjustable stem. Sometimes I lower it for a more agressive position, but usually I ride...

The display I have, a Bosch Purion display without a clock, receives enough power so that it can start up the battery and controller when I press the power button. Thus, it must receive a small amount of power to power up the embedded chip. I don't think adding a clock would make any...

I have been without a watch for a while and usually pull out my cell phone to tell the time. But, that is awkward while riding. It would be nice to have the time on my display as I am trying to get to a bus stop before the bus leaves. Others may want it for the same reason on their way to...

It really depends on the hills. As "rich c" stated, trying it out would be your best bet. If these are hills that you already ride up very slowly, then an e-bike, even with a 250W motor, will increase your speed significantly. If you are walking your bike up the hills then whether an you can...

I think you mean CityZen instead of Gazelle.

Do you know where you get that interpretation from? The US federal definition of a "Low-speed electric bicycle" is defined in 15 U.S.C. 2085(b). It reads as follows: For the purpose of this section, the term “low-speed electric bicycle” means a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully...

Bosch actually reports "equivalent torque" on their motors with the small chain rings. Thus, while Bosch claims 65Nm of torque for the older Performance Line motors the actual torque is 65Nm/2.5 = 26Nm. However, this torque gets multiplied when connected to a larger gear in the rear. For...

Technically, Ken M is correct; the 4:1 ratio going from 44T to 11T reduces torque by 75%. However, it is also very misleading. The 75% loss doesn't apply to power, only torque. Power is proportional to torque times speed, and the 44:11 ratio multiplies speed by 4 while reducing torque by 4...

Most likely: - The US legal motor limit is 750W, so the US version is labeled a 750W motor - The Canadian legal motor limit is 500W, so the Canadian version is labelled a 500W motor

The RadCity motor has 40Nm of torque. You can calculate the slope it could drive by itself: Force = Torque / tire_diameter / pi = 40Nm / 0.7m = 57N Slope = Force / mass / g * 100% = 57N / 100kg / 9.8m/s^2 * 100% = 5.8% Speed = Power / Force = 400W / 57N = 7.0m/s = 25km/hr = 16mph I chose...

I am pretty sure hub motors should be able to handle the hills near the University of Utah. Taking the bike into the mountains and canyons surrounding Salt Lake City, if desired, might be another story. As many have already said, try before you buy. I tried a number of bikes before I bought...

Is there a state where that is street legal?

I own a Gazelle Arroyo C8 and have ridden it on gravel roads and some trails. While it might not replace a mountain bike I expect it should be able to cover what a gravel bike would. At least I find it far better on gravel roads than my road bike was.

There is currently an ongoing "Mid drives vs Hub drives???" thread that you might check out.

I believe this is fairly common. Many e-bikes seem to have a power vs speed curve that looks like the attached graph: where you get full assist to a certain speed (which I am calling "start cutoff"), then the assist reduces until it hits zero at a 2nd speed ("finish cutoff"). This gives a...