Better to downshift for stops (shifter wear & tear) or not (chain strain)?

[SC00CHB00CH]

However, I would say the drive train (especially the chain) will always wear faster when started in high gears (disregarding if it is the mid-drive or hub-drive motor). Only the strain with the mid-drive motor will be significantly higher.

If it's a rear hub motor and you throttle only the chain is not even involved in the bicycles movement. In fact you could remove the chain entirely from a rear hub motor and still have full power and throttle assist no chain is necessary.

You could essentially remove the chain , the pedals , the front chain ring , the cranks , the rear cassette from a rear hub motor and the bike will power forward as normal with the throttle.

Remove the chain from a mid-drive and you will not move an inch.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

and you throttle

Ah, the throttle. A mini-motorcycle.
Not a bicycle.
Agreed on the technical principle here.

 

[AHicks]

Here's my thought. What gear does an electric car start out in? Um, maybe, could it be, the same one it's using when cruising at freeway speeds?
That for the fact they use NO transmission?

You absolutely, no way, can not compare elec. motor performance to that of a IC powered vehicle at low rpm. They flat do not compare.....

If you're in no hurry, a throttle equipped mid drive can absolutely take off in 7th (or whatever your top gear is) without damage or stress on any component on the bike, assuming only you don't overpower the motor - as easily monitored by an eye on the watt meter. If you don't have a throttle, and your torque sensing is worth a darn, you can do the same thing - IF - you a have a light enough sensor. Again monitored by the watt meter so you aren't throwing full power at the motor as it accelerated from a stop.

Gutless? You bet. But very possible. On the level, up hill, or down hill, you aren't going to hurt a thing as long as you keep your watt meter reading within reason.....

 

[m@Robertson]

Every European cyclist knows how to shift and what the shifting is for. Why do many North Americans ask questions such as "it is better to downshift for stops"?
Shifting is essential. It is not an option.

Because in our culture bicycles have been and mostly still are generally regarded as the toy of a child. When a child becomes a young adult, they get a car like everyone else. So you see a lot of obviously noobie questions from people who would otherwise know better since they stopped riding a bike around the age of puberty.

But you know that and simply are taking the opportunity to be insulting. Again.

 

[Rexlion]

I want to retire and become shiftless. Darn, I should have bought a single-speed ebike!

 

[SC00CHB00CH]

If you're in no hurry, a throttle equipped mid drive can absolutely take off in 7th (or whatever your top gear is) without damage or stress on any component on the bike, assuming only you don't overpower the motor - as easily monitored by an eye on the watt meter. If you don't have a throttle, and your torque sensing is worth a darn, you can do the same thing - IF - you a have a light enough sensor. Again monitored by the watt meter so you aren't throwing full power at the motor as it accelerated from a stop.

Electrical power , (whether high or low) goes towards turning the mid-drive motor and producing forward momentum. If there is resistance– which keeps the motor from free-spinning – then instead of forward rotation, the electrical energy is converted to heat. If you start from a stop even with less power on the motor and in 7th gear you risk damaging the motor.
(In my case 7th gear is an 11 tooth cog)

Mid drives have so much power that they can get really hot, really quick if not allowed to spin up. Starting off in higher gears from a standstill doesn't let the motor spin up and therefor creates the aforementioned problem of overheating.

So you should always be in the lower gears when starting from a standstill in a mid-drive. This above all other things is to protect the motor itself. Low wattage high wattage , mid-drives like to be free spinning.

Now if you have pedal assist and on a flat road and under low wattage where most of the torque is provided from the rider's legs , then yes , there shouldn't be too much strain on the motor starting off in 7th gear since it's just under low assist. But this introduces bad habits IMO and shouldn't be a goto riding style on mid-drives. I really don't see why you couldn't just down shift anyways.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I want to retire and become shiftless. Darn, I should have bought a single-speed ebike!

A lot of success on climbing and against stiff headwind!

 

[rich c]

I want to retire and become shiftless. Darn, I should have bought a single-speed ebike!

What does retirement have to do with shifting? I've been retired for almost 9 years and didn't start riding until 3 years into my retirement. First it was getting an eBike because people didn't want to sweat, now it's because they don't want to shift. Pretty soon riders will want autonomous controls on the bike so they don't have to steer?

 

[gromike]

I just put a BBS02 with a twist grip throttle on a Trek 7.2. My first mid-drive. After taking it on it's maiden voyage this afternoon I kinda think I'm going to shift like it's is an old fashion three-on-the-tree car. One low gear, one middle, and one high.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What does retirement have to do with shifting?

He does not want to work on his shifts anymore

 

[Rexlion]

What does retirement have to do with shifting? I've been retired for almost 9 years and didn't start riding until 3 years into my retirement. First it was getting an eBike because people didn't want to sweat, now it's because they don't want to shift. Pretty soon riders will want autonomous controls on the bike so they don't have to steer?

I think my attempt at wordplay humor went over your head. Shiftless=lazy, doing nothing, but shiftless bikes are single-speed.

 

[kev123]

I have a felt. (Versa) steps. If the light changes at an intersection it's difficult to downshift. So I get caught in higher gear.