Changing flat on hub drive bike?

[Mtl_Biker]

I've seen several posts about people saying that they've chosen mid-drive bikes because of the difficulty of changing or fixing a flat on a hub drive bike. Is it really more difficult?

Surely a hub drive bike has some electrical connections, but are they really difficult to dis/re-connnect? Aren't there some quick release connections? Other than the electrics, is there any other reason why folks say it's more difficult?

(I currently have my first e-bike, with mid-drive, but yesterday I saw a Stromer ST-5 in the flesh and I fell in love. Hub drive.)

 

[smorgasbord]

No, it's not that bad: certainly not bad enough to avoid hub drives for that reason alone. I've changed the tubes twice on two different Rad hub drive bikes. You just need to have the right size wrench (18mm?) or a large enough adjustable wrench.

 

[indianajo]

You have to carry tie wraps to tie them back up after you cut the wires loose. The sensor wire disconnects easily. If the motor power wires are long enough you don't have to disconnect them to lay the wheel on the ground with the bike upside down on the saddle & handlebars.
Changing tube with hub motor is much less difficult than breaking & splicing a chain, IMHO. & mid drives wear out chain. I've bought 3 bicycle chain breakers, 2 didn't work. & I break & spliced industrial chain all the time when I was a factory maintenance man. The master links are iffy too, the listings don't specify how wide they are, even in complete parts websites. 5,6,7,8 speed master links are obviously lying, that is 3 widths of chain. If it is wide enough for 5 it will hang up in the derailleur on an 8 speed.
Another reason I put the hub motor on the front; the # of flats on the front is about 1/3 the number on the rear. That tire doesn't wear as much either. If the bumps on my tires are tall enough I don't get flats.

 

[rich c]

On my bike you have to remove the electric lead from several clips on the frame, split the connector, remove a torque arm connector on the frame, then loosen large axle nuts. So ya, a fair amount more than a quick release axle.

 

[sl_duck]

I carry a Gaadi tube so I won't have to remove the wheel and hopefully get going sooner. Would rather sort things out later at home than fumble around with the wheel on the side of the road. There's so many options these days for preventing flats in the first place, that it wouldn't even factor in to my decision on mid-drive vs hub.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

The only flat I've had on my RadRover hub drive was on the back. I just broke the bead, pulled the tube out enough to put a patch on it, put it back and reinflated it. So I didn't take the wheel off at all. Not much too it. I've added Slime since then.

It might not always be so easy, but a full-blown tube replacement wouldn't be a lot of trouble. Definitely more steps involved than a quick-release motorless bike. Pay attention so that everything goes back right.

I really like the idea of the Gaadi tubes but they don't make them big enough for my tires.

TT

 

[AHicks]

I think the people talking about the bad experience are going to be those used to fixing an issue quickly out on a trail. Carrying the right stuff with you to do that on the rear tire of a hub drive bike might be a challenge/PIA. My plan is to call a buddy, or road service, and have the bike delivered to my home where a flat is pretty much a non event. No plans to try much of a repair in the field. I do go a little overboard maybe, making sure the bike is as right as it can be before making even a short hop.

 

[steve mercier]

ahem....POEM: I wish that I shall never see .......a punctured tire owned by me....but if I do I shall scurry ....to call an Uber in a hurry.......for one must try to keep ones cool... when far from home with no bike tool!

 

[tomjasz]

much adieu about nothing. An extra nut or two.

 

[rich c]

How do you guys dig a piece of glass or broken thorn out of the tire if you just break the bead and throw in another tube? Nothing irritates me more than putting in a new tube and getting an immediate flat.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

but are they really difficult to dis/re-connnect?

ST5 has thru-axles.
So, it is not anymore different than changing a mid-drive wheel except that it will be heavier and you just need to unplug the electrical wire (that is very simple to do, you don't need any wire snippers).

 

[Tars Tarkas]

How do you guys dig a piece of glass or broken thorn out of the tire if you just break the bead and throw in another tube? Nothing irritates me more than putting in a new tube and getting an immediate flat.

You just do what you have to do. And you're right, you have to look for the cause of the flat or you could immediately have another one. You look at the tire and see if you can find the problem or you break the bead and (carefully) feel around the inside of the tire. You ought to be able to find the leak in the tube, so you note where that hole is relative to the tire. Then you use your hand or a pair of pliers or a screwdriver or a stick or whatever you have to remove the perpetrator. Sometimes there's nothing to it. Sometimes it can take some real digging.

TT

 

[tomjasz]

Split tube. Done.
I am living in a flat free world. My tire will need changing before i’ll have a flat, based on my luck so far. It’s been a lower mileage summer, barely 1100 so far on my daily beater, and I’m never to far afield. If I were worried I’d pack one of these.

 

[AHicks]

ST5 has thru-axles.
So, it is not anymore different than changing a mid-drive wheel except that it will be heavier and you just need to unplug the electrical wire (that is very simple to do, you don't need any wire snippers).

You can change a tube, or a tire and tube, without disconnecting the wire powering the hub, as long as you have just a little slack. You work from the side opposite the wire. Not that I'm going to try that in the field anytime soon, but it is an option.

 

[ElevenAD]

lol, on the average hub drive you need to disconnect one wire before changing the tire,and the Hub motor makes the rim heavier,no big deal,its no reason
to choose a mid drive over a hub, tire changing is not a factor.

 

[AHicks]

lol, on the average hub drive you need to disconnect one wire before changing the tire,and the Hub motor makes the rim heavier,no big deal,its no reason
to choose a mid drive over a hub, tire changing is not a factor.

The wire powering the hub does not need to be disconnected to change a tube or a tire. You simply remove the tube/tire from the other side.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Unplugging that wire on my bike is like unplugging a toaster. Why is this even being talked about?? I am not a mechanical or electrical genius but I can unplug a wire without going to an LBS.

TT

 

[Mtl_Biker]

The wire powering the hub does not need to be disconnected to change a tube or a tire. You simply remove the tube/tire from the other side.

Doesn't that require enough extra length wiring that the wheel could be removed from the bike? And if there's not enough extra wire length, surely there's some kind of easy to unplug connection?

I've never had (or examined closely) a hub drive bike, but I'm really surprised at the number of people who say changing a tire is much more difficult than on a mid drive bike. That's why I asked.

And of course, changing a tire can be a whole different process if you're at home in your garage, or at the side of the road in a nature park. At night. In the rain.

 

[AHicks]

Doesn't that require enough extra length wiring that the wheel could be removed from the bike? And if there's not enough extra wire length, surely there's some kind of easy to unplug connection?

I've never had (or examined closely) a hub drive bike, but I'm really surprised at the number of people who say changing a tire is much more difficult than on a mid drive bike. That's why I asked.

And of course, changing a tire can be a whole different process if you're at home in your garage, or at the side of the road in a nature park. At night. In the rain.

When I say doesn't need to be unplugged, I'm assuming there's a couple inches of slack. Just enough to pull the axle up out of the drop outs and have the brake disk clear the calipers.

If the plugs were located back near the axle it would be simpler, but generally, in my experience anyway, they're further forward. This means a series of wire ties that need to be cut at minimum.

 

[MechaNut]

Changing the front tire on my Ripcurrent S is no more complicated than any other bike because the front wheel is quick release. The rear wheel requires an 18mm wrench (I keep an adjustable in the rack trunk on the back of my bike) and a hex key to remove the bolt for the torque arm. Depending on whether 18mm nut behaves itself or not I may also have to remove the derailleur to get the wheel off. It isn't that complicated, but can be time consuming compared to a quick release or a through-axle.

The first time I have a need to remove the rear wheel I make it a habit of replacing the zip ties that hold the power wire with velcro hook and loop cable ties. That way the ties are reusable and easy to remove and put back in place without needing to carry more zip ties with me. If the velcro ties get super dirty or muddy I can just rinse them out in the sink.

These are what I personally use: https://www.amazon.com/Attmu-Reusable-Fastening-Microfiber-6-Inch/dp/B00O9VKVFK