Click feel and sound after free wheeling

[Vic Russell]

Hi, I have a new Giant Entour E+1 (2019) which I am very happy with. I have become aware of a click sensation (felt through the peddle, a bit like changing gear) after free wheeling and then starting to peddle again. Is this normal?

 

[PDoz]

I think it's the ratchet / pawl engaging. You'll notice that when you backpedal the chainwheel doesn't turn like on a normal bike - I guess the same thing happens when freewheeling , so there is a fraction of a crank rotation before those pawls engage ( 1/24 th of a rotation on the pwx , not sure which motor you have) . I only notice it on road rides - it's VERY subtle

 

[Vic Russell]

Thanks. Yes it is very subtle. I was just worried that I only noticed it on my last two rides (on roads). Maybe it was there before but I was getting used to everything else. I will keep an eye on things and see if it changes. Thanks again PDoz.

 

[Vic Russell]

Fingers crossed!

 

[Poulidor]

Hello,

I also have this inconvenience on my GIANT Explore E1 GTS.

I ride a lot of bikes with my young son, I spend a lot of time in slow motion. This little click when you start pedalling again is relatively unpleasant.

The funny thing is that it appeared after about 100 miles. Before the pedaling was perfectly smooth. Also, this even happens with the engine completely shut down.

It would be interesting to know if all Syncdrive engines have this feature. Any testimonies?

Thank you,

 

[TAZMANIMAN]

Might sound funny but check your spokes too. Try wd40 on all the points that the spokes touch each other and see if it goes away.

 

[AltaShred]

I have a 2019 GIANT Explore E1 and a 2018 Road E1.

The Explore has less than 100 mile and the click was there more or less from new. I notice it a lot more when going very slow unpowered.
I don't notice it riding the Road E1 but its the pro motor and has less play in the one way by design (twice the pawls and finer cogs).

 

[Poulidor]

@TAZMANIMAN
Thanks, I didn't know this technique, but I'll try to pass all my rays to the wd40, it doesn't cost anything

@AltaShred
Okay, I'm reassured. My dealer not being a trader (if I had known before I would have bought it elsewhere...) refused that I try another bike of the brand so that I could form an opinion. As I had no experience in electric bicycles, it was impossible for me to know if this was normal... Your experience on both Giant engines is precious to me, thanks!
So I'm going to do nothing, and wait to see what happens over the miles.

 

[KuRi]

Same feeling here with three 2019 giant bikes I own (two pro's, one sport model). So it is perfectly normal. However it is annoying, but it is how it works
Cheers!

 

[gorse]

There are effectively two freewheels or freehubs on a mid drive ebike, a normal one attached to the rear wheel hub, and one in the motor which allows the cranks to spin backwards without moving the chainring. The clunky feel is is most obvious when both freehubs are active (when the bike is coasting and cranks are back pedalling) and you pedal forwards which causes the pawls to engage in both freehubs, albeit at slightly different offsets. What is hardly noticeable on a normal bike is very obvious on these bikes. As a mtber whose bikes all have 54 or 120pt engagement freehubs I found this slop really annoying until I stopped thinking about it... luckily it doesn’t really matter on a commuter bike.