FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
Interesting discussion. As previously noted, Yamaha has recently added a clinometer to assist on hill climbing when needed.One of the things that I think everyone misses on this thread is that this is very early days. I suspect there is the potential for enormous improvements, both in efficiency and the riding experience, still to be discovered for e-bikes. Just three thoughts on things nobody is doing that should be "well duh" items:
- When you are pedaling, the power you put into the bike continuously varies, from near zero when the pedals are at 12 o'clock/6 o'clock to the maximum somewhere around 9 o'clock/3 o'clock. Why doesn't someone make a pedal-assist system that "modulates" the power output so that peak motor power is produced when pedal input is the smallest and vice versa?
- It seems very natural as well that you would produce higher levels of assist at lower speeds, as that is most likely when you need more assist (to accelerate or get up a hill).
- While we are on the subject of hills, it might be wise to have a clinometer as input to the assist system to give an even bigger boost when you are starting up a hill.
Regarding pedal efficiency, decades ago Shimano started experimenting with Oval chainrings... Biopace, etc. to optimize power output.
I would imagine, current software could easily be tuned to modulate the power output at various points on the chainring pedal stroke.
![en.wikipedia.org](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Biopacemtb.jpg/1200px-Biopacemtb.jpg)
Biopace - Wikipedia
Last edited: