mid drives are not for everyone/throttles are fine

[TForan]

So on my return trip from the summer property 5/25, had the unfortunate experience that made me require a throttle on my electric bike.
Had a 2.5 deg fever 5/16-18, plus couldn't smell food odors (diet orange soda is especially pungent). Both symptoms of covid-19 but no breathing difficulty. Was wearing a 3M M95 mask in a store 5/13, maybe a very few virus leaked around it. Doesn't seal under my eyes as military gas mask does.
Temp normal 5/19 (95.0), rode bike 30 miles to summer property 5/20. Was a weather wreck out there, seriously needed work. Out there got awfully tired in the afternoons, but working very hard hauling out fallen tree that fell on my truck. Come back to town 5/25, start normally @ 1035, but by 1300, normal flat unpowered riding is running my heart rate up to 160 bpm. Felt 80 years old (which means usually that I have a fever). I can usually ride 8 mph on the flat at 120 bpm, even when I'm out of shape in May. Used the throttle & motor to power me home in 3.7 hours. Temperature was 2.5 deg high at home that day, today 3 deg high. So either covid-19 is back or the tick bite I got 5/20 gave me a fever. Either way, would have had to call a tow truck if I hadn't had electricity & a throttle to power me home. The electric bike does not cost me $600/mo payment and $400/mo insurance charge the way a new truck would.

$4800 a year for truck insurance ? Several DUIs ?

 

[indianajo]

$4800 a year for truck insurance ? Several DUIs ?

Significant retirement assets that need protection from vicious tort lawyers. A modest pension could net mid 5 figures if liquidated, plus the value of property visible to any lawyer that visits the tax office. You don't have to make a mistake, you just have to be alone (no witnesses) and worth sueing. 10/20/5 minimum legal coverage won't protect you age 69.
I'm getting cold calls from foreign agents (HK accent) anxious to buy my property for cheap while I'm desperate (not) due to unemployment in the virus epidemic.

 

[TForan]

Significant retirement assets that need protection from vicious tort lawyers. A modest pension could net mid 5 figures if liquidated, plus the value of property visible to any lawyer that visits the tax office. You don't have to make a mistake, you just have to be alone (no witnesses) and worth sueing. 10/20/5 minimum legal coverage won't protect you age 69.
I'm getting cold calls from foreign agents (HK accent) anxious to buy my property for cheap while I'm desperate (not) due to unemployment in the virus epidemic.

Not sure what that has to do with truck insurance but carry on.

 

[Lar]

Both my bikes have throttles, I only use the throttle for walking the bike up a slope, the cruiser has a 500w rear hub motor, I prefer it for longer trips and have passed 12000km in 2.5 years, it climbs hills ok, the other bike an older mountain bike with a BBSHD fitted, I mainly use it for shopping pulling a trailer, climbs hills no problem,

with the hub motor I have it on full assist and first gear in climbing a steep local hill, the middrive on the other hand climbs the same hill in first gear with much less effort, this is on assist level 4 out of 9 and with a full trailer.

Good point about walk assist given the weight of some ebikes. Some other areas would be when plowing in loose gravel washes also dropping in a deep wash and climbing right back out the other side in the later case it's not a wash that most if any riders could pedal out of and balance is more key and full throttle before hitting the bottom is required.

Interesting read...

 

[JRA]

Missed this first go round and admittedly only read Vincent’s post, which made total sense to me and browsed a few others.

I’m glad Vincent stayed on board because at the end of the day it is ok to like hub bikes and mud drives with and without throttles.

 

[Daffyh]

I bought a Fat Ebike in AU with a throttle rear hub bafang 500W it will do 24mph, its my new dog trailer towing rig. After tweaking the electric settings I am also getting a lower geared cassete set fitted next week so the inclines I can pedal more. Now i can make a valid comparison having owned all 3 types, i hate fronts hubs full stop.
Rear hub or mid drive with a throttle is so handy to have, just as no throttle is fine also.
All comes down to personal preference and the legalities where you live.

 

[BigNerd]

I’m fairly new here and while I do see occasional debates over throttles, it doesn’t seem to get out of hand... or maybe I miss the e-slapping before the mods get to it.

I see more contention over buying a cheap ebike vs the more established brands or even squabbles over building your own ebike as superior to anything else. But in the end, as long as we are all reasonable, there is value in those type of discussions.

I like rear hub drives because they seem to be cheaper and lower maintenance. The throttle is a bonus and for most casual riders, seems almost necessary.

 

[JRA]

"i hate fronts hubs full stop"

I have thousands of miles on my front hub bikes, which I primarily use for varied surface road use, and wouldn't have them any other way. With a throttle of course!

All comes down to personal preference and the legalities where you live.

 

[Lantley]

I think there is value in the discussion as long as everyone keeps an open mind.
We need to appreciate the differences in the choices we make.
This is a large forum with lots of Ebikers who have a variety of riding styles.
As a result there can be a a large variety in equipment choices.
I think what is best depends on the riders needs and desires.
What is best is NOT a one size fits all answer, that fact often gets lost in our discussions.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I find it interesting whenever there is a mid-drive hub-drive debate nobody mentions that many, if not most, cyclists using a hub drive are unable to remove the rear wheel and fix a flat tire. For me that is a deal-killer.

Sitting alongside the road in the rain, possibly for hours, waiting for AAA or your mom to come pick you up doesn't seem appealing to me.

 

[vincent]

I don’t know what the deal is with flats, I have a decent amount of miles on my bikes and most of my rides are HEAVILY loaded 30 to 45 miles on bad dirt roads in the desert where we have big thorns
I have never had a flat that could not get back to the car

I don’t fix any flats myself, even if it’s on my mid drives
But It has certainly not been an issue for me

I don’t know if I’m just lucky or what but that does not even come into the equation for me

 

[Taylor57]

I just like the option of a throttle.

 

[Lar]

Watched this video on it earlier just a few tools needed main one being a closed end ratcheting wrench other than that like normal.

 

[BigNerd]

I find it interesting whenever there is a mid-drive hub-drive debate nobody mentions that many, if not most, cyclists using a hub drive are unable to remove the rear wheel and fix a flat tire. For me that is a deal-killer.

Sitting alongside the road in the rain, possibly for hours, waiting for AAA or your mom to come pick you up doesn't seem appealing to me.

Not sure why removing a rear-hub drive wheel is so much more difficult. The power cables disconnect and then it's similar to removing a normal rear wheel (just heavier).

 

[vincent]

That is my opinion also, that most throttle bikes are more versatile and I like having that option for myself and friends that occasionally ride with me

 

[vincent]

On the question of flats -does everybody else check the air in their tires before every ride?

getting back into Bikes after 30 years I read online somewhere that you’re supposed to check the tires before every ride so I always do this, don’t know if that makes a difference with me not getting flats or the fact I have the shop put sealant in all the tires every year or what

 

[Taylor57]

Not sure why removing a rear-hub drive wheel is so much more difficult. The power cables disconnect and then it's similar to removing a normal rear wheel (just heavier).

The rear wheel fix on the XP appears to be a little harder than normal size bike due to tight fit with the 4 inch tires...

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Not sure why removing a rear-hub drive wheel is so much more difficult. The power cables disconnect and then it's similar to removing a normal rear wheel (just heavier).

The two most common threads on this forum are mid-drives versus hub-drives and how to fix a flat on a hub drive bike. Just saying.

I personally don't consider it difficult at all to remove and replace the wheel on a hub drive bike. But for many people here it is apparently beyond their capabilities.

 

[vincent]

Lol It is definitely not beyond my capabilities to change a tube in a bike tire but I can afford to take it to the shop and get it fixed so I don’t have to mess with it

I have several bikes so if it’s a problem I’ll just roll it back to the car and get another bike out

And again I don’t have a lot of flats, think that I have had a total of three in Four or more years on all the bikes together

I am proactive in not getting flats but that’s just not even in the equation of when I’m shopping for bikes do I worry about flats on them???

 

[vincent]

And I totally disagree that the main threads on these forums are hard to fix flats on a hub drive and mid drive versus throttle bikes, there’s a lot more talked about here