Mid drives vs Hub drives ???

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Until you blow a chain on a mid drive and have to walk home...
Wait, you don't carry an extra link and tool? I'd much rather replace a chain link than repair a tire on a hub motor. That said, need to carry a spare tube and take the punctured tube home and repair at your leisure. Have to remove the tube anyway to check inner side of tire to check there isn't a thorn still stuck in the tread waiting to puncture the new tube. That's a lesson you learn the hard way...
 
I ended up just pulling the tire off with the wheel attached and patching it that way. That lasted about 1/2 mile before it leaked again and I had to put more glue on it. It would have been so much easier to just replace the tube.

I don't know how much experience you have patching tubes, but it is something best not rushed (if you already know the drill, the following may help someone else ;)). When you put on the vulcanizing cement, use it sparingly and wait a few minutes...let it dry before laying down the patch.
 
Too bad BionX is in bankruptcy because their hub drives supposedly did not exert as much load and stress on the rear wheel compared to other hub drives, and they were quiet and effective. I have not heard of rear wheel failures or rear frame failures directly related to hub drives used on manufactured finished ebikes. If you are looking for upper end speed, hill, and endurance performance combined then at a minimum a 48v 500W motor + 10aH battery is required. DD hub drives seem to deliver that performance the best, and with the least amount of concerns (i.e. gear selection management, durability, reliability, failure) for an average recreational rider or commuter. Experienced bicycle riders may prefer mid-drives combined with their riding skills.
 
Wait, you don't carry an extra link and tool? I'd much rather replace a chain link than repair a tire on a hub motor. That said, need to carry a spare tube and take the punctured tube home and repair at your leisure. Have to remove the tube anyway to check inner side of tire to check there isn't a thorn still stuck in the tread waiting to puncture the new tube. That's a lesson you learn the hard way...
In two years of CS supporting Bag=fang kits, I found that few do. I keep a small kit each mid drive. But recently converted most of my personal rides to geared hubs. Sadly, IMO, mid drives have been oversold.
 
In two years of CS supporting Bag=fang kits, I found that few do. I keep a small kit each mid drive. But recently converted most of my personal rides to geared hubs. Sadly, IMO, mid drives have been oversold.

Don't you prefer a pedal forward flat foot hub bike ? I rode one and that's not for me. I guess that's why we have choices.
 
@JRA What kit did you use on your Motobecane? That's what I currently have.

I got most of the kit from ebikes.ca otherwise known as Grin. 9c hub, 25a controller and CAIII. I had the 48v 10.5ah dolphin battery in stock.

Their All Axle hub is a better motor though and I have that on another similar build. Mainly due to its much lighter weight, toolless removal ability and silence under load. Not that the 9c is loud but it does make some noise.
 
Wait, you don't carry an extra link and tool? I'd much rather replace a chain link than repair a tire on a hub motor. That said, need to carry a spare tube and take the punctured tube home and repair at your leisure. Have to remove the tube anyway to check inner side of tire to check there isn't a thorn still stuck in the tread waiting to puncture the new tube. That's a lesson you learn the hard way...

In my many years of riding regular bikes, I've had more issues with chain/crank/gears out on the road than I have nasty flats. Thick tires/tubes + sealant do wonders. Most of my flats are slow or the result of me screwing up the install (i.e. pinch), and happen at home not on the road.

The tiny handful of times I've had a puncture where the thick tire/tube and sealant weren't enough, the leak has been slow enough to not need immediate repair.
 
I got most of the kit from ebikes.ca otherwise known as Grin. 9c hub, 25a controller and CAIII. I had the 48v 10.5ah dolphin battery in stock.

Their All Axle hub is a better motor though and I have that on another similar build. Mainly due to its much lighter weight, toolless removal ability and silence under load. Not that the 9c is loud but it does make some noise.
I got most of the kit from ebikes.ca otherwise known as Grin. 9c hub, 25a controller and CAIII. I had the 48v 10.5ah dolphin battery in stock.

Their All Axle hub is a better motor though and I have that on another similar build. Mainly due to its much lighter weight, toolless removal ability and silence under load. Not that the 9c is loud but it does make some noise.
A shame more don’t realize the quality differences between the clones and th3 copied version. I’m flat out 8mpressed with everything I own from Grin.
 
2014, I had a heart condition develop so, in 2017 I decided a fat-tire 750w rear hub (Rad Rover) with throttle would be smart to start with. I would have to say it was for cardiac support and budget, is my concise answer to you question in 2017.

Now 2018, I agree a hub feels like crude power but, still a ton of fun with a few limited off-road capabilities. I am waiting for the recently ordered Voltbike Enduro with the small Bafang Max Mid-drive so, I can climb dirty hills! The hub is not designed to go up too steep of grades but, the mid-drive encourages it. I will have a better answer on the Max in a few weeks.
 
A shame more don’t realize the quality differences between the clones and th3 copied version. I’m flat out 8mpressed with everything I own from Grin.

I built my DIY bike using a Grin Tech kit and I have to agree - phaserunner + CAv3 + mx3006, and it feels amazing to ride - the only bike I demo'd that even came close to feeling this smooth and responsive was the Stromer line. It's almost eerily silent too.

It handles hills surprisingly well - DD hub is happy to take big bursts of current, and the loss in efficiency on steeper slopes is made up by the regen on the downslope/return (15-25%).
 
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I happened to own both mid drive and hub drive (direct drive) that share the same battery so I can have a good comparison between the 2, especially on energy efficiency. I already posted this one before but I'll also share it here.

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When it comes to the ease of riding and shifting through the gears especially at the stop and go city streets, the hub drive wins hands down.
 
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I have a geared rear hub 750w and soon a functioning middrive 350w, rated same nm of torque at 48v. I'm incredibly curious how this middrive will feel.... I agree the hubs are more user friendly.

I like to see personal experiences and results, thanks for posting.
 
Always depends on what you use the bike for.

For commuting (if you live in a pretty flat area) I´d mostly suggest hub drives.

If you are mostly trailriding or mountainbiking, I´d never suggest a hub and would always go with a middrive.
 
I live in São Paulo, Brazil and have a Stromer ST1 with the 14.5amp battery (the gold battery). The city has many hills and I think there are some hills more steep than the one from New Zeland. Sometimes I cannot go up the hills pedaling and I have to walk the bike which is a lot of work, since the ST1 weights a lot. I am looking to buy a Riese and Muller GX Rolhoof HS, but after reading all the pages of this thread I am not sure anymore. Also, I saw that the R&M has the Bosch HS performance engine with only 350W but 65NM of torque? Whereas the Stromer ST5 has 850W and only 48NM of torque. Are these torque ratings correct? Anyone has used an ST5 on a steep hill? Anyone here has ridden the ST5 and the Riese and Muller? I would love to know how they compare. Also, the roads here are TERRIBLE. The asphalt is completely uneven and full of pot holes, so are middrives better? The are some good places with bike lanes, but since they bike lanes do not connect the whole city, sometimes you have to get out and use regular roads that are pretty bad (like the one in the picture). When I have to leave the bike lanes, my body suffers, because the ST1 has only the front shocks.
 

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Hi Ricardo,

For those conditions you described, I would be looking for a mid-drive full suspension or hardtail mountain bike. Preferably with at least a 350 watt motor and a very high peak output. Something like the Trek Powerfly 7 with 36v and 600 watt peak output.

The Stromer isn't ideal for those dirt roads and steep hills. Those torque numbers look correct. Direct drives hubs generally have very low torque.
 
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