I’m a longtime rubbernecker on the forum but upon seeing this thread wanted to post my thoughts on my first few months using OneMotor.
Background: I purchased the OneMotor unit because I frequently take my 6YO to school on my bike, which involves going over the Williamsburg bridge here in New York City and -- after dropping him off -- going back over the span to get to work...which all told is definitely taking more effort now that I’m a bit older and my kid is seemingly growing heavier by the day. We also live in a walkup building without onsite bike storage, so the prospect of buying an e-bike and lugging it up and down the stairs each day was a non-starter. Lastly, I have a lot of love for my current bike (a Trek Singletrack) and setup, so I didn’t feel like I wanted -- or needed -- to change my ride if I didn’t absolutely have to. I considered purchasing an e-wheel unit like the Hilltopper but I was concerned it would make my bike more appealing to thieves on the street.
So for me, when OneMotor launched I recognized the product claims ticked all my boxes: easy to install and remove, platform agnostic (meaning it can work for bikes, scooters, share-bikes, etc.), lightweight (about 6 pounds), and would provide enough of a variable power boost to help me on the bridges and keep my from getting too sweaty en route to my job. I think I was one of the first few people to get a unit locally, and was lucky to have Jeff generously offer to mount the brackets on my bike and GoPed scooter.
So far OneMotor has meet my expectations. I can definitely feel the boost in power when it kicks in, and the OneMotor app allows me to adjust the power and engagement modes depending on whether I am riding up or down the bridge inclines. On the relatively flat streets of Manhattan, I usually dial the power down, but I still tend to go faster with less effort using OneMotor. When engaged, the unit makes a slight whirring-whistling sound, barely perceptual at lower speeds and more audible when I'm going full speed.
The neat thing is how the unit senses my speed and adjusts the power accordingly. It uses a remote pedal sensor that attaches via magnet to the back of one pedal to track pedaling speed and rotation frequency. Using this info combined with the rotation speed of the friction belt drive that sits on the wheel, the unit then applies some fancy algorithm to continuously adjust the power and maintain overall efficiency. I’ve ridden down some gnarly cobblestone streets and the pedal sensor magnet has held fast.
The unit can be used in the rain, but I haven’t tried that (I think it’s basically due to some weird fear transference around using something electrical in the rain). However, one foggy morning I was going over the bridge and hit a stretch of surface condensation on the incline. The drive started to slip on the tire and automatically dialed down the power assist (as it should). This made getting up the hill a lot harder and I suspect that would happen on other inclines if the wheel was wet. That said, I’ve gone through puddles on relatively flat streets and the unit quickly recalibrated to regain traction and then it was business as usual.
Using the OneMotor on my GoPed scooter has been ok, but not quite on par with the bike experience. On flat smooth surfaces it is a blast to use in throttle mode, but on bumpier roads it can get pretty jarring at higher speeds without any suspension. Of course, this isn't an issue with the OneMotor unit itself, but it keeps me from enjoying my scooter ride with it on to the fullest.
So in summary, for someone regularly biking in an urban environment who could benefit from some e-power, I think the OneMotor is a pretty good investment. And it IS an investment…I paid over $1K for the unit, but that’s still less than a decent e-bike, and the piece-of-mind I get from being able to complete remove the OneMotor unit when I lock-up my bike makes it worth it. The unit is also well designed with high build-quality -- it’s clear how much thought was put into the whole experience of using it. Anyway, hope this helps anyone who is interested in the product!
Background: I purchased the OneMotor unit because I frequently take my 6YO to school on my bike, which involves going over the Williamsburg bridge here in New York City and -- after dropping him off -- going back over the span to get to work...which all told is definitely taking more effort now that I’m a bit older and my kid is seemingly growing heavier by the day. We also live in a walkup building without onsite bike storage, so the prospect of buying an e-bike and lugging it up and down the stairs each day was a non-starter. Lastly, I have a lot of love for my current bike (a Trek Singletrack) and setup, so I didn’t feel like I wanted -- or needed -- to change my ride if I didn’t absolutely have to. I considered purchasing an e-wheel unit like the Hilltopper but I was concerned it would make my bike more appealing to thieves on the street.
So for me, when OneMotor launched I recognized the product claims ticked all my boxes: easy to install and remove, platform agnostic (meaning it can work for bikes, scooters, share-bikes, etc.), lightweight (about 6 pounds), and would provide enough of a variable power boost to help me on the bridges and keep my from getting too sweaty en route to my job. I think I was one of the first few people to get a unit locally, and was lucky to have Jeff generously offer to mount the brackets on my bike and GoPed scooter.
So far OneMotor has meet my expectations. I can definitely feel the boost in power when it kicks in, and the OneMotor app allows me to adjust the power and engagement modes depending on whether I am riding up or down the bridge inclines. On the relatively flat streets of Manhattan, I usually dial the power down, but I still tend to go faster with less effort using OneMotor. When engaged, the unit makes a slight whirring-whistling sound, barely perceptual at lower speeds and more audible when I'm going full speed.
The neat thing is how the unit senses my speed and adjusts the power accordingly. It uses a remote pedal sensor that attaches via magnet to the back of one pedal to track pedaling speed and rotation frequency. Using this info combined with the rotation speed of the friction belt drive that sits on the wheel, the unit then applies some fancy algorithm to continuously adjust the power and maintain overall efficiency. I’ve ridden down some gnarly cobblestone streets and the pedal sensor magnet has held fast.
The unit can be used in the rain, but I haven’t tried that (I think it’s basically due to some weird fear transference around using something electrical in the rain). However, one foggy morning I was going over the bridge and hit a stretch of surface condensation on the incline. The drive started to slip on the tire and automatically dialed down the power assist (as it should). This made getting up the hill a lot harder and I suspect that would happen on other inclines if the wheel was wet. That said, I’ve gone through puddles on relatively flat streets and the unit quickly recalibrated to regain traction and then it was business as usual.
Using the OneMotor on my GoPed scooter has been ok, but not quite on par with the bike experience. On flat smooth surfaces it is a blast to use in throttle mode, but on bumpier roads it can get pretty jarring at higher speeds without any suspension. Of course, this isn't an issue with the OneMotor unit itself, but it keeps me from enjoying my scooter ride with it on to the fullest.
So in summary, for someone regularly biking in an urban environment who could benefit from some e-power, I think the OneMotor is a pretty good investment. And it IS an investment…I paid over $1K for the unit, but that’s still less than a decent e-bike, and the piece-of-mind I get from being able to complete remove the OneMotor unit when I lock-up my bike makes it worth it. The unit is also well designed with high build-quality -- it’s clear how much thought was put into the whole experience of using it. Anyway, hope this helps anyone who is interested in the product!
