NCM Moscow+ from 3x8 to 1x10 and it is awesome!

Yup, my chain deteriorated to the point of falling apart with the plating flaking off. I should have
changed if 500 mi. sooner. I had cleaned & lubed it several times. Then again, I ride in wet, grimy
conditions most of the time.
Alright, well I'm glad it's not just me. I might start using the ceramic lube and see if that holds up better since it shouldn't attract as much dirt.
 
Same here... the chain lasts only for about 500km... I think it is because of the weight of the bike. Now I am trying an ebike specific chain that is working much better and longer.
 
Same here... the chain lasts only for about 500km... I think it is because of the weight of the bike. Now I am trying an ebike specific chain that is working much better and longer.
Mine lasted 2000 miles, but was coming apart literally. I´d get some spare 20mm x 30mm brake pads
too, if I were you. Better than a week of downtime waiting for them to arrive otherwise. Yeah a better
chain is definitely in order.
 
Same here... the chain lasts only for about 500km... I think it is because of the weight of the bike. Now I am trying an ebike specific chain that is working much better and longer.
I'm a little surprised these bikes put much strain on the chains. Since these are hub drive, they should only be strained by as much work as you are putting into pedaling. Unless you're really pushing, above and beyond what the assist wants to set the bike speed at, I wouldn't expect much wear since there otherwise wouldn't be much tension on the chain. The said I'm fairly new to the mechanics of all this so I could be overlooking something.

Now - as for mid-drive, from what I am told by a friend who has been on one, those seem to wreck the drivetrain. Lots of tension on the chain, even when it's shifting.
 
I'm a little surprised these bikes put much strain on the chains. Since these are hub drive, they should only be strained by as much work as you are putting into pedaling. Unless you're really pushing, above and beyond what the assist wants to set the bike speed at, I wouldn't expect much wear since there otherwise wouldn't be much tension on the chain. The said I'm fairly new to the mechanics of all this so I could be overlooking something.

Now - as for mid-drive, from what I am told by a friend who has been on one, those seem to wreck the drivetrain. Lots of tension on the chain, even when it's shifting.
Iv'e done 2000 miles since June 2020, chain still in good working order. Moscow 27.5
Cleaned and lubed after every ride.
 
I switched from the original 3x8 to 1x10 drivetrain and it is a fantastic change!

Less weight, less controls and cables, easier to drive and enough ratios!

You will need:
- a single chainring (narrow wide to keep the chain in its place safely, I never had a problem. I suggest a 32T but you can use 32,34,36... You can keep the shimano crankset or upgrade to something more specific. The shimano worked well but I decided to get something new :)
- new chain (10 speed)
- new shifter (I used shimano deore)
- new derailleur (i used shimano deore m6000)
- new freewheel (the best option is the sunrace 11-36, because it is the only with a 36t sprocket, but you can go with the dnp 11-34 if it is enough for you, cheaper and easier to fit). The sunrace 11-36 is a tight fit and you will need to add a spacer to the right side to get some clearance from the frame and 2mm spacer between the motor and the freewheel because of the shape of the sunrace freewheel.
- I also replaced the last section of the hose cable for a better fit.

The picture is with the DNP 11-34, but I have recently replaced it with the sunrace 11-36 10speed

You could also keep a 1x8 configuration, but 11-32 is not enough for me because I do a lot of climbing. (there are however some 13-34t 8 speed freewheels out there)

If you need help on the procedure please let me know!
I've been thinking along the same lines, but don't have the resources to go big... I was considering going to a 1x9 using the same derailleur but replacing the freewheel and the shifter. I don't do any humongous hills so really don't need anything taller than 32T, and would end up with identical range, just a little more gradient. In the meantime I might just remove the small and large rings from the chainring and see how I like it. ultimate goal for me is to shed as much weight as I can, because I have to hump my bike down 3 flights and up again every time I ride (bad neighborhood, it wouldn't last a minute locked up outside, regardless of my alarm).
 
@KuRi your mods are still kind of percolating in my head... how's the 1x10 holding up? Any regrets on it? I went 1x8 this year and am mostly happy although I am missing a the ability to "fine tune" the gearing a bit. My girlfriend needs a freewheel that goes down to an 11T, and a new derailleur so I'm now thinking of giving her my 8 speed freewheel and derailleur and upgrading mine. Also how's the ebike chain doing? I probably have about 300-500 miles left on my chain then I might try to go with something a little more geared towards ebikes next time. Seems I'm only getting about 1000 miles on a "regular" chain.
 
@KuRi your mods are still kind of percolating in my head... how's the 1x10 holding up? Any regrets on it? I went 1x8 this year and am mostly happy although I am missing a the ability to "fine tune" the gearing a bit. My girlfriend needs a freewheel that goes down to an 11T, and a new derailleur so I'm now thinking of giving her my 8 speed freewheel and derailleur and upgrading mine. Also how's the ebike chain doing? I probably have about 300-500 miles left on my chain then I might try to go with something a little more geared towards ebikes next time. Seems I'm only getting about 1000 miles on a "regular" chain.
It is working perfectly. Very nice upgrade without any regrets. Before the mod my chain was lasting only 500-800km, but after the upgrade I decided to use KMC chains and now they are lasting 2000+km

Good Luck!
 
so - any thoughts on whether or not putting the chainring in the outer position is asking for trouble? I haven't gone 1x10 yet, still playing around with 1x8 but the chainring I have is a bit too close to the frame for comfort in the middle position so I just moved it to the outer position. I figure this may not be too bad since I'm almost always in gears 5-7 (but typically 3 coming out of a stop and 1 or 2 only on really steep hills). I hear this is kind of cross chaining is a no-no for a non electric bike, but with this being electric and without much use of the lower gears I'm thinking there's a chance this may actually be better in the long run since the chainline will be further out from the bike. Am I asking for trouble.. or maybe overthinking this? Thanks!
 
How is the alignment( the straighter the better)? Because of the torque its better to use a stronger chain,I guess the old cruiser "fixies" ruined Me, I had to go to higher gears to smoke my riding Pals. I very seldom use the lowest gears, when I was young I could sit down and pedal by the other guys pushing their bikes my riding was more about torque than "power"( speed) I always felt a multi speed gearbox was basically a waste when you had "High torque rise'.
These dedicated really in shape Guys and Gals, can get the most out of a large cassette for someone like me its a waste, I only use the higher gears on the level and usually something toward the middle of the cassette or freewheel is my default for moderate hills no more than 10%. There is a very limited sweet spot for my "cadence" vs total weight and the EMotor fills in the rest( finally figured out it was better to use it.
The Roadies( even on the steep grades) maintain a good rate of speed,I know this because I have been stuck in the middle of a couple of bike races around here, theres the Leaders then one or two struggling to keep up( midpack) then all the rest( back of the line- believe these Guys and Gals are actually enjoying the event)
 
Yeah an ebike definitely exaggerates the lack of a need for a bunch the of gears, most of the time.

It basically seems to line up with 6th gear, maybe just outboard (a mm or so?) of there, so anything lower than that, 1-5, and the alignment gets worse and worse. I get some minor chainring noise on 1 and maybe a a bit on 2. You can see why just looking at it, the chain is noticeably pulled to the side on the chainring for those gears. I guess I'm just not familiar enough with the potential cross chain issues to know if the occasional steep hill, when I would go down to a really low gear, is enough to be concerned about cross chaining.
 
Yeah an ebike definitely exaggerates the lack of a need for a bunch the of gears, most of the time.

It basically seems to line up with 6th gear, maybe just outboard (a mm or so?) of there, so anything lower than that, 1-5, and the alignment gets worse and worse. I get some minor chainring noise on 1 and maybe a a bit on 2. You can see why just looking at it, the chain is noticeably pulled to the side on the chainring for those gears. I guess I'm just not familiar enough with the potential cross chain issues to know if the occasional steep hill, when I would go down to a really low gear, is enough to be concerned about cross chaining.
I predict this issue will be a thing of the past in a year or two, the thing is could be corrected rather easily.The problem is it would add weight and complexity to the drivetrain one rather interesting thing is this ceramic cassette and shaft drive. We may see a Hybrid bike with no chain and electric drive that with the proper software would give you all the feel of a conventional drive train without chains and gears. small battery pack, crank driven generator.
 
I switched from the original 3x8 to 1x10 drivetrain and it is a fantastic change!

Less weight, less controls and cables, easier to drive and enough ratios!

You will need:
- a single chainring (narrow wide to keep the chain in its place safely, I never had a problem. I suggest a 32T but you can use 32,34,36... You can keep the shimano crankset or upgrade to something more specific. The shimano worked well but I decided to get something new :)
- new chain (10 speed)
- new shifter (I used shimano deore)
- new derailleur (i used shimano deore m6000)
- new freewheel (the best option is the sunrace 11-36, because it is the only with a 36t sprocket, but you can go with the dnp 11-34 if it is enough for you, cheaper and easier to fit). The sunrace 11-36 is a tight fit and you will need to add a spacer to the right side to get some clearance from the frame and 2mm spacer between the motor and the freewheel because of the shape of the sunrace freewheel.
- I also replaced the last section of the hose cable for a better fit.

The picture is with the DNP 11-34, but I have recently replaced it with the sunrace 11-36 10speed

You could also keep a 1x8 configuration, but 11-32 is not enough for me because I do a lot of climbing. (there are however some 13-34t 8 speed freewheels out there)

If you need help on the procedure please let me know!
I was thinking of going to a 1x on my Moscow and when I removed the wheel to see if I had the correct tools to pull the cassette I noticed the axel on the drive side was moving. Is that normal? Also did you have to drill out your casset tool to fit over this axel? Do you remove the bolt that is threaded on the axel that’s flush with the cassette face?
The axel is the one with the power cables and it will pull out about 1/4” and rotate a little (see photos). Thanks for any info you can provide.
 

Attachments

  • 3BFEC451-2151-4CBA-81D5-5C302B20399C.jpeg
    3BFEC451-2151-4CBA-81D5-5C302B20399C.jpeg
    340.8 KB · Views: 194
  • 57B7951C-DC9B-4CCC-B8AF-4BC8A9B67DAF.jpeg
    57B7951C-DC9B-4CCC-B8AF-4BC8A9B67DAF.jpeg
    259.1 KB · Views: 192
I was thinking of going to a 1x on my Moscow and when I removed the wheel to see if I had the correct tools to pull the cassette I noticed the axel on the drive side was moving. Is that normal?

That is not good. The axle is loose or bent? Neither is good. Ours was rock solid with the freewheel off
 
I was thinking of going to a 1x on my Moscow and when I removed the wheel to see if I had the correct tools to pull the cassette I noticed the axel on the drive side was moving. Is that normal? Also did you have to drill out your casset tool to fit over this axel? Do you remove the bolt that is threaded on the axel that’s flush with the cassette face?
The axel is the one with the power cables and it will pull out about 1/4” and rotate a little (see photos). Thanks for any info you can provide.
I haven't had mine off to look but sounds like it should be rigid. Am I looking at this right? I thought the bike had 11t for the smallest gear, is it really 13 or 14? I keep trying to count mine, but it's tough without taking the wheel off, which I'm trying to avoid right now. I have a freewheels that is 11-34 that I haven't been in a huge rush to put on but if the small gear isn't already 11t, I might jump on doing it.
 
That is not good. The axle is loose or bent? Neither is good. Ours was rock solid with the freewheel off
The axle is loose not bent. When off the bike the cassette side rotates and can be pulled out slightly so that it flops down like in the pic.
You confirmed what I was worried about, that this is not normal. I need to contact them about this. Thanks for the reply.
 
The axle is loose not bent. When off the bike the cassette side rotates and can be pulled out slightly so that it flops down like in the pic.
You confirmed what I was worried about, that this is not normal. I need to contact them about this. Thanks for the reply.

We had ours off to replace the freewheel with just a stock 11-32t replacement and while we didn't try pulling the axle out slightly as you described it was for sure rigid on ours. Sorry to hear yours might be busted.
 
Back