New High Torque IGH announced by 3x3

[whittemoregulch]

OK. I just tested shifting under load without motor assist and I was not able to upshift and downshift under load (I did not crank the twist shifter like crazy to not brake the stuff, but I put enough force after which shifting is unreasonably hard). I eased force on pedals but not completely stopped pedaling and I was able to shift but the shifting had significantly more resistance (both up and down) than shifting without load.

I would not practice shifting this gearhub under load.

Thanks for the test. Yes. This sounds about what would be expected from any IGH or gearbox that has straight gears, which can handle more power under load and is what you will need with that Bafang. Based on this, I think the electronic shifting option with the updated Bosch firmware will obviate this effect. It would be cool if other motors were supported besides the Bosch Gen4/Gen5.

 

[Gionnirocket]

1) I did not shift it under load so I do not know. It works without issues under steep grade if I fail to anticipate gear changes and wind up short, the motor is powerful enough (Bafang M620 with 3000W Innotrace controller)
2) The gear transition is good and the same between all gears. The hub is silent at all gears if you rotate the crank arms. If you roll and do not rotate the crank arms the ratched sound is loud at gears 1-3 and quieter at other gears (comparable with regular rear wheel hub with derailleur sound).
3) I do not feel any break in period, it still works the same as the day one. The sound of the hub is the same as the day one. I have maybe 200 miles on it.
4) I do not know, I did not use Rohloff.
5) The gear step is not steep, I even shift two gears per time sometimes (but I have high torque and high voltage motor with wide RPM range so for a regular e-bike motor the gear step is probably perfect).
6) I did not weight my rear wheel.
7) I do recommend the 3x3 so far.

The only issue I found so far is the gear shifter cables length adjusting ferrules do not have any fixing features and they rotate under tension and vibration and after a couple rides cause shortening the cables, increasing the rotary shifter freeplay and misalignment with the gear indicator marks.

Interesting that you don't find the gear step too steep being 24%
I find the Rohloff with 14% steps at times can be tight but you can change 3 gears as easily as 1. But most of the time I appreciate being able to dial in a perfect gear while maintaining motor efficiency. I ride for exercise and my worn chicken legs have a small window where cadence and effort blend in a comfortable way. I also have my first 4 PAS tightly spaced (my most used for exercise) for the same reason... Sometimes I just need that extra 50 watts and being to dial it in makes the Ultra very efficient.
I'm still not at my typical summer peak stamina and I'm averaging just under 10wh/mi on a 24mi ride with a fair amount of hills and a mean speed of 16.5mph. That number usually increase on longer rides as most of the hills are close to home.
That said I think you can make adjustments in riding to make most hardware do what you want. Good to know that the 3x3 is a good hi torque alternative to the Rohloff.

 

[ava1ar]

Interesting that you don't find the gear step too steep being 24%

Kindernay VII hub has 28% gear steps and I have absolutely no issue at all with that on ebike. On non-electric bike this may be undesirable depending on the rider preference.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Kindernay VII hub has 28% gear steps and I have absolutely no issue at all with that on ebike. On non-electric bike this may be undesirable depending on the rider preference.

Electrons are the great equalizer.
At times I "should" briefly downshift but with the m620 having so much torque it's just easier (and more fun) to tap PAS up and power thru. But that comes at the cost of some efficiency and most rides I'm looking to exercise.
I also enjoy at times having to shift and adjust PAS quickly. It makes the ride more interactive and fun like driving a sports car with a manual transmission.

 

[Art Deco]

Mid drives are going to need something like this, to replace the standard drive trains.
There is a power limiting wall, past which the torque of the motor just chews up and spits out the drive trains. Something like this, or make the drive trains out of depleted uranium.

Too heavy, probably titanium next step.

 

[scrambler]

The solution for high power bikes is dual drivetrain, or integrated motor gearbox.

 

[whittemoregulch]

OK. I just tested shifting under load without motor assist and I was not able to upshift and downshift under load (I did not crank the twist shifter like crazy to not brake the stuff, but I put enough force after which shifting is unreasonably hard). I eased force on pedals but not completely stopped pedaling and I was able to shift but the shifting had significantly more resistance (both up and down) than shifting without load.

I would not practice shifting this gearhub under load.

Any more more updates or mid-term assessments on the performance, usability, reliability of your 3X3 setup?

 

[TPEHAK]

Any more more updates or mid-term assessments on the performance, usability, reliability of your 3X3 setup?

It keeps working just fine with full power of 3000W Innorace controller, no complaints. No oil leaks, no nothing, nice, crisp and dry. So far so good.

 

[Chazmo]

@TPEHAK how do you control the shifting of gears on this IGH? Is it some sort of remote switch, or is it automatic? And, if the latter, is there some way to set the cadence speed to force an upshift/downshift?

I’ve been curious about IGHs, but I’ve never had an opportunity to ride one. Bafang has a really cool 5-speed hub, but it’s automatic, and I honestly don’t think that would work for me. Not sure, though.

[edit: Never mind: I found my answer scrolling down this page: ]

System - 3x3

Learn all about the 3X3 gear hub and its associated shifting controls – electric or mechanical, clearly explained.

www.3x3.bike

 

[TPEHAK]

@TPEHAK how do you control the shifting of gears on this IGH? Is it some sort of remote switch, or is it automatic? And, if the latter, is there some way to set the cadence speed to force an upshift/downshift?

I’ve been curious about IGHs, but I’ve never had an opportunity to ride one. Bafang has a really cool 5-speed hub, but it’s automatic, and I honestly don’t think that would work for me. Not sure, though.

There is a twist shifter on the right handlebar with 2 cables go to the IGN. You twist the shifter one direction or another until it clicks to the next gear (you can feel indentations). You can twist and jump simultaneously over as many gears as you want and you do not need to keep pedaling during the shifting processes.