Pedego PAS explanation

[jischr]

I’m looking at ebikes for my wife and am confused about Pedego’s PAS system. Please correct my generalizations below so I can explain it to her.

Most mid-motor bikes describe their PAS system in terms of % support. For example if I put 100 watts into the bike with a 30% support level, the motor puts 30 watts additional to the drive system. If the bike is at 150% support level, the motor is adding 150 watts to my 100 watts. Likewise if I put 10 watts in, the motor will add 3 watts at 30% support. The purpose of the cassette is to help me find a gear that works for me.

With Pedego the PAS is a throttle preset, correct? Example, with five levels of PAS level one could be considered 20% of full throttle output, level two 40% full throttle output, etc.. My effort is solely needed to provide initial movement so the motor knows to engage. I do not need to provide watts to keep the bike moving. The purpose of the cassette is to help me attain the speed I want at the % throttle (PAS level) I choose. Example at PAS level one (20% throttle), with a 12-32 cassette, I might get 13 mph using the 12 tooth and 6 mph in the 32 tooth. The only real effort (watts) I put into the drive system would be if I pedal faster than the chosen gear/PAS level provides. Is this correct?

Thanks

 

[Deacon Blues]

Pedego power levels are speed limited. On the Pedego RidgeRider I used to own and on my wife's Pedego Commuter the power for each level cuts off at a specific speed. For instance in level 1 you'll get power up to around 14/15kph (Canadian bike). Level 2 gets you up to around 21/22kph. I doesn't matter what gear you're in. If you want to go faster, under power, you will have to move up the next power level.
The way their power levels vs speed works sucks! Terrible setup.

 

[jischr]

Pedego power levels are speed limited. On the Pedego RidgeRider I used to own and on my wife's Pedego Commuter the power for each level cuts off at a specific speed. For instance in level 1 you'll get power up to around 14/15kph (Canadian bike). Level 2 gets you up to around 21/22kph. I doesn't matter what gear you're in. If you want to go faster, under power, you will have to move up the next power level.
The way their power levels vs speed works sucks! Terrible setup.

Thanks for your reply. So the cassette is only used with zero electrical power (no throttle/PAS), i.e., as a regular bike or back-up if the battery/drive fails?

 

[Dewey]

Thanks for your reply. So the cassette is only used with zero electrical power (no throttle/PAS), i.e., as a regular bike or back-up if the battery/drive fails?

If you mean can you ride the bike without power like a pedal bicycle you can although the bike is heavy. When you’re using pedal assist you are turning the cranks and using the bicycle drivetrain as normal to shift gears to maintain a regular pedal cadence and shift down to help when climbing hills. Most Pedego models have a throttle and a pedal cadence sensor to activate the motor, except the Conveyor that uses a torque sensor and no throttle.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I found that both my Pedego Ridgerider and my wife's Commuter have a lot of motor drag when the power is turned off.

 

[ebikemom]

I have not found any motor drag at all on our bikes. But, the bike is quite heavy, and it sure feels like drag! The drag is all of that weight of bike+rider. (And most of that is me!!!).

On the PAS system: I find it intuitive and comfortable. That said, I have not tried other ebikes. I also like having the throttle for quick starts at intersections and help starting on hills.

 

[greerl]

I have not found any motor drag at all on our bikes. But, the bike is quite heavy, and it sure feels like drag! The drag is all of that weight of bike+rider. (And most of that is me!!!).

On the PAS system: I find it intuitive and comfortable. That said, I have not tried other ebikes. I also like having the throttle for quick starts at intersections and help starting on hills.

With a torque sensor and high torque motor, e.g., the Conveyor, the bike kicks you off from a stop without a throttle.

 

[6zfshdb]

With the torque sensor turned on, the PAS system on my three Platinum Interceptors provides proportional motor power depending on the amount of torque applied to the pedals. This is true in all levels of assist. There is a top speed motor cutoff which increases as you up the PAS level. With the cadence sensor turned on, just spinning the pedals without applying any pressure will accelerate the bike up to the top speed for the PAS setting you are using.

This Pedego PAS system is unique among other hub drive bikes I've tried and requires some practice to use effectively. Some riders like it and some don't. My only complaint is the level of assist in any PAS setting decreases proportionally as the battery voltage drops. Therefore, you need to increase the PAS level as the battery depletes to maintain a constant amount of assist. I found this to be true with most hub drive PAS systems I've tried. I compensate for this by using the throttle, which on the Pedego, overrides the PAS system. I set the throttle to the speed I want and then apply a comfortable level of pedal pressure using the best cog setting. This way, I'm assisting the bike rather than it assisting me. Since the speed remains constant, I find I get a substantial increase in range per charge.

The hub drive motors on the Platinum Interceptor do not add any drag when pedaling with the power off. This may not be true with other models though.