Hub motors can be more limiting when it comes to wheel components such as rims, tires and cassettes. Hub motors are usually heavier than mid-drives, and that weight is unsprung weight on suspension bicycles, which can reduce the effectiveness of bicycle suspension and transfer more bumps to the rider. It just isn’t as efficient to use a single speed motor when functioning at the lower RPM range under load. While this is usually fine for flat land cruising, a lower speed but higher torque gear would be preferable for hill climbing. Perhaps most importantly, almost all hub motors only allow a single gear ratio. The same power level in a mid-drive kit can easily cost 3-4x as much. This means that the prices are astoundingly cheap.Īs we’ve covered in some of our past DIY e-bike articles, you can get an entire 1,000 W hub motor kit, including the electronics, throttle, etc, for under $200. The same designs have been in constant use for over a decade in some cases. Hub motor bikes are mass-produced by the hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions depending on the factory. Lastly, hub motors are much cheaper than mid-drives. In such cases, a front hub motor can redistribute the weight so the center of gravity is still in the center of the bike. This is especially true of e-bikes with rear mounted batteries. In some cases, it can be nice to have the weight of a motor farther forward or backward in one of the wheels. The weight of a hub motor can both positively and negatively affect the balance of a bike, depending on the circumstances. This can be huge if you’re far from home, especially for older riders or those who use e-biking as a form of rehabilitation. Chain breaks while you’re hitting it hard on a trail? Toss the chain in your bag and ride home on just electric power.
Since the hub motor and the pedal drive system are completely independent, you can lose one and still get home on the other. If anything, your chain will probably last longer than a non-electric bike because the hub motor will be doing more work, allowing your chain to often sit idle.Īs an independent drive system, hub motors also add redundancy.
Since they don’t connect to the main pedal drive system, hub motors don’t add any extra stress to your chain or shifters, and don’t cause any of those parts to wear out more quickly.
Hub motors also help reduce other bike maintenance tasks compared to mid-drive motors. As long as they don’t rust out or wear down their bearings, they can pretty much last forever. Gearless hub motors, on the other hand, have zero moving parts aside from their bearings, so there is basically nothing to wear out. Over time, a tooth can break off and the reinforced nylon gears will eventually strip. Geared hub motors usually have just one point of weakness: the gears. There are two types of hub motors: geared hub motors which have internal planetary gears to reduce the speed of a higher RPM motor, and gearless hub motors, which have no gearing and directly connect the lower RPM motor stator’s axle to the bike. That enclosed system also means there is a lot less to fail. They are an entirely independent drive system that retain all of their components inside the motor casing, leaving nothing for you to mess with or maintain. One of the biggest advantages of hub motors is that they require little or no maintenance. Mid-drive motors, which house the motor closer to the center of the bicycle and transfer the motor’s power to the rear wheel via the bicycle’s chain drive, have become much more common over the last 2-3 years, and are cutting significantly into the hub motor’s lead as the king of the e-bike motors.īoth have a number of unique advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the right motor for you will largely depend on your requirements and which advantages seem more useful to your needs. Hub motors, which place the electric motor in the center of a bicycle wheel, are certainly the most common form of electric bicycle motors. Which one is best for your needs? Read on to learn more and find out! The two most common electric motor styles used in today’s electric bicycles are hub motors and mid-drive motors. Electric bicycles are becoming increasingly popular forms of two-wheeled electric transportation for both commuting and pleasure riding.
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