Any disadvantage with a front wheel hub ?

[Mike63]

Hi...I'm looking to buy a bike with the motor at the front and the battery at the back.
...this seems to me like an ideal arrangement....spreading the weight.
.....any disadvantages with a front wheel hub ?

.....thanks to everyone who's helping me get the right bike.....Mike

 

[eddieo]

or better still battery in triangle........

 

[indalo]

.....any disadvantages with a front wheel hub ?

The obvious problem occurs on gravelly or slippery uphill slopes with injudicious use of power when front wheel slip can happen. It's not a major concern though or no-one would ride front wheel drive bikes.

Indalo

 

[NRG]

Yes, grip may cause a bit of front wheel slip from time to time...also if fitting a powerful motor the front dropouts may not be strong enough so add a torque washer / kit...

Frame mounted battery is ideal but I like rack mounted as I can sling some panniers over it hiding it away, I've not noticed any detriment to the handling...

 

[DJH]

On steep hills I find I pull back on the handlebars quite forcibly so as to get more pressure on the pedals, thereby reducing the weight on the front wheel, not an ideal situation if you have front wheel drive! However I am talking about steep hills, so I suppose it depends on the sort of terrain you will be cycling in and I do like the idea of the weight being spread more evenly with a front hub motor.

 

[JuicyBike]

Mike
Bike frames are designed to be pushed from the rear, not pulled from the front, and front wheel drives put unnecessary strains on key points, especially the forks and headset. They do allow for extra gears, but that seems overkill when using a motor.
Some argue a front wheel drive allows for hub gears at the rear, but personally I prefer to be able to maintain gears easily, rather than replace a whole hub.
Front wheel motors do affect steering and control, especially in the wet and on gravel.

 

[Cyclezee]

My personal preference for hub motors is a front wheel setup for normal road use.

It is only when riding off road on very muddy or slippery surfaces that a rear motor has the advantage of better traction.

This is not a biased opinion because we sell both front and rear wheel conversion kits.

 

[johnc461165]

or better still battery in triangle........

yes down at the bottom, ideal position

 

[flecc]

With hub motors I have a personal preference for rear hub which in my view gives a better handling feel, and in my case it's also better for pulling heavy trailer loads. The differences with compact front hub motors aren't great though, and with a front hub there is the benefit of two wheel traction when pedalling, cycling's equivalent to 4 x 4s when off road on the rough stuff.

 

[Cyclezee]

Yes, I almost forgot about the 2 wheel drive advantage of front hub motors.

Then there was the man who went to considerable lengths to convert a Torq from front to rear motor resulting in the legendary TR1, I guess that proves where his preference lies.

 

[RoadieRoger]

Front hub and battery on the seat tube gives a nice balance for carrying up steps and surely less wear on rear tyre . More even weight distribution when parked on a propstand too .

 

[Scottyf]

Front Hub + Rear Battery Rack

PROS
2 Wheel Drive
Even weight distribution for carrying
better all round tire wear
Easy Install / Wheel swap
Good Handling
Stealthy If fitted in Panniers

CONS
More wear on head sets and suspension forks
Weaker dropouts on the front
Traction on uphills
Not as stealthy

 

[bode]

I have one of each (two different bikes!) and generally prefer the feel and handling of a rear hub. Also you do have to be careful about wheel spin with a front hub, as has been pointed out; we have a gravel drive, so I have to watch what I am doing as I set off from standstill.

However, I do also like hub gears, and the advantages that I see in having those far outweigh the slight drawbacks of a front hub motor.

 

[ed_wanna_ebike]

My experience is that the consequences of a slip in the front wheel is a lot worse than slip in the back. I can recover from a back wheel slip, not front. I slammed on the front brakes once in snow and the bike goes down. Slamming of the back, you get fish tail but can recover.

 

[Hurricane]

Totally agree with ed_wanna_ebike. Bicycles were always meant to be rear wheel drive and this is very much my preference. Also a motor on the rear and hidden battery and controller in a pannier bag on a rear carrier is very stealthy. I does put most of the weight on the back axle but is not that noticeable. I would hate to lose grip on the front wheel. That is a definite off!

 

[johnc461165]

I have two bikes one fwd one rwd I prefer rwd but I would love to have the batteries at the bottom of the triangle.

 

[morphix]

Hi...I'm looking to buy a bike with the motor at the front and the battery at the back.
...this seems to me like an ideal arrangement....spreading the weight.
.....any disadvantages with a front wheel hub ?

.....thanks to everyone who's helping me get the right bike.....Mike

I don't know if anyone has mentioned the obvious one already, but the main disadvantage is that your bike obviously stands out as being electric...a rear motor looks more discrete but if your battery is on show anyway then it's not likely to matter much is it really.

I've been riding with a front wheel hub motor for a year now and that's the only thing I dislike about it really, but apart from that, I've had no problems with handling. I've never ridden a rear hub so I can't compare.

 

[NRG]

I think my front drive Alien and Peugeot have only been identified as electric once or twice but the PCS gets spotted all the time...must be the battery and behind-the-seatpost configuration...

 

[indalo]

must be the battery and behind-the-seatpost configuration...

Yes, I think that's a real giveaway as it's common to so many ebikes. Cytronex are still probably the stealthiest but they're not everybody's cup of tea. Rear hub-driven bikes can appear perfectly "normal" if the battery is rack-mounted and covered by large pannier bags.

I rather enjoy being asked if my bike is "one of those electric thingies" and don't mind at all having the opportunity to describe how it works. In my experience, most people who ask seem to imagine that the bike can be ridden without pedalling as, of course, many can. Unfortunately, if I attempt to explain the difference between my pedelec and those electric mopeds, I can see their eyes begin to glaze over. I know that's the time to wish them a good day and be on my way!

Indalo

 

[Mike63]

There seems to be a deal of mixed opinion on the subject of front wheel drive but after my latest bad accident I daren't risk another, so much as I liked the look of the Kudos Eco it appears that I must have a rethink.

I have fallen off no end of times with varying ammounts of damage to my body and my ego but this last episode really made me consider all options and I doubt that I can risk another front wheel drive.

I'm riding again now but with a great deal of trepidation, every time I see a bump or an imperfection in the road my heart skips a beat

Is my bike too big for me ? ....I've struggled to reach the ground on any number of occasions....there must be some kind of formula...the crossbar on my bike is 30" from the ground and my inside leg measurement is 28.5"
I understand this bike to be a 19" frame and measured from the seat post to the crank, that's what it is.
...what's an ideal size for me ? ...what's the rule ?

...any advice...other than don't bother ...appreciated...Mike