I would guess that about half the Cytronex bikes out there since Cytronex was first launched with our original product back in 2008 have carbon forks and I am not aware of any issues in that entire period. At Cytronex we manufacture here in the UK and a lot of production is done onsite here in Winchester, as opposed to solely supplying imported parts.
This means we control all the characteristics and performance of Cytronex. In regard to torque, we don’t apply power immediately when the bike is not moving and the torque would be greatest, our integrated controller also precisely regulates power and is very smooth and quiet. Torque also tapers down when you begin reaching the assisted limit of the motor. We chose to do this so that the transition from assisted riding to unassisted when you go over the 25 or 32kmh limit is subtle rather than a sudden decelleration followed by surge as you accelerate again. This is controlled by the firmware on the bottle and is something we have adjusted over time with firmware updates. We've not changed firmware much lately other than to update our Fault Code library to improve the data we get when we are doing remote diagnostics for customers.
Whilst we can’t speak for all bike manufacturers or fork manufacturers, most forks will have metal dropouts and it is the dropouts that count, and as long as the wheel nuts are done up correctly then the dropouts cannot move. We have also fitted our product to bikes with full carbon forks (including the dropout) such as on a number of Colnago's. In summary, we have never had a problem that I am aware of with a correctly fitted system in carbon forks.
For sealing the motor we do a couple of things. As noted by
@Bikes4two the cable exit faces upwards. In theory, it can be downward too by flipping hub 180 degrees and doing the same for the torque washers. We opt for an upward facing cable because it allows the cable to exit in a neater way. The axle is hollow and has sealant inside. Since 2020 we also incorporated an additional seal inside the hub. This is a conical rubber seal which goes around the cable but behind the axle plate and compresses tightly around the cable when the axle is secured during the assembly of the motor.
Our product isn't right for everybody and if we have a customer in the shop who has needs that cannot be fulfilled by what we do, then we try to point them in the right direction. Customers of ours are typically those who (regardless of their bike), want power on demand at the expense of a small weight penalty when riding with no assistance. We've also changed parts in the hub and bearings to optimise how well the motor freewheels and are happy with the result.
Jake @ Cytronex
