How do your pedal assists work?

[aab1]

I noticed many people here have bikes with auto pedal assist. My controller blew and I'm dying to find one with this feature. How come so many people have this feature and many bikes are for sale with it, but no one sells any controllers with this feature.

Otherwise, I at least need a 36v brushed controller for use with a regular throttle.

Thanks

 

[coops]

Hi aab1,

I think most bikes here have a pedal assist mode which mixes throttle with a "simple" pedal motion sensor, so that throttle works when pedalling only: this is the case on most ezee bikes.

The only hub motor bike I'm aware of which has either "pedal motion" or "pedal torque" options is the UrbanMover series, and some members here have one or other of those. The main other bike with auto pedal assist is the Giant/Lafree Twist/Lite, which is transmission drive only.

Look at the foot of this page to see the two types of pedal assist I mean. I don't know which your bike came with, or how it was set-up, but it seems from what you say that its now working as a pedal motion sensor, not force, and without a throttle to control the motor power kick-in, is that right?

I'm not sure about this, nor how you'd do it, but I guess your options are to try to reconnect your original pedal sensor to the new controller if possible (seems not from what you say) or could you fit a throttle too, to control the power? (but then its not "automatic" as you say) - a throttle does give much more power control though.

How are your tyres doing, any change?

Stuart.

 

[kraeuterbutter]

.. and another variant is the one of the swiss fliers..
there not the rpm of the pedals is measured but the torque the driver applies to the pedals.
assistance from the very first cm of driven distance..

 

[aab1]

What's "direct transmission drive only"?

My current pedal assist sensor is built into the hub motor, it's not like the ones you posted. MY question though was not regarding the sensors, I already have that, I just don't have a controller to plug it to. How can there be bikes being sold with pedal assist feature yet there are no controllers at all for sale that offer this function, I don't get it.

Can you not purchase a replacement controller when it blows? Do you all throw your bikes away if the controller blows as it did in mine? How come replacements are nowhere to be found???

 

[coops]

"Transmission drive" meaning the bike's motor drives through the chain & gears like when you pedal, unlike hub motors like you have which drive a wheel directly.

What I meant was that most bikes don't have pedal assist as you seem to be describing it: apologies if I've misinterpreted how your bike works, but I've no experience of it and I don't know of another member here who has. I have never come across a pedal sensor built into a hub motor and I've no idea how that would work, sorry. I see what you mean now, for your bike, nova-i, it says:

Logic controlled motor built into the rear wheel, senses both speed and pedal force.

though I understand that to mean the controller senses the speed & pedal force, not the motor itself, and uses that data to control the motor speed accordingly?

Do you mean your bike has no sensor on the pedal, crank or front chainwheel to send input to the controller?

It also says:

Hybrid (Intelligent Pedal Assist + Power On Demand)

Does that mean it has a throttle too, then? (I know you prefer the assist through pedal sensors though).

I've not heard of many controllers blowing, also bikes can usually be repaired by the supplier so long as they're still in business, which unfortunately yours isn't.

I'm sorry if I've not been able to help and I hope someone else will be able to help you more aab1 .

Stuart.

 

[Ian]

Can you not purchase a replacement controller when it blows? Do you all throw your bikes away if the controller blows as it did in mine? How come replacements are nowhere to be found???

In most cases the controller is designed for a specific bike or motor and is not interchangable between makes or even models. Most of us would obtain a replacement controller from the supplier from whom we bought the bike, however controllers hardy ever fail on the better quality bikes so the situation rarely arises.

PS. just noticed Stuart said much the same, sorry to duplicate but we posted together.

 

[aab1]

Coops: One of the sensors you posted is a torque sensor built into the pedal assembly, my bike has exactly that, but instead of in the pedal assembly, the sensor is built into the motor hub, measuring the torque being transfered by the chain through the multi gear freewheel, it's the same thing, but the sensor is on the back gears in the motor hub rather than the pedals, I think it makes much more sense that way than having additional hardware on the bike. It's obviously not the motor itself that senses the pedal torque, it's the sensor that's built into the hub motor (5 wires come from the hub motor, 2 for DC power, and 3 for the data from the pedal torque sensor).

Yes it does have throttle too to override the sensor's/controller's decision.

The controller blew entirely by my fault, it was not due to poor quality, it was a VERY good bike until my myself broke it by accident.

In the worst case, could I buy an additional pedal sensor and new controller that works with those sensors (or do all pedal assist sensors work the same anyway? If so I'd prefer to keep my built in sensor).

Otherwise, where can I get a simple 36 volt, brushed controller to at least get my throttle back? I'm using a relay and push button for basic on/off functionality of the motor in the meantime.

Thanks