Integrated controllers in hub motors...

[WheezyRider]

So what is all this fuss about wires? Exactly how many wires do you cut down on by having the controller in the hub?

You still need wires into the controller, for brakes, LCD screen, throttle, headlamp power, any anti theft system, Battery wires, PAS...

If all those wires have to feed all the way to the hub, it would not exactly be aesthetically pleasing, and also a pain in the neck to have to disconnect them all if you have to take the wheel off.

 

[mike killay]

I must admit that I find the Spin Cycle very aesthetically pleasing, and I'd be proud to ride it. I think I'd change the brakes first, though!

It's a development of the cramk-drive bike that i built before kits were available:
View attachment 40656

I really like the looks of those bikes.
I have come to the conclusion that some people such as myself like to see mechanical complications.
That is why The Dorset Steam Fair is so successful.
Smooth modern lines might have their appeal, but a lot of people enjoy looking at all sorts of mechanical things, old fashioned printing presses, ships' engines, beam pumps etc.
The reason I suspect is that many of us like to understand how things work and appreciate being able to follow the various parts.
Others are quite happy to not have a clue as to how things work and like smooth flowing lines.

 

[Ocsid]

"Too many eggs in one basket", as the saying goes.


Integration undoubtedly has its style appeal, very important to some, though it is a "driver" of our present throwaway society. The latter, something in the future that might also be seen as a whim that the planet ought to be spared?

 

[vfr400]

I hadn't heard anything about the super high-tech Copenhagen wheel that was supposedly developed by MIT, so I just had a look around and found this. The guy is a bit verbose, so you can skip to the two letters at the bottom to see the nitty gritty of ownership. They've stopped selling now and claim they still offer support, but these guys didn't get much help when the product was at its peak, so pretty sad for anybody that stumped up cash.

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/02/08/the-copenhagen-wheel-an-honest-follow-up/

 

[mike killay]

"Too many eggs in one basket", as the saying goes.


Integration undoubtedly has its style appeal, very important to some, though it is a "driver" of our present throwaway society. The latter, something in the future that might also be seen as a whim that the planet ought to be spared?

I hadn't heard anything about the super high-tech Copenhagen wheel that was supposedly developed by MIT, so I just had a look around and found this. The guy is a bit verbose, so you can skip to the two letters at the bottom to see the nitty gritty of ownership. They've stopped selling now and claim they still offer support, but these guys didn't get much help when the product was at its peak, so pretty sad for anybody that stumped up cash.

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/02/08/the-copenhagen-wheel-an-honest-follow-up/

Simply it was too complicated. You could see that at the start. Needing to have a smart phone to control it instead of the manufacturers supplying a dedicated device told me that they were cutting corners.
To put all the electronics in one place was courting disaster, especially as they never managed to waterproof it.
That final response in the link you give is not addressing the problem, merely a cut and paste advert, the hated phrase 'Thank you for reaching out to us' repels me, why not use plain English?
All it tells you is that you are dealing with a bunch of tosspots to whom fashion, faddishness and style over substance is important.

 

[Sturmey]

Simply it was too complicated. You could see that at the start. Needing to have a smart phone to control it instead of the manufacturers supplying a dedicated device told me that they were cutting corners.
To put all the electronics in one place was courting disaster, especially as they never managed to waterproof it.
That final response in the link you give is not addressing the problem, merely a cut and paste advert, the hated phrase 'Thank you for reaching out to us' repels me, why not use plain English?
All it tells you is that you are dealing with a bunch of tosspots to whom fashion, faddishness and style over substance is important.

I think the battery was also built into the hub. That made the wheel totally 'wireless' by using the smartphone to control. One idea was that you could change an ordinary bike to an ebike ( or change back) within a minute by simply changing the front wheel on a front wheel version. I think they were also trying to work some type of gyro motion control system built in instead of throttle etc so it could sense braking or the rider trying to accelerate (if I can remember)