Shaft drive Ebikes?

D

Deleted member 4366

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With my ebike I've already had to take it back to the shop because of a crap chain, and it's a bit of gear which I'm having to clean and oil at least fortnightly. Not a huge amount of work but it's just more crap that you've got to have lying around to use when necessary which I'd rather not.
A hub-motor will sort all that. No need to go for complicated expensive solutions, which will certainly bring new problems.
 

Trevormonty

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 18, 2016
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A middrive with IGH and enclosed chainguard is very close to maintenance free. All benefits of chain without regular cleaning.

With bosch eMTBs especially when riding in muddy conditions, the drive train has to been in good condition if you want to avoid chain suck. No running chains and spockets into ground. Its costing me around €40 -50 per 1000kms for my 11spd. Then there are tyres, brakes, suspension services. FS MTBs are expensive to run even more with motor.

By comparsion wifes commuter with middrive with IGH should cost €4 per 1000kms for drivetrain. With €30 pair of good tyres good for 10,000kms at least. IGH still needs service every 5000kms but thats it for shop visits.
 

Trevormonty

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 18, 2016
1,135
564
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A middrive with IGH and enclosed chainguard is very close to maintenance free. All benefits of chain without regular cleaning.

With bosch eMTBs especially when riding in muddy conditions, the drive train has to been in good condition if you want to avoid chain suck. No running chains and spockets into ground. Its costing me around €40 -50 per 1000kms for my 11spd. Then there are tyres, brakes, suspension services. FS MTBs are expensive to run even more with motor.

By comparsion wifes commuter with middrive with IGH should cost €4 per 1000kms for drivetrain. With €30 pair of good tyres good for 10,000kms at least. IGH still needs service every 5000kms but thats it for shop visits.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
A middrive with IGH and enclosed chainguard is very close to maintenance free. All benefits of chain without regular cleaning.
That's right. No maintenance necessary. when it packs up, chuck the bike and get new one.
 

Trevormonty

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 18, 2016
1,135
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Just a plea.
Can we refrain from using initials instead of words.
I find it tedious to have to do a google search WAUT
(Whenever anybody uses them)
Frankly, I find it all a bit pretentious.
IGH= internal geared hub.
FS = Full suspension
EMTB =electric mountain bike.
 

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,446
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Surrey
[QUOTE="tillson, p Why are you buying 2 to 3 chains per year? What do you do to them? I ride about 3000 miles per year on my bike and get a minimum of 2 years out of a chain. Just put plenty of grease on it and ride until the teeth start falling off the sprockets. Then replace the whole lot for about £20. KMC chain is excellent.

Whether chain, cassette and chain ring wear happens sooner or later depends on a few factors.

Crank drives for all their virtues amplify the power going through the transmission and consequently the wear of those parts.

Hub drives reduce the power going through the transmission extending the lifespan of the transmission.

Off road use, where crank drives shine due to all the inherent mud water and dirt also helps to reduce the life of a transmission.

The longest/furthest a chain, cassette and chain ring have lasted on my crank drive hard tail mountain bike that spends roughly 60% of its life off road is 11 days shy of a year and 2220 miles.

The least was 3 months and 776 miles but although it was a wet, muddy period where I did a little less cleaning and care than ideal I now realize that there was an issue with the rear mech where it had been very slightly bent leading to some hunting between gears and jumping out of gear.

So although you could index the system the slightly bent rear mech meant that it did not change as it should. I think this probably was the main reason for the premature failure although the winter conditions probably did not help.

I have forgotten when I last changed the transmission on my first hub drive electric bike. Used mostly but not exclusively on the road it just lasts and lasts and lasts.

My crank drive is a 9 speed set up which keeps the cost of changing chains cassettes and chain rings more reasonable. The Shimano cassette I buy has cost me just under £20 delivered off ebay the last couple of times.

One thing I agree with tilson about is not getting hung up on the wear of a chain. Use a good one and then let the whole transmission wear out together and change it all (possible exception of chain ring) together.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I look at from a slightly different angle.. yes the cost is important and probably around £100 for a new drive train on either bike using branded parts but I also consider the job itself.. replacing a manky chain is relatively easy for me but to replace it all is not beyond my skills but it's a job I don't want to do and LBS isn't always convenient. So, again on both bikes, when they are approaching 1000 miles, or the guage says the chains are worn, I bin the chain and fit a new one, not brand specific but whatever is on offer at the time. Using this method i never had to replace a cassett on my first Bosch classic emtb doing nearly 4000 miles although I did try to change it once to alter the gearing but I couldn't get it off and skinned my knuckles badly in the trying.
My giant e-road after 2300 ish miles is starting to suffer chain suck so I will be replacing all on that at some point soon and as it's a typical compact double I may attempt it myself but most likely take in somewhere..
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,213
30,612
I am particularly unimpressed by those that can't say ebike.
Overheard down the pub..
Hey John don't drink too much if your driving.
John replies.. It's ok I am on the EAPC...
Well done John, he's was the only one right. We do not have ebikes, they are illegal. We have electric Assist bikes.

I've often had a rant in here about this, I wish dealers and other would always say electric assist. That would put an end to the stream of people asking for a bike that would take them uphill without pedalling when they felt tired, or propel them to 30 mph or more, both not allowed.
.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Well done John, he's was the only one right. We do not have ebikes, they are illegal. We have electric Assist bikes.

I've often had a rant in here about this, I wish dealers and other would always say electric assist. That would put an end to the stream of people asking for a bike that would take them uphill without pedalling when they felt tired, or propel them to 30 mph or more, both not allowed.
.
Mmm. Well, when john mentioned his EAPC the pub fell silent as everyone tried to figure out what he was saying without seeming to be uneducated or thick, with looks of total bewilderment only usually seen on quiz night.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,213
30,612
Mmm. Well, when john mentioned his EAPC the pub fell silent as everyone tried to figure out what he was saying without seeming to be uneducated or thick, with looks of total bewilderment only usually seen on quiz night.
Of course it would have been better if he'd said electric assist bike, then all would understand (hopefully!).

What is an EAPC could become a quiz night question. :)
.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Of course it would have been better if he'd said electric assist bike, then all would understand (hopefully!).

What is an EAPC could become a quiz night question. :)
.
After an hour, two bar brawls and four arrests an old codger came over and asked John to settle an argument.. what is an ACPC? John said oh, its an e-bike! [emoji312][emoji312][emoji312]
 

tillson

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 29, 2008
5,252
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[QUOTE="tillson, p Why are you buying 2 to 3 chains per year? What do you do to them? I ride about 3000 miles per year on my bike and get a minimum of 2 years out of a chain. Just put plenty of grease on it and ride until the teeth start falling off the sprockets. Then replace the whole lot for about £20. KMC chain is excellent.

Whether chain, cassette and chain ring wear happens sooner or later depends on a few factors.

Crank drives for all their virtues amplify the power going through the transmission and consequently the wear of those parts.

Hub drives reduce the power going through the transmission extending the lifespan of the transmission.

Off road use, where crank drives shine due to all the inherent mud water and dirt also helps to reduce the life of a transmission.

The longest/furthest a chain, cassette and chain ring have lasted on my crank drive hard tail mountain bike that spends roughly 60% of its life off road is 11 days shy of a year and 2220 miles.

The least was 3 months and 776 miles but although it was a wet, muddy period where I did a little less cleaning and care than ideal I now realize that there was an issue with the rear mech where it had been very slightly bent leading to some hunting between gears and jumping out of gear.

So although you could index the system the slightly bent rear mech meant that it did not change as it should. I think this probably was the main reason for the premature failure although the winter conditions probably did not help.

I have forgotten when I last changed the transmission on my first hub drive electric bike. Used mostly but not exclusively on the road it just lasts and lasts and lasts.

My crank drive is a 9 speed set up which keeps the cost of changing chains cassettes and chain rings more reasonable. The Shimano cassette I buy has cost me just under £20 delivered off ebay the last couple of times.

One thing I agree with tilson about is not getting hung up on the wear of a chain. Use a good one and then let the whole transmission wear out together and change it all (possible exception of chain ring) together.
Yes, my bike is a crank drive to an 8 speed Shimano Alfine hub gear. I think this is the ideal setup for an ebike. The hub gear has done about 30000 miles without a single service. The chain, being nice chunky 1/8, not flimsy 10 or 11 speed stuff, lasts about 7000 miles, maybe longer and is cheap. Same regarding the sprockets.

I’ve had this bike for 10 years and it still rides beautifully. In the time I’ve owned my bike, I’ve seen ebikes become less reliable and more expensive to maintain. This is mainly due to motors becoming unnecessarily powerful and breaking components and the number of gears becoming unnecessarily high, resulting in the use of chain which is unsuitable for ebike use. Most of this is evident in the posts made within this thread.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Yes, my bike is a crank drive to an 8 speed Shimano Alfine hub gear. I think this is the ideal setup for an ebike. The hub gear has done about 30000 miles without a single service. The chain, being nice chunky 1/8, not flimsy 10 or 11 speed stuff, lasts about 7000 miles, maybe longer and is cheap. Same regarding the sprockets.

I’ve had this bike for 10 years and it still rides beautifully. In the time I’ve owned my bike, I’ve seen ebikes become less reliable and more expensive to maintain. This is mainly due to motors becoming unnecessarily powerful and breaking components and the number of gears becoming unnecessarily high, resulting in the use of chain which is unsuitable for ebike use. Most of this is evident in the posts made within this thread.
Yes it is does seem odd that ebikes have more and more gears with each generation. Mine has 11 and find that I rarely change up or down one at a time its usually in twos at least.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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i got 22 gears soon to be 24 :D:D
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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the hole 12spd group set is the same price as the cassette i have now so might as well change the lot over and have a extra gear.

its done 3000+ miles now and a pita to index the gears and not shifting right.
 

tillson

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 29, 2008
5,252
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Yes it is does seem odd that ebikes have more and more gears with each generation. Mine has 11 and find that I rarely change up or down one at a time its usually in twos at least.
Absolutely right. The motor allows the rider to pull away or accelerate in a much higher gear than would normally be possible with an unpowered bike. This means that the spacing between gears can be coarse, you don't need all of the fine steps between the lowest and the highest gear available. Its nonsense and you end up doing exactly as you say and shifting 2 or 3 gears at a time. I sometimes do it and my bike only has 8 gears.

When you start getting into the realms of 10, 11 and 12 speed chain, it's flimsy and can be expensive. In affect it is the trading of durability, economy and longevity of 1/8 chain for additional intermediate gear ratios that are not needed. It's a lose-lose situation.

I'm a big fan of 8 speed internal gear hubs on ebikes, they have very little in the way of exposed or vulnerable parts and are completely maintenance free. They aren't as efficient as derailleurs, but that doesn't matter on an ebike, the overall effect is negligible. Some of the more powerful motors have been known to damage Alfine hubs too, but that's only because the motor outputs more power than is needed.