Hub Motors VS Mid Drive Motors and Which one should you choose?
It's not as simple as pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each a hub drive and a mid drive on a simple list.
Why? There are different types, quality and variations of each Mid Drive and Hub Motors.
We are not going to go into too much detail right here but we do wish to cover this in enough detail to give you a clear understanding.
Please feel free to contact us regarding any questions you may have. We are very happy to talk about e-bikes
all day long and which e-bike system could be best for you.
So, if one is comparing a mid motor with a hub motor then one is only generalizing. Which one is better for you depends on a
number of factors relating to the type of bicycle you like to ride, the power that you need , and the terrain on which you intend to ride. Claims by brands that their particular e-bike system is the best is admirable but what it boils down to is what is best for you!
Hub Motors. Many of the first electric bikes to come on the market fit in this category. Hub powered e-bikes are still the most readily available due to the volume of manufacturing, also the hub systems are the cheapest to produce.
In particular the 250w and 350w hub motors due to the fast sales expansion world-wide.
In a nutshell, hub motors can be durable. Mostly used in City / Urban environments. Sleek and compact-looking they fit quite snugly in the wheel almost unnoticed due to their small size. If you are looking for the most economical (Price Point)
e-bike for commuting and cruising then this may be the best option of e-bike for you.
The hub motors offer good performance for light hills and flat areas.
Varying amounts of power and speed can be achieved with these motors. In many European countries the electric bicycle regulation stipulates a speed limit of 25km/hour. In our opinion, for the NZ environment, this is not a bad thing at all.
Covering 25 kms in a period of an hour is fantastic really, On the other hand, 32kms is popular and suits NZ conditions well.
It may also be set higher or completely delimited for other parts of the world where the electric bike laws and regulations are different such as, in the parts of the United States. Or here in NZ where the limits are 300 watts and speeds of 32 kms is accepted.
Keep in mind hub motors are a single speed motor, and that the rider must use all gears to get the best out of a hub motor. You really are helping the hub motor perform to it's best rather then it helping you. You will hear me refer to it as artificial often. The level of power is determined by the level of power or current you send from the controller to the hub.
Nothing to do with how hard or easy you pedal. And quite artificial in feel. In fact, it's a feeling of lack of control.
This can be quite concerning for many people.
All hub drive e-bikes are a bit of a pain when it comes to getting flat tyres, and the rear wheel hub is the worst for obvious reasons. The rear wheel has to be unbolted and unplugged. Then you have the weight to deal with as well, it's not like an ordinary bicycle wheel at all. The easy part, if you can call it that, was getting the wheel off, putting back on is a lot more of a mission, even for us experienced hands.
NOTE: Many out there claim that hub drives make better commuters.
That is not true, the truth is, that a hub drive makes for a commuter bike than a hub drive makes for a mountain bike.
The opposite is to be said for the torque sensor mid drives. The feeling is far more natural and a much safer feel with more control. Mid drives are simply better and more efficient. I little more expensive, but well worth it in the long term.
Mid motor Electric bikes are where the motors are fitted as part of the crank of a bike. This is offering equal weight distribution as well. There is no interference with the front and rear wheel cassette keeping the derailleur in tact. Unlike the single speed hub motors, which are not as efficient, the mid drives do work with the bikes gears with a natural feeling and the result is more even torque throughout the entire gear range of the bike. The mid motor works with the gears on the bike resulting in a more effective use of energy. Great for off-road and city, urban, touring riding alike.
NOTE: This is NOT always the case. This really does depend on which type of mid drive.
Brushless Hub Motors
The best way to think of a hub motor, and to keep this very simple is to think of a hub motor as a single speed motor.
Don't let anyone confuse with with other terms such as geared, or gearless, or brushed or other, they are all single speed motors, yes some are more efficient than others, but that is another story.
With a brushless motor, there is no contact between any of the parts inside the motor. The end result is a motor with no theoretical life limit. The motor has three windings. Power is applied to individual windings depending on where the motor is in its revolution. As the motor passes one winding, the controller moves the power to the next winding to keep the motor turning. Hub motors are laced into the wheels of the bike – either as a front wheel drive or a rear wheel drive.
The only way to get more power out of a hub motor is to feed it more current. Keep in mind, it's only a single speed motor.
I like to refer to this as very artificial because it's based on how much current is sent to the motor, and nothing to do with your own ability. In fact, you must learn to manage the power settings, and manage the gears to get the best out of a hub system, yet still not in complete control. It's pretty simple, basic and not so efficient compared to torque sensor mid drives.
Mid motors
Mid Motors drives allow you to use the bike’s transmission as the motor’s gears. The electric motor can in this way run in its optimum RPM range. This results in a more efficient use of the motor and a lighter better balanced e-bike. Why a lighter bike? When going through the gears, you don't need as heavy a motor to propel you up hills and you don’t need as much battery because a mid drive is considerably more efficient than a hub motor.
But, again, Not always the case. This is largely depending on make. There are some terrible mid drive motors on the market. Just as there are some terribly cheap and inefficient hub motors. I also wish to point out that it's not just about the motors, if they do not have adequate controllers and quality batteries, they too can contribute to provide you with poor performance.
It's not as simple as pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each a hub drive and a mid drive on a simple list.
Why? There are different types, quality and variations of each Mid Drive and Hub Motors.
We are not going to go into too much detail right here but we do wish to cover this in enough detail to give you a clear understanding.
Please feel free to contact us regarding any questions you may have. We are very happy to talk about e-bikes
all day long and which e-bike system could be best for you.
So, if one is comparing a mid motor with a hub motor then one is only generalizing. Which one is better for you depends on a
number of factors relating to the type of bicycle you like to ride, the power that you need , and the terrain on which you intend to ride. Claims by brands that their particular e-bike system is the best is admirable but what it boils down to is what is best for you!
Hub Motors. Many of the first electric bikes to come on the market fit in this category. Hub powered e-bikes are still the most readily available due to the volume of manufacturing, also the hub systems are the cheapest to produce.
In particular the 250w and 350w hub motors due to the fast sales expansion world-wide.
In a nutshell, hub motors can be durable. Mostly used in City / Urban environments. Sleek and compact-looking they fit quite snugly in the wheel almost unnoticed due to their small size. If you are looking for the most economical (Price Point)
e-bike for commuting and cruising then this may be the best option of e-bike for you.
The hub motors offer good performance for light hills and flat areas.
Varying amounts of power and speed can be achieved with these motors. In many European countries the electric bicycle regulation stipulates a speed limit of 25km/hour. In our opinion, for the NZ environment, this is not a bad thing at all.
Covering 25 kms in a period of an hour is fantastic really, On the other hand, 32kms is popular and suits NZ conditions well.
It may also be set higher or completely delimited for other parts of the world where the electric bike laws and regulations are different such as, in the parts of the United States. Or here in NZ where the limits are 300 watts and speeds of 32 kms is accepted.
Keep in mind hub motors are a single speed motor, and that the rider must use all gears to get the best out of a hub motor. You really are helping the hub motor perform to it's best rather then it helping you. You will hear me refer to it as artificial often. The level of power is determined by the level of power or current you send from the controller to the hub.
Nothing to do with how hard or easy you pedal. And quite artificial in feel. In fact, it's a feeling of lack of control.
This can be quite concerning for many people.
All hub drive e-bikes are a bit of a pain when it comes to getting flat tyres, and the rear wheel hub is the worst for obvious reasons. The rear wheel has to be unbolted and unplugged. Then you have the weight to deal with as well, it's not like an ordinary bicycle wheel at all. The easy part, if you can call it that, was getting the wheel off, putting back on is a lot more of a mission, even for us experienced hands.
NOTE: Many out there claim that hub drives make better commuters.
That is not true, the truth is, that a hub drive makes for a commuter bike than a hub drive makes for a mountain bike.
The opposite is to be said for the torque sensor mid drives. The feeling is far more natural and a much safer feel with more control. Mid drives are simply better and more efficient. I little more expensive, but well worth it in the long term.
Mid motor Electric bikes are where the motors are fitted as part of the crank of a bike. This is offering equal weight distribution as well. There is no interference with the front and rear wheel cassette keeping the derailleur in tact. Unlike the single speed hub motors, which are not as efficient, the mid drives do work with the bikes gears with a natural feeling and the result is more even torque throughout the entire gear range of the bike. The mid motor works with the gears on the bike resulting in a more effective use of energy. Great for off-road and city, urban, touring riding alike.
NOTE: This is NOT always the case. This really does depend on which type of mid drive.
Brushless Hub Motors
The best way to think of a hub motor, and to keep this very simple is to think of a hub motor as a single speed motor.
Don't let anyone confuse with with other terms such as geared, or gearless, or brushed or other, they are all single speed motors, yes some are more efficient than others, but that is another story.
With a brushless motor, there is no contact between any of the parts inside the motor. The end result is a motor with no theoretical life limit. The motor has three windings. Power is applied to individual windings depending on where the motor is in its revolution. As the motor passes one winding, the controller moves the power to the next winding to keep the motor turning. Hub motors are laced into the wheels of the bike – either as a front wheel drive or a rear wheel drive.
The only way to get more power out of a hub motor is to feed it more current. Keep in mind, it's only a single speed motor.
I like to refer to this as very artificial because it's based on how much current is sent to the motor, and nothing to do with your own ability. In fact, you must learn to manage the power settings, and manage the gears to get the best out of a hub system, yet still not in complete control. It's pretty simple, basic and not so efficient compared to torque sensor mid drives.
Mid motors
Mid Motors drives allow you to use the bike’s transmission as the motor’s gears. The electric motor can in this way run in its optimum RPM range. This results in a more efficient use of the motor and a lighter better balanced e-bike. Why a lighter bike? When going through the gears, you don't need as heavy a motor to propel you up hills and you don’t need as much battery because a mid drive is considerably more efficient than a hub motor.
But, again, Not always the case. This is largely depending on make. There are some terrible mid drive motors on the market. Just as there are some terribly cheap and inefficient hub motors. I also wish to point out that it's not just about the motors, if they do not have adequate controllers and quality batteries, they too can contribute to provide you with poor performance.