Quote:
Originally Posted by The_bluester
The only downside that I can see to crank mounted motors would be not having the ability to do regenerative braking.
Do the systems with a hub mounted motor do regenerative braking or is the possibility of locking it up with brake force and falling off considered too great? It could be a handy range extender if there are hills to be ridden.
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From what I understand the cost to implement would not really be worth the extra few watts it would generate. I asked the same question but in reality braking is a rarely used function in bikes, most people use downhills to gather speed and stopping for lights etc is a shortlived action, very little to gain.
I gather some hub motor models do it but for crank mounted motors it would have to be a fixed wheel setup sort of.
There are two motor types for this install.
One is the assist motor, adds to your effort but you have to pedal, my preferred option as it is very natural to use. You pedal, it adds a preset % of your effort to the crank. 4 settings on the one I rode. 4 or 'Turbo' is just about effortless. On flat keep it low, hills 2 or 3.
The other is an accelerator on the handle bar which is more like a motorbike action, you don't have to pedal. But it has a much shorter range as riders tend to use it instead of adding their own pedal power to the motor.
Depends on your personal requirements. The Assist one is best for the benefit of exercise and range. The other is a two wheel low power scooter, pedalling optional.