Which is best? Hub vs Mid Drive Ebikes - DEBUNKING hub-drive HATERS!

Hub vs Mid drive ebikes motors. Which is best?

[itlnstalyn]

This video answered every question i had on the pros and cons. I have searched and found several different answers but the side by side race proved to me yes i have decided on the hub drive. I will also order the one he is talking about. I do light trail rides and mostly paved or gravel paths so i am not worried about the extra weight in the rear wheel, i will not be jumping the bike off of PEOPLE DONT ANYWAY. Thanks for the video this was very helpful.

[troywalt]

Thank you very well explained, I personally hate the fact that EMTB have made people believe mid drive are better when they have so many cons and are only better for very specific things like MTB. Hub drive motor are far superior for anything but hardcore MTB.

[darthboyzzee]

TLDR:

<1000W = Mid drive
1000W-3000W= Debatable
3000W> = Hub Drive

[virginiaoverlander]

Myth... a buncher is not harder to fix on a hub drive. Just dont remove the wheel. Pull the tube out the side without chain (left) patch it and stick it back in. I my life i never removed a wheel to patch a tube and at 55yo, that's 45 years patching tubes with a tire iron a patch kit and a pump.

[janesa]

the one big advantage of an e-motor-> direct and efficient power application to the weel, no way or reason to buy a chain busting mid-drive, and you can have regen Breaking, which is nice regarding wear and tear on the breaking pads

[jasondundom]

FYI you dont have to remove any tire to repair a puncture, just flip it over pull the tube and repair.. iv done it more times then i needed, when not packing tools back in the day before quick releases.

[OakleyTurvey]

Thanks. Refreshingly unbiased review.
I have built several ebikes and have nearly 10, 000 kms on one of them (a hub drive) with little maintenance needed. One issue you touched on (unsprung mass) is definitely something to consider if doing serious MTB, but as you also said...most people just claim they are when in fact they are just out on some woodland paths (just like most 4x4s are never taken off the tarmac). Mine is just a touring bike and test-bed for future builds. I have had to ride 20 kms on a Sunday on motor only, when a pedal bearing collapsed. Another occasion I'd worn out a chain when away from home and far from the shops.
One big plus for most mid-drives is to have the controller built into the motor and therefore protected from the elements. I have always bought hub drives with the controller built in (only available for 1000w and up). Never any problems with waterproofing even in UK weather.

Like you say they are different and it's horses-for-courses...
Too much snobbery from people trying to justify to themselves why they spent so much on their toys. Forget the price, just enjoy them.

[mrhoeivo]

I really enjoyed listening to your dog snore throughout this video.

[myentertainment]

It's glad that you specified that you are talking about powerful hub motors.
People usually search for 250-500 w (750 max) hub motors and they are completely different story. 1-2k w hub motors are different beast.
Whether it's Geared or gearless hub is also important.

[nagliuxasplikis]

I have build 2 full sus, 1 with hub and throttle only and another full sus with bbs02, and i love the hub, as i have not involved pas i can manualy use throttle to help pedalling and its so simple to use, bbs02 is like driving car with manual gearbox when u have to think of changing gears, uphill with hub and little help of pedalling can go any hill easy and not to worry on which gear i am or snapping chain damaging cassete...

[manuwilson]

Very good assessment brother. For road commuting (the MAJORITY of cycling) hub drive is obviously the choice.

[rogereheadbyrne]

I absolutely love hub motors I've had loads over the past 18 years I've never had a midrive to compare but I know they are efficient but it comes at a high price man my 1000w hub is on a lightweight Muddyfox Anarchy 100 it's super fast so I sail past midrives fantastic blog Steve

[neekodevinchi]

Great vid Steve. I was thinking about doing a similar vid comparing mid drive and hub motors but I think yours hits the nail on the head.
One additional positive for hub motors is that you can technically run them chainless (provided its cadence sensor based not torque sensor based).
Keep up the vids mate 👍

[jezztech]

Fuckin awesome man, ! I ride my 250 watt front hub rig for off road trailing, I know you think 250w is wank, but am a veteran still going roady (not dead yet) so dont really want my Kona MTB to do everything for me, so it is genuine 2 wheel drive, battery is low slung, as is front hub, its kind of coincidental it just works perfectly ( for my rig) the handling and straight line stability is fing awesome, and with the throttle i can get 21 mph on dry tarmac, and am 14 stone.

[chargeriderepeat]

I run fatbike geared hubs at 2.5kw peak, they will do 35mph in 'one' gear and climb a mountain, but the midrive eventually wins when it gets really steep.

[bobpatty]

For over two years I have run a mid drive system with a rear hub motor on the other end of the chain. Why? Heat problems on the hills disappear as well as range anxiety. A separate 72v30ah battery feeds each system and dependability doubles. The answer to which is better is simply BOTH!!!

[TheGamingChad.]

i'd say i agree with you, who buys an e-bike and never peddles? taking peddling into consideration the Hub motor will perform equally if not better without having to stop accelerating to switch gears, very inconvenient thing to do on a mid drive if you ask me. On top of that, they are more complex systems and put more strain on the sprocket, chain, and the freewheel. The extra weight on the back doesn't mean anything since all i'm doing with it is going from A to B.

[bonzobanana]

One thing about pre-built mid-drive motor bikes is the huge depreciation of them. Mid-drive motors are expensive to maintain and can fail and be uneconomic to repair, this wipes out the investment in the bike not only for the motor system but often the custom frame too. Bosch also make their batteries with encrypted security so 3rd party batteries can't be sold that are compatible and they don't supply spares to 3rd parties except for basic service kits. So you've bought a £9k ebike, you've had 80% of the life of the battery after using your bike for 2 years, the motors failed and repair would cost over £1k and you are uncertain how long that repair will last and you'll be needing a new battery soon anyway which could be over £1000. Do you want to put £3k or more into the bike or cut your losses and buy the next shiny new thing. Just to clarify I'm not talking about bafang mid-drive motors I'm talking about the premium models like Bosch, Yamaha, Shimano, Mahle and Brose. Admittedly the brands I have most issues with are; Bosch, Mahle and Brose which seem to have reliability and lifespan concerns plus have restricted supply of parts.

[desertweasel]

The mid drive Bafang you can actually hook up to a computer and change the settings within the motor to suit you exactly. At least, this is what ive heard. I don't own a hub or mid drive, im just going by the research I have done so far. Im definitely going to get either a hub or mid drive and I mean within the next few hours I going to order a kit.

The price ranges I have seen for what I want is about $400 to $500 for a complete hub drive kit or about $900 to $1000 for the mid drive. This is why i want a hub is cost, but if the hub is just outdated technology i will drop the extra cash for the mid drive. I live in georgia and there are hills everywhere and i have heard hubs do not handle hills to well. However, I am a small man at 5'11" 155lbs and so I don't know if i would have problems or not. With the mid drive it just seems like you buy it and just don't worry about it. In other words, mid drive seems to be what i will probably go with.

[leeotfkelsey]

Agreed about hub motor reliability, I've got 3 k on mine, 1 new rim, 1 new controller, eats rear tyres and front pads for breakfast.. But no motor issues... So far.. 🤞