I'd like to convert my Marlin 6 29er, but can't decide between 350w and 500w.
Posted by Protoliterary@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 10 comments
I'd like to go with a geared rear hub motor. I've looked into mid-drive, but decided against it, if only because I like to take really long trips and prefer the redundancy of the hub motor.
My main issue right now is that I can't find any reputable sources for a 350w conversion kit, so I'd have to buy everything separately, which would cost more and introduce lots more room for user-error on my part, since this is the first time I'll be converting an e-bike. There are plenty of 500w kits, but I want the lightest possible conversion humanly possible.
This will be a joyride bike, not a commuter bike, so I'd like to add as little weight to it as possible. I plan on pedaling unassisted most of the time, if possible, and assisted only for the hills (my bike rides consist of a ton of steep inclines).
I've got two other e-bikes, one of which is a monster, and the other a cheap 500w heybike from many years ago. The heybike is what I've been using for joyride purposes lately, but all-in-all, it weighs around 70lb, which makes it not-so-fun to use unassisted (I still manage most of the time). Some of the worst hills require that I use the 2nd (out of 3) power setting, so I'm guessing it's using around 350w at that point, and it's enough, so I'm fairly certain a 350w motor would be enough, but then again this heybike is a regular 26 in, so I'm not sure how that changes the equation.
Would a 350w rear hub motor be enough for a 29er? It already weighs around 31lb all on its own, and I weigh less than 140lb.
I'm also assuming that for my purposes, 36v would be more than enough and the battery wouldn't need to be very big.
Thank you for your help in advance!
thetonk@reddit
I would spring for the 500w. A lot of folks forget to add the extra mass of the battery pack and the motor (hub or mid drive) when choosing the right conversion.
Just curious, have you tried pedalling a hub motor when the battery is dead or off vs one with a mid drive?
Protoliterary@reddit (OP)
Never had mid drive, so no idea, but I do it all the time on my hub one.
thetonk@reddit
I'm the complete opposite but have been told it was considerably harder on a hub and that's why I went mid drive on mine. Plus I was to go internal gears hub down the road!
Protoliterary@reddit (OP)
To be honest, my main fear about mid-drive is that if something goes wrong with it on one of my long rides, I'll have a much harder time with things. On a hub, if the chain snaps, it's fine. If the motor itself breaks down, it's fine. If the battery fails, it's fine. If the drivetrain fails, it's fine. It's just the safer option in the long run on long trips, because there is a larger redundancy.
thetonk@reddit
My setup, pic taken a few months back when i severviced it at 1000k. Only issue I had were 2 chain snaps. The motor still looked fresh. Grease was grey but now bright red!
Protoliterary@reddit (OP)
Do you often service it? I like hub cause it doesn't really require any. I have a $300 pre-built that I've almost got 600miles on and which I've never needed to service.
thetonk@reddit
I had the same fears trust me. I've seen my fair share of issues but mostly, it's the chain. Ive had the battery die and it just acts like a regular bike just with 13lbs of extra weight. The motor has failed on me and because it freewheels, I can still spin the cranks as usual. Nothing I can do if it seizes up but im kinda guessing the same for a hub. Biggest issue is snapping the chain because the way the motor offsets the original line. One of the reasons why I'm thinking IGH. But as long as I remember not to dump it on the 52 tooth, I'm normally good. I will have to try the new hubs I guess. The last one I was on was when Gen 1 BBSHD came out.
Protoliterary@reddit (OP)
That's the thing, though. A hub doesn't even need a drivetrain. It doesn't even need pedals. It doesn't need a chain. It doesn't need a derailer. It doesn't need a flywheel. I like redundancy, because more things can go wrong on a hub bike without forcing you to take a long walk home. Something truly drastic would have to happen to a light hub bike for you not to have to ride it back home, whether with your own horsepower or with the motor. It def makes me feel safer.
Almost everything can break on a hub bike, and you can still make it work somehow.
I would like a mid-drive, if only because I hear it's more efficient and it has a torque sensor, but on long rides, I just don't see myself taking that risk. Sometimes I take 50-mile rides, and I'm just not gonna risk it.
Schemeckles@reddit
I sincerely doubt the weight difference between a 350watt setup, and a 500watt setup would be noticeable.
The biggest factor will be the battery.
If you were debating between say a, 1500watt hub vs 350watt hub - Yes that'd be a point of concern.
But 350watt vs 500 watt..... just from a quick Google, the 350 watt will come on from 5-8 pounds. The 500watt will be around 6-10 pounds.
So... I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Protoliterary@reddit (OP)
Alright, thank you!! That saves me some trouble, since 500w kits are all over the place