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So I've been thinking for a while ( and seeing Chris Porter talk about it in the ST interview has made me think to post this) if these small motors are so available and good what don't we see them being used on e bikes? It's a direct drive, would be easy to fit into a bike seat tube or down tube not like bolting on a huge lump of a motor to the bottom of a frame, if you wanted to increase the life sis. Then the bigger batteries could stay.
If they are patented then surely Specialized Trek etc could pay to use them, given Spesh will sue a cafe for calling itself Roubaix they can't be short of a few quid!!! Just seems addyo be using such backwards tech, can't be a bike cost as most EMTB's are not a cheap bike.
Are these these hidden ones they were supposedly using in Road Races?
I suspect they're not nearly as powerful as we're used to in E-Bikes, they're only going for a 1-2% advantage in such close racing.
Ebikes put out 200 watts which is supposedly more power than an average amature cyclist can put out.
Dunno, good question.
I'm sure there's a few about, but for the average biffer like me the small amount of power and restricted battery life would be meaningless over any distance.
The hidden one you're referring to is not advanced at all, very basic stuff compared to what's in an eMTB. Also more expensive. So actually a shit option, unless remaining undetected is your priority.
In what way Zilog? Genuinely interested?!?
In what way Zilog? Genuinely interested?!?
Sod all power (compared to a normal, legal ebike) and sod all battery life, on account of the tiny, hidden battery.
Edit, seems it gives 200w, compared to 250 of a normal ebike, still a tiny battery though.
Fatbirds in Norwich were selling them pre installed in some £6k ti sportive bike, tells you all you need to know imo.
[url= http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/1835853/products/enigma-etape-disc-ultegra--vivax-titanium-audax-bike.aspx ]Here[/url]
From reading that, it looks like you don't have to be pedalling to make it work, just press a button, which means it's not legal on the road.
200 watts for 60-90 min seems ok to me, as I said above no need to hide the battery as it's not about cheating, the power is on off from what I e seen the lag issue is often talked about with the current set ups ( it was this exact system got me thinking about this TBH) but I'd be surprised if an extra 200 watts wasn't enough to make a big difference to a ride on the hills?
I've ridden an eMTB with the latest Bosch firmware, couldn't detect any lag. The motor responds to pedal input so it felt very natural to ride. Yes an extra 200W at the press of a button would be great for climbs but with no modulation probably not for tight singletrack which is where (unexpectedly) the eMTB I rode really excelled.
Probably makes sense on a road or commute bike just to get you up hills but not on an MTB where you'd be using the boost all the time. Plus the extra expense and the fact that it probably isn't road legal!
Also looks like the eMTB industry is moving (at the top end) into more rugged drivetrains to handle the extra power & avoid snapped chains, etc, which the hidden system doesn't really address.
I'd guess that the cheaty setups have to prioritise silence, lightness and compactness. Probably tricky to achieve, thus expensive
What they don't need to prioritise is longevity
Cheers Zilog!
I agree it lacks the finesse of a true e-bike, but that entire system only adds 1.8 kg to a normal? bike and can be retrofitted to anything with a 30.9 or 31.6 straight post. You won't end up with a 50 lb monster when the battery goes flat.
Fatbirds in Norwich
Hunstanton is a good one hour from Norwich
Hunstanton is a good one hour from Norwich
An hour with pedal assist, or without? 😉