MID DRIVE OR REAR-HUB MOTOR: WHICH IS BEST?
MID DRIVE OR REAR-HUB MOTOR: WHICH IS BEST?
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about mid drive versus rear hub drive
motors. So, let’s tackle that issue.
For most riders, there’s no need to pay the extra money for a mid drive, unless it’s the
brand or the style of bike that you have a strong preference for. (There’s no need to
pay all that extra money for a Bentley or a Ferrari either, but of course people do.)
It’s not possible to buy a quality mid drive bike for under about $3300, unless you
take your own good quality non-electric bike and add a motor kit to it. That can be
suitable for some bikes, for others not. It is however possible to buy a quality rear hub
drive bike for $2400 – $3000. Part of the reason for this is that hub motors have been
around longer and have been produced in larger volumes, and so the manufacturing
cost per unit is less. Another reason is that producing a frame to incorporate a mid
drive motor is more expensive than producing a frame suitable for a rear hub motor.
In the past, many ebikes have had the battery located over the rear wheel, or behind
the seatpost. So, if the motor was also in the rear, this made for a rear-heavy bike
which is less than ideal, especially for trail riding. Today however, more and more
ebikes are incorporating the battery into the frame – in the downtube which angles
down over the front wheel. So, a bike with a rear hub motor and frame-integrated
battery overcomes any issues of weight distribution.
Mid drive motors can use the energy in your battery more efficiently in certain
situations – particularly hill climbing on back country trails. So, on a demanding trail
ride, a 500 watt-hour battery on a mid-drive might deliver the same range as a 550 or
600 watt-hour battery on a hub drive. Having said that, the difference in price
between a 500 watt-hour battery and a 600 watt-hour battery is not as much as the
difference in price between a rear hub drive and a mid drive bike.
One of the biggest advantages of hub motors is that they require little or no
maintenance. They are an entirely independent drive system that retain all of their
components inside the motor casing, leaving nothing for you to mess with or
maintain. That enclosed system also means there is a lot less to fail.
The single largest advantage that mid-motors have over hub motors is their gear
ratio. They allow the rider to power the rear wheel via the same chain and gear set as
the pedals, which means that a low gear can be selected for powering up steep hills or
accelerating from a stop with massive torque. A mid-drive motor in low gear can climb
steeper hills than a hub motor of similar power, and can climb hills for longer than a
hub motor. A mid-drive motor is also usually smaller and lighter than a hub motor of
similar power.
In summary then, there are some performance and efficiency differences in certain
situations and if you expect to find yourself in situations such as long, steep hill
climbs, then a mid drive maybe the answer for you. For the city rider or the
recreational trail rider (timber trails, rail trails, etc.) a hub motor will do just fine. Ken
Agar, who has been selling & servicing ebikes for 10 years, says that when he has
customers who ask “mid or hub?” the first question he asks is “will you be riding more
urban or trail?” Then he tells the customer the benefits of both types and the price
difference and then they mostly buy hub motors. “Unless you’re doing 70-80% of your
riding on more challenging trails and mountain riding, it’s not worth paying the extra
just for style,” says Ken. Of course, if you prefer a brand that offers only mid motors,
or if you prefer the styling of a mid motor bike, then by all means go for it. Either way,
you won’t regret owning ebike