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Old 10-21-16 | 07:56 AM
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Doc_Wui
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Joined: Jul 2015
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From: Chicago Suburbs

Bikes: GT Transeo & a half dozen ebike conversions.

The original poster is talking about powering a nice road bike to climb mountains. I will assume he can almost climb those slopes on his own power, and just wants some help. I was impressed by this writeup from five years ago about riding in the Alps on a little 250W Euro style bike. Batteries are better these days. I think the OP's idea of a rear geared hub motor makes sense for a road bike like the his Jamis Aurora, although a middrive motor like a Bafang BBS02 would be better balanced.

Most hubmotors use freewheel gears. If your Jamis has one, its cogs could be moved, but they probably will be too wide for the frame with the wide motor. If it is chromoly, some users would just bend the frame, but that's a risk that's up to the owner. I wonder if he needs that much power either. A 500W motor would be likely to be smaller in width. Also, 1000W is going to need torque arms. Maybe 500W should have them too.

I think a Cyclone is just raw, unrefined, and much like Mad Max on two wheels. Some folks want that, but a Bafang BBS02 is not much more money and an easier install after removal of the bottom bracket. I have installed the Bafang, and there's none of the hassle of torque arms and filing the frame to get the bigger motor axle to sit in the frame so the wheel is straight. And there's no fuss over where to put the controller box, and wiring it either. You do lose the front derailleur's three gears. And the user could ride a Bafang mid drive up the mountain with his feet doing nothing, as long as he puts the bike in the right gears. Finally, I don't know where the OP lives, but the price of his kit if I were to order in the USA is higher than what a BBS02 would cost me.
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