Originally Posted by
fietsbob
NB: with a derailleur, gear down before you stop, with an IGH you can downshift while you are stopped ...
Yep, I'm aware. I downshift before I hit the hill anyways as it's steep enough that I'd quickly lose speed even if I was going as fast as I can. Plus, it's actually right after a left turn which I can't take at full speed anyways.
Originally Posted by
Pinigis
with a hub motor, probably not. But, with a mid-drive motor, yes. The mid-drive drives the crank wheel so you can much more efficiently use the power by choosing a lower gear. Hub motors just turn the wheel directly, so the power usage cannot be tailored to hill climbing or speed.
Good to know. I have a much better idea what I'm looking for now. I'm fine mostly using a motor to get me up the hill; it beats walking up the hill (which is in and of itself quite an exercise, even without a bike). It's about a 100 foot incline, from start to finish. It's likely between 30º and 45º.
I assume that it won't be easy to add a mid-drive motor to any folding bike, and that there's certain models I'll need to look at that either come with that, or support adding one.