Originally Posted by
mschwett
not sure what you're getting at here. of course you can coast or freewheel on a mid-drive ebike. you can pedal backwards or not at all. the difference between this and a normal bike is that when you pedal backwards, the chainring actually doesn't go backwards. the crank arms and pedals do, but the chainring stays still.
basically, the crank arm is connected to an axle, which is connected to the gearing mechanism of the motor, which has a freewheel or clutch mechanism. if you turn the crank forward, the chainring turns forward. if the motor is on, it turns the chainring forward. if you turn the crank backwards, the chainring is not driven backwards.
you can't really tell in the photo, but the crankarm is not connected directly to the chainring.
https://roadbikeaction.com/wp-conten...eo-sl-1937.jpg
Similar--mine is mid drive and when powered off rides exactly like any bike, coasting included. Generally start out with it off to warm up, then switch to low boost for the balance, or on to a higher setting as desired. One isn't particularly aware of the 8# e-drive system when handling corners, avoiding obstacles and the like. Guessing larger, heaver e-bikes might not give the same responsiveness, but it's a huge array of product to pick from.