slomoshun

For anyone considering this hub system*, here’s what I’ve experienced. As I expected [and wanted], a 350-watt geared hub ‘augments' pedaling—the bicycle remains a bicycle. Up 4% grades that are normally ridden at a slow but manageable pace, the motor can double my road speed and greatly reduce the applied effort. On level ground, the hub makes pedaling optional. When the panniers are loaded with groceries, steeper hills of 7% or more that typically have me working hard and sweating in granny gear become much less challenging. I do need to approach these inclines at about 10 mph and then maintain a steady cadence to keep the motor in its happy rpm zone. On a long climb I'm still working, but generally not enough to need a shower at the top.

There is no LCD multiple-choice carousel display to toy with [which I find refreshing]. The main power switch is on the battery bag, and speed is controlled by a thumb throttle which can be mounted on either side of the bars. CR recommends a steel fork for the hub, but there is no requirement for a torque arm. The 36 volt battery is LiFePO4 chemistry.

Obviously, 350 watts routed through a mid-drive and rear cluster would be a much stronger hill climber. For my applications, though, the upside to this CR hub system is its simplicity. I carry my bike in a hatchback when traveling to distant ride sites. To get the bike into the small car, the front wheel always needs to come off. Doing that, and unstrapping CR’s battery/bms/controller bag from the rack makes the bike just as lightweight and easy to load as when it was unmotorized. At the site, it goes back together in minutes. That versatility doesn’t exist with a rear hub or mid-drive, the batteries can come off but the motor assembly weight and bulk is always there.






* I bought CR's 350w ProPack kit and had a wheel laced that matched the rear.

[update: I've been asked about the weight of the bike. As shown with motor and battery, rack and bags, some tools w/CO2 inflator, but minus the full water bottle, it all weighs 46 lbs.]

chas58

Thanks for the good write up!

I find that 350 watt motors are great for people who want to pedal and supply some of the power. And, yes you are right, if you go at full throttle under 10 mph for too long (i.e. up a hill) the motor will not be happy and will eventually overheat.

Some people like to have twice that much power and just let the bicycle do the work for them. Really, on a 750 watt bike, no normal person is going to be able to add enough power to increase the speed by more than one or two mph.

I, like you, enjoy a light 350 watt motor the augment the pedaling. Your motor seems to work a lot like the popular and well regarded Q100, but I imagine your kit has better installation instructions. ;-)

Yeah, I’m not too worried about torque arms at 350 watts, but do keep an eye on things. If a front fork (especially non steel) fails, it is likely you will take a trip to the hospital. And, never, ever let the front tire spin when riding. That will eventually cause the fork to fail (not to worry you, but be aware).

2old

Excellent review and agree with C58, although I have a torque arm on my 350w front hub conversion. If you're ever in doubt about whether a hill is too steep for the motor, stop and put your hand on it; if you can't touch it for 10 seconds, it's too hot IMO.

slomoshun

The CR package is designed to be easy with no techno challenges. Simply having the ability to turn a wrench will get it done.

My two previous ebikes were branded ready-to-ride items. This time I wanted a more open power system that could be used on different bikes. Attaching a cable set [$50] onto my wife’s bike will allow quick transfer of the front wheel and battery bag from mine when she’s off riding with friends. Installing the CR system on a bike is mostly about planning where to route the two cables: the main wire which goes from battery to motor, and the thinner secondary that runs up to the thumb throttle. The kit comes with zips to retain the cables but I found that vinyl tape makes a clean and tight installation. At the connector on the fork, which obviously needs to disconnect to remove the wheel, I used a Velcro strap on the motor wire. There is nothing unusual to mention about mounting the wheel; seat axle in dropouts, tighten nuts. One mod I did do was slip a sheet of firm 3/8” foam into the battery bag to create some cushion between the batteries and rack. There are three of CR’s Dakota batteries in the bag and although they are hard cased like motorcycle batteries, I didn’t want them to get hammered on unpaved paths.

One of the guys at CR’s customer forum did an installation video
CR’s installation info https://www.electric-bike-kit.com/ima...Install6.0.pdf

Faddy Daddy

Nice write up, pic and description of the assist it gives you. Just curious, is a quick release a no no on a front hub motor?

FrenchFit 

I have that system, with quick released on the front hub & sprinter battery. You pay extra for the QR nuts, they're heavy duty and work OK. As I posted before, I shattered the front fork drop-outs on a bike that I thought had steel dropouts, they turned out to be Al. But, I was rolling backwards in the driveway and punched the button - stupid. Otherwise, 3 years and no drama. It is hecka easy, no drama system - we're big fans. I'll often ride that bike for a hours without using the motor at all, but it's fun to have if I a little Tesla boost.

slomoshun

Yup, they aren't standard QR with skewers.
Quick Release Axle | Electric Bike Kit | Clean Republic

I asked about them. It seems that CR only recommends them for their 250-watt hub. I assumed that they were just giving me some boiler plate language because of the 350's additional torque. So, instead, I carry an 18mm stubby box wrench in the Planet Bike Lunch Box triangle bag in case I ever need to pull the wheel.

More info for the curious... My normal grocery run without power assist would take about 45 minutes riding time round-trip. I live on top of a hill and about 80% of that was climbing back home. With the 350 hub my time is around 20 minutes if I'm heavy on the throttle and don't cheat on the leg work. Now, I can buy ice cream. That, alone, is worth the price of admission.

Faddy Daddy

Ha ha can't beat that. Lucky me, with kids I always have an excuse!

chas58

A magnet is your friend in this case - it will clearly tell you if you have steel (Iron) or Al.

That is what worries me with a front hub on non-steel. Jerk to the system, and the fork will fail. Its not a matter of being stupid, it is just a matter of time before something happens. If you are riding, you will crash hard. Steel at least tends to bend, and may give you time to stop before crashing.

My motors are on the rear. ;-)

chas58

Boy, a quick release (especially on the front) would make me nervous. That motor has some torque, and if it spins in the drop out, it will ruin the frame (or fork). Not to mention the risk of a crash.

It's worth it to carry a wrench (just like the Fix Gear track bike guys).

Great having a 50%+ reduction in travel time.
My bike reduces my longest commute time from 75 minutes to 55 minutes, but I ride pretty fast without a motor. ;-)

FrenchFit 

When I switched the fork I installed torque arms. So much for quick release nut, now changing the front tire may be even more time consuming. I use a high quality tube (Specialized AL valve) and fresh tire (SMS) on the front; so far so good, zero flats in three years.

chas58

yeah, for an ebike I use "flat attack tubes" (similar to slime). They don't seem to work in 700c size (those are mostly pinch flat issues), but I did ride around with a 3" nail in my tire for several days before I noticed it was there on my 26" tire. Flat protection is important on the powered wheel!

RockstarBruski

Hey this is Bruce (AKA RockstarBruski) thanks slomoshun for posting a link to my install video. Your installation on your Trek bike looks great and very nice write up on your install and use of the hilltopper! Also, nice tip about the 3/8" foam. I need to do that on my battery pack son as I've noticed that sometimes it tends to rattle when I hit bumps in the road so thanks for the tip!

Happy and safe riding out there everyone!

NoPhart

Slomo - Does the wiring come out of the hub motor or the axle on the right side of this 350W/36V motor? I didn't see measurements on their site. What is the diameter of the largest part of the hub where the spokes attach? Will you please post a closeup picture of the left and right side of the hub? Thx.

NoPhart

Also, I don't see any "specificatins" on this site:

Hub Motor | Electric Bike Kit | E-Bike | Electric Bicycle Conversion Kit | Clean Republic

Do you have a link for all the specifications? Thx again.

slomoshun

NoPhart, here is the info that I have....

NoPhart

Perfect! Thank you so much.

Looks like about 6.25" diameter stock and probably can be turned down to at least the spoke hole center diameter of about 5.75" if not lacing it to a wheel. Sure like the simple complete kit they offer. Takes a lot of the hassel out of a conversion.

NoPhart

That spec sheet is for a BaFang 350W. Is the CR a rebranded BaFang?

slomoshun

CR's 350-watt hub is the Bafang "FM G02.350.D/V".

From what I've read, there are three major manufacturers of ebike components in China. Much of the world ebike industry gets their motors, and possibly controllers, from those big three.

2old

I've ridden a few bikes with the Bafang 350w (if there's more than one model, don't know which I was on); dynamite performance.

keg61

GOOD INFO... i live up a pretty severe hill and have a trike in need of boost,adding an electric front wheel would be the simplest solution, BUT... i fear the simple, lol,my primary concern is that all the weight will be shifted to the rear because of the hill and the load(my trike weighs over 100 pounds and i add more than 350 to that) I'm recovering from a stroke and have not been able to get on a regular bicycle so i'm really hoping i can change this trike from a boat anchor to something I can use. do you think electric front drive would work for me? the front wheel in this pic is20" I intend to change the fork and switch to 26"

slomoshun

Because of weight transfer, a front hub would probably not be much help while climbing "severe" hills. In other riding environments, a geared front hub could be beneficial. With the overall weight of the package, I would recommend a hub larger than 350 watts.

The ideal conversion would be a Bafang mid-drive which utilizes the bikes gearing and drives the rear wheel/s.

keg61

Thanks, i talked to a trike conversion company this morning, they said the front drive wheel wouldn't be practical unless I could maintain 10mph which i'm pretty sure i can't do. I'll look into the mid drive

chas58

Dude, you aren't going to spin that front wheel with close to 500lb weight. Ain't going to be a problem. You have roughly 200lbs on that front wheel, and 150 on each rear wheel.

And, how big are those wheels? It is going to be difficult to burn out a front wheel motor on a small wheel like that. Give me the wheel size, and I can give you some options. For example, if you have a Tiny Q100 motor (the kind I like) at 350 watts, on a 16" wheel, you will never overheat if you keep it over 5mph. That motor can do 5mph up a 16% grade all day long (without overheating). That is a steep hill!

And yes, if you have gears and hills, a mid drive would be your best option (you do have to shift them though, apparently a lot of people forget this).

DoubleDiamonDog

Can you run more 48V through the Clean Republic 350W kit or are they constrained to 36V?

Slightly off topic but what's the difference between the Bafang G01 and G02?