The Big Wheel

I have a Yuba Mundo cargo bicycle that I am going to be turning into an electric bicycle. I first wanted to buy the BBSHD kit for it but decided not to because I don't want to deal with the maintenance. My next plan was to buy a rear hub kit but I read about some issues: 1) The rear axle is 14mm and most axles are 10mm or 12mm so I would have to deal with that and 2) I would have to fabricate some kind of torque handles.

So this leads me to the simplest solution, which would be a front hub kit. I know most people prefer front hubs the least, which I can understand, but this will be going on a cargo bike, not a mountain bike. 99% of the time I am riding it is in a straight line, plus the bike is like 7 feet long so I don't think it will have a major effect on the bike.

Anyways, what do you guys think? And should I go with geared or direct drive? From my understanding it would have to be direct drive? Since there is no way to change gears on the front wheel, it's all done on the rear wheel.

2old

Geared vs direct drive does not refer to the bike's gears. A direct drive motor has one moving part, the hub (discounting bearings or bushings). A geared motor has gears INSIDE the motor (read the tutorial at ebikesca). IMO a front hub is a great application for a cargo bike.It has a lot of good features, including, but not limited to, two-wheel drive, better weight balance (usually) and good traction since you'll probably have a front rack.

Rick

As suggested read up on the different kinds of hub motors. The geared hub motors have a reduction set. They are usually lighter and the motor turns 5 times faster than the hub. you talked about the maintenance on a BBSHD. If you don't soup it up with a higher voltage battery you should not have maintenance problems out of the ordinary. I believe that getting the chain line correct is the bigger problem with the BBSHD. Grin at ebikes.ca has a rear geared hub motor that uses a solid 10mm axle, called the GMAC Motor.

northernjeep

As long as your cargo bike has steel forks go for a front hub motor. And buy or make at least 2 torque arms just for the safety factor. Of the 2 different types direct drive is heavier and without power to it has some resistance from the magnets in the hub. The geared hubs are smaller, lighter and have little to no resistance when not powered.

Pop N Wood

Really don't understand why you think a BBSHD is maintenance issue. The things are pretty bullet proof.

A Yuba Mundo has extra long chainstays. Chain line should be less of an issue with that.

Rick

The chain/belt line on a Yuba Mundo should be even easier with a Rohloff hub, a BBSHD and a Veer belt. I might need a machine shop also but am willing to try. VEER makes belts that screw together and I saw a video on YouTube that had a Yuba Mundo with one of their belts on it.

Leisesturm

Your wording makes me think that you believe that a front motor kit is free of the need to fabricate torque arms. This is incorrect! Even a steel fork needs torque arms. Two of them. You don't have to fabricate them. They are readily available from wherever you get your motor. All you have to do is attach them. Yuba makes a Mundo with an integral motor. Guess where it is. Yep, mid-drive. Cargo bikes are the poster child for high grunt, stump pulling torque excess and that is where mid-drives shine. The next most popular place is the rear hub, because rear dropouts are stronger, and 500W - 1000W is a handful in a front fork. If it all seems daunting get help installing but don't put a subpar vehicle on the road just to escape some hassle.

Bluesfrog

I was thinking of multiple bikes with motor kits. Recently I have thought out a system to use with a Worksman Low Gravity Bike, ( truck bike ). Thanks and Be Well, Bluesfrog.