brian61

After trying again to adjust the skipping problem away, even replaced the chain and freewheel, I posted the following on the Lectric Facebook X Premium group: 7th gear skipping has been driving me crazy for 1300 miles. In an effort to solve it I have upgraded the derailleur to an Altus, installed a new DR hanger, shortened the chain, three times replaced the freewheel and replaced the chain 2x. I have given up trying to get 7th gear with a 34-11t freewheel to work. Though with that freewheel, I did manage to get the skipping reduced to one small skip every 5 to 20 twenty miles. So damn random! This was somewhat acceptable but still annoying. Yesterday, after putting around 600 miles on the 34-11t freewheel and chain, I swapped in an OEM 32-12t freewheel that Lectric sent me under warranty along with a new KMC E8 chain. Am hoping that it will solve the problem but I am not that confident it will. After installing it yesterday I went for a 36 mile ride and had one small 7th gear skip at the 21 mile mark. I readjusted the H limit screw, 1/2 turn, to move the chain slightly outboard from the wheel and it didn't skip again. Will be doing a longer ride today to see what happens. Here are some things I learned trying to figure this out: 1. When I first put the 34-11t freewheel on it skipped in 7th gear once every mile or two. I discovered that the derailleur hanger was slightly bent. After replacing it with a new hanger ( I had straightened the old one 2x previously) the skipping only occurred, as stated above, 1x every 5 to 20 miles. I rode like this for around 400 miles until I removed that freewheel yesterday. 2. Shortening the chain helped but did not eliminate the problem. I used the Park Tools Easy/Hard chain sizing video. With a 34t freewheel the chain was 124 links and with a 32T freewheel its now 122 links. 3. Backing the B screw out moves the upper jockey wheel of the derailleur up toward the sprocket which puts more chain on the 7th gear sprocket. This helps but also does not solve the problem. If you do this you must reset the H limit screw and reindex the derailleur. 4. Using a 32-13t freewheel seems to solve the problem. I used one for about 400 miles and the chain never skipped in 7th gear. However I was unhappy with the cadence in 7th gear so I tried again a 34-11t freewheel with the results described above. 4. There is a whole school of thought among the DIY community that says to avoid 11 and even 12t 7th gear on a mid drive motor, there is just too much torque and the chain will skip in 7th gear. 5. Stay out of PAS 4 and 5 in 7th gear with an 11 or 12t 7th. There is just too much torque and you will quickly wear out the freewheel and the chain. If, like me, you are not a bike mechanic and you've never had a mid-drive ebike, it takes a good while to really learn how to ride the bike in a manner that preserves the drive train. Am hoping the OEM freewheel I put on yesterday will solve the issue but, like I said, I've already had one small skip. If anyone with more knowledge than me has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

2old

"Assuming" the skip is the result of a severe chain angle to the smallest gear, Lectric should provide you with a slightly longer bottom bracket (that is a BB with a longer axle). A couple of mms longer should be adequate.

linberl

Hmmm....not quite so jealous of those mid drives anymore; my hub system is flawless and requires very few brain cells to operate, lol. i hope you get it to settle down so you can enjoy it without any nagging worries! i had no idea about these kind of issues so appreciate the heads up, as i was tempted to switch to a mid drive on my recumbent trike to make rear flat changes easier. i'll wait til the hub system dies and see what the state of the art is at that time now.

brian61

2old, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll see what Lectric says about it and report back.

brian61

Despite the skipping, which I can eliminate with thoughtful shifting and staying out of 7th gear below 17 mph, I love the bike. The mid drive is much mor like riding a regular bike than the hub a hub motor, which I very much appreciate. But you are right, it definitely takes more brain power to preserve the drive train. Hoping shifting and speed monitoring becomes second nature.