Electric Bike & Electric Scooter Specialists

Motor Hub Comparison

Posted on January 26 2017

There's many viewpoints as to which motor type is the best. The truth is, they all have their own pros and cons. The best way to go about choosing one is simply to find the pros that suit your needs as a cyclist, whether you're a daily commuter, a leisure cyclist or into long treks.

There are three different types of electric bike motor to focus on to help you understand what's best for you; Mid Drive, Front Hub and Rear Hub.

Mid Drive Electric Bike Motors

Mid drive or center motors power the pedal crank resulting in a smooth power assist across all gears
Powering the crank gives the best assistance when tackling step hills AND for long duration
Because the mid drive motor powers the pedal crank it works in conjunction with the current gear setting of the bike, giving the cyclist complete manual control over the speed
When tackling hills the mid drive motor is superior to all others as it gives consistent power to the crank no matter the gear the bike is in, removing that sluggish feeling cyclists get when on an incline
When cycling on flat surfaces for any duration the mid drive motor provides a smooth ride to match the pace the cyclist dictates

Front Hub Electric Bike Motors

There is one real advantage to front hub motors in that whilst it's powering the front wheel, the cyclist is powering the rear giving great control of the electric bicycle no matter the surface
Can tackle snow, sand or gravel better than other motor types
The cycling sensation of the bike being pulled can be more pleasant over traditional electric bikes

Rear Hub Electric Bike Motors

Rear hub motors are found on almost all electric bikes, they're the all-rounder as they will suit most cyclists' needs
They're not specially designed to tackle one problem for cyclists but instead do a reasonable job at covering most
The best advantage to a rear hub motor is that they provide good acceleration which is what any commuter needs when kicking off at the traffic lights

View: Electric Bike Types