Reader Questions

Steve wrote:

"Thanks for the postings on the electric bikes. I have not looked at them for a long time, a few years ago the Currie seemed like the best bet. Do you know what brands are the best now?"

Hi Steve. That is a good question.

I think the answer depends on what purpose you have for the bike, and what your preferences are.

For example, if you like the whisper quiet of a hub motor, then there are several kits that you can use to retrofit a conventional bike. Crystalite, Wilderness Energy, and Heinzmann hub motor kits have been getting some good reviews in terms of quality, with a few negative comments about the Wilderness Energy in terms of faulting. But apparently they are good about replacing defective products.

There are also friction style and chain driven styles that can offer more torque, but can wear out your tire from the friction(with the friction style) or can be fairly noisy, as the friction style and the chain driven types can be.

I do know of some belt drives styles that are almost as quiet as a hub motor style. But I am not aware of any that are commercially available. I only know of some DIY creations, of which I am working on myself.

I hope to share the findings of my DIY belt drive kit.