Focusing on Electric Assist Bikes: Are Hub in Motors Really "Weak"?

Who doesn't like the feeling of effortlessly "blowing away" others? Nowadays, more and more new e-bikes are making a name for themselves in the market. They vary greatly in functionality, performance, and price. One significant difference is the mid-drive motor versus the hub in motor. Today, let's explore the differences between these two motors.

From high-performance eMTBs to "petite bourgeoisie" city bikes; from ordinary road bikes to gravel bikes, e-assist systems have been adapted to various types of bikes. Currently, there are two main types of drive systems on the market: mid-drive motors and hub in motors. These two types of motors not only have different installation positions but also different effects.

Especially the hub in motor. Many people are not familiar with it, and its development has been somewhat laggard. It's often viewed as the "younger sibling" of the mid-drive motor, despite also having good advantages and performance.

Many people think that comparing mid-drive motors and hub in motors is like trying to compare apples and oranges—it usually comes down to budget or preference. But for those looking to buy an e-bike, knowing more professional knowledge is certainly better.

Not all hub in motors are the same

It's not just difficult to compare hub in motors to mid-drive motors—there are also differences among different hub in motors. Even the same type of hub in motor can have different subcategories. Just like mid-drive motors have light and full-power drive units, hub in motors also have different drive methods, and their design concepts are even more unique compared to mid-drive motors.

Apart from the obvious differences between front and rear hub in motors, the main differences lie between geared hub in motors and direct-drive hub motors.

The differences between geared hub in motors and direct-drive hub in motors

Generally, direct-drive hub in motors are larger and heavier. They do not use internal gear boxes or fly wheels to drive but instead directly apply the transmitted force to the wheels. This type of hub in motor is mainly used for niche cargo e-bikes, so we won't discuss it much here. Instead, let's focus on the geared hub in motor.

Geared hub in motors are actually the standard solution for lightweight e-road bikes, gravel bikes, and city bikes.

Geared hub in motors are usually smaller and lighter and feature an internal gear box.

When the motor rapidly rotates the central gear, it can convert this into a slower rotation speed through planetary gears to match the reasonable speed of the rear wheel rotation. This method helps the motor operate more efficiently and at a faster speed.

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