Do You Need Gears On An Electric Bike? | Riding A Single Speed EMTB

[@CycleCalm]

Single speed makes more sense with a hub motor, because the torque is constant, whereas on a mid-drive, it's setup to work best within a certain cadance range. A lof of courier bikes use the first setup.

[@LivingTheBestDayOfMyLife]

I wish you would discuss the difference in pedal assist types. There are torque sensing type sensors that assit based off the force put in by the rider. This will make worlds of a difference for slower spinning applications.

[@turbolevo8703]

We need a dedicated 8 speed group for ebikes with an 11-42 cassette. 8 speed will allow a thicker chain for less stretch and increased longevity. I often shift down 2 or 3 gears at a time on the levo when accelerating. 12 speed on an ebike is nonsense.

[@spyderdryverlee4581]

I couldn't agree more.

[@shingnosis]

There is such a groupset, look at the Sram EX1. The cassette is overly expensive but I'm sure prices will come down.

[@turbolevo8703]

@@shingnosis Ok, thanks for that, I will take a look.👍

[@Hookythehammer]

12 speed on an ebike is useless.......until you run out of battery on a long ride 😂

[@sirwalksalot3574]

Once one get the ss legs, climbing hills actually can become ‘easier’ and faster. All my fastest times uphills have been on ss and haven’t been able to touch them on the geared bike.

[@geoffsimons3475]

It would have been interesting to see the heart rate comparisons as well. I totally agree with the gear box comments.

[@jaybenny7719]

Can your try something like rohloff hub on something like a kenevo as a trail monster or with a Bosch performance CX setup as a reliable mud plugger?

[@vviiccttoorr]

Lol that casual highlight reel at 0:35 got me hyped already. Definitely listening to whatever this guy says with those skills.

[@Quartzcvnt]

Basically if you want single speed you need a throttle for hills then motor engagement wont be an issue, ebike are changing to fit there purpose and I think gears will probably change to, possibly less teeth/wider ranges

[@MTBs]

Very interesting test! I have said it before, you don't need as many gears with an eMTB, but more reliable and durable gears.

[@mikefreimann9554]

Considering an e-bike single-speed for a commuter with the 1/8 chain, it should be a much more solid drive train. I have trained and raced track, so I love single-speed bikes.

[@brianthompson1045]

I think ebikes r cadence machines and along with that they are primarily for smoothing out the hills. Just my opinion. Now if you had torque sensing gear box that eliminated hand shifting and kept you pushing the same resistance at the same cadence regardless of speed I would go with that.

[@jamesibbett4830]

Box components have Prime 9 and SRAM have an 8 speed E-bike specific groupset if I'm not mistaken.

[@richh650]

A great rider is like a great chef... They can make great cuisine even using the basic utensils... Very interesting runs and kudos to your excellent riding abilities. Well done!

[@IslandFilmMaker]

Agreed! I think that e-bikes could use less rear sprockets maybe 5 to 6

[@steventunn8895]

So far on my Trek Rail I have found that I generally use less than half the gears on a 12 speed block. It is definitely something for e-bikes to consider and adapt in future, rather than just use the same set up as the traditional human powered equivalent. And having to replace the cassette and chain after 1000 miles (4 months ownership) is not great or cheap after spending many thousands on the bike.. But still, they are the best fun!

[@althomas7937]

We need less gears and a wider, stronger chain. The normal bicycle chainset is just not up to e-bike demands. I’ve been waiting for manufacturers to figure this out for months! Come on guys.

[@TomCottle]

100% this. I reckon even 5 gears would do it.

[@johnhahn6772]

A 10 speed has enough gears and a strong enough chain so far so good

[@NeilDeBarna]

So just like SRAM's EX1!!! Which was a commercial flop as riders rejected the low number of gears and higher durability in favour of.... more gears.

[@sleepingbearffg5008]

Nothing yet?

[@hindesite]

Why a chain? Gates belts are already proven.

[@NWforager]

try a belt drive with internal shifting hub next ⚡

[@jaybenny7719]

Exactly my thought too.

[@Rich.enDorseit]

belt drive with integrated motor and gearing is the dream! ( hub gears make an mtb a bit tail heavy. love it on my commuter though)

[@K1989L]

I have that system on my bmc commuter. It's great! But my particurlar hub is not great. It's the shimano 5e.

[@K1989L]

I'd be interested to try to do singlespeed on my bike and still have the belt. Not sure if Shimano allows it.

[@leeteemtb9587]

I had to single speed my levo HT last year when the rear cassette decides to eat my rear mech on a root, took off the broken mech, shortened the chain an it got me home (11 miles), I called my strava ride "an unlikely chain of events". LoL

[@Stelomat]

perfect name ^^ fixed a punctured tube with a blister patch in the alps held up for 30km and 1500hm called it patch work family ride

[@shingnosis]

The Shimano Nexus 5 rear hub is a good alternative too, pick the version with disc brake. Should make for a good winter setup. Just have to figure out how to mount it but should be doable with some adapters, needs 135 rear spacing in stock form.

[@MichaelGreenLagos]

And 142 thru Axle

[@5492sparky]

Good test Chris. Think it proves we don't need a massive range of gearing on our Ebikes. 👍

[@mova_2020]

😐 is that what you picked up from this video?!

[@AnnaAnna-sd6ol]

How about having two chain rings one smaller and one bigger with single speed? Maybe it could be solution to uphill and downhill

[@timprice516]

a flip flop

[@MichaelGreenLagos]

You need BBSHD with throttle and single speed my bike is 3500w at 92v at 50 amps its fly i am always replacing derailer and gears and chain i deathly need single speed 46 tooth at front 16 teeth at back wicked top speed 78 kmh

[@tl924]

Im super confused, why would you pedal at all through flat areas, wouldn't you use the motor to keep your speed up through those areas?

[@watchmanonthewall14]

If one is a typical rider, one wants to get exercise and therefore wants to do a lot of peddling. Furthermore, riding long distances with only motor power drains the battery much faster and cuts the range drastically. Hope this helps a little.

[@jap7856]

I agree with Chris, I don't think an eMTB need more then 10-speed. My eMTB came with a 11-42T and I am able to do all of the climbs my eMTB crew is doing with there 12-speed 11-51T. I will stick with a 10-speed drive train, but will get a 11-46T or 11-50T cassette, which will be plenty of climbing gear.

[@michaelnedsmar9106]

The answer is YES ! ! There's nothing wrong in riding a single speed to keep things simple and minimalistic .but an E bike is not Minimalistic . The only reason i ride an E bike as my right knee gives me pain due to over spinning out on SS s and doing silly stuff on fixies. .

[@FlyingFun.]

Manufacturers really need to get this gearing sorted. Reason I dont yet have a mid drive is the weak chain and gearing, Needs beefing up and fewer gears, it's really not rocket science. Till they do I'm happy enough with a cheapo rear hub drive.

[@hammertyme1232]

best investment for an ebike is a chain checker, keep a freshy chain and save them cassettes, good video thanx

[@davem.8681]

I was wondering about adding a better gear ratio for the single speed or wouldn't that help for the steep hills?

[@watchmanonthewall14]

I think that would be the best that we could expect. I'm not a dirt rider, but I've ridden tens of thousands of miles on non motorized bikes that have either 10 or 12 gears. A full 90 percent of those miles are within just three middle gears. So my idea would be to make a geared ebike (matters not, whether it's a dirt bike or a commuter bike) that has three gears in the middle ratio. It's a little bit of a compromise, but if we are not riding in competition, it would work well for most terrains.

[@Stelomat]

Gearbox + Belt Drive seems to be the future for ebikes saw some australian guy modifying his turbo Levo seemed pretty happy with that.

[@Rich.enDorseit]

I agree with the comments saying we don't need so many gears, but why has no one made a cassette with replaceable sprockets? it seems the 7th, 8th and 9th sprockets wear out the quickest so that's all we need to replace regularly. I see racing bikes have the option to build a cassette to the exact ratio you want but why isn't this a thing with MTB's? it seems the manufacturers are missing a trick on not supplying us ebikers with a hard-wearing 11-speed cassette with replaceable sprockets?

[@janasherclark]

I run a sunrace 11 speed cassette on my e-bike. 3 smallest cogs can be replaced separately.

[@Rich.enDorseit]

@@janasherclark yer, that's what I've got, thought a steel cassette would last but it only lasted one chain (my previous lasted 2 chains). Problem is it's the 7th and 8th gear are the worse on mine. I see sunrace do a 10 speed with replaceable cogs but there's very little info about it and they don't answer emails!

[@nigelrandtoul8646]

Just a thought Chris, the single speed lower gear must have made it easier to pedal over the limiter, so maybe try the sprint again on the full cassette, but when you exceed the limiter, change down a gear or two to make it easier to accelerate after you have lost assistance above the limit???? How about an 8 speed of DH cassette instead with less chain deflection. Either way good experiment, great show, great advice, keep doing what your doing.

[@johnclark8655]

Would a better test be a comparison between 9, 10, 11 and 12spd drive trains on an ebike? My bike came with 12 spd, its now 11spd and I'm tempted to run 10spd. As you said ebikes get through cassettes and chains quite regularly so what would be the best setup? Also would it be better to say run a shimano 11spd deore set up instead of an xt as the deroe is more heavy duty and cheaper to replace?

[@ianchamberlain9665]

There’s one reason that manufacturers don’t want to sell individual replacement sprockets, and that is cash ! Why would they sell £10 sprockets when they can make you stump up £60++ 🤷‍♂️

[@lazybbones]

Watching you ride is massive fun. But what I need to know, is do they make a rear wheel hub motor for single speeds? Or is it the same motor, just without the cassette?

[@luisguzman2143]

YOU SUPPLY YOUR OWN CASSETTE OR FREEWHEEL. I was looking into this because was worried about the extra wear and tear of shifting gears

[@HoudiniHawaii]

I agree with a lot of you, we need to see tests on 8, 9, and ten speed conversions with more durable chains.

[@shaunwilliamson9193]

This got me thinking about single speed I remember seeing a system from a firm called Pinion they fixie at the back and the gear box in the front its also a belt rather then a chain. The only downside would be where would you fix the batteries it would be interesting to see and the frame would have to be totally redesigned.

[@popra432]

As in cars, also on bikes, e-bikes, motorbikes, the best compromise is the classic 6-speed! ;) And for a daily MTB for town and short off-road trips 3x7 or 3x8 are more than enough! ;)

[@marjanmayer]

i have an haibike sduro 7.0 with super stiff suspension setup barsping ready and singlespeed conversion and super high rise bars +80mm this thing rips

[@christill]

I think if you could put an easier single speed setup on there then it would be good for bike-park people who only pedal to get back up the hill. And for commuting as Chris said. But if you’re commuting, you’d probably not go for an EMTB.

[@hindesite]

Could use a wider hub for a stronger wheel, much more space on the right.

[@Gyllbonus]

Reprogram the motor w/ throttle control while pedaling...on the fly pedal assist....then lighten it up w/a belt drive

[@red.rocket]

Front derailleur is the way to go! 34t, 28t front and 18t rear. Waiting for a review :-)

[@CarkeekW]

1 speed belt drive, mid gearbox with the motor around the gear cluster as a single unit , stainless drive cogs. the future for all but a racer

[@alans4281]

Perhaps a gearbox that is part of the next generation of motors? Let the motor have optimum choice. Time will tell. No doubt someone is already working on this?

[@DavidSmith-wy5js]

Chris nim not supprised but interesesting, try a comparison test on 10 speed vs 12 speed I suspect that the only difference will be less ware & a lot les cost

[@dimitristripakis7364]

I recently had this crazy idea: To have a single speed bike, but somehow be able to remove the sprocket quickly and replace with another one. So you always carry 3-4 sprockets with you and depending on what is ahead, you dismount and replace with the appropriate sprocket. I know it sounds silly at first, but on a second thought it might not be a bad idea. It is often either uphill or downhill for many miles.

[@deadbirdwalking1159]

No automation manual 2-speed could work with that chain tensioner. 1 cog slightly bigger and 1 cog smaller. Smaller for long downhill rides and urban usage, 2nd for trails.

[@Free__Speech]

Single speed on a electric bike is amazing 🙂 & pared with a gates carbon belt. You don't need a gears on a hill when the electric motor helps

[@watchmanonthewall14]

As long as that bike also has a throttle, the single gear is not ratioed too high, and the weight of the rider does not come close to the max for that bike. Single gear is a compromise on steep hills, but if the majority of a rider's commute is flatish, then the compromise may be worth it. I am going for a test ride on a single gear with a 750W motor and a throttle next week. I will learn a lot from that ride.

[@naimi9584]

Molto utile!! non torno più indietro

[@chrisrussell418]

Interesting but results were about as expected. How about and SL with less torque could it run a 7 or 9speed hub gear, (Shimano). If those hub gears can take the torque of a big fit guy on an analog bike then they should manage the torque of a lighter average fitness guy on an SL

[@mksmith713]

I live in Fla where there are ZERO hills. I don’t see any reason why I can’t drop the weight of the extras. I’m on flat surface 100% of the time.

[@nigelrandtoul8646]

Nirvana would be a built in gearbox though, we can all wish. Trouble is the deraillier is like a ballcock, been the same for years, coz it just works...

[@trailsanddales4356]

Go do that epic ride you did in good weather. And see how far you get in the slop and cold. That would be a good comparison. I am getting 19 miles instead 24 with my shimano e8000 500watt battery.

[@Man0fMetal]

Internal gear hubs like some shimano options have 409% gear range. In that way you could get rid of the cassette and derailleur with out loosing gears.

[@f.b.i4751]

I was literally thinking about this yesterday

[@mystscot9814]

Currently, have a Cube suv hybrid race 500, with carbon belt drive and Enviolo internal gear hub, definitely better than having a cassette and derailleur. Saying that I know a lot of the Bafang BBS02 and BBSHD mid-drive users have gone with the Sturmey Archer 3 speed internal gearing hub with great success. I'm sure Continental the well-known tyre brand were developing an internally geared hub and motor in one. Sadly they pulled out last year at some point.

[@Billybritt-s4t]

They can't handle the 160nm of tourq😅

[@e-bike-bys-vykken7422]

try a 32t oval chainring with the single speed setup see if it improves it

[@colincampbell4261]

Use a frame with sliding dropouts no need for chain tensioner then.

[@K1989L]

I was told a normal Bosch motor can not be ridden as ss. There are some ”plastic” gears thay will break. The exception is the schindlehauer ebike with a modified bosch motor.

[@K1989L]

I contacted a Shimano service and they asked straight from Shimano Tech support asking if Shimano steps (6100) could be run as a single speed? Is there any technical reason I should not do it? And they answered No! No technical reasons it couldn't be done! It's one point more for Shimano! Very interesting option for a commuter.

[@doctorjules187]

Agree 100%: NEED INTEGRATED MOTOR + GEARBOX

[@markmlewis]

Cube stereo hybrid action team 2019 got it right with there 8 speed set up...stronger chain and no unwanted gears

[@JohnRushworth]

Yes, I had one but think it better with a 14T than 16T, gears closer together for us wimpy power output types and lower gearing to do big climbs. Top speed still enough with a reasonable cadence.

[@oveja_negra_de_la_familia]

@Electric Mountain Bike Network you guys should test the Kindernay XIV

[@fisiculturista0113]

Siempre firme muy bien El mejor duró🚵

[@shemgresves6712]

Bigger gear on the back puts less stress on the mid drive motor

[@marklethbridge481]

Should have used a Yammie motor, great at low cadence.

[@ssse3123]

Instead of single speed setup you could have just used a single gear on that cassette :D

[@Mr.ZiggedWhenHeShouldaZagged]

Unsprung mass is one of the pros to losing the cassette though

[@colincampbell4261]

@@Mr.ZiggedWhenHeShouldaZagged worrying about weight on an ebike?

[@jimzenglish1]

Would be better to see a conversion from 12 speed to 9 speed. I have a Rocky Mountain Powerplay and even though I ride steep and rocky terrain I never use the top two gears on my bike, totally unnecessary. I’d prefer less gears with a heavier duty chain.

[@Mr.ZiggedWhenHeShouldaZagged]

I'm looking forward to when Ebike motors come with a built in gear box.. uh duh!

[@davidking3699]

For years, I have wanted 4 to 8 internal gears (either in the rear hub, or inside the motor, with the final drive as a toothed carbon belt... strong, low to no maintenance and versatile. Way cheaper in the long run too... even just 3 speeds - climb, trail and cruise - would be enough, if the motors were a little big more powerful i.e. 100+ Nm

[@derekhobbs1102]

The Ruffian cruiser has 8 speed Alfine with Bosch motor.

[@davidking3699]

@@derekhobbs1102 Nice. Have not heard of that brand - we are not a priority down here in Australia for some bike companies...

[@emmagirlgamer9480]

8 speed with a thick chain anyday, why we need 51 teeth on the rear only good for burnouts 🤣

[@wellthi]

why they dont put gears directly in the motor like for other vehicles

[@Fraenzify]

Lightweight and easy to operate. Very convenient.

[@kenleach2516]

Yes, less gears, bigger gaps, maybe 3 speed... multi front sprocket even

[@likeher9]

Again yet another example of the absolute obvious.... Ebikes, and emtbs need a throttle in addition to PAS, then you could have single speed, the throttle can even be set to walk mode speed 4mph, it just bridges that cadence. And you never get cought in the wrong gear, and with cranks in the wrong place if you do stick with gears. Makes a lot of sense guys, you really need to try this.

[@bobcar1972]

One complete motor and gear box would be great

[@stewartjackson1821]

Wow wbo knew!

[@PetePPA]

Single speed bonkers! the reason I got an ebike is its amazing range and capable climbing ability, single speed just takes that away.

[@chargeriderepeat7024]

A hub drive is effectively a single speed and has just as many advantages over a mid drive as disasvantages.

[@jaycarneygiants]

What about a 7 gear bike?

[@simony2801]

Well of course you need gears, we just don’t need 11 or 12 on an emtb, it complete nonsense, we need stronger drive trains with less gears. I took a look at my old 21 speed yesterday, now gathering dust in the garage, I noticed how much stronger the back mech looked and the chain was much thicker than the group set on my eleven speed emtb.

[@ronaldotse]

Good bike at great price

[@Idontlikethisever]

Why would you ever do that?

[@curtrichardson8002]

I had a Ford granada with a bad transmission that was a single speed.....it wasn't fun.

[@shaunwilliamson9193]

I'm glad you're doing the test and not me you would have to be insane to ride single speed on anything but flat .

[@qozmiq]

This global network...only showcases Canyon and Nukeproof. Sooo global!

[@embn]

Hey Chris, both are companies that ship globally! The list of all of our sponsors is in the description of every video, we're adding another cool bike manufacturer to it soon! They're Swedish... can you guess who? 🤔

[@jacobbryant1357]

So many people ask me if my e-bike has gears, they think a motor is a substitute for gears.

[@jayjohnson007]

Needs a throttle not pedelec

[@markifi]

too long a gear

[@JohnyKnox]

You're loosing too much energy with the single speed. I've never understood why people want to pedal so fast at slow speeds.

[@Bonjour-World]

Try using the bloody throttle !

[@stevenconnor4221]

Getting bored of ideas for videos. That was just stupid. Only good reason for a single speed electric bike would be for a commuter bike and even then.

[@blindtrader4103]

Mmmm, I suppose you just get to a point where you run-out of ideas and make a video just for the sake of a video. Next up, does taking a dump before your ride reduce times due to weight loss?

[@johnwignall3815]

Not a video I'd want to watch 😁

[@embn]

It's always interesting that when we put out a video on a subject we haven't covered yet, we get told we're running out of ideas.

[@blindtrader4103]

@@embn running out of ideas does not mean you are not posting videos on subjects you have not previously done. It means the subject is actually pointless.

[@enriquepena5008]

nope single speed for me, gonna kill me softly claiming

[@wellthi]

ebikes are f noisy

[@olliejames3846]

That motor sounds horrific

[@frezzellmckinnney1791]

Sorry 😔😐 that The Electric Motorcycle Bike car is slowly taking Off 📴 Global warming and HIGHer gas prices I Think 🤔 are changing Public Opinion About the newest Electric bike Trends c

[@BrotherMoses72]

First 🙌🏻

[@blindtrader4103]

Your life is complete.

[@BrotherMoses72]

@@blindtrader4103 Amen.