DGS49
Diamond Member
I recently bought one of these, an E-bike that features a 500W mid-drive motor. My previous bike was another Himiway, a Cruiser with a 750W hub motor. The step-through was prompted by my decreasing flexibility as I was having a difficult time getting my leg over the bar, so to speak. The pictured bike, a "D5 Pro S/T" is sold as an upgrade from the Cruiser (costs twice as much at current prices), despite its less powerful motor, because they tell you that the physics of the mid-drive compensates for the lower power rating.
It doesn't.
In fact, it is a much different riding experience that requires more attention than the hub motor-type bike.
For those who don't know, most Ebikes have two different ways to access the power of the motor. The first way is "pedal assist," in which when you are pedaling the bike, it helps you along (in several different levels of help), and the second way is through the throttle - a separate thumb control - by which the bike will go even if you are not pedaling. Some manufacturers characterize it as, The throttle is what you use when you are on your way to work because you want to get there without sweating, and the P.A. is what you use (or don't) on the way home, when you don't mind being sweaty.
With a hub motor, the motor "doesn't care" what gear you are in; it just does its thing as commanded regardless of what you are doing with the pedals, if anything. The pedal assist levels correspond to target speeds and you can pedal along with great force or just easily, and the bike will achieve that speed. For example, with my Cruiser, PA-1 corresponded to 10mph and the motor would do its best get me to 10mph as quickly as possible, while I just pedaled for fun. Level 5 corresponded to 23mph. Those target speeds could be modified with re-programming if you were so inclined. Using the throttle, the bike would get to 23mpg or less, as you chose by how far you pushed the throttle level - just like a gas pedal in a car. Interestingly, because of how a hum motor works, if the chain were to break, you could still get home using the throttle alone, which is a cool feature that nobody hopes to use. And in fact, if you are riding a hub-motor E-bike and you are using the PA feature, you don't have to use the gears. If you are stopped for any reason, you can be in the highest gear with PA-1, and just start pedaling. The bike will get you to 10mph regardless.
And this feature is important if you are an urban biker. Imagine you are sitting at a traffic light with cars on either side of you, and front and back. When the light turns green, you want to blow through the intersection as quickly as possible, so as not to delay cars making turns from either direction. With a hub motor and PA activated, you just crank the throttle and you are through the intersection immediately, just by cranking the throttle.
So now we come to the mid-drive arrangement. In the mid-drive bikes, the motor is connected mechanically with the crank, so it is NOT independent of your pedaling effort. With the mid drive, the motor generally SUPPLEMENTS your effort rather than replacing it, although it is possible to ride in throttle-only mode. In a mid-drive bike (just like in a regular bike), you MUST use the gears. In that same situation when sitting at an intersection, the PA and throttle will help to get you through the intersection, but just barely. It is just like a regular bike...that weighs 80 pounds or more. So you have to gear down to a low gear when you are coming to a stop.
As for actually RIDING the bike, the need to use the gears is the only difference. With a hub-drive you can ignore the gears or just set them to the cadence that you like, but with a mid-drive there are more gear changes, especially when riding in hilly areas, like where I ride. In summary, it's more like riding a regular bike than the hub-motor.
I theoretically have two weeks to return the bike if I don't like it, and I'm not sure whether I will keep this one, but I'm dealing with a small bike shop and I would feel guilty returning it. They have treated me pretty well during the purchase process, despite some glitches from Himiway. I can certainly live with it, but I liked the hub drive better. Aside from the motor issue, it is a great bike. Comfortable, stable, nice features and graphics. Still not decided.
