Post #2337292

2026-04-22 09:41 UTC

@simon2k6@mastodon.nz Yes! The Alfine hub gears is my preference. My reference to trad gears was a bit oblique, apologies. What I meant was, "no gears" in a traditional sense. I can find ebikes with gates drive but these have no gears, neither hub nor derailleur. But I don't know enough about ebikes to know if this is an issue. On a side note, I reckon hub gears go back long enough to be considered trad for those of us old enough to remember Sturmey Archer! 🤣

Replies (1)

@simon2k6@mastodon.nz 2026-04-22 10:03

@Waxingtonknee@mastodon.org.uk Ah gotcha-- no gears. E-bikes can definitely have gears without an issue. Mid-drive (motor at the pedal cranks) will typically be geared, either derailleur or internal gearing (Alfine, Enviolo). The gearing on this style motor actually supports motor function too (reduced power, increased torque) [1] Rear hub-drive has motor in the rear wheel making standard gearing option have to be a derailleur. I've found these are typically your entry level e-bikes. Front-hub drive motors also exist with all gearing options. Less frequently seen in my opinion, I'm not really a fan as I've found they can lose traction pulling weight up a hill. Not sure if helpful! What bikes have you been looking at? [1]: I find this page quite helpful - https://www.bicyclejunction.co.nz/pages/faq-hub-drive-or-mid-drive-electric

Open ##2337293