Key Electric Assist Technologies for Converting a Tadpole Trike into a Pedal Assist/e-Assist System - Part 1

Nowadays, there are a number of options available to convert your trike into an e-assist or a pedal assist system. The choices can appear to be numerous and complex. This article simplifies some of these technologies and outlines the key differences among them. The article will discusses two key technologies - Geared Mid-Drive and Gearless Direct Drive Systems.

Contents:

1. Geared Mid-Drive Technology
2. How the Mid-Drive eBike Technology Works
3. Gearless Direct-Drive Technology
4. How the Direct-Drive eBike Technology Works
5. Which eBike system is best for Tadpole Trikes?
6. Understanding Dynamic Behavior and Trike Stability
7. Technology Benefits: It is all about the Experience
8. The Comparison

Geared Mid-Drive Technology:

Some History: The geared Mid-Drive technology has been around for a long time. The earliest brand to use mid-drive was Flyer in Switzerland with great success. Generally mid-drive technology was considered “restrictive” and in-elegant. It was noisy and restricted to 250W. Flyer had great success in Switzerland but limited success in the rest of Europe. Panasonic manufactured these drives. They were generally considered a strong workhorse. Since the explosion of the market in 2011, Flyer has diversified to add a number of other mid-drive options and models. Their web-site can be seen here: https://www.flyer-bikes.com/.

In 2011, Bosch launched a mid-drive system in partnership with a number of German bike manufacturers. The system was an instant hit. The “hit” was primarily because of the fact that German bike manufacturers were starving for a system which could be well supported locally. With Bosch service centers and technicians all across Germany, the mid-drive became “The eBike System” and German customers were quite happy. Another big push came when Haibike launched a mountain bike with Bosch system. The performance was great because the weight was concentrated in the center of the bike. Those two events practically gave a tremendous boost to Mid-Drive platform. Bosch systems can be viewed here: https://www.bosch-ebike.com/ and Haibike ebikes can be seen here: http://www.haibike.de/.