The Evolution of The E-bike
The e-bike itself has been around since the 1890’s. They’ve been commercially mass produced since the late 70’s. In The 90’s they started to catch on. The basic design of the kits we sell is over 30 years old, but the wide spread adoption of e-bikes really only took off five years ago.
You might wonder why it has taken so long for e-bikes to gain wide acceptance. It didn’t help that most of the originals were poor quality and that the wider cycling community rejected them.
Today, most can see e-bikes as an addition to their fleet. Shops need them to make ends meet and more than one bike company has been able to keep their doors open because of them. So, why has development been so slow?
It’s time all e-bikes incorporate modern technology. Butted steel, titanium, not just hydroformed aluminum, but butted and how about carbon fiber? We’re paying for it! We deserve it and the price difference is little to nothing.
The top brands are still running hub motors. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that some can get by just fine with hub drives. We aren’t paying just getting by prices. They are heavy, unbalanced and lose power when you need it most. Don’t get me started on how hard it is to fix a flat.
All the above is 90’s technology at best. We should at least come in to the current century. Cadence based systems, like on nearly all hub drive bikes, don’t kick in til you pedal a ways. The hardest pedaling you ever do is getting a bike started. Why have an e-bike if it doesn’t make cycling easier? The 90’s answer was to keep throttles left over from kits that were just for helping you start and to climb hills. People are riding massively powerful bikes today with basically on/off switches! That is unacceptable.
Modern bikes have torque sensors. They are lighter, cleaner and far more efficient. They tell the motor to turn on because they sense pressure on the pedals. They modulate how much power is available to assist even within a given boost level. That’s easier to control. It is easier on your drive train and it is a lot easier on your battery. Range can be as much as 25% longer!
Just a couple years ago cadence based hub systems were so much more affordable we needed them (E-bikes need to be for everyone). The latest tech is now so affordable there isn’t any excuse. Cadence based systems, hub drives, marshmellow tires, antique suspensions (most literally are) and mechanical disk brakes are no longer needed. They need to be relegated to the dung heap of history.
Ruby’s will not sell hub drives, only mid-drives. We aren’t going to sell anything cadence based or with fake suspensions. New e-bikes must have hydraulic disk brakes, not because others don’t work, but because you’re paying for the best.
Don’t let antique technology leave you stranded (it could with changing laws). Come to Mark at Ruby’s for the latest in e-bike technology.