3 ms·
It’s basically impossible. Unpowered hub motors drag a lot. Unpowered mid-drives are better because they have clutches or freewheels, but you’re still pedaling
by rwem 7y ago
It’s basically impossible. Unpowered hub motors drag a lot. Unpowered mid-drives are better because they have clutches or freewheels, but you’re still pedaling a fifty-pound bike. Some ebikes do have regeneration triggered by brake lever switches but it’s pretty rare. Others have a regeneration mode switch. Most just don’t bother.
What you should understand about these bikes is the power delivered by the motor, and the power needed to recharge batteries in a useful time frame, greatly exceeds the continuous power a human would normally exert on the pedals.
- mdorazio 7y agoNot sure I agree with that. It really depends on both the rider and bike. You can get a lighter weight (obviously with less range/power) mid-drive e-bike that is still manageable unpowered if you're not a small rider. It certainly isn't fun, but I've done it just fine on mostly-level ground with a sub-40lb bike. Note that I have fond memories of pedalling girls around on the back of my unassisted bike back in the day, so I might not be an average rider.