JackFlorey
100 kW
Saw the Yuba Spicy Curry a while back and it got me to thinking. Geared hubs are often used to allow smaller/lower torque motors to be used as hub drives, and are usually lighter (per watt power) than their direct drive equivalents.
The Curry isn't a hub drive (it's a mid-drive) but it uses a smaller wheel in the back to allow more cargo space above the wheel. Could you take that to an extreme and put a 12" wheel in the back and a 29" wheel in the front (for bump handling) and use a much smaller direct drive hub in back, since it would need much less torque to climb a given hill? What are the implications for handling?
The Curry isn't a hub drive (it's a mid-drive) but it uses a smaller wheel in the back to allow more cargo space above the wheel. Could you take that to an extreme and put a 12" wheel in the back and a 29" wheel in the front (for bump handling) and use a much smaller direct drive hub in back, since it would need much less torque to climb a given hill? What are the implications for handling?