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I suppose that's what you get for something that is 1/6th the cost ish. I'm using the 5 speed and the range allows me to ride up to about 30 (down a hill obvs). Very usable first 3 gears. 3rd has me going at 15 with a cadence of 70-75 which I find comfortable on an electric bike. I was unsure about the range and the jumps between the gears before I rode it but it's perfect for me and an electric cargo. The shifting can leave a bit to be desired. It's di2 and I hated the auto feature. It does change to first if you stop and apply no pressure to the pedals which is great.
It's what I'd get I suppose. Rohloff is undoubtedly the best out there tho.
dst2-
I'm using the 5 speed and the range allows me to ride up to about 30 (down a hill obvs). Very usable first 3 gears. 3rd has me going at 15 with a cadence of 70-75 which I find comfortable on an electric bike.
With hi-torque motors this would seem to be a way to go as the technology develops, i.e., fewer gears needed. I suppose two or three gears below the cut-off speed of 25kmh, when the motor assists, then closer spacing for optimal cadence with human power above that.
Nick_S
That Shimano STEPS E-BIKE 5-speed hub has a range of 263% which looks useful and I guess it would also be a tough unit for non-electric bicycles. One drawback is that, according to the dealers' manual on their website, the inner unit needs to be removed and soaked in their maintenance oil every 2000km, which is more of a hassle than the Rohloff which just requires an oil change without disassembly every 5000km.