Question About Bosch eCat 250w Motor
08-20-22, 11:16 AM
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Question About Bosch eCat 250w Motor
I just had Bosch's eCat torque-based 250w motor installed onto my Catrike Villager a few days ago and already have a question.
I previously had a cadence-based motor on the Villager. Even though I didn't like it overall, I found that having a throttle was a very handy feature to have. (The Bosch system has no throttle.)
On my very first ride with the Bosch, I found myself stopped on a (up)hill in a much-too-high gear. I couldn't get going again without getting off the trike (not easy on an uphill) and pushing it to a more level spot so I could get going and down-shift. The old cadence-based motor's throttle would have had no trouble in getting me out of this type situation.
So, this has me wondering now - The next time I find myself in this situation, if I put the Bosch motor in "walk along" mode (while still sitting on the trike), would that have gotten my pedals moving enough to allow me to downshift to the low gear that I needed? If so, is that advisable? (I don't want to damage the motor.) I know that the best advice is to avoid stopping on uphills in a high gear, but until I get that through my thick skull, would what I describe work? Or is there something else to try in dealing with this?
Thanks!
I previously had a cadence-based motor on the Villager. Even though I didn't like it overall, I found that having a throttle was a very handy feature to have. (The Bosch system has no throttle.)
On my very first ride with the Bosch, I found myself stopped on a (up)hill in a much-too-high gear. I couldn't get going again without getting off the trike (not easy on an uphill) and pushing it to a more level spot so I could get going and down-shift. The old cadence-based motor's throttle would have had no trouble in getting me out of this type situation.
So, this has me wondering now - The next time I find myself in this situation, if I put the Bosch motor in "walk along" mode (while still sitting on the trike), would that have gotten my pedals moving enough to allow me to downshift to the low gear that I needed? If so, is that advisable? (I don't want to damage the motor.) I know that the best advice is to avoid stopping on uphills in a high gear, but until I get that through my thick skull, would what I describe work? Or is there something else to try in dealing with this?
Thanks!
08-22-22, 07:43 AM
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Somebody here may be able to answer your question, but I think you'll have more luck in the Electric Bike forum. Or ask the manufacturer.
08-22-22, 11:33 AM
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I don't think the walking mode has enough torque with you sitting on the trike. If you have enough room you can turn the trike and head downhill a bit and shift then turn back up. Or go all the way back down and do it right. But honestly - you just need to remember to shift. Tape a piece of masking tape on the trike where you can see it while riding and write "shift before hills" if you have to in order to ingrain the habit. 250w is not a lot for climbing hills so don't overstress and overheat it. If you really can't remember then you need to get an IGH so you can shift while stopped
