[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":424},["ShallowReactive",2],{"article-en-mid-drive-vs-hub-motor":3,"articles-en":329},{"id":4,"title":5,"applies_to":6,"author":10,"body":11,"confidence":303,"description":304,"extension":305,"faq":306,"meta":313,"navigation":314,"path":315,"seo":316,"sources":317,"stem":324,"test_bike":325,"topic":326,"updated":327,"__hash__":328},"content_en\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fmid-drive-vs-hub-motor.md","Mid-Drive or Hub Motor: What Suits You?",[7,8,9],"mid","front","rear","fabio-gentsch",{"type":12,"value":13,"toc":291},"minimark",[14,18,23,112,121,124,134,137,140,143,166,173,176,210,214,221,225,232,246,251,262,267,275,278,284,288],[15,16,17],"p",{},"The mid-drive feels the most natural and is strong on hills, but costs more and is harder to install. Front and rear motors (hub motors) are cheaper and simpler, but ride differently. The choice depends mostly on where you ride, what gears you have and how much work you want to do.",[19,20,22],"h2",{"id":21},"the-overview","The overview",[24,25,26,42],"table",{},[27,28,29],"thead",{},[30,31,32,36,39],"tr",{},[33,34,35],"th",{},"Criterion",[33,37,38],{},"Mid-drive",[33,40,41],{},"Hub motor (front\u002Frear)",[43,44,45,57,68,79,90,101],"tbody",{},[30,46,47,51,54],{},[48,49,50],"td",{},"Ride feel",[48,52,53],{},"Natural, uses the gears",[48,55,56],{},"More \"pushed\", depends on the sensor",[30,58,59,62,65],{},[48,60,61],{},"Hills",[48,63,64],{},"Strong, gear choice usable",[48,66,67],{},"Limited, usually 30 to 45 Nm",[30,69,70,73,76],{},[48,71,72],{},"Gears",[48,74,75],{},"Derailleur needed, front derailleur usually dropped",[48,77,78],{},"Front: stays. Rear: derailleur needed",[30,80,81,84,87],{},[48,82,83],{},"Installation",[48,85,86],{},"Involved, bottom bracket must fit",[48,88,89],{},"Simpler, dropouts must fit",[30,91,92,95,98],{},[48,93,94],{},"Cost",[48,96,97],{},"EUR 400 to 1,700",[48,99,100],{},"Front EUR 250 to 600, rear EUR 250 to 900",[30,102,103,106,109],{},[48,104,105],{},"Wear",[48,107,108],{},"More on chain and sprockets",[48,110,111],{},"Less strain on the chain",[15,113,114,115,120],{},"All figures are orientation only, as of November 2026, without guarantee. Details on the types are under ",[116,117,119],"a",{"href":118},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Fmotor-types","motor types",".",[19,122,50],{"id":123},"ride-feel",[15,125,126,127,133],{},"The mid-drive sits at the bottom bracket and works through the chain and so through your gears. That comes closest to riding a factory-built e-bike (",[116,128,132],{"href":129,"rel":130},"https:\u002F\u002Fupway.de\u002Fblogs\u002Fnews\u002Ffahrrad-zum-e-bike-umbauen",[131],"nofollow","Upway","). Hub motors sit in a wheel and push or pull. With a cadence sensor that feels like being pushed, with a torque sensor much more natural. So the sensor matters almost as much as the motor itself.",[19,135,61],{"id":136},"hills",[15,138,139],{},"On hills torque is everything. Hub motors usually deliver 30 to 45 Nm, mid-drives 65 to 160 Nm. A mid-drive also uses your gears: you shift down and the motor stays in its favourable speed range. A hub motor has a fixed gearing and can struggle on long climbs. If you live in hilly country, a mid-drive generally serves you better. If you ride mostly on the flat, a hub motor usually does fine.",[19,141,72],{"id":142},"gears",[144,145,146,154,160],"ul",{},[147,148,149,153],"li",{},[150,151,152],"strong",{},"Front motor:"," Gears and coaster brake stay untouched. A hub gear can be combined with it too.",[147,155,156,159],{},[150,157,158],{},"Rear motor:"," A derailleur is required. Check the freewheel or cassette fitting and the number of speeds. Hub gears and coaster brakes rule out most rear motors.",[147,161,162,165],{},[150,163,164],{},"Mid-drive:"," Derailleur gears work. The front derailleur is usually dropped. Check chainline and chainstay.",[15,167,168,169,120],{},"If your bike has a hub gear or coaster brake, a front motor is often the simplest solution. More on the coaster brake under ",[116,170,172],{"href":171},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Fcoaster-brake","coaster brake",[19,174,83],{"id":175},"installation",[15,177,178,179,183,184,188,189,194,195,199,200,205,206,120],{},"With a hub motor you swap a wheel. Hub spacing and dropouts must fit, see ",[116,180,182],{"href":181},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Fhub-spacing","hub spacing",", and a torque arm should go with it, see ",[116,185,187],{"href":186},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Ftorque-arm","torque arm",". With a mid-drive you remove crank and bottom bracket and fit the motor. The bottom bracket must fit: Bafang BBS and Tongsheng TSDZ fit BSA 68 to 73 mm, Pressfit needs an adapter (",[116,190,193],{"href":191,"rel":192},"https:\u002F\u002Ffasterbikes.eu\u002Fen\u002Fconfigurators\u002F",[131],"fasterbikes","). How to measure it is under ",[116,196,198],{"href":197},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Fmeasure-bottom-bracket","measure bottom bracket",". Installation is more complex and not possible on every frame shape (",[116,201,204],{"href":202,"rel":203},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.giga.de\u002Ftech\u002Fwer-billig-kauft-kauft-zweimal-diese-fehler-solltet-ihr-vermeiden-wenn-ihr-eurer-fahrrad-zum-e-bike-umbaut--01K0YYJEVGW05AE9TTBCPW0DAM",[131],"GIGA","). You can see the matching tools under ",[116,207,209],{"href":208},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Ftools","tools",[19,211,213],{"id":212},"cost-and-wear","Cost and wear",[15,215,216,217,120],{},"Hub motors are cheaper. The mid-drive costs more, but you may save if your bike already has a good derailleur system. In return the chain wears faster, and you should not shift under full load. With a hub motor, weight at the axle matters: you notice front-motor weight in the steering, and in the wet and on gravel in the traction. All items are listed under ",[116,218,220],{"href":219},"\u002Fen\u002Fknowledge\u002Fcosts","costs",[19,222,224],{"id":223},"decision-guide","Decision guide",[15,226,227,228,231],{},"Choose the ",[150,229,230],{},"mid-drive"," if:",[144,233,234,237,240,243],{},[147,235,236],{},"you ride lots of hills,",[147,238,239],{},"you want a natural ride feel,",[147,241,242],{},"you have a derailleur and like to wrench, or have a workshop,",[147,244,245],{},"your bottom bracket fits.",[15,247,227,248,231],{},[150,249,250],{},"front motor",[144,252,253,256,259],{},[147,254,255],{},"you want to change as little as possible and spend little,",[147,257,258],{},"a hub gear or coaster brake should stay,",[147,260,261],{},"your fork is sturdy enough. Not recommended with a carbon fork, a suspension fork without manufacturer approval and very light aluminium forks.",[15,263,227,264,231],{},[150,265,266],{},"rear motor",[144,268,269,272],{},[147,270,271],{},"you want good traction,",[147,273,274],{},"you have a derailleur and the cassette fitting is right.",[15,276,277],{},"And if none of that fits: leave it and buy used.",[15,279,280],{},[116,281,283],{"href":282},"\u002Fen\u002Fconfigurator","Does a conversion fit your bike?",[19,285,287],{"id":286},"how-reliable-is-this","How reliable is this?",[15,289,290],{},"That the mid-drive feels natural and is strong on hills, the bottom bracket compatibility and the involved installation come from the linked sources. Torque values, price ranges and the recommendations for the individual types are assumptions and experience that Fabio is still checking.",{"title":292,"searchDepth":293,"depth":293,"links":294},"",2,[295,296,297,298,299,300,301,302],{"id":21,"depth":293,"text":22},{"id":123,"depth":293,"text":50},{"id":136,"depth":293,"text":61},{"id":142,"depth":293,"text":72},{"id":175,"depth":293,"text":83},{"id":212,"depth":293,"text":213},{"id":223,"depth":293,"text":224},{"id":286,"depth":293,"text":287},"assumption","Ride feel, hills, gears, installation and cost compared, with a clear guide to when a mid-drive and when a front or rear hub motor makes sense.","md",[307,310],{"q":308,"a":309},"Which motor feels the most natural?","The mid-drive. It works through the gears and is considered strong on hills. Installation is more involved, though.",{"q":311,"a":312},"Which motor is the cheapest way in?","Usually the front motor. It is cheap, easy to fit and leaves the gears and coaster brake alone.",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fmid-drive-vs-hub-motor",{"title":5,"description":304},[318,320,322],{"title":319,"url":129},"Upway: converting a bike to an e-bike",{"title":321,"url":202},"GIGA: mistakes when converting to an e-bike",{"title":323,"url":191},"fasterbikes: configurators","en\u002Fwissen\u002Fmid-drive-vs-hub-motor",null,"mittelmotor-oder-nabenmotor","2026-11-09","D5J-mkFxctIpcx8zKsA6eLb9x6IF4SaX1Z18wEb3YFs",[330,337,343,349,355,361,367,373,379,385,391,393,399,406,412,418],{"path":331,"title":332,"description":333,"topic":334,"applies_to":335,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fbattery","E-Bike Battery for a Conversion: Position, Space, Range","Where the battery fits on a converted bike, how to measure the space, what branded cells bring, real-world range and how to dispose of it.","akku",[336],"all",{"path":338,"title":339,"description":340,"topic":341,"applies_to":342,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fbrakes","Brakes for an E-Bike Conversion: What You Need","Rim or disc, cut-off levers and sensors: which brakes are enough for a 250 W pedelec and when an upgrade is needed.","bremsen",[336],{"path":344,"title":345,"description":346,"topic":347,"applies_to":348,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fcoaster-brake","Coaster Brake and E-Bike Conversion: What Works","A coaster brake is the most common deal-breaker. Which motors work, where coaster-brake variants exist and when to leave it.","ruecktrittbremse",[336],{"path":350,"title":351,"description":352,"topic":353,"applies_to":354,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fcommon-problems","Common Problems After an E-Bike Conversion","Axle spinning, broken spokes, motor cutting out, jerky starts, fast chain wear: causes and fixes from everyday conversions.","haeufige-probleme",[336],{"path":356,"title":357,"description":358,"topic":359,"applies_to":360,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fconvert-bike-to-ebike","Convert a Bike to an E-Bike: Overview and Steps","What a conversion costs, which motor fits, what the law says and when you should buy a used e-bike instead. An honest overview from the workshop.","fahrrad-zum-e-bike-umbauen",[336],{"path":362,"title":363,"description":364,"topic":365,"applies_to":366,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fcosts","What Does an E-Bike Conversion Really Cost?","Cost items at a glance: kit EUR 400 to 1,700, brakes, tools, small parts. Plus the comparison with used and new (about EUR 2,500) and the cost calculator.","kosten",[336],{"path":368,"title":369,"description":370,"topic":371,"applies_to":372,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fframe-and-weight","Frame and Weight: Which Bike Suits a Conversion","Steel and aluminium are usually fine, carbon is not. Plus the magnet test, total weight, warranty and the wear parts to replace before converting.","rahmen-und-gewicht",[336],{"path":374,"title":375,"description":376,"topic":377,"applies_to":378,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fglossary","E-Bike Conversion Glossary: Terms Explained","Rated power, volts, watt-hours, newton metres, PAS, torque sensor, Higo and Julet, controller and display: the glossary for e-bike conversions.","begriffe",[336],{"path":380,"title":381,"description":382,"topic":383,"applies_to":384,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fhub-spacing","Hub Spacing and Axles for an E-Bike Conversion","How to measure hub spacing, quick release versus thru-axle, spreading 130 to 135 mm on steel frames and what to watch with dropouts.","einbaubreite",[8,9],{"path":386,"title":387,"description":388,"topic":389,"applies_to":390,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fmeasure-bottom-bracket","Measure Your Bottom Bracket for a Mid-Drive","How to measure shell width and bore of your bottom bracket and tell BSA 68\u002F73, Pressfit and BB30 apart. Step by step for a mid-drive motor.","tretlager-messen",[7],{"path":315,"title":5,"description":304,"topic":326,"applies_to":392,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},[7,8,9],{"path":394,"title":395,"description":396,"topic":397,"applies_to":398,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fmotor-types","E-Bike Conversion Motor Types Compared","Front, rear and mid-drive motors, friction rollers and seat-tube motors compared: feel, installation, cost and which bikes suit which.","motorarten",[336],{"path":400,"title":401,"description":402,"topic":403,"applies_to":404,"confidence":405,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fpedelec-law","Pedelec Law: 250 W, 25 km\u002Fh and Walking Assist","What a conversion may do legally: 250 W rated power, assist only while pedalling up to 25 km\u002Fh, walking assist up to 6 km\u002Fh and what lies beyond.","pedelec-recht",[336],"source",{"path":407,"title":408,"description":409,"topic":410,"applies_to":411,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Ftools","Tools for an E-Bike Conversion: The List","Which tools you need for front, rear and mid-drive conversions and what kits usually lack, above all the lockring tool.","werkzeug",[336],{"path":413,"title":414,"description":415,"topic":416,"applies_to":417,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Ftorque-arm","Torque Arm: When You Need One","Why the axle of a hub motor turns in the dropout, when you need a torque arm and how to fit it.","drehmomentstuetze",[8,9],{"path":419,"title":420,"description":421,"topic":422,"applies_to":423,"confidence":303,"updated":327,"author":10},"\u002Fen\u002Fwissen\u002Fwheel-sizes","Wheel Sizes and ETRTO for E-Bike Conversions","Inches are unreliable, ETRTO is not: how to read wheel size off the tyre and avoid the 635\u002F622 and 406\u002F451 traps.","laufradgroessen",[8,9],1794254701798]