Why Your Rear-Wheel Drive E-Bikes Are Getting Heavier and Stiffer?

With the advancement of technology, electric bike have become a part of our lives. Compared to traditional bike, e-bikes can be ridden more easily, especially on slopes. However, some e-bike users may encounter a problem after using it for a long time: the rear wheel of the e-bike is heavy to drive, and the rear wheel is also hard. So, what is the cause of this problem?

First, you need to understand how an electric bike works. An electric bicycle is powered by a motor to drive the wheels to achieve riding. In an electric bike, the motor is generally located in the rear wheel or in the center. If the motor is in the rear wheel, the rear wheel will drive very heavily. Then let's analyze what caused this situation?

Insufficient Electric Bike Motor Power:

Poor quality or aging motors can cause the motor to not output enough power to provide enough power, causing the rear wheels to drive heavily. At the same time the rear wheel will also become stiff.
If the motor ages, the gap between its rotor and stator will increase, and the output power of the motor will decrease. At this point, the motor becomes less efficient, causing the rear wheels to be heavy to drive.

Damaged Rear Wheel Bearing

Damaged rear wheel bearings can also cause the rear wheels to be heavy to drive. Bearings are one of the key components connecting the wheel to the frame. If the bearing is damaged, it will increase friction and thus increase the resistance of the rear wheel drive.

Insufficient or Too High Pressure Inside The Tire

Too little or too much pressure inside the tires can also cause the rear wheels to drive heavily. If there is not enough pressure inside the tires, the rolling resistance of the rear wheels increases, the wheels become softer, which increases the resistance, and more force is required to drive the rear wheels, so the rear wheel drive will feel heavy. If the pressure inside the tire is too high, the tire will become stiffer, which will also increase the resistance of the rear wheel drive.

Severe Tire Tread Wear

Heavy tread wear on the rear tires can also cause the rear wheels to be heavy to drive. When the tires are severely worn, the coefficient of friction between the tires and the ground will decrease, increasing the resistance of the rear wheel drive. So more force is needed to drive the rear wheels, and it feels rear-wheel drive heavy. At the same time, an excessively worn rear wheel can also harden.

Rear Drivetrain Failure

An e-bike rear drivetrain failure, such as a slack drive chain or damaged gears, can also cause the rear wheel drive to be heavy and stiff.
Whether the disc brake pads have friction: If there is direct friction between the brake discs of the electric bicycle and the tires, this will increase the friction force, which will cause the rear wheel of the electric bicycle to rotate heavily,
Whether the tire has friction with the fender: When the fender is deformed or has friction with the tire, it will also cause the rear wheel of the electric bicycle to rotate heavily.

Conclusion

If the rear wheel drive of your electric bicycle is heavy and hard, you can check the above problems first, and then repair or replace parts after determining the problem.