eBikes are a thing, like it or not. The technology is out in the world and they are not going away. Some grumble about the rapid adoption of motor assist by the bicycle industry, and to many the argument that eBikes are no longer bikes but rather motorized cycles is a valid one. We consider those hairs best split by others and instead choose to accept and focus on the very real fact that for a very large number of people eBikes provide a practical, user-friendly alternative to traditional cars, trucks, and even motorcycles, while at least maintaining the basic idea of a bicycle. (In the case of the electric assist bicycles that require motion and power input by the rider, not electric scooters, which are a different beast altogether.)
As the eBike market has developed the available product lines have been refined and expanded, and one of the most robust and integrated-with-existing-bike-components systems we have used is the Shimano STePS platform. STePS has been available in international markets for a long time and since being introduced to the US a few years ago we have used it on a number of city bikes and cargo bikes with an overwhelmingly positive response from riders.
Mellow Yellow CarGoAway with Shimano STePS drive
Blacked Out Rando/City bike with Shimano STePS drive
While the units themselves can be kind of gee-whiz complex, for mechanics and bike assemblers STePS is relatively painless to install and wire up on a frame. It uses the same eTube plug and wiring format as Shimano’s well established Di2 system components, which gives STePS a versatility that few other systems have. The drive can of course be used on its own, but is more robust when paired with a rear Alfine Di2 internally geared hub (IGH) or a standard 1x setup with a traditional full range cassette. The system wide Di2 integration provides for a seamless setup with almost any style of bike, flat bar or drop bar, including customizable cockpit controls — for instance using the left hand shift lever to control the STePS motor and the right hand shifter to control the rear gearing mechanism — and near and dear to our hearts is the motor’s auxiliary output to connect a hard wired head-/tail-light system that can be both powered from the STePS system battery and switched on/off with the push of a cockpit button. The powered light connection also eliminates the need to work with just a handful of options for a front dynamo generator hub and opens up any available hub/wheel manufacturer as an option.
Of course the bicycle industry wouldn’t be the bicycle industry without incompatibility and so it goes that the newer generation E6100, E7000, and E8000 STePS system motors utilize a different mounting pattern than the original E6000/E6050 motors. Hence the need for an updated fixture for locating the motor mount in a standard framebuilding jig.
We made a handful of extra plates when cutting our own shop fixture and found that a number of framebuilders were in need of the same part. Our second small batch is in process now, with a limited number available for sale. Parts should be available to ship early February and can be ordered now, while supplies last. ===>
