The Audi E-bike is based on custom carbon fiber wheels and a full-suspension carbon fiber frame; even the front suspension forks are custom designed for this bike. The rims look very similar in design to those on the $80K Blacktrail, leading to speculation by some in the E-bike community that this bike was partially designed by PG Bikes, the company behind the Blacktrail. Certainly at least the Audi ebike designers had the obscenely priced Blacktrail in mind when they designed their bike. The Audi E-bike also uses the same “Harmonic Drive System” as the Blacktrail, a highly regarded German design developed by Clean Mobile. Clean Mobile builds custom bottom-bracket drive systems for exclusive high end bikes made by innovative European companies such as KTM . Ironically Clean Mobile also went through an ownership change recently, first filing insolvency, and then being acquired by TQ-Systems GmbH and switching most of its staff .
The key element to the Audi drive system designed by Clean Mobile, that it keeps the motor weight in the center of the frame (unlike most hub powered bikes which have heavy weight awkwardly placed in rear wheel) and most importantly allows the power to be driven through the bicycles gear system. This means that the motor is allowed to operate in its maximum efficiency zone, because as we know, electric motors like to spin quickly at a high rpm.
Most expensive ebikes like this choose an In the Gear hub transmission like the German made 14 speed Rohloff. We are very surprised that Audi opted to go with a standard derailleur system given the other flashes of bicycle technology in this bike such as the $800 Brake force one carbon fiber hydraulic brakes. We suspect that going with a derailleur instead of a Rohloff was a compromise Audi had to make to accommodate the carbon rims which have attached carbon spokes, and may have been a design blunder that will be corrected if and when the bike goes into production. Carbon rims with built in spokes make no sense on an ebike other than aesthetics, and add considerably to the cost. To give you an idea the Blacktrail bike which uses an identical carbon wheel set, sells a replacement set of wheels and rims for a staggering $5000.
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Its useful for those who want to use ebikes without compromising with speed .
thank you v much
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