The main factor determining whether SmartBikeWheel will fit your bike is the width of the front fork. SmartBikeWheel needs around 4" between the fork ends (where the wheel connects to the fork).
Some forks are tapered, so there is one other measurement to do - 5 and a 1/2 inches up from the fork ends, SmartBikeWheel needs roughly 3 and 1/4 inches of room.
Sound confusing? Then download one of our sizing templates, and know for sure.
Yes you can - even if you don't consider yourself handy, it's a simple process and we provide detailed instructions and videos to help.
There are 3 steps:
That's it!
SmartBikeWheel does not work with thru-axles. The axle on SmartBikeWheel is flat on two sides to allow it to fit into the slot of a standard drop axle front fork.
The combination of slots and flat sided axle allows the axle to stay firmly in place so SmartBikeWheel can pull the bike forward.
With a thru-axle, there is no slot, so even if you could get SmartBikeWheel mounted, it would just spin in place.
For more info on thru-axles, click here.
You can download a PDF version of the Installation Instructions here.
Setting the gyro is critical to proper operation of SmartBikeWheel.
The Gyro setting allows SmartBikeWheel to know if you are travleing uphill, downhill or on level ground.
No, SmartBikeWheel remembers the Gyro setting. The Gyro needs only to be set once.
Most orders are being shipped from China. Because SmartBikeWheel products contain Lithium batteries, we aren't able to ship by air, so orders from China are shipped by sea. The tracking number you see (usually from UPS or Fedex) and covers the transportation from the US port to your home. An update won't be shown until the US carrier gets your order at the port.
We list a range of "up to 35 miles per charge", but your actual mileage will vary based on terrain, wind, temperature, assitance level, rider weight, tire pressure and so forth. There is no standard for elecric bike mileage like there is for cars, so all the manufacturers test their bikes in optimal conditions to get the greatest range. For comparison sake, we tested SmartBikeWheel on a flat road on a 77 degree day, no wind, a 132 lb rider at an average speed of 15 mph with 50% assist. SmartBikeWheel was able to go 56 miles under these conditions.
Are you going to get 56 miles per charge? probably not - these were pretty ideal conditions for testing. So, rather than claim 56 mile range and have you disappointed, we claim up to 35 miles per charge because that's the range our customers say they get.
We know everyone isn't alike, so we created 3 different ways SmartBikeWheel can be controlled:
You can absolutely use your own tire. The rims are standard sized with a 19mm interior dimension. Schwalbe has a great chart showing tire width to interior rim dimensions here.
Yes, SmartBikeWheel is designed to completely disengage when the battery is low - allowing your bike to ride like normal. Please charge your battery, though.
SmartBikeWheel's shipping weight is 23 lbs, but that includes the packaging, charger, tools, etc. SmartBikeWheel on a 26" rim with a 1.95" tire weighs only 16.7 lbs. An average 26" aluminum rim with a 1.95" tire weighs 4.1 lbs. So we can say SmartBikeWheel will add only about 12.6 lbs to your bike.
Don't skip this installation step or you won't get all the advantages of SmartBikeWheel's Smart Assist. The gyro tells SmartBikeWheel that you are riding on a hill, level ground or downhill. If the gyro isn't set to your bike, it may not give you extra power going up a hill or turn off when going down a hill.
Unfortunately, we can't preset the gyro for all bikes. Not all forks are at the same angle to the ground, plus bikes with suspensions are often at different angles with a rider than without.
For safety and performance reasons, it's critical that the gyro be properly set to your bike.
Like most modern devices, SmartBikeWheel uses Lithium Ion batteries. Lithium batteries last longer when they are not fully drained - we recommend not going below 20% on your batteries.
Lithium batteries do not have a "memory effect" like NiCad batteries, so don't feel you need to drain them fully before charging. You can charge them after every ride, so your SmartBikeWheel is always ready to go.
The Original SmartBikeWheel can only connect to one BlueTooth device at a time, the Pedal Assist Sensor actually connects to the App. The App then passes the Pedal Assit info on to SmartBikeWheel. So you need the App to use pedal assist.
Gen II SmartBikeWheel uses Bluetooth 5 to allow simultaneous connections of multiple Bluetooth devices. This means a GenII SmartBikeWheel can connect with a Pedal Assist Sensor, Throttle/Display and Phone app in any combination.
We do have an update coming to address this, but the current version of the Throttle/Display can only handle one Bluetooth connection which it needs to connect to SmartBikeWheel. Without an available Bluetooth connection, there isn't a way to connect to the Pedal Assist Sensor.
The Pedal Assist Sensor has a coin cell - like a watch battery - in it. To make this battery last as long as possible, the sensor turns itself off after a while of not being pedaled.
Just move the pedals when you start up SmartBikeWheel, to wake up the sensor and your app will find it.
Sure. Simply tap on the crank and pedals icon on the main screen of the app to enable/disable the pedal assist function. Tapping on the icon lets you easily switch between modes - even while you are riding.
Yes, totally normal. You may not recognize it, but people are often momentarily stopping and restarting pedaling while riding - going around parked cars, over tracks, potholes, speed bumps, etc.
To keep your ride as smooth as possible, SmartbikeWheel doesn't react immediately when you start or stop pedaling.
We do recommend you fully charge your SmartBikeWheel before storing, to increase the longevity of your battery pack.
We offer a 12-month warranty on SmartBikeWheel. Plus, we also offer a "You'll love it guarantee" - if you don't love SmartBikeWheel in 21 days, you can return it for a full refund. Terms and conditions apply, of course.
All of our products are made for us in China.
China has a long history of manufacturing electric bikes and components. They have the manufacturing facilities that allow them to deliver consistent quality product at scale.
We are in San Francisco, California. We stock the products here, manage shipping, returns, sales and tech support. If we don't have an item in stock, we will order it from the factory for you.
Sure. You can download our Shipping and Return policy here.
Yes. A recent study has shown that people ride more often and ride longer with an eBike - it's just more fun.