I have a e bike convention conversion kit (front wheel motor) on an old mountain bike, but for my road bike I took your advice and bought a Rubbee. Your review was absolutely accurate and I am very happy with the Rubbee. I have only one complaint and that is when using the Rubbee I’m not getting an adequate workout, so I periodically get off and raise the Rubbee to eliminate the power assist when riding on level terrain. I wish there was an “off” switch you could access through the app. But the device works perfectly, and on “eco” mode provides a gentle assist and on “power” mode helps me get up the significant hills - perfect. I am 73 and appreciate the assistance. Thanks for your thorough and informative review.

Impressive anticipation of audience mental processes in this video. Every time a question popped into my head the presenter answered it a second later. This motor is certainly an interesting engineering solution (for some cycling applications)...

This is a genius invention. The regen braking in particular. This should have been on the main channel - bikes will be more important than cars in the transition to sustainability.

Great - I want one! I'm kind of attached to my old 1980's Raleigh Royal bicycle, this would let me make it into an E-bike whilst still keeping my old bike. I love the fact that it does Regen. I remember, on a cycling holiday, doing 8 miles uphill and then 8 miles downhill, up and down a small mountain. The E-assist would be great for going up. I remember having agony from aching hands coming down, having to hold the brakes on pretty much all the way with increased pressure to slow enough for each hairpin bend, and being aware I was wasting all that energy I had put in climbing up. It would be lovely to control that speed with regen, and put a bit back into the battery ready for the next climb as a bonus - and then nice then to know that I was climbing being assisted by the energy I had put in on the previous climb.

I had been watching Rubbee thru Kickstarer for many years, and was super excited to get my RubeeX in August 2021. I actually got two seat-post adapters - one for mine and my partner's bike. In that respect it's amazing to have the flexibility, and no wires, no dismantling the bike - everything is over bluetooth. The 250W didn't feel like much support at all, so we went for the 350W and enabled 'Cargo mode' in the App - and that is super. However, it still feels a bit less aggressive than say a typical Bosch-powered mid-drive. One major pain-point however is that even if the road is slightly damp the roller WILL slip. It's relatively quiet when it's dry, but makes a really awful noise when it's on/near the limit of cohesion... and after that it just spools up, screams and cuts off (it's got a sort of anti-slip algorithm). I would just reach back, yank it off the tyre and turn it off! Also, in the dry over bumpy terrain (a typical UK pavement is enough), the roller slips and I can smell rubber!

This is the best electric bike conversion I've ever seen. I agree with the point that a delayed assist is better!

This device is genius and your review is excellent, I so much enjoyed it, great job! :)

This is great, they had the same system on the solex in France many years ago(with a petrol motor on the front wheel). that way you could keep dry and carry items on the rear.

Wow I'm impressed. Recently bought a foldie ebike, this device will surely be in my radar.

Thanks for the review, Helen. Well done.

Nice one team, very informative. Thanks for helping me confirm my next purchase!

LOVE seeing a Triban out in the wild :)

I have been enjoyed, so thank you for delivering.

What a great review ! ( I'm not talking about the device ,which also seems great ) but the review itself: intelegent ,informative ,comprehensible and complete , Just great.

This looks great! Kudos to the engineering and design team. I don't think it'll work on my mt.bike since I have a dropper post. I wonder if they ever considered a custom rear bike rack to attach to. That way it doesn't attach to the seat post. And when the Rubbee is off, I can still use the rack for other things. Great job and I hope to see it in California soon!

Very cool, thanks for showing it.

This is like the French Velo solex Autocycle except its electric and on the back not the front. Very simple but works well. Very good Rubbee.

I have used a friction drive Solex. These work very well and I see no reason why this electric version would not. I did my own mid-drive ebike conversion and use it to commute to work. However, the Rubbee is significantly - 3 times - less expensive and being able to swap back to your original bike is a big advantage.

This would be really useful if you want to travel with your bike.. my ebike is too heavy for most bike carriers.. if they could work out how to install panniers to this it would be an excellent alternative to conventional ebikes

Awesome, and a great presentation 👍

VERY helpful this , like most folk i had virtually discounted direct drive of this nature......definitely has me thinking .

Fantastic review and explanation

Great description of the regen on a car vs bike. On our car, about 1% of energy is recuperated via regen (1340kg BMW i3REx in mountainous Seattle USA area). Favorite benefit is saving brake wear (and near elimination of reaction time during emergency braking maneuver) Lightweight, high drag bicycle would regen far less, although impressive that it was engineered into this device.

Excellent video, thank you.

I like this much more than the other options

Sinclair made something like this in the late 90s called a Zeta. It was rubbish though and I ended up returning mine. This looks way better.

brilliant and very promising design!

This is a really good solution!

Great video, thank you for the advice :)

Someone _did_ think of this before ! Clive Sinclair (bless him) made the Zeta in the 90s, rear wheel drive first and later a front wheel version. It needed a lead acid battery hanging off the crossbar, the motor overheated a lot and you had very little control over it. It was also quite noisy and quite slow. This Rubbee device looks much better in every way of course. I do wonder about tyre wear and how the slippage is with a wet tyre.....the roller must have a tiny contact area...

Thanks Helen, nice review! Actually only 'geared hub motors' cannot do regen braking, while Direct Drive hub motors are able to use it. What happens when you exceed 25km/h and assistance goes off, can you still go faster ? I think though it's quite noisy ("wheeeeeein"...)

This is pure genius!

Great concept, plus Helen is great!

Hub motors are actually great for regen, most front hub motors have a one way clutch so allow you to free wheel which in most cases is more useful on a bike than regen, you need a fixed hub or weld up the hub for regen.

Forget panniers this seems great unit for boosting your peddle power.

Friction drives have worked just fine ever since the first ones a hundred years ago. As a kid we had headlights and taillights operated by friction generators. The biggest problem with friction drives is that they wear out your tire a lot faster. Any situation that reduces the friction, like rain or snow in you're better off with less torque on the tire anyway, so that's not a problem either. I just love people that have extremely strong opinions about things of which they have no actual knowledge. 🙄

I bought one, it's really nice to walk away with the expensive part.

Thanks for the review. The Rubbee X looks very interesting. Helen, or anybody else; I'm curious how much the Rubbee X helps up steeper hills, and what effect the added weight of the Rubbee X on the back of the bike has on the steering/"cycling feeling." 3 to 4 kilos added on to my 10 kilo road bike makes me curious how it would feel. :) Thanks for any feedback, or information on my questions!

Hub drives can easily do regen and a few do. It's mid drives that are utterly incapable of regen unless they have a chain completely separate from the pedals.

If you want to go on a long hike & use the electric for some hills, or windy stretches, can you raise the power wheel clear of the bike, without taking it off the bike completely? ie by, say 2 inches. This would allow you to ride without having to turn the motor over on the flat bits where you might not need it.

This reminds me of the small petrol engine powered friction drive units you could get in nineteen sixties Britain. Apparently they wore the rear tyre out fairly quickly. I really like the rear light, great idea.

It's the same idea as the old CycleMaster motors, except that it uses an electric motor instead of a small two-stroke engine. They have been around for at least 65 years, and were known affectionately as 'Cycle Mashers' or 'Tyre Shredders', and a few of them are still in regular use.

Further to my recent comments on using the Rubbee X - I've had it for about 2 weeks and I'm looking forward to the iOS app being updated so that all of the features work. The android version, still has a few things that don't work such as the ability to upgrade the firmware of the Rubbee X - I'm curious to see what "cargo mode" does. I'm really enjoying riding with the electric assist on my bike. It's a little noisier when the road is wet, but the noise generally doesn't bother me. I'm going to try a longer ride (greater than 25kms) soon as I would like to see how much I can get with just using Economy mode. Power mode makes the batteries get hot - so this can diminish the benefits quickly.

Thank you!

Looks good! Ebike kit's not bad either!

Great Helen, been looking forward to seeing this in action. I bought an ebike to keep me sane in lockdown, I call it my SMV*. Living with ME/CFS I don't have any power in my legs and that handy pull you get the moment you touch the pedals is vital for me to be able to move the bike at all. However I got my wife to have a go, forgetting her dispraxia and it confused her into falling gracefully over sideways. She rode a cycle as a youngster and if she had one now using one of these devices she could keep up with me on the hills but not be dragged over! *Stealth Mobility Vehicle if you hadn't guessed 😉

We have a 20 inch folding ebike and a Rubbee equipped 20 folding Tern bike. The ebike is better equipped with fenders, carrier , lights , disc brakes and rear hub motor. A heavy solid bike. The Tern is a light bike that is very responsive and comes with a internal hub gear box. The ebike is 250 w but it has more torque. For example I can start up a long hill in third gear and switch into fourth near the top. I would start my Rubbee in first gear and could be in fourth gear at the top. I do a lot of gear shifting on the Tern. My ebike has a clunky gear box that does not encourage a lot of use. The Rubbee has no throttle. The Rubbee really shines on flat roads. It goes very fast very quickly. It goes up to 32 k effortlessly and encourages you to ride fast. The Rubbee pedal assist is smooth and linear whereas the ebike is jumpy and the power cycles on and off unless you are at speed. The Rubbee feels much better at slow speeds as the it drives like a regular bike. The ebike is more comfortable because the Tern has a poor geometry. The ebike battery seems to last forever whereas the Rubbee might go only 30 k at the middle power setting. The Rubbee top power setting is maybe equivalent to a 4 on the ebike. I guess you might use a 5 on the ebike using the throttle on a hill. The ebike has disc brakes but my Rubbee does not. The regen feature on the rubbee works as a brake but it is unpredictable. If I had disc brakes I would not use that feature. Surprisingly our ebike is not quiet and the Rubbee not that noisy. I have not tried the Rubbee in the rain. The Rubbee was ok on gravel and dirt. The Rubbee app on the iPhone is excellent but I prefer the buttons on the ebike . The Rubbee middle power setting is great for biking overall . It makes you smile where as the ebike is competent but boring. I can recommend the Rubbee but only if you have a great bike already. I also think a bike with disc brakes is better given how fast these bikes can go. I would not buy a bike then add a Rubbee. Ebike prices are coming down but if you like your bike you will like it with a Rubbee even more. Caveat. Your seat post as to be tight and the Rubbee attached more or less at a right angle to the post. Too steep or shallow results in a loss of power. Before each ride I check my Rubbee alignment and adjust if required.

This chick is so amazing. So well spoken.

That is by far the most enticing and well described e-bike upgrade to a 'normal' bike that I've seen! I have been very tempted by Swytch Bike. This looks better, but I want to use panniers on a cross-Europe tour ... decisions, decisions. Perhaps a 'support crew' (ie partner) can carry my gear? She isn't so keen to camp.

Looks interesting, but rules out using mudguards too. What is tyre wear like? Does the friction roller wear out, and are spares available. With a little modification could two be fitted on a trike?

Hi there. Thanks a lot. What about the thread on the tire. Will it work with a mountain bike?

Any thoughts/review information on tire wear after using it for however long?

So it works well with road tyres, how does it manage on knobbly mountain bike tyres ? only asking as I can see it wearing those tyres fairly quickly on those peaked knobbles or losing grip easier with less surface to push in damp conditions.

Like an old Solex but électrique ⚡ and rear wheel drive!

I remember thinking of such an idea and then they've came out with it...

I live in a very hilly part of Portugal, which makes cycling almost impossible for me. I've tried getting my old Claude Butler bike out, but just end up walking up the hills and freewheeling down. This could be exactly what I need.

When I remember the "old days" when I had a bottle dynamo for bicycle lighting and how often it did NOT work properly, because it slipped on the tire as soon as it got wet or muddy, I don't know how practical this is. But as you apparently can't use a mudguard at the same time, it seems like a "nice weather only" drive anyway.

So how does this work with mudguards or a rear rack?

Any idea how well this would work with studded/fat tires?

Wonderful

I have a couple of Zipforce units (One and Distance). I wonder how they compare to this one. I like it because you don't need to worry about the wheel with the hub motor will be stolen after parking it outdoors

Two rubbees fitted to one bike 2 wheel drive be good fun

Will there be a version for mtb/gravel bicycles? the knobs on a mtb/gravel tyres will not work for the current version.

This has been done before. Sir Clive Sinclair brought out similar device in the 80's.

I'm in the us, I just bought a Brompton and I'm now very curious if this would work! 🤔

I am considering getting this for my commute. Do you still use it after your review. Would like to here a long term review. Thanks so much for this fantastic review. I am also considering to Revos from Bristol.

How many rotation of pedal before power kicks in My ORBEA bike is 1/4 rotation

Will it work on my MTB's knobby tyre?

Surely this will wear on the tyre, just like a traditional turbo trainer?

my 3 yr old E-bike has regen on the 750w direct drive. It only does 250w regen, not sure why it isn't more, but I'll take what I can get.

how do you control the speed on power mode?

Great article, how about a mini series on sustainable technologies for commuting, recreation or adaptations which tests what's on the market and investigates payment options (lease, buy, share)? Maybe Fully Charged, Out & About series?

I wonder if it works as good as you show in the rain 🌧️

I bought two of these devices from the Rubbee website back in November 2021 with the addition battery packs this was a big investment with the additional import duties. They just don't work together, both motors and sensors seem to use the same frequency and get confused. One minute you are aided with the motor the next you are restricted and find it a work out riding up a slope. I have contacted Rubbee's customer service and the advice given was start the bikes up away from each other! This was a pain and didn't work. We have now been waiting for an app update which apparently will solve this problem. We are still waiting and just want our money back if this isn't sorted as we can't use the bikes together. Could anyone help please?

I wish I could buy it here in the USA.

does it push you up the hill??? what about steep hills????

Design to accommodate rear paniers would be good, as would a security locking bracket so no-one can unclip and run off with it. Otherwise good.

Very good option now that people are going around with angle grinders and taking ebikes with impunity

Would love to have this! Too bad I couldn't buy it without paying ridiculous custom fees in my country.

How loud is it? Do you find the noise to be annoying?

If you shop around you can get a whole e bike for this price?

How's is this in the rain? Tempted to buy one.

Proof of Concept. My wife purchased a commercially made folding ebike and I did a road test comparison with my folding Rubbee bike. I thought the Rubbee came off really well . I think that bike part of my Rubbee bike is better than hers. Less weight, better gear box and more agile. I think the Rubbee is a great conversion but I would not buy a bike and then add a Rubbee.

The 3 batteries plus electric motor in one package makes the motor pretty small for that unit. The electric motor is always engaged so wondering how long it would last. If the motor could disengage from the rear wheel when not is use would be ideal. I'm 75 years old and get around on my 28" wheel Cannondale hybrid pretty well yet without motor assist. There are only a few steep hils where I live and I'm happy just to walk up those. This is the best electric motor idea yet and I would consider buying one.

And attached to a hub motor ebike - even faster and longer distance?

Great review. I’m looking at converting my road bike to enable my 25 mile commute to and from work. Ideally I’d like to be averaging 25 mph on a hilly route. Can this deliver that with the 3 battery modules? Thank you 😊

Can I use this on a mountain bike?

Is this available in the USA?

I had something similar about 20 years ago made by sinclair

I like it

This reminds me of Solex (originally Velosolex), a French (ICE) bike/moped, that had a friction drive roller on the front wheel. (in the fifties and sixties). Now there is an electric version, Electrosolex.

What about a Tandem Bike…will it work? Thanks.

Hola, sabes si hacen envíos a México?

Only concern is how is it in the wet?

So far most reviews praise how well it works, but the biggest flaw is apparently the build quality and design. The tell-tale sign is the batteries are loaded from the bottom and held in place by a screwed on panel; which over time could break open from the weight of the batteries.

Been using my Rubbee for a while. Very important to get the seat post as tight as you can. I would even recommend a torque Allen key for the seat post adapter. I tried to install the Rubbee on another bike but it would not fit. I even bought a longer seat post. This geometry of the bike was such the top level of the tire was higher than top of the seat tube. Ideally you want the seat post tube to be equal to or above the level of the tire. You need a reasonable gap between the tire and the Rubbee when the Rubbee is in the up position.

Cost cut off sounds the critical point. I don't have a bike and I am wondering if that cost on would be better off invested in buying an eBike instead.

Interesting concept. You'd think there would be significant power loss with friction drive on a bike tire but it seems to work well, and regen is a nice bonus. I'm guessing that tire pressure is fairly critical, and I'm wondering whether tire wear could be an issue. Besides the pannier / rear rack issue, the permanent lack of a rear fender would be a major downside in a wet climate. But for occasional use it could be fun.

It wouldn't take much to design a bracket for panniers and a mudguard with a sliding aperture either.. Nice that you can use it on all of your (8 ..ahem) street bikes too (not for knobblies, I presume)

It should come with a mudflap attachment for wet conditions 🤔