Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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On March 5th 2022, Justin gave a talk at the BC bike show about regenerative braking as it pertains to the world of electric bicycles. Regen is an important topic that's been largely misrepresented by the ebike industry due to the focus on mid-drive and freewheeling hub motors, so we wanted to set the record straight on many areas.

This follows some of our original research on regen which we posted on this Endless-Sphere thread many years ago:
endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7891
0:00- Intro
0:33 - What is Regen?
1:53 - Electrical Principles
4:40 - Problem with Freewheels
7:15 - Negative Marketing
8:11 - Is it Worth It?
10:04 - Motor Drag
12:27 - % Recaptured
16:10 - Saved Brake Wear
17:45 - Cost Savings
20:04 - Regen Motors
23:00 - Activating Regen
26:00 - Variable Regen Brakes
27:40 - Alternative Regen Controls
30:29 - Backpedal Regen
35:22 - Speed limit regen
37:45 - Regen Efficiency
38:20 - Comparison with Mid-Drive
40:18 - Motor Heating
40:45 - Axle Wiggle
42:05 - The Future
42:45 - Q&A