# Cowboy 3 bike can't go uphill



## Turi (20 Jul 2022)

Hi guys, I have a Cowboy 3 e-bike and I experiencing an issue with it, and I was wondering if this has happened to you as well and if you have found a solution for it. 
When going uphill, and it gets quite steep the engine just blocks and you can't move anymore, basically you have to stop and let the engine to comeback to life once again. Really annoying as the area where I live is quite hilly and this is an issue. Cowboy are looking into the 'data' but no solution so far. 
Did anyone experienced something similar? Cheers guys!


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## cougie uk (20 Jul 2022)

Return the bike - it's not fit for purpose. Looking into the data isn't good enough.


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## ebikeerwidnes (20 Jul 2022)

Nice looking bike but fairly small capacity battery

but if it doesn;t work it isn't much good - I would also return it until they find a way to fix it - remember that your right to return it expires so unless you have a guarantee of a fix then you need do something as soon as possible


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## fossyant (20 Jul 2022)

Send it back - it's £2k bike, so not cheap.


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## Salad Dodger (20 Jul 2022)

Am I right in thinking that this is a single speed bike?
It might require you to keep up a certain cadence for the crank sensor to keep dishing out power to the motor. Up a significant hill, maybe your cadence is dropping below that threshold. On a single speed bike, mine certainly would be!


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## CXRAndy (20 Jul 2022)

Nice looking bike, but its fails with form over function. Send it back, buy a crank based motor drive- ideally a high powered version to ensure there is enough torque to give you the required assist. 

Cheaper -- are TSDZ2 or Bafang BBS02, both can be bought standard or with higher outputs. 

Expensive --Bosch CX version 5 with 85nm.


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## sleuthey (20 Jul 2022)

Turi said:


> When going uphill, and it gets quite steep the engine just blocks and you can't move anymore, basically you have to stop and let the engine to comeback to life once again.



Not quite sure what you mean by this. Do you mean the motor cuts out? If so then this could be the BMS doing its job. When going up hill the closed circuit voltage drops due to the extra strain. Mine is a 36v bike and cuts out at 30v to protect the cells from undercharge. 

Are the symptoms just as bad on the first ride after a full charge?


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## Cycleops (20 Jul 2022)

"Get 'em up, move 'em out". Get that Cowboy 3 back to Cowboy Cycles.
As said, not fit for purpose. Let's hope they're not real cowboys.


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## Stul (21 Jul 2022)

I guess these bikes are hub motors...ie do not drive the the gears?....in which case they are always a compromise, a bit like having a car with only one gear. 
I was chatting to a guy the other day that lived in a hilly area and he had been sold a hub motor bike and could not get it up the hill to his house!


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## Cycleops (21 Jul 2022)

Stul said:


> I guess these bikes are hub motors...ie do not drive the the gears?....in which case they are always a compromise, a bit like having a car with only one gear.
> I was chatting to a guy the other day that lived in a hilly area and he had been sold a hub motor bike and could not get it up the hill to his house!


There are no derailleur gears as most electric bikes have with hub drive, never seen that before. Maybe there’s an automatic internal gearing of some sort similar to CVT transmissions in cars? This might explain the cutting out on steep hills when the bike comes to a near standstill. CVT transmissions have similar problems with hill starts. Or it could be if it is just one gear that one gear is too high to handle it. Maybe the OP could say how it works. There’s insufficient information on their website, but plenty of pictures of young fashionable people posing.


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## CXRAndy (21 Jul 2022)

Stul said:


> a bit like having a car with only one gear.



Virtually all EVs cars have one gear. It's all down to motor size.

That's where bike crank motors win hands down, compared to rear hub motors crank motors multiplying the small torque through internal gearing.


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## Tenkaykev (21 Jul 2022)

CXRAndy said:


> Virtually all EVs cars have one gear. It's all down to motor size.
> 
> That's where bike crank motors win hands down, compared to rear hub motors crank motors multiplying the small torque through internal gearing.



I'm not sure about that Andy. I think that the Electric Motors in cars such as the Tesla have an integrated gearbox. ( I have an interest in the technology, I worked repairing a great variety of Electric Motors during my working life, though I've never had a car )


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## CXRAndy (21 Jul 2022)

Tenkaykev said:


> I'm not sure about that Andy. I think that the Electric Motors in cars such as the Tesla have an integrated gearbox. ( I have an interest in the technology, I worked repairing a great variety of Electric Motors during my working life, though I've never had a car )



I believe it has a gear reduction unit. But it's only one ratio and doesn't change. Audi and Porsche 
employ two gears, but they seem to be unusual. The vast majority of EVs have one ratio for the whole speed range


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## bonzobanana (22 Jul 2022)

Single gear with only a 30Nm hub motor. It's a very lightweight ebike with light assistance. They do more expensive models with 45Nm torque. It's definitely not configured as a hill climbing ebike. It's more a simple urban ebike for flat roads and light hills. It depends on the rider though. For many 30Nm and single speed would be enough to get up a hill.

Some hub motors peak at about 65Nm but most smaller geared hub motors are more likely around 45Nm peak. Hub motors are more efficient in the way they deliver power, you don't lose power through the chain but ultimately a 45Nm hub motor would probably be comparable to a 48-50Nm mid-drive motor but with a mid-drive motor you have to take into account of the gear ratios though. 

However if you really struggle with hills there is no substitute for a e-mountain bike with a high torque mid-drive motor and low gearing.

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/elec...tain-bike---17in-19in-21in-frames-180982.html


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## Cycleops (22 Jul 2022)

Sounds like the bike is unsuitable for the buyer’s purpose. I guess this is the problem with buying an e bike on line if you’re not used to translating specs and unfamiliar with these types as a whole. There’s little guidance on the site. Let’s hope the Cowboys find a solution for the OP and don’t just ride off into the sunset.


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