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When you place your order, you'll notice endless possibilities of customization. You have your bike frame's bottom bracket option, know which controller and battery you plan on installing, and even selected the best chainring size for yourself with the throttle type and display.. but where will you mount the CYC motor?
Of course, the CYC motors are mid-drive motors that are mounted at the bottom bracket, aside from a few exceptions (mainly from DIY projects and specific folding bikes). You have two standard mounting options:
1. BELOW THE DOWNTUBE
Probably the most common position for the CYC motors is to place the motor below the downtube. On most soft-tail frames, this is an easy choice as you would leave some space in the bike's triangle to fit the battery. The benefits of this position include weight distribution, aesthetics, and ease of access.
Since the battery and the motor are both mounted in the middle of the bike, the balance overall for the bike is stable. The center of gravity isn't sacrificed which in turn keeps it nimble on the trails.
The aesthetics are also eye-catching as the entire kit is prominently featured on the bike almost as one unit. Placing your motor below the downtube also creates ease of access for all the wiring as it's easily tidied up and can run along the downtube without interfering with any other components.
There is one downside though. Mounting the motor below the downtube means sacrificing some ground clearance. It's a factor to be considered if you've extensively leaned on your ground clearance on your previous rides. For most riders, this will not make any difference, especially seeing as MTB frames have a lean head angle leaving plenty of space for the front wheel.
2. INSIDE THE TRIANGLE
Mounting your motor inside the triangle is more popular among road bikes and/ or hardtails. It has the same benefits as mounting the motor below the downtube with the added bonus of not sacrificing any ground clearance at all as the controller doesn't take up any more space than the chainring - even with a small 32T. So why doesn't everyone do it?
If you have a soft-tail frame, then the likelihood of there being enough space for the battery AND motor is less than that of a hard-tail frame. In this case, we recommend fitting the X1 Stealth due to its smaller form factor. This also depends on where you want to mount the battery- if you want to mount it inside the triangle as well.
When there's limited space between the downtube and the front wheel, mounting your motor in the triangle is a secure solution. Again, you will need to consider your battery.
Do you have enough space for both, or are you placing your battery in a backpack? There are a plethora of places to mount the battery, such as against the seat tube, or on top of the top tube, maybe even placing it on a carrier rack.
We barely scratched the surface. What we talked about was just the standard mounting position and there are some exceptions. The X1 PRO and X1 Stealth are well known for their frame compatibility fitting 95% of all existing frames.
Since it's our mission to give you the most power with the smallest form-factor possible, we'll keep working towards that goal of closing that 5% gap.
Need more information about compatibility or the things you need to fit your CYC kit? Check out our FAQ page!