Beware of update!

Ea9818

Ea9818

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The new update that hit my bike this morning. That includes the drivetrain tensioner is terrible.

The chain ring is constantly tightening up every time you start coasting downhill, it’s loud and it’s super annoying, and it might be adding chain tension to the suspension when I’m trying to avoid that with my Ochain. If I could undo the update, I would..

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Ea9818 said:
The new update that hit my bike this morning. That includes the drivetrain tensioner is terrible.

The chain ring is constantly tightening up every time you start coasting downhill, it’s loud and it’s super annoying, and it might be adding chain tension to the suspension when I’m trying to avoid that with my Ochain. If I could undo the update, I would..

More boost. More precise control.​

Your eBike senses your intentions. With this update, your eBike motor is now even smarter. Customize the Extended Boost to master every obstacle with confidence. Thanks to the Drivetrain Tensioner, feel your power turn into propulsion without delay. Off the trail, the new eBike Assistant in the eBike Flow app is ready to answer your questions. Discover a new level of control, precision, and support.
Click to expand...
Looks like Bosch is telling the world that a future update will allow you to turn off the drivetrain tension feature.
 
I’ve never run an Ochain, so zero experience of it, but according to some internet sleuthing it should play nicely with the latest update?

But yes, I understand the next update will have the option to turn the Chain Tensioner element off.
 
Fangs2k said:
I’ve never run an Ochain, so zero experience of it, but according to some internet sleuthing it should play nicely with the latest update?

But yes, I understand the next update will have the option to turn the Chain Tensioner element off.
Click to expand...
I can say since going sidekick hubs I def feel a solid difference in the free feeling of the suspension and lack of feedback to my feet. Especially in quick chatter. Rarely have to reposition feet on flats now. Cycling the suspension not moving you can see the cassette taking the chain tension and pedals staying very still.

I don’t see how the chain tensioner update wouldn’t affect this and ochain devices. It’s simply the complete opposite of what these devices do. It’s odd they make it mandatory with the update.
 
Ea9818 said:
The new update that hit my bike this morning. That includes the drivetrain tensioner is terrible.

The chain ring is constantly tightening up every time you start coasting downhill, it’s loud and it’s super annoying, and it might be adding chain tension to the suspension when I’m trying to avoid that with my Ochain. If I could undo the update, I would..

More boost. More precise control.​

Your eBike senses your intentions. With this update, your eBike motor is now even smarter. Customize the Extended Boost to master every obstacle with confidence. Thanks to the Drivetrain Tensioner, feel your power turn into propulsion without delay. Off the trail, the new eBike Assistant in the eBike Flow app is ready to answer your questions. Discover a new level of control, precision, and support.
Click to expand...
Mode down to tour on the down. No more chain tensioner.
 
I was about to write about the same. I wondered why is the motor rotating the chain forwards when I e.g. backpedal in eMTB mode, but then realized it must be the chain tensioner feature. I hope they at least give an option to disable it in future software update.
 
The chain tensioner sounded cool on paper. But definitely affects the suspension negatively and is super noisy. If I could downgrade I would. 🤞that they release the update with thr ability to disable it soon.
 
killjoyken said:
How is it noisy? I'm considering the new Ibis Oso and the Orbea Wild LT and Bosch just keeps making it hard to pick them.
Click to expand...
Think about the noise that your motor makes when you are turning the cranks backwards to lube your chain, it’s the loud clicking sound the free wheel inside the motor makes.
Now think about that sound constantly activating while you’re coasting downhill.
 
Ea9818 said:
Think about the noise that your motor makes when you are turning the cranks backwards to lube your chain, it’s the loud clicking sound the free wheel inside the motor makes.
Now think about that sound constantly activating while you’re coasting downhill.
Click to expand...
The Gen 5 still makes that ratchet noise like the Gen 4? And now they've made it activate unless you switch to a lower power mode? That noise was one of the reasons I just sold my old Oso. With Onyx hubs my Amflow is virtually silent.
 
Agreed, this update seriously sucks. I wish I could revert. I may ask the shop if that's something they could do for me. No, I don't want to change modes when I descend, I like having power available for little punchy climbs.
 
Andeh said:
Agreed, this update seriously sucks. I wish I could revert. I may ask the shop if that's something they could do for me. No, I don't want to change modes when I descend, I like having power available for little punchy climbs.
Click to expand...
I was thinking exactly the same thing, let me know if they’re able to undo it.
 
I thought it was me hallucinating! I swear the cassette was spinning by itself! I only saw it once, but I heard it frequently. My buddy following me never saw or heard a thing. The noise didn't bother me enough to get into diagnostic mode. Apart from the unexpected sound it did not interfere with my ride in any way that I noticed.
 
Andeh said:
Agreed, this update seriously sucks. I wish I could revert. I may ask the shop if that's something they could do for me. No, I don't want to change modes when I descend, I like having power available for little punchy climbs.
Click to expand...
I agree. I’m now mostly riding in Turbo mode, which I already had set similar with EMTB+ power wise. Unless it’s a mostly seated and peddling trail, I won’t being riding in EMTB+ much, until the next update.

The new update can’t come soon enough, and these comments echo my annoyance.

I will be pointing this out to a Bosch rep that works in my LBS a few Saturdays a month.
 
Suns_PSD said:
I still really like it for generating max trail speed, but Bosch should make it switchable.
Click to expand...
Just curious on how it’s helping your max trail speed?

Curious also how it affects battery. It seems like a constant sensing and tensioning of the chainring would have at least some affect. Maybe negligible though
 
Ea9818 said:
The new update that hit my bike this morning. That includes the drivetrain tensioner is terrible.

The chain ring is constantly tightening up every time you start coasting downhill, it’s loud and it’s super annoying, and it might be adding chain tension to the suspension when I’m trying to avoid that with my Ochain. If I could undo the update, I would..

​

Click to expand...
Amen...Thats why i dont go for it. Had a test drive last week with a bike from my garage...just horrible... its so annoying loud with this tension bs...😖
The whole "Performance" 2.0 Upgrade is just....🤐
 
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not had any weird issues with mine? My bike is rather quiet overal so Im sure I'd notice it.
Going out at end of day today an will see but rode in turbo all day the other day an didnt seem to hear anything different.

Could be worse, M2s motors rattling louder and louder lol
 
Leakintheboat said:
not had any weird issues with mine? My bike is rather quiet overal so Im sure I'd notice it.
Going out at end of day today an will see but rode in turbo all day the other day an didnt seem to hear anything different.

Could be worse, M2s motors rattling louder and louder lol
Click to expand...
The chain tensioner doesn’t activate in turbo mode, so that explains why you didn’t hear it.
 
Ea9818 said:
Think about the noise that your motor makes when you are turning the cranks backwards to lube your chain, it’s the loud clicking sound the free wheel inside the motor makes.
Now think about that sound constantly activating while you’re coasting downhill.
Click to expand...
I've spent enough time riding the drivetrain tensioner that i cant agree with your statement that its constantly active coasting downhill. Drivetrain tensioner is only active for up to 2 meters (6ft for us Americans) of distance travelled. i can only assume you are repeatedly kicking back on the pedals while descending to engage DTT over and over again.

It sounds like you don't have a problem with the drivetrain tensioner so much as you have a problem with the stepped freewheel. if the motor had a stepless freewheel you wouldn't hear anything and probably wouldn't be complaining about it ;)
 
TrailPug said:
I've spent enough time riding the drivetrain tensioner that i cant agree with your statement that its constantly active coasting downhill. Drivetrain tensioner is only active for up to 2 meters (6ft for us Americans) of distance travelled. i can only assume you are repeatedly kicking back on the pedals while descending to engage DTT over and over again.

It sounds like you don't have a problem with the drivetrain tensioner so much as you have a problem with the stepped freewheel. if the motor had a stepless freewheel you wouldn't hear anything and probably wouldn't be complaining about it ;)
Click to expand...
It kicks on constantly if you move the cranks at all, which happens all the time if you actually ride dynamically. If you ever ratchet the cranks backwards to weight the outside foot on a corner while leaning the bike over, it kicks on right after. It's a solution in search of a problem. It basically does the opposite of what an OChain does, and actively makes the suspension worse. Clearly thought up by some engineer who never leaves the bike path.
 
TrailPug said:
I've spent enough time riding the drivetrain tensioner that i cant agree with your statement that its constantly active coasting downhill. Drivetrain tensioner is only active for up to 2 meters (6ft for us Americans) of distance travelled. i can only assume you are repeatedly kicking back on the pedals while descending to engage DTT over and over again.

It sounds like you don't have a problem with the drivetrain tensioner so much as you have a problem with the stepped freewheel. if the motor had a stepless freewheel you wouldn't hear anything and probably wouldn't be complaining about it ;)
Click to expand...
Nope, normal standing position 3 & 9 that we all ride, the tensioner kicks in every 10’ or so. It kicks in with the normal 1/2” of back pedal from normal bike and body movements.

It wouldn’t be so annoying if the motor only moved 1/8 of a turn and not almost 3/4 around.
 
It's constantly speed up, then slow down here.
My timing and gear selection was just on point the other day and it allowed me to maintain a great pace.
Getting rid of the overrun was honestly more important than anything. Squirting an extra 2 meters through a turn when you already pedaled as deep in to it as you can reasonably go was just an insanely dumb feature. My timing and line set up was just always wrong with that crap. I blew out my knee and required surgery due to that stupid 'feature'. I'm only 5 weeks out of surgery, but not supposed to even ride again for another 3 weeks, and I'm riding pretty darn well instead.
Could you imagine if a race car or motorcycle intentionally kept going after you chopped the throttle?! It would ruin lap times.
 
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For climbing, I use eMTB+ mode with +10 Extended Boost and a chain tensioner is excellent for instant engagement. For descending, I use Turbo mode with no Extended Boost, and there is no chain tensioner. Everything works fine
 
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