Last Updated on 2 years by Think and Find
Day by day it is becoming a hard task to find out the best electric bike as well as which should be considered first while buying an electric bike. As you are going to buy and an electric bike, you should know some basic or you will lose your valuable dollar and the electric bike will be harassment for you rather being a helping hand. So learn before buying. In this post, you will know in detail about how to choose an electric bike.
First thing first,
A gist about the motor and battery of an electric bike
For the first time if you ride on an electric bike or electric bike will give you the feeling of discovering a superpower because the pedal-assist bikes extend the power of the electric bike, you have more control of your bike on the road, arrive at your destination without more toil. And you will get extra benefits on rough roads or climbing the hills with the electric bike.
Electric bikes are the same as conventional bikes like mountains and roads, plus nices like urban, hybrid, cruiser, cargo and folding bikes are very common nowadays.
How to choose an electric bike
If we consider the level of motor assistance mood of an electric bike, we find three classes of electric bikes in the marketplace. It is important to know what types of electric bikes will deliver the needs of you.
Class 1: These types of electric bikes motor only start when you start pedaling and stops at the speed of 20 mph.
Class 2: This type of electric bike has a full-throttle power mood without any pedaling. It has also a pedal-assist mood.
Class 3: It is like the class one but it has more helping range up to 28 km per hour.
New riders start with the class one electric bikes. It is more affordable and from the standpoint of regularity, it has no obstacles. It is accepted all over the world. It can be ridden on city streets as well as bike paths. Nowadays mountain bike trails are accepting this type of bike, but be sure before doing that, maybe still some trails do not accept this. So always check first.
Class 2 bikes are more costly than class 1 and it has a full-throttle mode which allows you to ride the electric bike without any pedaling, it is comfortable for short distances in the city.
Class 3 bikes are the upper-grade version of class 1. They are more costly than class 1. It can also climb better compared to class 1.
Before making a final choice of an electric bike, research the rules related to the electric bike in your community. Know about laws, licensing, registration, age limits, land management as well as charging. These rules can be varied state to state, check out the people who have already and electric bike and also check with local cities and land managers of that place where you will ride the electric bike.
E-Bike Batteries, Riding Ranges and Motors
A lot of attention of manufacturers are focused on the power plant of the electric bike. Because the battery is the heart of an electric bike. While you are going to buy an electric bike, know details about the power and range of the battery. Manufacturers also try to make a tradeoff between performance and design to provide the best output to the users. Again, It is clear that a more powerful motor gives more speed while riding on the road and provide more torque while climbing hills and hauling cargos. But a powerful motor uses the battery faster and may cause the reduction of your range of riding.
While choosing the potential electric bikes, you will find a broad range of specs like 20-100 pedal-assisted miles. But remember so many variables are affecting the riding range.
Having a big battery will help the riding of course. Capacities of the battery are started with the watt hours (wh) which is the calculation of the number of hours a battery can sustain while riding.
Thus motors are also a factor. A 250 watt motor with a 500wh battery will give a better performance than the set of a 500-watt motor paired with 500 wh battery.
The second feature you should remember is the battery charging time. Most of the batteries of an electric bike require three to five hours to become full form empty. Here the large-capacity battery stake longer time and which is natural. There are fast chargers available to charge the battery faster, you can buy one of them if you need to charge the battery very fast.
The number of batteries: Some electric bikes allow its user to use two batteries at a time which gives the rider a longer distance to ride. Or you can also carry an extra battery if you have one battery in your bike for a backup. If the battery of electric bikes is dead you can easily use the backup one. To extend the battery life you can use and extra battery to reduce the pressure on a single one.
Battery Mounting set up: You will find two types of battery mounting on the electric bike, external and internal. External batteries are easy to replace and can be charged separately without the attachment of the electric bike. It uses the location of bottle cages or small bike bag in the electric bike.
Electric bike motor location: It is an important factor in choosing an electric bike. There are two types of motor found in the electric bike. One is the hub drive motor and another is the mid-drive motor.
In the mid-drive motor electric bike, the motor is attached in the place where the crank arms of the electric bike are attached with the electric bike frame whereas, in the hub drive motor, the motor sits inside the rear wheel or rarely in the front wheel.
Details about mid-drive motor:
Many electric bikes feature with this setup. There are a lot of reasons. It gives a natural feeling while in the pedal-assist mood and it helps to keep the ride balanced and stable because the location is in the center of the electric bike.
Details about a hub drive motor:
In the rear wheel hub drive motor, it sends the pedal power to the rear wheel. It will give you a feeling of being pushed along. One thing needs to know that, changing a flat wheel is more complex in the hub drive wheel. It is easier in a mid-drive electric bike. Some electric bikes offer front-wheel hub drive like cars.
E-bike Motor Torque:
If you plan to ride a lot of hills and haul heavy loads, you must check the torque before buying an electric bike. Torque is measured in newton meters. Maximum electric bikes offers a range from 40 Nm to 80 Nm of torque. With the change of the pedal-assist setting, your actual torque will be changed.
Other Key E-bike Features and Components:
An electric bike is not only a matter of motor and battery. There are a lot of features which should be considered while buying an electric bike.
Pedal-assist activation and pedal feel: which electric bikes give a smooth and more responsive pedal assist mood should be the first choice. Before buying an electric bike take a test drive of your desired electric bike then decide which gives the best performance and speed.
Pedal-assist levels: Most of the electric bikes offer three or four assist levels includes eco mood and turbo mood and electric bike mood. Assist mood assist you while you are pedaling and electric bike mood allow the full electric travel without pedaling.
Integrated accessories: Accessories is the important part of an electric bike. Nowadays electric bikes come with a wide range of accessories.
Lighting: Light is useful everywhere, and it is essential for the night journey for your safety. With the variations of electric bike price, the power of lightning can be changed. The high-end bikes offer more powerful lighting.
Racks: in the cargo electric bikes you will find a rack, these types of racks can support a heavy load. Most of the electric bikes has the opportunity to attach a rack which can be bought separately. Before buying a rack you should you should check the model of the racks to fit in your electric bike.
The LCD display on electric bike: Now a day a mid-range electric bike offers a handlebar-mounted LCD display in the electric bike. This LCD is used to display the battery status, moods working, miles reading and more. It is a useful feature nowadays. Some allow charging the smartphone with the built in USB charger.
Smartphone connection: mid-range to top end electric bike can connect the electric bike and smartphone via Bluetooth or wifi. It can also support GPS from the smartphone also can record the movement as well as can be used for unlocking the electric bike.
Integrated wheel lock: Built in security: Some electric bike offers rear wheel lock which is attached to the frame. Other bike has a lock on the battery which can be unlocked by a key. You can also buy an external keyed lock made by the partner brand of the electric bike.
Frames: Most of the electric bike frame is made with aluminum alloy nowadays. And there are options to buy an electric bike which is made with carbon fiber, some electric bikes are made with steel but they will be heavy to consume more battery. Frame material, design and the size of the motor and battery determines the total weight of the electric bike. Lighter electric bikes are more nimble while riding. So try to choose a light electric bike when you are going to buy an electric bike.
Know which electric bike fit for you:
For both the standard bike and electric bike it is a truism that before buy learn which electric bikes truly fit for you. For investment, you should make sure that the electric bikes feel like that is made for you or can be modified as your needs.
Before ordering an electric bike in the amazon check the size and dimensions on and weight of the electric bike from specifications. If the frame is not perfect for you, you will have a problem while riding. Your needs. Shoulder, back, feet and hand should be perfectly fit in the electric bike.
We hope a happy journey of you with an electric bike which will give you more freedom and help to build a world which is pollution-free.