Choosing an electric bike can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for when buying one. Electric bikes have continued to grow in popularity over the last few years. More and more people who consider themselves cycling fanatics are beginning to appreciate the different riding experience an e-bike delivers. There are electric bikes to suit a range of different budgets and preferences.
When shopping for one, there are quite a few things you need to consider. That’s why having a buyer’s guide is key. Having a buyer’s guide that you can follow will give you the confidence you need to ensure you can make sense of the technical options. While a lot of e-Bikes available share similar features, there are still some important things you need to keep in mind when considering buying an e-Bike. Follow on for E-Bikes for Fitness: 6 Top Buying Tips!
1. Your Riding Style
One of the most important things you need to consider when buying an e-bike is your riding style.
Not everyone is going to be riding a bike for the same reason. Because of this, your preferences and riding style are likely to be very different. Are you planning on getting an e-bike for transportation to and from work? Are you looking for one that’s for fun? Are you looking to get an e-bike to ride up and down mountains?
These things will dictate the type of bike you should be looking to get as well as what to prioritize when shopping for one. You’ll find there are a lot of options available; folding e-bikes, eRoad bikes, and more.
2. What Size Battery?
Another major consideration is the size of the battery included with the bike. You’ll find that the size of your battery will be a very important factor in your buying decision because it can determine whether or not the bike is suitable for your use case.
Typically, the size will be measured in Watt-hours (Wh) or amp-hours (Ah). A lot of brands will advertise the battery by displaying these metrics along with their estimation of the range. However, you shouldn’t necessarily take it at face value because there are several conditions that could impact the accuracy including road conditions, weight, and more.
One of the main, standard sizes for e-bikes batteries is 400 to 500Wh. While you can find some bikes in the marketplace that have tiny batteries, as small as 180Wh, the majority of them are going to be in that range. You will also find some with huge batteries up to 1000Wh.
To fully comprehend the kind of mileage you can expect to get from your bike battery, you can take the total wattage and divide it by 15 or 20. This will give you a good idea of how many miles you would get on full assist mode.
3. Mid-Drive vs Hub Drive
e-bikes that use a hub drive have a motor that will be positioned right in the center of the wheel. This can either be on the very back of the bike or the front of the bike.
This will mean that the power assist gets delivered right to the shell which can keep it from affecting anything else including the pedals or wheels. An e-bike that has a wheel with a hub drive attached will be connected to the battery. This means that you’ll need to continually disconnect everything for safety if you need to fix something that’s wrong with the bike.
When you get an e-bike with a crank or a mid-drive, the unit will sit directly between the pedals which allows for a more even pedal distribution. From there, the motor will deliver the requisite power to both the gears and the chain. This makes the bike operate much more efficiently when you are on steeper hills. Using this type of motor will allow you to utilize standard-sized wheels with less hassle overall.
Any hub drive motor is likely going to be better for those looking for road bikes. Also, they happen to deliver a more affordable solution. The crank drive units are typically more expensive and they are found on premium bikes because of it. You’ll generally find them on eMTBs and higher-end bikes.
4. Assistance Levels
When you are buying an e-bike, you can figure out the type of assistance you want. You’ll find the bikes with the most levels will deliver the most leverage for your pedal power. A lot of the bikes out there will offer anywhere from 3 to 8 levels of assistance. This can help you if you want to rely more on the motor of the bike for pedaling. They can typically add anywhere from 40 to 300% to your power.
Modes:
- Eco
- Tour
- Sport
- Turbo
You’ll typically find anywhere from 5 or more assistance levels on the premium bikes. These bikes will usually be better for those who are heavier who also want more durability and heavier frames.
While it will depend on the model of bike you are using, assistance levels can be accessed from a basic switch on the bike. This switch is usually positioned on the handlebars or accessible via a digital screen.
5. Rotation Sensor vs Torque Sensor
The sensor that your bike has is another major thing that is going to impact its performance. The sensor is likely to impact the price of the bike as it’s one of the more expensive components.
You’ll find that premium bikes will use much more expensive torque sensors. The cadence sensor on your bike will act very much like a switch. Whenever you start to manually pedal, your chosen assistance level will activate, and the battery will kick in to help.
When an e-bike has a torque sensor, the motor will be compensating for various factors including the speed and force with which you’re pedaling. If you’re pedaling with greater force, the level of power assistance provided will be increased. This makes these sensors much smarter, more practical, and more useful.
6. Insurance
Another thing that you want to factor into your buying equation is whether or not you’re going to buy insurance. Getting insurance is recommended for anything that is of high value, this is especially true if you’re going to be using it regularly. Insurance will give you plenty of protection between damage and theft.
At PedalCover, they offer the kind of insurance you need for peace of mind. Their insurance will cover your bike whether you’re on the road riding, or if you’re taking your bike on a trip to another country. They have unique and comprehensive e-bike insurance packaged in a very affordable policy.
Have you toyed with the idea of getting an e-bike? What do you consider the advantages of e-bikes to be? Comment your thoughts below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
