How to Choose the Right Electric Bike
Electric bikes are the greatest green transportation option of the 21st century. Besides offering easier and faster transportation than many other biking options, but they’re also eco-friendly, energy-efficient and a great way to maintain your body shape. However, having one of these convenient electric bicycles will be in vain if you don’t choose the one that fits your needs and preferences. This is why we put together a couple of buying tips to keep in mind when shopping.
Consider Your Needs
These electric cycles are designed to satisfy different people’s needs and preferences, so before you decide to explore the different bicycle electric models, it’s always best to decide upfront what will you be using the bike for. The first thing to determine is how often you’re going to use the bike and what kind of distances you intend to cover.
E bikes have different frame sizes. Getting a model that’s too big for you can ruin your experience if it is too heavy for you as these bikes can weigh up to 20 kg. A model that’s too small might give you a hard time riding it. For this purpose, consider your height and weight before buying.
Electric bicycles come with many features, such as baggage space, space for transporting children and other useful additions, so keep in mind your needs and look for the most desirable extras. Some bikes can also be “folded” so you can easily transport them in your car’s trunk or in public transportation.
Determine Your Type
Once you consider your needs and budget, determine which of these bicycle electric models is the best option for you.
Electric Mountain Bikes
These are the right choice if you’re looking for an e-bike to hit the riding trails or if you want to get off-road. Keep in mind that these bikes usually lack rear suspension, since they have a front suspension fork, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t find a good downhill electric mountain bike for more hardcore trail riding.
Electric Cruiser Bikes
These models are meant for cruising and offer many comfort features such as wide plush seats, higher swept-back handles, forward-mounted pedals to rest both of your feet flat on the ground and much more.
Electric Road Bikes
Road bikes are excellent if you prefer riding on the streets, or bike cycling is your hobby. These bikes feature the most efficient and lightweight pedals and can be also used without any assistance.
Electric Commuter Bikes
Designed for daily transporting between different parts of the city, electric commuter bikes feature wide tires and sturdy multi-terrain frames to support tough city commutes, as well as different off-road trails.
Electric Cargo Bikes
Cargo bikes are designed to transport some “bulk” or your children to great distances such as different sides of the city. For this very reason, most models feature front buckets, covered pods or kids transporters.
Electric Folding Bikes
Folding bikes feature a folding spot in the middle and on the handles, so you can literally fold them and transport them in your car, on the bus, metro and other public transportation options without taking much space.
Choose the Assistance Type
The purpose of e bicycles is to assist you while riding, and for this purpose, you can choose whether you prefer motion sensors or power sensors assistance. Starting from the motion sensors, the motor will keep your bike going after you rotate the pedals 2-3 times, regardless of how slow or quick you’re pedalling. But even though these cycles are much less expensive than the ones with power sensors, they’re tricky and not recommended for beginners.
Talking about power sensor bicycles, they assist you the way they go increasingly faster as you pedal. This makes them great for heavy city traffic or if you have many red lights on your route since they’re very easy to start.
Take into Account the Battery of the Bike
The choice of battery of your new e bicycle will depend on a couple of factors such as your weight, your route and your assistance. So, to choose the right electric bike for you, it’s essential to know a couple of things about its battery.
Starting from its technical characteristics, it’s important to understand the battery’s wattage, since it’ll determine your bike’s assistance. In fact, your bike’s wattage is a combination of Volts and Amps. Volts are used to describe how fast your bike will move, and Amps measure the force of your bike while you’re pedalling.
When it comes to different battery types, it’s always recommended to choose lithium or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) ones, since they are very lightweight, take very little time to charge and unlike some other types, if they’re properly taken care of, can last up to 500 charging cycles.
Finally, you can choose between a removable or an integrated battery. Know that removable batteries are more recommended since they can be easily charged overnight wherever you are and kept out of the cold in winter, which can significantly prolong their lifespan. But on the other hand, removable batteries can start to “rattle around” if they’re not properly mounted, unlike the integrated ones which are more secure and sit tighter on your bike.
Essential Protective Gear
Regardless of what kind of bike you ride and the terrain on which you adventure on, wearing a helmet is mandatory. Helmets come in various types.
Open face helmets are the most basic design, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t offer proper coverage, safety and ventilation. These helmets are also great for people who who are just starting to ride on the streets, or are claustrophobic. On the other hand, full-face helmets offer more protection, coverage, strength and a more secure fit, and are recommended for riding off-road or hardcore riding terrains.
Pads are also must-have pieces of gear as in almost all crashes, your knees are the first part of your body that makes a contact with the ground. For this purpose, you can choose either lightweight or heavy-duty knee pads, depending on your riding style. The lightweight ones are usually without straps and feature impact-absorbing memory foam inserts that harden to absorb the shock once you hit the ground. This is why they’re mostly recommended for everyday trails and cross-country riding.
Unlike them, heavy-duty knee pads are recommended for all-mountain riding and difficult off-road terrains full of rocks, roots or sharp debris, since they offer non-slip technology that will keep the pad secured in place during falls as well as a design that features shock-absorbing too.
Even though many riders don’t like wearing them as they’re not really comfortable, elbow pads are also a must-have. Most elbow pads nowadays are also made of memory foam inserts which also absorbs the shock and prevents major elbow injuries.