Electric Bikes: How do they really work

May 10th, 2010 . Posted in Ebikes 3 Comments »
Tags: ebike batteries, ebike kits, Ebikes, helmets, helmets for biking

There have been many times that I have been asked “How do Electric Bikes really work?”

Great question.

An electric bike or ebike are much like normal bikes the only difference is that an ebike has a motor and a battery that will give assistance to the rider when going up hills or fighting the wind or just carrying to much. The average ebike can go about 10 to 50 miles before a recharge is necessary and this will depend much on the type of battery on the bike, the terrain and whether or not you are pedaling as you go. Yes, pedaling as you go will help conserve the life of you battery while traveling about. You can also not pedal if you become tired or hurt and the ebike will still get you home by merely activating a switch.

The law requires that the motor be limited to 750 watts of power and your maximum speed can not go over 20 miles per hour. This is to avoid running into helmet laws and licensing laws and keeps it a bike and not a scooter.

People are using electric bikes as an alternative method of transportation for commuting and general errands around town. You can find amazing other types of ebikes, such as the folding ebike, as a commuter special. That way you can take your bike with you rather that leaving outside in harms way.

If you are considing an ebike and shying away because of the price, consider a kit. If you purchase a kit you can install it yourself to a bike that you may already own or one that you may be able to find at a yard sale. Keep in mind that the bike needs to have a sturdy frame and tires that are also a bit sturdier, suspension on bikes is not necessary either. Just make sure that when buying a kit that you read the recommendations closely, pretty simple.

As for batteries, this is your biggest expense and obviously you most important expense. As batteries change manufacturers are finding that the Lithium battery is by far the most efficient one yet. It recharges easily using little electricity. If you decide to keep it on the cheap though, you can still get lead batteries, but these definitely require a very sturdy bike because of their weight really making them the least efficient of all.

Okay so let’s put this all in a “nutshell” or to “make this long story short”; Ebikes work through the aid of a motor and battery that assist the person riding it in climbing hills or doing errands. The ebike can be used to replace pedaling, or you can turn off the motor and just pedal like a normal bike or the ebike can merely assist the weary rider.

No matter how you slice it, these wonderful bikes are gaining in popularity everwhere, and especially the cities. They are proving themselves over and over again as an amazing alternative to costly commuting too.

I really do hope that this explains the mechanics of an ebike. They are simple and they are fun. If you want something more the next step would be to look into an electric scooter. Either way you are still saving a bundle in gasoline costs.

Go out have fun and enjoy a new type of cycling.

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3 Responses to “Electric Bikes: How do they really work”

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marine from electric bike says:

October 2, 2010 at 3:12 am

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