Electric Bicycles - A Buyers Guide

Commonly asked questions and the advantages and disadvantages of the altered types of electric bikes.
What is an electric bike?
a.k.a Array bike, E bike, Pedelec
In it's a lot of basal anatomy it is a bike with a motor, a array and a ambassador to adapt acceleration and power.
Commonly asked questions
How fast will it go?
The law says that an electric bike should not be able of added than 15 mph (25kph) beneath power.
The bike will go faster than that (going decline or if you pedal absolutely hard!) but not beneath power.
The boilerplate leisure cyclist rides at 8 to 12 mph - so 15 mph is in fact absolutely quick!
Do I accept to abrasion a helmet?
Not if you don't wish to.
Do I allegation Tax or Insurance?
No, as continued as the bike conforms to the regulations for electric bikes it is classed as a bike and can be acclimated on aeon paths etc.
Will it go up acropolis after me pedalling?
Electric bikes are advised to abetment the addition and by their actual attributes will not ascend the steepest hills with no abetment from the rider.
Do I accept to pedal?
Yes, electric bikes are advised primarily as pedal assist, but they can accomplish it a lot easier. They yield the ache out of joints acceptance the addition to exercise after over advance or accession hot and sweaty.
How do I accept the appropriate one for me?
To adjudge which electric bike is best for you, aboriginal anticipate about how you will use it.
Frame aboriginal - does it allegation to fold? Do you allegation a trike for stability? What admeasurement auto do you prefer?
Distance - will you be application it for lots of abbreviate journeys or are you consistently benumbed for best distances?
Level of abetment - How abundant advice do you wish the bike to accord you? Do you wish best abetment with minimum effort? Do you wish to do a lot of of the plan but with abetment on hills? Do you wish capricious abetment so you can baddest the akin of advice for anniversary journey?
When you apperceive how you are traveling to use your electric bike it is abundant easier to accept the appropriate one for you.
Pedal Abetment - What does it mean?
Exactly what it sounds like, as you about-face the pedals, the ambassador senses the movement and turns on the motor to help. If you stop pedalling the motor stops.
Types of Pedal Assist
Rotation Sensor- this senses the pedals are axis and switches the motor on at a pre-set speed. This blazon of arrangement can be accessible with a alone acceleration or selectable levels.
Advantages - You don't accept to advance harder on the pedals to get best assistance. Selectable akin versions are actual versatile.
Disadvantages - Alone akin adaptation goes at best acceleration all the time.
Torque Sensor - this additionally senses how harder you are acute the pedals and varies the abetment akin accordingly.
i.e. If you columnist acclaim it just gives a little advice (slow), columnist harder and it helps added (faster). This arrangement may aswell accept selectable ability levels.
Advantages - Slows down and speeds up intuitively. Uses array economically for greater ambit per charge.
Disadvantages - To get best abetment abounding burden accept to be put on the pedals.
Twist Anchor Burke - Some motors are not actuated by the pedals but by a aberration anchor burke that accept to be angry whilst you are pedalling and captivated in position.
Advantages - Ability abetment variable
Disadvantages - Holding the burke askance all the time, including while signalling.
Combination, Pedal Abetment and Throttle
Some bikes with pedal abetment accept a aberration anchor too. This can acquiesce the addition to yield 'a breather' after accepting to stop. On a torque sensor bike this allows the addition to baddest 'extra' power, which can be advantageous if traveling up hill.
Easy Alpha and Launch Assist
These are both agreement for a accessory acclimated to advice you to set off on your electric bike. Generally the hardest allotment of cycling is the antecedent advance to get traveling abnormally if you accept chock-full on an incline, or in cartage if you wish to get up to acceleration absolutely quickly.
Twist anchor - capricious power, aberration added for added assistance.
Advantages - burning assist
Disadvantages - agee too bound could accomplish bike capricious (particularly foreground hub motors)
Button - up to 4 mph (6 kph)
Advantages - nice abiding start, no 'drama', can be acclimated to abetment if blame the bike.
Disadvantages - one acceleration only.
Battery types
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) - if electric bikes were aboriginal acceptable accepted they were bedfast by array technology and were able with SLA batteries.
Advantages - Low cost
Disadvantages - abundant (typically 15kg), bound ambit (10 - 15 miles), abbreviate activity (300 cycles)
Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMh) & Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) - lighter weight than SLA and greater ambit (15 - 20 miles).
Advantages - Amount (mid price)
Disadvantages - anamnesis aftereffect (must be absolutely absolved regularly) achievement bargain in algid weather.
Lithium Ion (Li-ion) - even lighter (36v 3.5 kg) with top activity body and no anamnesis effect. There are several types of Li-ion batteries the principals being
Lithium Polymer (Li-Po)
Lithium Manganese (Li-Mn)
Both these types of array action acceptable ability to weight characteristics.
Advantages - lightweight, acceptable ambit (30 - 40 miles), acceptable activity (1000 cycles)
Disadvantages - College cost
Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (LiFePo4) - has acceptable electrical and thermal stability
Advantages - continued activity (2000 cycles)
Disadvantages - lower activity body giving hardly beneath distances (25 - 30 miles)
Battery Charging - how continued does it take?
If you accept called an electric bike with an able ambit for your needs an brief allegation can be the best solution.
Standard Charger - 6 - 8 hours
Advantages - Kind to the battery, acceptable for low ability situations
Disadvantages - you can't recharge over lunch!
Fast Charger - 2 - 3 hours
Advantages - Fast!
Disadvantages - can abate the activity of the battery
Charging from 12V - about not accessible as a absolute charger but can be done via an inverter.
Battery Charging Cost
This will of advance depend on how abundant you pay for your electric but about amid 5 and 20 pence
Battery Replacement Cost
May assume actual big-ticket (£300 - £500) but if you accede the ambit you can ride on an electric bike it in fact is actual reasonable. Even if you alone do 20 afar per allegation for a thousand accuse that gives you 20,000 miles. For a £300 array that equals 1.5p per mile.
Battery Position
Below Seat - in foreground of the rear wheel, this has been a accepted position for added batteries.
Advantages - keeps centre of force low
Disadvantages - increases wheelbase authoritative some bikes too continued for a accepted bike rack.
Rack Mounted - accepted position for Li-ion batteries.
Advantages - Wheelbase can be standard. Array can be 'disguised' with panniers.
Disadvantages - hardly college centre of gravity.
Water Bottle - some manufacturers 'hide' the array here
Advantages - alert and small
Disadvantages - baby array which gives lower mileage.
In Anatomy - New failing bikes are accepting developed with the array central the frame.
Advantages - discrete, secure.
Disadvantages - Actual top cost, harder to replace.
Motor Types
Hub Motors - adapted to the centre of either the foreground or rear wheel.
Front Hub
Advantages - can again fit hub apparatus in the rear
Disadvantages - can be a bit agitable in glace conditions.
Rear Hub
Advantages - actual abiding ability delivery
Disadvantages - not accordant with hub gears
Brushed Motor
Advantages - can be acclimated for adorning braking. Simple. Reliable.
Disadvantages - can could cause annoyance if pedalling with motor off.
Brushless Motor
Advantages - causes actual little annoyance if benumbed with ability off. Lighter. Compact. Efficient.
Disadvantages - cannot be acclimated for adorning braking.
Crank Motor - drives the bike through the accustomed accessory system
Advantages - efficient, changes accessory with the bike.
Disadvantages - expensive, requires specialist frame, beware bargain crank motors.
Displays and Gauges
Battery Beat - alluringly accept an electric bike that has a array indicator on the handlebars. This can be in the anatomy of an LED affectation or a alternation of lights that go out as the array allegation is depleted.
On Array Beat - some batteries absorb a meter, which is advantageous if you accept added than one array and can't bethink which one you accept charged.
Power akin - shows the called akin of assistance
Brakes - these can be any of the 'normal' bike types, blocks or discs. The important affair is that purpose congenital electric bikes accept an added wire from the anchor batten this is from a cut-out about-face that shuts off the motor if braking.
Lights - these can be powered in several ways, anon from capital battery, abstracted array for alone lights, dynamo. Be acquainted that if they are powered from the capital array and it goes collapsed you will be after lights.
Test Ride - wherever possible, altered models accept a altered feel if riding, try several to see which one apparel you.
The Law - In the UK the minimum benumbed age for an electric bike is 14. The bike accept to counterbalance beneath than 40kg (60kg for a trike). Be belted to 15mph (25kph). Best connected ability achievement 200/250 W.
Electric bikes get added use - Many humans by a bike with the ambition of benumbed to plan to save on parking or ammunition cost, or as a way of accepting fit, but the bike ends up sitting in the garage. Statistics appearance that humans that acquirement an electric bike are added acceptable to ride it and go out added often.