Everything You Need to Know about Buying an E-bike

Electric bikes or e-bikes are growing in popularity. The most popular electric mountain bikes are often used as an alternative mode of transport to cars in cities. With convenience and a view to helping the environment, e-bikes are becoming ever more prominent.

If you’re thinking about buying one, it can be hard to know where to start.

In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to know about electric bikes.

 

What Are Your Needs?

There are many different types of electric bike, each will have their own different features. Consider where and how you will ride your electric bike.

If you are looking for a bike that is comfortable, then you should get a step-through frame as this will be easy to mount.

If you will be going up a lot of hills, then you should look for a bike that has a middle motor system or even a high-torque hub motor.

You may need your electric bike to go the distance. If you are someone that makes long journeys on their bicycle, then you’ll want to look at the battery. Aim to get at least 400 watt-hours.

Once you know your needs, it will be easier to narrow down your selection and find the right bike for you.

 

Do Some Reading

It is important that you do some reading up so that you understand what it is exactly that you are buying.

There are a few different options when it comes to the drive, motor mount, and range. It is essential that you understand these things.

The two different drive types are :

• Pedelec – with this type of bike, the system will assess your pedaling and then automatically add a certain amount of motor assistance depending on the force, rate, and speed. This type of motor is usually regulated and limited to 250v. The maximum speed on this type of bike is 25kmh.
• Twist-n-go – In this type of bike, the motor assistance is controlled by the rider.

 

There are two different motor mount types, there are: 

• Hub motor assist – where the motor is mounted in the wheels
• Crank motor assist – where the motor is mounted at the crank

Crank assist bikes tend to fare better on hills but tend to be noisy. Hub motor assist bikes tend to be quieter but don’t perform so well on hills.

The range of the bike is the distance that it will go on a single charge. Finding out how big the battery is and how long the range is will be important when deciding on which e-bike you should get.

 

Pick The Right Retailer

Buying the right bike is one thing, but buying it from the right people is also important.

Initially, your first concern should be with the help and support that you’ll get while you’re deciding on which bike to buy.

Look around the store. Do they have a great selection of e-bikes to choose from? Or, do they just have a few tucked away in a corner?

The level of e-bike expertise you’ll find in the customer service might well be dictated by the way that they display their stock or lack of stock.

Of course, you’ll want to choose a retailer that has plenty of options for you to choose from too.

Finally, you’ll want a retailer that provides exceptional aftercare. Find out what they offer in terms of e-bike servicing and repairs. And, in addition to that, ask about the warranty that is offered on the bike that you buy.

 

Ride a Few E-Bikes

An essential part of the electric bike buying experience is to go and test all of the models that you are interested in.

By trying out an e-bike, you’ll be able to see how it handles and whether you like how it feels.

Once you have found a bike that you like the feel of, see how it compares to your needs. If you need a bike that could go for a long-distance, does this electric bike fit the bill?

 

Find Out About The Warranty

Whether you are going for the cheapest electric bike, or the most expensive, you will want to know that you have some kind of warranty in place.

The longer the warranty, the better.

 

Buy A Bike That Is Built To Last

The sustainability of your e-bike extends much further than the fact that the bike runs on electricity. You should also consider how long the bike is going to last with regular services.

You should expect your bike to last for around ten years as long as it is taken care of.