The Electric Bicycle is finally beginning to gain some traction in the minds of the American consumer and the American marketplace. Like any new technology or product, there are a plethora of offerings from very cheap to very expensive, from junk to well-engineered and sold by everyone. If you want to take advantage of this new technology, how do you decide what to buy and from whom? The following are some tips that may help you out.
- Electric bikes are limited by US Federal law to 750 watts and 20 miles per hour. There are a lot of bikes and kits on the market that advertise power as high as 1000 watts. Beware! There are two ways to measure wattage, the initial surge or “peak wattage” that the motor puts out when it is first starting up, and the continuous wattage that the motor operates under. A lot of very high wattage motors are advertising their peak wattage, not their continuous output. As a consumer, it is very difficult to tell the difference, but you can always ask. A tipoff would be a relatively large motor such as 500 watts that operates on a lower voltage battery such as 36 volts. A genuine 500 watt (or larger) continuous output motor would generally use 48 volts or more.
- The battery included in your kit or with your battery powered trike is a key component. The best battery you can buy is a LiFePO4 lithium battery. This battery is the lightest weight longest lasting battery you can buy. A battery of this type typically lasts more than three times as many charge cycles as an SLA (sealed lead acid) battery. It is also about 50 to 60% lighter in weight. This translates into longer distances and higher speeds. It also means that you can often easily detach the battery from the bike to recharge indoors at work or school instead of having to find a way or place to plug in your entire bike. Finally, if you’re trying to go green, a lithium-based battery is far less environmentally toxic than heavy metal-based batteries. LiFePo4 batteries cost more upfront but are far less expensive to own over their lifespan.
- Under no circumstances should you buy a kit or E-bike overseas. They are certainly going to be inexpensive but service and parts are non-existent. You are gambling the entire price of the bike against your need for service by buying this way. Always purchase from a reputable dealer especially one who is prepared to offer phone support should you encounter a difficulty.
- Kits that advertise installation in “an hour or less” are something to be wary of. Sure, it can be done, but as with everything, there are always two ways to accomplish something. The quick way and the right way. Proper installation of a kit requires making sure that all the components fit snugly and correctly. Remember, you are going to trust your only body to this thing as you move along at 20 miles an hour. Having the front wheel fall out, the throttle slip, the battery container break loose, or having no motor interrupts on the brakes can make for a very unpleasant experience not to mention destroying your bike or kit.
- Speaking of motor interrupts. A proper kit or bike will have switches built into the brake levers that cut power to the motor as soon as you touch the brakes. A good electric bicycle or E-bike kit will have this feature on both brake levers. A very bad, very dangerous product will not have it at all.
- Many kits have marginal instructions and few installation features. Some of the things to look for are: included mounting hardware, ebike range calculator, battery racks or mounting devices, locking battery mounts, unique electrical connectors to prevent wrong connections, pedal-assist sensors, metal brake levers, and adequate wire ties.
- Never forget the immutable law of the universe! “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” Translated, it means you get what you pay for. A good kit with a battery is going to cost $600 or more. When you pay less you begin to sacrifice quality, lifespan, and service.
An electric bike is transportation pure and simple. Like any form of transportation, you want it to be safe, economical, and reliable. There are many places in life where one can try to scrimp and save. Transportation is not one of them. When you leave home, you need to know that your ride is going to get you there and in one piece. I hope that this article helps you cut through all of the smoke and mirrors, hype, and distortion and will enable you to choose a safe quality electric bicycle or electric bike kit that will enhance your life for years to come.
Electric scooters are great for running errands or going grocery shopping, or for younger riders, they make for an excellent way to get the kids off the computer and outside. When used with proper protection, i.e. a helmet and maybe kneepads depending on how coordinated the rider may be, they are also quite safe; just as safe as any normal scooter, bike, or ebike.
You do not need any sort of a special license to ride or operate an electric scooter, just hop on and go. They also do not cost much to fuel, as, unlike gas-powered motor vehicles, you do not need to pay a ridiculously high price for a gallon or two of liquid, messy, and flammable fuel. Instead, just plug the scooter into any wall electrical socket in your home, and in five to eight hours you are ready to ride again.
You should replace your bike helmet any time you get into an accident where the helmet takes an impact or after every five years or so. Bicycle helmets are designed so the support material inside them takes an impact and cracks instead of your skull, but this only works once. The next time all that force, having nothing to break itself on before reaching our head, will go straight through. It is also a good idea to replace your helmet from time to time as the padding and shock absorption foam in them does degrade over time, making them less effective.