What are electric bicycles?
Electric bicycles are similar to traditional bicycles. They all have two wheels, gears, and pedals, allowing you to get around without igniting your gas-powered vehicle. The difference between the two is the motor.
When someone hears electric bicycle, the first image they imagine may be a scooter or electric motorcycle - but they actually look pretty different. Just picture a regular bicycle, then add several electrical components to it like a motor, a battery, and a controller – all seamlessly integrated into the design. These items make up the fundamentals of all electric bicycles on the market!
How electric bikes work
Electric bikes pedal and handle just like a regular bicycle. By and large, an electric bike will use the same parts too. The electric component is meant to augment human power, not completely replace it. It makes obstacles like hills and headwind more manageable and allows you to travel further without getting as tired.
Key parts of an electric bike
There are four key parts to an electric bike: the batteries, the motor, the sturdy frame and spokes, and the brakes.
1. The motor
Electric bike motors come in a wide variety of power ratings, from 200W to 1,000W or more. The legal limit in the US is 750W, although different states can set their own limits.
Think of this limit kind of like horsepower. A higher rating means that the bike will be able to pull more weight with greater ease – but at the expense of using more battery capacity while doing so. Consequently, a 750W motor will drain the battery much quicker than a 250W one, but it will be more powerful.
One more factor needs to be considered, however. The design and location of the motor plays an important role in how electric bikes work.
The most common type of motor for electric bikes is called a hub motor. It is generally integrated into the rear or front wheel. When engaged, it pulls or pushes the wheel along. Although this system works well, it has one key disadvantage. Since it is not connected to the bike’s gears, it loses efficiency on hills and varied terrain. Imagine driving a vehicle in just one gear the entire day. It will get you places, but it won’t give you the optimum amount of torque or speed that you get with a full gear range.
Electric bikes are not like motorcycles or motorcycles, they are always powered. While throttle-equipped e-bikes allow you to cruise without pedaling at all, you always have the option to pedal when you need to. This means you can also fit in your workouts throughout the day if you want.
2. Batteries
Electric bicycles give themselves away with their large battery packs, usually mounted somewhere on the frame between the wheels.
3. Frame
Electric bikes have a different frame from traditional ones, designed to be lightweight and allow for more extended travel before recharging. The wheels also need more robust spoke material because they're not being driven by your muscles but rather by an electric motor!
4. Brakes
When an electric bike claims to use regenerative braking, it's usually because they want you to think this is some superior feature.
Practicing on the ground with its wheels spinning and climbing hillsides or going downhill-regenerative brakes is nowhere near as useful for cyclists as even standard handlebar-activated friction brakes would be!
An e-bike has much less mass while traveling at speed, so when stopping suddenly from momentum loss due to both demanded by gravity AND terrain grade changeovers - no matter how gentle those latter ones may have been-, there isn't enough charge being thrown back into battery packs anymore to make any real difference in range on a given day.
E-bikes are equipped with electric motors that give riders more options. You still have the option to pedal when you like and experience the same feel as a regular bike, but when the going gets tough , you can harness the power of the motor to help you conquer them with ease or effort … if you want. This motor is all about flexibility and choosing your ride, your way.
