E-bike popularity has sky-rocketed over the last number of years. You only have to look around on a weekday morning to see how popular e-bikes have become. E-bike popularity isn’t just restricted to commuters, every day 100’s of people use e-bikes to cycle along the various Greenways dotted around the country.
So what is an E-bikes and what should you look out for if you’re thinking of buying one? Put simply, an e-bike is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor which can be used to propel you once you start pedaling. Dan O’Brien gives you his advice on what you should look out for when buying an e-bike
Identifying Your Bike
Before selecting an e-bike you first need to identify what you’ll be using the bike for. Will you be using it to commute to and from work, or hitting the trails or taking it out for a long spin at the weekend? Do you want it to have flat bars? By asking these questions, you be able to decide which style of bike best suits your needs. E-bikes come in all shapes and sizes are available as a city bike, mountain bike or a road bike. Recently, LOOK launched a gravel e-bike, the E-765 Gravel Disc
Drive System Options
Pedal Assist System
Now you’ve identified the purpose of your bike, what you need to know is the different drive systems available. When we say drive system, what we’re referring to is the battery unit and what form the assistance to the cyclist comes in. The two big providers of drive systems are Bosch and Yamaha and their systems can come in two forms, front hub or pedal assist. Front Hub driven means that the assistance will be given to cyclists via the front wheel, in other words you would be pulled along by the front wheel. Many of the first generation e-bikes adopted this system. The battery for the bike would be located on a carrier, above the back wheel. The later editions have a pedal assist drive system, in other words you are pushed along by it. So as soon as you start pedaling you will receive the assistance. With this system, the battery is integrated in to the down tube. This design of e-bike also helps lower the center of gravity, ensuring a better handling bike. This style of design also makes it quite difficult to distinguish it from a normal road bike
Battery
This is a very crucial part which can sometimes be over looked. E-bike battery capacity is measured in Watt Hours (Wh) and the 400wh and 500wh batteries are fast becoming the standard size. You should try and pick an e-bike that has a good quality, decent capacity, lithium i-on battery. This would be the most practical option as it will give you the best range. It’s very difficult to say how long the battery will last on a single charge. Factors that can affect the range of battery will include level of assistance selected, rider weight terrain and even weather. Bosch’s Range assistance is an excellent way of finding out the range of a battery and will base its answer on a number of factors. The Bosch Range assistance can be found HERE. In terms of life span, a battery will last for 1,000 charges where at that point the capacity of the battery will alter. Shimano claim that after a 1,000 charges you will receive 60% capacity from the battery, where Bosch system will still have a 60% after 500 charges or two years. It should be pointed out that good quality batteries at below 60% capacity can still be used for a good number of years.
Standard Or Fast Charger
It will take somewhere in the region of 2 to 6 hours to charge an e-bike battery from completely empty to completely full. The actually time depends on the type and size of the battery. Bosch claims their 400wh battery will take 3.5 hours to be fully charged. This is where a fast charger can help quicken up the charging process. In simple terms, a fast charger works by sending more amps into the battery, quickening up the process. Bosch claim that their fast charge can charge their 400wh battery in just 2.5 hours, and that they only need 1 hour to charge a battery to 50% capacity. That’s one hour quicker then a standard charger. More info about Bosch’s power charger can be found HERE
Head Units
Bosch Head Unit
Like all forms of technology, the more money you invest, the more information you will receive. This is also the case with the head units that come with e-bikes. Your entry level e-bikes, will only provide you information about how much battery life you have left and the level of assistance you are getting from your battery. Compared to your high end e-bike whose head unit will not only provide you with this information but will also provide you with your speed and live updates including expected range of your battery. Some of the head units can also be synced to your heart rate monitor. A nifty feature of the high end e-bikes is the walking feature. We all know that e-bike are heavier than normal bikes, so walking with one can be difficult at times. The feature called walk assist means that you will receive assistance from your battery when walking with your e-bike, making moving it a lot easier
Cycle Superstore has Ireland’s largest collection of E-bike, including leading brands like LOOK, Lapierre, Cannondale, Giant, Cube, Adventure and Raleigh. We are open 7 days a week and open late, Saturday & Sunday. and our e-bike specialist will be on hand to talk you through all the different options, ensuring you pick the e-bike that best suits your needs. Our selection of E-bikes can be found HERE
By Dan O’Brien
