Buying an E Bike
Buying an e bike for the first time can be an exciting experience, but there’s a lot of research that goes into choosing the right one for you, along with understanding the servicing and maintenance of them. E bikes are quickly becoming one of the most successful categories in the cycling industry all over the world, and it’s thanks to the diverse ways in which they benefit people of all experience levels. From those with no experience to those who consider themselves expert e bikers, there is always a suitable e bike.
We’ve collated the most beneficial information into an e bike buying guide that is sure to help when it comes to buying an e bike for the first time.
If you’re looking to buy electric bikes online, browse our select range of e bikes or visit our Spring Hill store at Shop 4/226 Leichhardt St, Spring Hill where our friendly team will assist in your exciting purchase.
Electric Bike Buying Guide
What is an E Bike?
E bike is the abbreviated term used simply for the electric bike. Essentially, an e bike is your general bicycle but with an integrated electric motor, assisting riders when it comes to pedaling. The level of assistance that a rider gets from their motor greatly depends on how hard they are pedaling and the level of support the rider selected. E bikes are also rechargeable with a set amount of km’s per charge.
The great thing about this product is that the electric bike’s system offers a variety of modes to choose your level of support when riding. The e bike has a variety of models and modes to suit any rider, new or experienced, which is seeing their sales soar through the roof in recent years. Because of the convenience of the e bike, they are here to stay.
Normal Bikes vs E Bikes
People will typically turn away from an e bike simply because they don’t know what the difference is from a general pushbike. Without the original bicycle, e bikes wouldn’t be taking the stage as they have been over the last couple of years. The only real difference comes down to the motor, the sensor, batteries, controls, and the display. E bikes are greatly influenced by the pushbike, keeping the same structure and generic pedaling system, with the added assistance of the integrated motor.
E bikes aren’t a way of cheating the self-riding system, as they still rely on having the rider pedaling for motion, but the rider CAN set a level of support. The convenience is that people can commute wherever they please in a timely manner, without exuding themselves, and at a faster (and responsible) pace.
Modes of E Bikes
There is a diverse range of e bikes suitable for any person looking to make a purchase, from mountain e bikes, cargo e bikes, urban e bikes, to foldable e bikes, but they all come in two separate modes.
Pedal Assist:
Pedelec (pedal electric) e bikes are one of the more common types of e bikes on the market and are widely known as the standard e bike to purchase. Pedal assisted e bikes come with an electric drive system that is only activated through the motion of pedaling and are limited to relatively low speeds.
Throttle:
Throttle, or power assisted, e bikes offer a few throttle options for riders’ convenience. Throttle only, thumb throttle + pedal assist, or twist throttle + pedal assist. Depending on your preference, the throttle mode offered with e bikes gives riders the opportunity to ride with or without the pedaling component.
Rules & Regulations
Buying an e bike means you must be up to date with the rules and regulations at all times. Although electric powered and pedal assisted e bikes follow the same standards as a regular pushbike, and comply with the same road rules, they are still subject to power and speed limits.
For pedal bikes with a throttle or an electric auxiliary hub driven motor, the motor output should not exceed 200w. However, when using a power assisted pedal bike, speeds must not exceed that of 25 kph. This means that once the rider hits 25.1 kph, the power assistance will begin to quickly decrease, making the rider pedal for themselves.
E bike laws greatly differ worldwide, however, in Australia the laws that surround our e bikes mirror those found in Europe. Before you make your e bike purchase, it’s recommended you research the laws and regulations of owning an e bike outside of our electric bike buying guide or speak to our friendly team to get started.
Want to learn more?
If our e bike buying guide raised additional questions about buying an e bike, contact us online or give us a call on 0434 413 679 to know more about our awesome range of e bikes.
