Introduction to Electric Bikes: What Are They? How Do They Work?

 

Bike

 

Although electric bikes are often depicted as a scooter or motorcycle but they are quite distinct. Think of a typical bicycle, then add several electronic components like an electric motor, a battery and a controller, all effortlessly integrated into the design. These are the basic components of all electric bikes available.

How electric bikes work

E-Bike Electric Scooter pedal and control the bike in the same way as the normal bicycle. An electric bike will likely have the same parts. The electric motor is designed to complement human power but not replace it completely. It makes the rigors of hills and headwind more manageable and allows you to travel further without feeling exhausted.

What is the best electric bike?

The comfort and the quality of components is just as important on an electric bicycle as they are on a traditional bicycle. There are other factors you need to think about.

The motor

Electric bike motors come in a wide variety of ratings for power, ranging from 200W to 1,000W or more. The legal limit for electric bikes in the US is 775W. However, states might have their own limits.

This is the same as horsepower. More ratings mean that the bike can pull more weight, but it will consume greater battery power. Therefore, a motor with 750W will drain the battery much faster than a 250W motor but will be more efficient.

Another thing to take into consideration is the location and the design of the motor. The layout and design of the motor plays an important role in how electric bikes operate.

A hub motor is the most commonly used type for Electric Skateboard. It is typically connected to the rear or front wheel. When it is engaged, it pulls or pushes the wheel along. This is a very efficient system however it has one drawback. Since it is not connected to the bike's gears it loses efficiency in the hills and on different terrain. Imagine driving your car in one gear the entire day. It will get you places, but it won't give you the optimum amount of speed or torque you can get from a full gear range.

 

 

At Activitybikes, we offer an exclusive mid-drive motor that is integrated with the gears and crank. This adds several advantages:

Performance is improved while using less battery power, because the mid-drive motor is based on the bike's existing gears;

A lot more power for hill climbing because you can change gears based on the slope and

The motor is more close to the ground and also the handling is more comfortable.

The battery

Since the battery can affect the weight, style and the range of the bike, its choice is essential. Batteries play a significant role in how electric bikes operate. The majority of the batteries available on the market fall into one of these two categories:

Sealed Lead Acid (SLA).

These batteries were the original norm for electric scooters and electric bicycles. Today, the majority of electric scooters are still powered by SLA batteries, whereas electric bicycles (which often require human input) have switched to newer battery technologies to keep the bike as lightweight as is possible.

Lithium (Ion/Polymer/Manganese/Etc.)

These are the latest technology for batteries. Lithium batteries have a lifetime roughly 2-3 times longer than the SLA battery. Lithium batteries are lighter and also are largely maintenance-free.

The controller

It is available in a variety of styles, the controller lets you operate the electric assistance on your electric bike and is essential to how electric bikes work. The controller is mounted on the handlebar for ease to use. There are two primary types of controllers namely pedal-activated as well as throttle-based controllers.

Pedal-activated systems provide the assistance of an electric motor when you push down on the pedals. It is not necessary to use the throttle, simply pedal to go. The pedal-activated electric bikes include a controller mounted that is located on the handlebar. This lets you adjust the amount of assistance you get as you pedal. You can dial in the level of assistance that you want, ranging from no assistance to a great deal of assistance.

The controllers with a throttle feature a basic throttle mechanism. It is possible to select either a thumb-press or twist-grip throttle. When you use a throttle, simply pull back or press the throttle to get the electric assistance. Certain electric bikes need nothing more than opening the throttle, which allows you to ride without pedaling.

Electric bikes are easy to operate, ride and maintain. In general, they need less maintenance than what a standard Scooter needs.