E-Bike Buying Guide for Beginners

Care about the environment, but do you want to make the most of the moment? Want an amazing experience on two wheels at the cost of no fuel expenses? You should be looking at the e-Bikes that the said market has to offer.

The reason is that you do not want to under- or over-shoot your bike specs. As you will read later, e-Bikes come in a lot of flavors with regards to battery size, power, and subsequent torque. As a sensible customer, you do not want to get something that feels under- or overwhelming. 

The Need for Speed

Once you have decided on a price bracket, choosing what to buy becomes a little easier. Now you need to think of your needs and use-cases. This is important because e-Bikes come in a lot of power configurations. These range from 250W to as high as 1000W. Your use-case would depend on the kind of rider you are.

 

The Enthusiast

Seeking long distances makes you an enthusiast. If you wish to travel and traverse those beautiful serene places on your e-Bike, don’t look below 500W or 700W. This is important for two reasons. First – you can always use the power at hand. Second, if you wish to make the most of your muscles, you always have the power at your disposal for safety.

 

The Infrequent Rider

For any other rider, anything 500W or below should suffice. While these still clock a decent top speed of 21-22miles/hour (30-32 km/h), don’t waste the extra money for the power you won’t use. 250-500W should be enough.

 

Playing it Safe

Irrespective of how much power your bike possesses, as a novice rider, you should be protected to the core. What we mean is – get a good quality helmet, a great pair of gloves, and appropriate shoes.

 

Keeping it safe also means keeping your e-Bike protected to a T. This includes you going out of your way (pun intended) to have e-bike insurance. Not just that, but checking up on the servicing and components such as wheels and peripherals is important.

 

Did We Say Wheels?

One of the most important factors to determine the most appropriate e-bike for you would be the wheel size. The width and size of your wheels would determine an overall riding and comfort experience.

 

The width of your wheel would determine how smooth and non-exerting your ride will be. For instance, some foldable bikes come with 1-foot wheels (12″). While this makes for a good use-case on rougher terrains, it becomes exerting if you ride it on the streets. It all goes back to the pertinent question of what your needs and wants are.

 

After-Sales Service is Quintessential

You can get the most advanced and powerful e-Bike that money can buy. But if you don’t have the services at your disposal, your bike is as good as scraps of metal. Ideally, you should get your bike serviced after 1000 – 1500kms (500 – 1000 miles), so having appropriate outlets is important.

 

While this does sound like a lot, keep in mind that electrical faults can occur by mere happenstance. E-bikes have electrical components and much like any other of the same – they can be subject to faulty issues. Make sure to do thorough research regarding local brands or ones in your vicinity.

 

Finally, Try it Out Yourself

No bike is as appropriate for you as the one that you have ridden extensively. This is perhaps the most fun bit in choosing the best bike for you. You can do all the research in the world, but if the bike does not feel right while riding, is it really your bike?

 

For this, be sure to test a plethora of bikes at your dealer or at your disposal. It would be even wiser if you manage to push the bike under similar conditions that you would do otherwise. In order to understand if the bike is really meant for you, try to communicate with it.

 

Adjust the seats and the handlebars, try out the pedal assist, and see if it resonates with the kind of riding you will be doing. If it does, cycle away!

 

A few words in conclusion

 

Choosing the best bike is a subjective matter. Sure, the objective points with regards to power and wheel or frame size are to be kept in mind in order to get the maximum value out of your money. But the most important thing is to make sure that you end up content with your purchase. Keep the aforementioned things in mind, and you will undoubtedly make the right choice.

Main ComponentsEdit
charger

The charger is a device that supplements the battery with electrical energy, and is generally divided into two-stage charging mode and three-stage charging mode. Two-stage charging mode: constant voltage charging first, the charging current gradually decreases as the battery voltage rises, and when the battery power is replenished to a certain level, the battery voltage will rise to the set value of the charger, and it will switch to trickle charging at this time. Three-stage charging mode: at the beginning of charging, the battery is charged with constant current to quickly replenish energy; after the battery voltage rises, it is switched to constant voltage charging. At this time, the battery energy is slowly replenished and the battery voltage continues to rise; the charging termination voltage of the charger is reached. value, switch to trickle charging to maintain the battery and supply the battery’s self-discharge current.

electric bicycle
electric bicycle
Battery

The battery is the on-board energy that provides the energy of the electric vehicle, and the electric vehicle mainly uses a combination of lead-acid batteries. In addition, nickel-metal hydride batteries and lithium-ion batteries have also been used in some lightweight folding electric vehicles.

Tips for use: The main control board of the controller is the main circuit of the electric vehicle, which has a large working current and emits a large amount of heat. Therefore, electric vehicles should not be parked in the sun or exposed to the rain for a long time, so as to avoid the failure of the controller.

controller

The controller is the component that controls the speed of the motor and the core of the electrical system of the electric vehicle, with the functions of undervoltage, current limiting or overcurrent protection. The intelligent controller also has a variety of riding modes and self-checking functions of the electrical components of the whole vehicle. The controller is the core component of electric vehicle energy management and various control signal processing.

Turn handle, brake handle

Turning handle, brake handle, etc. are the signal input components of the controller. The handle signal is the driving signal for the rotation of the electric vehicle motor. The brake handle signal is an electrical signal output by the internal electronic circuit of the brake to the controller when the electric vehicle brakes; after the controller receives this signal, it will cut off the power supply to the motor, thereby realizing the function of braking power off.

booster sensor

bicycle torque sensor
bicycle torque sensor
The power-assist sensor is a device that detects the pedal force and the pedal speed signal when the electric vehicle is in the power-assist state. According to the electric drive power, the controller achieves automatic matching between manpower and electric power, and jointly drives the electric vehicle to rotate. At present, the most fashionable power-assist sensor is the bilateral torque sensor of the central axis.

motor

The most important accessory of an electric bicycle is the motor, and the motor of an electric bicycle basically determines the performance and grade of the car. Most of the motors used in electric bicycles are high-efficiency rare earth permanent magnet motors, which are mainly divided into three types: high-speed brushed teeth + wheel reduction motors, low-speed brushed motors and low-speed brushless motors.

The motor is a component that converts battery electrical energy into mechanical energy and drives the electric wheel to rotate. There are many types of motors used in electric vehicles in terms of their mechanical structures, speed ranges and energization forms. Common ones are: brushed geared hub motor, brushed gearless hub motor, brushless gearless hub motor, brushless geared hub motor, high disk motor, side mounted motor, etc.

Lamps and instruments

Lamps and instruments are a combination of components that provide lighting and display the status of electric vehicles. The instrument generally provides battery voltage display, vehicle speed display, riding status display, lamp status display, etc. The intelligent instrument can also display the fault condition of each electrical component of the vehicle.

common construction

Most electric bicycles use a hub-type motor to directly drive the front or rear wheels to rotate. According to different output speeds, these in-wheel motors are matched with wheels of different wheel diameters to drive the whole vehicle, and the speed can reach 20km/h. Although the shape of these electric vehicles and the installation location of the battery are different, their driving and control principles have commonalities. This type of electric bicycle is the mainstream in electric vehicle products.

Specially constructed electric bicycle

A small number of electric vehicles are driven by non-in-wheel motors. These electric vehicles use side-mounted or columnar motors, mid-mounted motors, and friction tire motors. Generally, the electric vehicle driven by this kind of motor will reduce the weight of the whole vehicle, and the motor efficiency is lower than that of the in-wheel type. In the case of the same battery energy, the vehicle using these motors will generally shorten the cruising range by 5%-10% compared with the in-wheel vehicle.

4 Purchase common senseEdit
1. Choose a brand. Pay attention to choose a well-known brand, and the quality and after-sales service are guaranteed.

2. Pick a model. Different models have different safety and performance. It is recommended to choose a simple and lightweight type.

3. Look at the appearance. Pay attention to surface smoothness and gloss, and pay attention to the quality of welding, painting and electroplating.

4. Find a feeling. Carry out a test ride to feel whether the vehicle starts, accelerates, and travels smoothly, and whether the vehicle is comfortable to operate. Check the tightness of the brakes, the flexibility of the handlebars, and the mobility of the wheels.

5. Check the procedures. Check whether the production license, instruction manual and certificate of conformity are valid and complete, and check whether the accessories attached to the vehicle are complete. Pay special attention to whether it is a locally approved model.

electric bicycle
6. see configuration. Whether the relevant important components, such as batteries, motors, chargers, controllers, tires, and rotary brake levers, are brand products. It is best to choose a brushless motor.

If you are looking for a new way of commuting or want a healthier lifestyle, we are here to help you. Visit our website to learn more about electric bikes and electric scooter or please leave information to us.