E-bike guide: Everything you need to know!
E-bikes are in vogue, and quite rightly so. No matter whether an e-mountain bike for hearty trail adventures, an E-trekking bike for touring and shopping in the city, or even an e-gravel bike for speed on any terrain, modern e-bikes are extremely versatile. Thanks to powerful motors and batteries, you can also cover long distances, many meters of altitude or the daily way to the office in a relaxed manner. We have summarized all the important information on the subject of e-bikes in our advice here.
What is an e-bike?
An e-bike, or more accurately an e-pedelec, is a bicycle with an electric motor. The battery is usually built into the frame and this battery unit can be removed for charging. The actual motor unit sits at the bottom of the bike at the bottom bracket and in combination with the battery amplifies the energy you provide while pedaling.
Depending on which support level you have switched on and depending on the manufacturer and year of construction, the motor boosts your energy output by up to 360%. However, e-bikes are limited in this respect: They may not exceed a motor power of 250 watts and the motor assistance works up to 25 km/h. At speeds above this, the pedal assistance is automatically suspended, so this can only be achieved by muscle or gravity (for example, downhill). Such an e-bike is then legally considered a normal bicycle and may be ridden on all cycling and hiking trails where bicycles are not explicitly prohibited. Anything beyond the aforementioned performance would be classified as a moped and require a driver's license and motor vehicle liability insurance.
Which e-bike suits me?
Sport Bittl offers you a wide range of e-bikes: From mountain bike fullys and hardtails to e-trekking bikes, e-gravel bikes and e-race bikes, you'll find it all. To find the perfect e-bike with proper support for you and your needs, the following questions can be helpful:
- Do you do a lot of off-roading in the mountains and forest and want to have fun on trails, always riding comfortably uphill and downhill and with plenty of reserves and safety? Then a e-mountain bike suits you!
- Do you like to make longer tours, appreciate comfort and the possibility to transport luggage, whether for shopping in the city or the multi-day tour with bike bags? Then you should check out our e-trekking bikes take a closer look!
- Do you like to ride fast on asphalt, but also off-road and are you looking for a dynamic all-rounder? Then an E-Gravel Bike could suit you.
- Do you love speed and riding in a sporty position on the road? Then take a look at our E-Race Bikes bikes.
If you're still not sure which type of bike suits you best, we'll help you out in our blog post on the subject:
What makes e-bikes so attractive?
- Reach your destinationfaster thanks to motor assistance
- With the e-bike you are much more flexible in the city than with the car and it is also better for the environment.
- Long tours and many meters of altitude in the mountains are no longer a problem
- Relaxed and comfortable: more fun, less effort!
- Ideal for commuting or shopping: never arrive sweaty again
- New motivation and lower entry threshold to sports activities
- You can still exert yourself while riding in the ideal pulse range for fat burning and metabolism without potentially harmful power peaks
What is the range of an e-bike?
This is probably the most frequently asked question, to which there is unfortunately no universal answer. The respective range of an e-bike depends on the following factors:
- Route and conditions: Surface and topography (uphill the battery draws more power than on the flat, offroad more than on asphalt, headwind more than tailwind, etc.).
- Battery capacity: a 750 Wh battery will take you farther than a 500 Wh battery on the same bike (note here that most heavy e-mountain bikes have significantly more powerful batteries than a light e-road bike on narrow tires, but of course they also have more mass to keep going with more rolling resistance)
- Support level setting: if you're riding at full support level, that uses more power than if you're riding at a low level
- -> Tip for increasing range: Use the Eco mode that most manufacturers offer, because this is a good compromise between power and economy. Also high speeds, i.e. a cadence of 60 to 70 revolutions per minute, reduces power consumption.
- Rider: Your own weight (as well as any luggage) and how many watts of your own pedaling power you can manage also play a role, of course.
- Battery condition: a well-maintained e-bike battery will last longer (see below for tips on maintenance)
Good to know: By the way, a larger battery with more capacity has no effect on the power output of the motor. A battery with more capacity ensures that you can use the motor longer and get further, but the strength of the motor or the motor power is a fixed value that is not affected by the battery. The battery is virtually the "tank" of the bike, which has an influence on the range, but not on the performance.
Battery tips
Travel:
If you are going on vacation with an e-bike and are planning a multi-day tour, you should find out in advance how and where you can charge the battery. In many cities and towns in tourist areas, it is already possible to charge batteries at e-bike charging stations and, for example, visit the town or take a lunch break. For safety's sake, always remember to bring your own charging cable!
It is also worth checking in advance how you can charge your e-bike at the accommodations where you are staying overnight.
Tip: To increase your range on long tours, many manufacturers offer PowerPacks that can be attached to the outside of the frame in addition to the already integrated frame battery. So you are with a second battery, which can be switched to the motor if necessary, even more independent of the power supply on the road and increase your range.
Charging process:
E-bike batteries can be charged at any standard power outlet, so you have maximum flexibility. Most batteries are now so-called Intube batteries, which means they are built into the down tube of the frame and can be removed for charging. The charging time that a battery needs until it is fully charged, depends heavily on the battery capacity. A small 250 watt battery, such as those found on many of the lightweight e-gravel bikes and e-race bikes, will only take 2-3 hours to fully charge. For a 500 watt battery you should rather plan 4-5 for a full charge, for 750 watts rather 6-7 hours.
Care tips battery:
- Interruptions in the charging process do not harm the battery, so batteries can be charged for as short a time as you like!
- Charge the battery after every ride, the battery should be completely discharged as seldom as possible.
- If the battery is not used for a longer period of time, store it in a frost-protected place with a charge level of about 30-60%.
- For transporting the bike (e.g. when going on vacation) remove the battery from the bike and store it separately.
- Avoid temperature extremes if possible
- Clean battery by hand (no high-pressure cleaner), avoid harsh cleaning agents, keep contacts clean
Discover dynamic e-bikes:
Conclusion
E-bikes are a nice way to be sporty on the road, but still always arrive relaxed at your destination. The large selection of different e-bikes ensures that there is exactly the right bike for you:
If you are now curious and would like to learn more about the topic of motorization, then take a look at our blog post on the topic of e-bike motors. Here we have compared models from different manufacturers and clearly show the performance data:
If you have any further questions about e-bikes, just give us a call, we'll be happy to advise you! You can reach our experts from the bike hotline always from Monday to Friday between 10 - 17 clock under the Tel: 089 89 219 193.