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Common Mistakes When You're Buying your First E-Bike
Common Mistakes When You're Buying your First E-Bike
E-bikes will be one of the primary commuting modes in the future, and many factors are backing this claim. Ever since the Coronavirus Pandemic emerged, E-bikes’ sales have skyrocketed. People are now looking at E-bikes as regular and primary means of transport and not just leisure and recreational devices.
This shift from motorized vehicles to electronic bikes is a consequential outcome of the lockdown and global warming situation. Ever since the people became aware of their responsibilities as humans and the repercussions of their indifference, much of the transport is taking a gradual switch to electronic measures.
These responsibilities focus mainly on reducing the carbon footprint that each individual leaves on this earth. Studies are showing astounding and concerning figures about the yearly temperature rise. This warming phenomenon puts many countries at risk of floods and other natural disasters. Much of this global warming is a result of the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
Carbon, being one of the main greenhouse gases, poses a threat to the world and the people surrounding it. Hence, car companies are addressing the demands of the people by introducing hybrid versions of their combustion engine cars. However, this still does not address the problem completely. Even completely electric cars such as Tesla require a voltage of energy to charge.
Apart from the detrimental effects on the environment, people who commute by cars often have a very sedentary lifestyle. According to the demographics, the people most at risk of suffering from the Coronavirus are the ones who are unfit and overweight. Hence, the average population is not making lifestyle choices that encourage exercise and healthy behavior.
This is where E-bikes perfectly fit in the picture. It is a healthy and eco-friendly alternative to the polluting vehicle and the physically exhausting bicycle. By riding on an E-bike, your commutes can now provide you with sufficient exercise for the day without over-burdening your muscles and putting you at the risk of an injury. They make for emphatic low-impact exercises for people recovering from injuries and others that are suffering from conditions that restrict them from the cardiovascular load.
Brief Overview of E-bikes
E-bikes come in most styles and designs that are similar to normal bikes. At a glance, they look nothing out of the ordinary from a regular conventional cycle. However, it has components installation that allows you to use the electric assist when riding it.
You will come across different types of E-bikes, mountain E-bikes, folding E-bikes and roadie E-bikes, commuter E-bikes, and more. You find these versions in conventional bikes as well. The main difference is the electrical assist. All the electric bikes and their types consist of some sort of motor, battery, and sensor.
People make the mistake of getting an integrated battery and then have trouble finding charging ports around the neighborhood.
Motors
If you want to look for the motor of the E-bike, look at the middle of the bike, between the pedals. On the other hand, you can also find a motor attached to either side of the wheel. There are no major performance differences between the two types of motors. However, they do have practical and applicable differences.
Mid-drive motors are the ones that are located between the pedals. E-bikes that consist of mid-drive motors offer pedal-assist to the users since the electrical thrust transfers from the battery to the pedals. Hence, they provide you with a more naturalistic biking experience. These motors are more commonly part of E-mountain bikes because they offer better weight distribution when riding up or down a hill.
Hub-drive motors, in comparison, are cheaper than mid-drive motors. Most people do not recommend hub drives because they can stress out the wheel and are heavier. However, they make for excellent motors for commuter E-bikes. They are ideal for residents, tourists, and commuters that want to ride along with town without sweating excessively or working out.
Unlike mid-drives, E-bikes consisting of hub-drive motors provide throttle assist. A throttle is located on the handle grips, and just like a motorcycle, you can experience the electrical assist in response to tuning it. Therefore, this provides you with a riding experience that completely frees you from pedaling.
Batteries
Motors need a power source to generate the electrical assist, and thus, batteries are that source. In batteries, you will find two types, externally mounted is the more common type of battery. Apart from that, you can find an integrated battery.
External batteries are heavier and bigger. However, you can remove or replace these batteries. These are emphatic because they offer a more convenient option, particularly when charging. Integrated batteries have lighter weight and provide better heat management, but they are pricey, and you will have to place the entire bike close to a power supply if you want to charge it. Since you cannot simply remove and charge the battery anywhere, they are less convenient and may be problematic.
Mistakes that You Should Avoid When Purchasing an E-bike
Are you considering investing in an electric bike? Then you are probably confused about all the choices that you have in terms of variety, components, and accessories. E-bikes are all the hype; however, panic buying them without research and caution result in buying the wrong E-bike. Once you begin to look, the extending spectrum and variety of E-bikes in the market will likely overwhelm you.
Trusting the Mileage Range
To begin with, you should not believe the mileage range estimates that the manufacturers state. Unlike cars, E-bikes do not have an MPG standard that you can test E-bikes on, so a manufacturer is likely to state an incorrect mileage range of an E-bike.
Moreover, the mileage range also varies incredibly according to your electrical assist usage, road surface, and battery conditions. Not to mention, you also have to factor in your weight and the speed at which you normally ride the bike. If two E-bikes share the same drive systems, the one with the larger battery will have more mileage.
Not Understanding the Batteries
Before you buy an E-bike, you must have enough knowledge to compare the batteries and choose between the best ones. Look at the batteries the same way you look at the gas tank of your car. When determining the range of the battery, you have to determine its size in watt-hours.
The watt-hours are equivalent to the voltage time’s amp hours. You will find that most of the E-bikes batteries come in 37 to 48 hours volts. Batteries of these volts range in between 8 and 30 amp-hours. For instance, when you multiply 37 volts with 27 amp hours, you get 740-watt hours. This is how you can deduce a battery's capacity.
Furthermore, buy the battery type that you will be most compatible with, and you can conveniently manage for your commuting needs. If you have commutes that allow you the luxury of parking your E-bike near good charging spaces, then you can deal with an internally integrated battery. Otherwise, if you live in a sketchy neighborhood that does not facilitate E-bikes, then you should opt for an externally mounted battery.
People make the mistake of getting an integrated battery and then have trouble finding charging ports around the neighborhood. Experts recommend externally mounted E-bikes because you can easily remove them at the time of parking. This makes your E-bike more secure from theft and provides convenience in terms of charging.
Buying Exactly Same E-bikes for you and Your Spouse
Riding E-bikes as a couple is an amazing activity that makes your relationship and love life stronger. Buying E-bikes to indulge in a romantic evening with your partner besides the beautiful suburban sight is an amazing idea. However, you mess it all up if you do not buy the right bikes for you and your partner.
Matching bikes seems like a cute idea; however, apart from the color, nothing else should match when buying E-bikes. You need to realize that you and your spouse are off different heights, weight, and fitness levels. Thus, your spouse may not need the same E-bike as yours.
If your spouse is lighter than you are, then they may not need the same power to climb the same hill. Consequently, women tend to ride better in smaller bikes that offer smoother power outtake and comfortable rides. Make sure that you get an E-bike that suits the individual physique of you and your partner.
Compromising on Quality
The range in quality when it comes to E-bike and their components is varied and great. Thus, most people make use of this range and buy the cheapest component and accessories for the E-bike. Nevertheless, you must keep in mind that buying a cheaper product ultimately costs you in the end.
Cheaper, low-quality products lack the reliability that good quality products have. Hence, they are likely to die faster, and you will require a replacement. If you do the math, the short life of cheaper products will cost you the same if not more after a couple of replacements.
You also have to be aware of the counterfeit products in the market that deceive you into investing your money in them. Counterfeit products cost you plenty and do not even have a warranty. They have very poor performance and wear out quickly. Thus, do not make the mistake of compromising on quality for a good price and purchase products that come with a warranty and guarantee.
Not Buying the Bike Racks
If you have an E-bike that you want to take with you on road trips, then you must buy a bike rack. You must keep in mind that E-bikes are extremely heavy; they are not something that you can carry around without the help of special equipment.
This is where bike racks can be pivotal; you can attach them to a car or even a trailer. Furthermore, if you want to designate a spot in your house for parking an E-bike, then you should install a rack in your house. Traveling with more than one E-bike will have you invest in a more expensive bike rack. More importantly, the bike racks should have the certification, especially for E-bikes.
Not Investing in Protection Equipment
E-bikes are expensive, so you must be willing to take all the measures to protect them from theft if you value your money. This involves investing in E-bike locks and protection gear. Hence, get locks that offer full security to your E-bike. You can also purchase a GPS tracker for your E-bike that will help you navigate it in case someone displaces it.
Moreover, you not only want to protect your bike from theft but also protect yourself from biking injury. Hence, do not forget to invest in cycling jerseys when riding an E-bike. Make sure that you are wearing a jersey that makes you the most visible for other cars occupying the road. It is also advisable that you wear protective gear, such as a helmet and kneepads.
Avoiding Battery Care
If you want to get the best performance out of your E-bike battery, then you must know how to care for it before you buy an E-bike. Ignoring the E-bike battery will not only put a huge burden on your pockets but also affect your E-bikes’ performance.
Once you finish riding the E-bike, park it at a safe spot and remove the battery. Then, make sure to put the battery on charge at room temperature. Also, ensure that you store it in a dry environment; you must not store the battery if it is wet or the surrounding temperature is extremely cold or hot.
Hence, in the wintertime, don't leave the battery with the E-bike outside. Always bring it inside with you after parking your E-bike, especially if the temperature outside falls below 14 degrees Celsius.
One of the most important factors that determine the lifetime of your E-bike is the method of charging. If you have a lithium-ion battery, then they will last longer if you charge them up to 80 percent and not full.
However, this changes from brand to brand and the battery management system you use. Hence, if you want to get the most out of your E-bikes battery, then you must not find out the optimum charge level of your specific battery. This is essential if you want to ensure longevity to your battery so that it works for the longest time with providing the most power.
How to Charge E-bike Batteries?
This depends on the type of E-bike battery that you have. If you have an integrated battery, then simply connect your charger to the port and straight to your bike, similar to your mobile phone. However, some manufacturers also design E-bikes that allow you to remove the battery from inside the down tube. This way, you do not have to take the bike inside your house every time you want to charge it.
The charging time varies greatly depending on the brand of E-bike. For example, brands like Bosch come with a fast charger, which means that it charges a 500-watt hour battery in just three hours. Furthermore, it will also charge your battery to 50 percent in an hour. The time of the charge greatly depends on the number of a watt of a battery.
You can also find many chargers apart from the standard chargers that come with your E-bike. For example, you can also get lightweight chargers, as these chargers are great to carry around. However, they are considerably slower than the standard chargers.
Moreover, you can also invest in a car charger, meaning that you can charge your E-bikes battery while driving to a distant location. You can simply plug that charger into your 12-volt cigarette lighter and connect it to your battery. By doing so, you can charge your bike's battery by taking some energy from the battery of your car.
Not Cleaning E-bike Batteries
The battery is the most water-resistant component of your E-bike, thus, do not be afraid to apply a damp cloth on the battery. Make sure that you wipe all the mud off from it after coming back from an off-trail adventure.
Charging Your Battery Instantly After Using E-bike
Make sure that you give your battery some rest before you can plug it into the energy source. After you arrive back from traveling in an E-bike, you need to let those cells rest so that they can switch from a state of discharge to charge. Plugging it directly into the source can result in interior damage of the battery and have effects on its performance.
Attaching New Accessories to Worn Out Components
You should never accessories your E-bikes components if they wear out and need replacement. If you do so, you are likely going to run into problems. Keep a check on all of your E-bike's major components before you can invest in any more installations.
Cleaning Your E-bike Upside Down
Try to invest in a work stand to do most of the cleaning. Washing it when it is upside down can lead to the water seeping into the motors and worsening the performance of the E-bike.
To Conclude
Before you invest in an E-bike, take in factors that help you figure out your purpose of investment. Also, consider whether you have the time or budget to maintain the E-bike. Do not make a haphazard and rash decision when buying an E-Bike. Instead, make sure that your decision is well-thought-out and suits your needs. An E-bike can ultimately change your life forever if you have the knowledge and expertise of keeping one for the longest of time.