E-Bike 101: Your First Electric Bike Buyers Guide

For many people their first EV will be an electric bike and we here at EV.com want to make sure that your first EV experience is a positive one.  Firstly let us say that not all e-bikes and their components are created equal and as with most things the general rule is “you get what you pay for” certainly holds true in this instance.  With that being said when comparing different brands of e-bikes and their components you’ll want to keep the following facts and general guidelines in mind.

To begin let’s talk about Frames and the type of metal used in their construction.

Steel:

Almost every entry level bike frame is made from this metal, and generally if the type of metal material is omitted from any metal component description it is likely that steel was used.  The benefits of steel for the consumer is considerably cheaper up front costs and is a godsend for those on a limited budget.  The low price benefit is balanced by the relatively heavy weight of steel, which decreases EV range and speed. Steel can corrode as well as rust if the paint is damaged. In addition rust can eat at a frame from the inside of the tube, so generally speaking steel frames have a more limited lifespan and increased maintenance, when compared with other more expensive materials.

Aluminum:

Is probably the most common frame material currently in use and is what most E-bike buyers will want as it’s lighter than steel and is still reasonably priced due to the fact that manufacturers can keep costs down by using welding robots and don’t have to resort to using expensive specialized labor.  This material does have some disadvantages as it is susceptible to corrosion and aluminum frames are not the biggest fan of living in colder climates where road salt is used extensively. Aluminum (like most things) has a finite fatigue life and will eventually crack, but this problem shouldn’t be an issue unless your planning on doing several seasons of extreme racing.

Carbon Fiber or Titanium:

Are currently the state of the art in bicycle material technology,  they resist corrosion and are very strong considering strength to weight ratios etc.  However, unless one has a corporate sponsor and/or unlimited budget or has plans on doing some serious racing at a professional level, for the time being these materials are just a little too expensive for the slight performance boost and increased longevity.

Editors Note: If you are attempting to build your own bike and trying to decide between getting higher performance parts on a more basic frame or getting a higher quality frame with more basic parts, keep in mind that upgrading parts down the road is relatively inexpensive while upgrading the frame is considerably more involved.

The general rule for components is that you want to always buy from one of the big three component manufacturers in cycling: Campagnolo, Shimano, or SRAM.  Use caution as many companies cut costs by substituting aftermarket and “house brand” components instead of using one of the big three brands.  Also the more consistent the component selection is on the bike (read using the same brand), the more reliable and functional it should be as many component groups are designed to work together.

Common areas where one typically finds lower quality substitutions are the wheels, brakes, cranks and bearings.  One could always just buy the pro top tier level of components from any of the big three component manufacturers and be pretty much assured of getting maximum performance, but that would obviously come at a maximum price tag.  We here at EV.com suggest purchasing components from their second highest tier as they offer excellent value, since they have something close to 95% of the performance of the top end components at approximately 60% of the price.

Other recommended components:

Suspension:

Adjustable brand name front suspension fork, look for red and black adjustment knobs. Brand names we like include: Cannondale, Fox, Manitou, Marzocchi, and RockShox  followed by Zoom, Suntour, RST.

Seat/Saddle:

Literally spring for the extra springs or gel of a name brand such as Velo.

Derailleur:

You will want to have at least have 7 speeds and make sure it’s made by one of the big three: Campagnolo, Shimano, or SRAM

Brakes:

As disc brakes usually require less maintenance than rim brakes and perform equally well in all conditions including: water, mud and snow and have been successfully deployed on motorcycles for decades makes them an excellent choice for e-bikes.

Rims & Tires:

Metallic bicycle rims are now normally made of aluminum alloy and have a proven track record since the 1980’s.  Semi-aerodynamic and aerodynamic wheelsets are now commonplace for road bicycles and carbon fiber is also becoming popular, but is often much more expensive. Tires should be the appropriate type for their primary use.

The Extras:

• Helmet
• Battery power level readout and speedometer
• Quick release front wheel
• Riding lights and reflectors
• Bell
• Mirror
• Bicycle Bag, Pack, Rack and/or Panniers

Specific Issues relating to electric bikes include:

Electric Motor:

Generally the bigger the better, but be aware that various governments limit electric bikes based on such things as: maximum speed, continuous output rated in watts and/or horse power.  To help put things into perspective a unit of horsepower is the equivalent of about 750 watts.  Also electric motors have ratings based on continuous watts or horse power but have the ability to operate for short periods (a few minutes) at many times their continuous rating. FYI: A cyclist using peddle power can sustain approximately one hundred watts for a reasonable length of time, but can for short burst produce several hundred watts.   So what you are looking for in an e-bike motor is something that can mimic and produce energy in a like manner.  For flat areas 200 watts of power should be plenty, but if the terrain has hills then a peak consumption of 600 watts or more would certainly be very handy.

However, one feature of your electric motor that you most certainly want to have is a planetary drive, which drastically improves performance when climbing hills.

Battery:

Lead-acid, Nickel-Cadmium, and NiMh batteries have all been replaced due to limited life, and/or recycle difficulties.

Currently most electric bikes come with Lithium-ion (Li-ion) or Lithium-ion Polymer (Li-pol) batteries, due to having a longer life and are more weight-efficient than current other types.  However, they are still rather expensive, which is why you want to also make sure that they are easily detachable and lockable.  Charging and discharging needs to be carefully controlled to prevent the possibility of the cells from going into terminal meltdown, so either the charger, the battery or both should have electronics and fuses for safety. There are no real performance advantage in respect to range or weight between the two types of Lithium batteries.  However,  Lithium-ion Polymer (Li-pol) is safer and can be moulded into cool shapes, so on the basis of safety reasons alone it becomes the battery type of choice.

Chargers:

If your buying a pre-made branded electric bike from a dealer the Li-ion batteries should have charging control circuitry, which allows the charger to be fairly simple, since the charge rate with be controlled by the batteries themselves.  For safety reasons the charge rate will probably be quite slow in excess of 3-5 hours.  The good news is that the latest 36v e-bike designs mostly come with a standard 3-pin plug, which allows the chargers to be interchangeable.

The Black Box:

This is the controller or computer and firmware used to regulate all the electronic functions of an electric bike and its motor, battery and electrical system. Some of the functions include, governing power output of the motor and vehicle speed as well as the power schedule of how the batteries are charged which have a direct relation of how long they will last. The proven track record of propriety software from a known manufacturer could very well mean the difference between a long life or an early death for your EV’s batteries.

How much should you spend?

Obviously the amount is up to you,  one could get on the road for something in the neighborhood of $2000 USD or spend $25,000 and you could become the best friend of the owners of your local bike shop.  Our suggestion here at EV.com is to amortize your costs over the time that you expect to keep the bike, keeping in mind that most people get a new bike every six years.  But if you stick to buying quality name-brand parts and give your new e-bike proper respect it should provide you with years of enjoyment in which to maximize your investment.

Assorted FAQ:

The Shocking Truth:

Question: I heard that electric bikes can give you a nasty shock, is that true?

Answer: Anything is possible, but people don’t normally receive nasty shocks from voltages say under 100 volts, and since most electric bikes use relatively low (12-36) volt systems the danger of getting shocked is correspondingly low.

Happy Cruising,

Ken Burridge