We help you choose an electric bike based on your needs and budget. Plus, we give you a bunch of buying tips on sizes, measurements, watts, and batteries with their useful life estimates.
Electric bikes have come to stay among cycling fans and lovers, which is not surprising if we take into account that they allow us to achieve the challenges and summits that many people can’t do it.
Using an e-bike can be a lot of fun, especially since you can speed up quickly from a stop or leave your friends while climbing hills or cross-country.
What is an electric bike?
Exactly as the name suggests, they are bicycles with an electric motor driving any of its wheels. On the most expensive bikes (prices over €1,500), the motor can be integrated into the frame for direct riding.
The motor they built in is designed to keep you pedaling, and really, it helps climb hills and make any escape more pleasant, especially when you’re carrying the wind against you.
To power the motor, the e-bike needs to be powered by a battery, which is quite large and heavy current. Remember that at greater distances and self-control, you will need more capacity.
In turn, e-bikes are generally heavier than any other on the market. In fact, each e-bike we tested weighs more than its standard equivalent, as the motor, battery, wiring and electronics increase the weight by 5 or 8 kg.
Without a doubt, they are relevant data when you find yourself needing to climb stairs or load with it in some part of your route. However, you also have the most well thought out folding models to combine cycling and public transport routes.
How do electric bicycles work?
Typically, they often have a screen or control panel on the handle that provides various levels of support. If you want to exercise while climbing, you can choose a low level of support.
With a higher level of support, you could probably just pedal to move, which would suffice with the inertia of the movement itself.
Some e-bikes come with an accelerometer so you can get instant help, emulating the driving and acceleration systems that some e-bikes have.
To help with braking, some e-bikes have a special brake lever that detects when you press the brake to instantly cut off the motor’s power and prevent the brake from having to be larger or you need more stopping distance.
What is the best electric bike to buy?
Going beyond the limits imposed by sticking to a budget, you have to choose the type of bike you want. Electric bicycles come in all shapes and sizes. From folding models, through versions for tourists and touring routes, to complete road and mountain bikes.
Some designs stand out more than others. The best e-bikes are difficult to distinguish from normal bikes, which is also an extra as it allows them to go unnoticed among potential thieves.
Many bike shops will let you test out models before you buy them (mostly shops will let you ride for about 30 minutes), so it’s worth doing before investing in a model. your definitive figure.
How to choose an electric bicycle motor?
You should know that hub motors are, as a rule, more efficient than other motors because they are generally better designed, make better use of the mechanical gear ratio, spin at fewer revolutions and are hot. up less.
With all these premises, greater autonomy can be achieved with batteries of the same capacity. There are Bosch models with a 500 Wh battery that can be autonomous up to 150 km on a single charge under favorable conditions.
Things to consider when choosing to buy an electric bike
Aspects like the warranty and its validity period are important data, now that e-bikes have electronic components and batteries that at any point can fail or fail prematurely.
An e-bike can be cheap, but if a part breaks, you don’t want to have to pay to send it overseas for a complete repair, or run out for a while.
Similarly, it is worth buying a brand-name battery called Panasonic, Samsung or Sony, or at least checking to see if a replacement battery can be purchased that is compatible with your e-bike model.
Lithium-Ion batteries typically offer a recharge time of 800 to 1000 cycles, which can last for about three years if you use it daily to commute to and from work.
Obviously, as happens with cell phones and their batteries, the level of support and help time decreases as the battery ages. Here should evaluate removable batteries so that they can be downloaded at home or can be easily replaced.
Next, the best electric mountain bikes, e-bikes, electric gravel bikes, urban e-bikes, as well as the latest models in folding electric bikes.
The best electric bike of 2020
GX . Electric Bicycle
Although it is somewhat more expensive than you can find at less than 1,000 euros, the Gocycle is one of the best in the folding electric bike category because of its built-in electric motor design. It has three speeds, a strong finish and a powerful engine, as well as tires that are amazingly comfortable and can be easily removed so it takes up little space in the trunk.
The centering of the body mass on the Gocycle makes it possible for the electric motor to move the front wheel while the pedal moves the rear. Its compact electric motor doubles the power-to-weight ratio of more conventional bicycle motors.
Here we have already commented on the Gocycle GX model, but the brand markets two other models; The Gocycle S is similarly priced but can’t be folded, and the Gocycle G3 with its carbon finish and headlights for €3,999.
See also: Top best
Cowboy Cowboy Electric Bicycle
While the price of the Cowboy Cowboy is again relatively high, it should be noted that we have a smart and connected bike that uses an app on your mobile phone to display speed, battery level and allows you to control the amount of motorcycle support.
Plus, you can turn the lights on and off, or even get tech support as needed. Let’s say this app acts as a central hub to centrally provide all information related to your smart bike.
With the Cowboy you also get additional components such as a built-in GPS tracker and a reasonable or autonomous range of up to 70 km thanks to the 360 watt and 10 Ah battery. The battery is removable and you can charge it to 100% after 3.5 hours of current.
There’s only one frame size and style, so it’s not really ideal for women who will find the bar typical, but that’s really the only downside. Its weight is less than 16 kg and is intended for people whose height ranges from 180 to 195 cm.
Xiaomi QiCycle electric bike
Xiaomi QiCycle is a small fruit and compact electric bicycle with only 16-inch wheels with 12.5 cm aluminum wheels. This is not to say that it is well designed, designed to provide an average range of 45 km.
Its electric motor is integrated into the frame, delivering up to 250 watts, the maximum allowed in our country, while the gearbox used is the Nexus 3 of the Shimano brand, which offers three assistive speeds. different bike.
As it cannot be otherwise, QiCycle relies on the use of a mobile phone to display information about it, although there is a bicycle with a small 1.8-inch screen that shows the most relevant information, but there is no direct menu. and sometimes displayed in Chinese.
We’d love to see some extras, such as supportive feet or some sort of fender for rainy days, but on the other hand, our only real complaint is the China travel computer. (obviously not a problem if you speak Chinese).
Cannondale Quick Neo electric bike
This is the Cannondale Quick Neo version and is currently 20% off the regular price. This is a hybrid e-bike that offers safe and agile handling with the power of a built-in 250 watt Active Line Plus generation 250 motor.
This motor is paired with a 500Wh PowerTube battery built into the chassis’ cross-tube, storing enough power to cover great distances and taking advantage of the 9 speeds offered by the Quick Neo.
Its frame is made of aluminum, with the typical Save microphone suspension located at the rear that the American company often integrates in its models to ensure users a smooth and comfortable ride on the roads. exit longer.
Don’t forget that the bike can also be used in urban areas or pack a bike, thanks to its removable fenders, racks for anchoring luggage, and installation of wiring to integrate lights. rear and front. Very versatile
Mustache Samedi . electric bicycle
An obvious candidate for climbing any mountain worthy of its salt, the Samedi 27 Off 2 Open frees up space between the legs by eliminating the crossbar of the more traditional model. In fact, you can buy it with both low and high frames.
Its three-chamber frame provides the rigidity needed to climb any mountain or face the most abrupt treks, plus a 1×10 Shimano Deore transmission and the brand’s 180-degree hydraulic brake mm front and 160 mm rear.
This electric mountain bike is the most versatile when it comes to carrying a fully integrated battery and is hidden in the frame to go unnoticed among the rest.
Within the specifications offered by Samedi 27, the Mustache brand will allow you to choose between the 400 Wh model and the 500 Wh model whose final cost increases by 200 € using the most advanced PowerTube battery.
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