Electric bikes (e-bikes) use motorized assistance to make cycling less tiring. Many come equipped with an electronic controller which enables riders to adjust how much power the motor provides; from no assistance up steep hills all the way through to full assistance for more challenging rides.
E-bikes are simply regular bikes equipped with motors and battery packs to give extra propulsion, but how exactly do they function?
Battery
The battery is one of the key components of an Electric Bike, and is often heavier than traditional bicycles but helps them go faster.
Voltage and amp-hours determine how much power a battery can supply to your motor. Voltage measures how quickly electrons move through its cells; amp-hours quantify how many hours 1 amp of energy has been delivered from its battery.
Most e-bikes feature pedal-activated systems that activate the quiet motor when you begin pedaling, providing an excellent workout while still working your muscles. Your controller allows you to select from various levels of pedal assist ranging from very little to maximum; conveniently placed on the handlebar for easy access. A display is also standard to show battery status and other information. Over time however, your battery’s capacity will diminish; its cycle life determines this loss.
Motor
Your motor is the heart of an electric bicycle and is powered by its battery, providing consistent amounts of electrical power measured in Watts (W), Volts (V), and Amp-hours (Ah).
The motor’s rotor rotates inside to generate electricity while electromagnets attract and repel each other near its permanent magnets, producing torque and thus spinning your bike’s wheels. Power from this motor is then provided through a gear system so as to decrease its rotational speed to match with pedaling speeds more comfortably.
Your motor can be activated using either a throttle or pedal-based controller, with sensors to determine when and at what level the motor will kick in and how much assistance will be provided. Some cadence-based systems automatically provide power as soon as you begin pedaling; others require you to press a throttle or activate the controller before it will kick in; some e-bikes even offer both options so that riders can find assistance that best fits their riding style.
Pedal-Assist
Unlike full-throttle eBikes, which can only be powered entirely by their motors, pedal-assist eBikes offer riders the choice of powering the motor with pedaling and handlebar throttle controls simultaneously. You can customize pedal assist settings via the controller from gentle push to plenty of power for climbing steep off-road climbs – either way using sensors to measure force applied while pedaling so the motor knows when it needs to activate.
Torque-sensing PASs work by matching or multiplying your power output, so if you pedal hard it will increase it significantly while lightly pedaling will only receive minor boosts. This ensures you still feel like you’re working, which reduces sweat factor during commutes or mountain rides; however, they won’t let you ride faster than 45mph; rather they help extend rides so they’re completed without becoming fatigued or sore.
Speed
Your bike’s maximum speed depends not only on its motor and battery, but also how hard you pedal. A bike with a larger motor should typically go faster; however, in order to sustain such speeds it will require a larger battery as well.
Most of our E-bikes feature pedal-activated systems with an onboard controller to let you adjust how much power the motor supplies while pedaling. Some systems use cadence sensors while others utilize torque sensors to measure how much pressure you are applying while riding.
Torque measures the turning force required to cause an electric bike motor to spin and is an indicator of its acceleration rate. More torque means more powerful motor and can influence how steep of hills your electric bike can climb as well as how fast it cruises downhill.